Deep Muscle Pain

Pain in the deeper tissues or muscles of the body is a common problem. But, many people fail to realize that such deep muscle pain can be the sign of a wide range of conditions. The most common cause of this type of muscle pain can be overuse and injury such as, sprains and strains. But, such pain could also be associated with certain infectious and autoimmune diseases as well. One can experience deep muscle pain in legs, arms, hips, and any other part of the body. In addition to these areas, deep back pain is also quite common.

Deep Muscle Ache

Causes
There can be various causes of deep, aching muscles as mentioned already. However, this kind of muscle pain or myalgia has been observed to more commonly accompany the following conditions

• The most common causes of deep, aching muscle are injury and trauma such as, sprains or strains, along with overuse of muscles. It can be due to excessive physical activities as well.
• Deep muscle cramps can be caused by electrolyte imbalance in the body. Electrolytes are basically minerals like sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, bicarbonates, etc. Deficiency of these essential minerals can manifest in deep muscle spasms or cramps.
• Fibromyalgia is another condition that can have an association with deep muscle pain. This condition is characterized by pain and stiffness of the joints, muscles, tendons and even soft tissues of the body. It can also cause fatigue, numbness in hands and feet, and a gnawing and radiating pain in the muscles.
• If you frequently get deep muscle pain in buttock, then it can be due to the condition known as piriformis syndrome. The condition is characterized by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve by the 'piriformis' muscles, which in turn, causes pain deep in the buttock that worsens with activities like, sitting or climbing stairs. The piriformis muscle pain often radiates down the back of the leg.
• Muscle pain or myalgia along with stiffness, tenderness and general weakness can be the symptoms of 'rhabdomyolysis'. 'Rhabdomyolysis' refers to breakdown of muscle fibers. The contents of broken muscle fibers are then excreted through the urine, which gives the urine a dark color.
• Severe muscle pain can be associated with the condition, known a 'polymyalgia rheumatica'. This is a rheumatic disorder that causes severe pain in hip, neck and shoulder area. One can also get this kind of pain in arm, especially upper part of the arm and muscle stiffness in polymyalgia rheumatica.
• Sometimes, autoimmune conditions such as, polymyositis and dermatomyositis can also cause deep aching muscle. Polymyositis is a rare connective tissue disease, characterized by muscle inflammation and weakness of the skeletal muscles. Dermatomyositis is a similar condition, which too causes inflammation of the muscles and the skin.
• The autoimmune condition, lupus also affects the connective tissues of the body and cause muscle pain.
• In addition to these, muscle pain can be a sign of generalized infections, like malaria, influenza, measles, and rheumatic fever.

Treatment
Identification of the factors that cause muscle aches is the key for proper treatment of this condition. In general, muscle pain caused by overuse, as well as injury or sprain improves with rest. Some home remedies like, ice pack and warm compress can also provide muscle pain relief. Even massage and gentle exercises can help to reduce and prevent such muscle pain in the future. Exercising regularly can help to strengthen the muscles and improve muscle tone. Some of the good muscle strengthening exercises are cycling, walking and swimming. However, it caused by any of the above mentioned diseases or disorders can be alleviated only by treating that particular health condition.

If you frequently suffer from pain in the deep muscles and it is not associated with overuse or injury, then it is better to talk to your physician about it. Your physician can properly evaluate the condition, and detect the root cause of such pain. This in turn, would ensure prompt and effective treatment of deep muscle aches.