Muscle and Joint Pains

Muscle and joint pain is usually seen as just a fact of life. It seems like anything you do will cause muscle and joint pain-whether it's too much exercise, not enough exercise, whether your just getting old or you're a youngster with growing pains. The causes can be nefarious and subtle, such as early onset arthritis, or obvious such as an injury.

Illnesses That Cause Joint Pain

Some illnesses have muscle and joint pain as one of the symptoms.

• The Flu. Some people will wonder what they did to their back, because it hurts so badly, or, they'll wonder what in the world they did yesterday that would make them so sore today. That is, until the rest of the symptoms set in. Thankfully, just as the flu will subside, so will the muscle and joint pain that accompanied it.

• Hepatitis, besides the life-threatening infection, can "settle" in your joints, which is another way of saying that, just as it causes inflammation in the liver, cutting down on circulation, it causes inflammation in the joints, as well.
• Rheumatic Fever, while rare in the United States, can cause swelling and damage to the joints, and serious muscle pain.

• Fevers affect the muscles and joints, no matter what the disease. Fever increases inflammation in the body. As inflammation increases, circulation decreases, keeping the body from flushing toxins out of the bloodstream. These toxins will pool, or settle in the joints, causing viral arthritis, a painful, debilitating illness that may require hospitalization.

• An excruciating condition called bursitis can affect the shoulder joint. The tissues surrounding the shoulder gets inflamed, and the pocket fills with fluid.

• Arthritis is a disease of the auto-immune system that cause the body to attack itself. The target of this disease is the joints. Other auto-immune diseases such as fibro-myalsia mimic arthritis, making both diseases sometimes hard to diagnose.

Treatments for Muscle and Joint Pain

Doctor treatment for muscle and Joint Pains can be very effective. Prescriptions can make a big difference. But, some of the most effective arthritis medications can cause pretty bad side effects. Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet for arthritis pain. There are, however, home remedies that may help.

• Some women report that after a manicure, the arthritis in their fingers feel better. It's because of the hot wax treatment that they rest their hands in, and the massaging action of removing the wax.

• Alternating heat and cold on inflamed joints can give temporary relief.

• As with many health problems, staying hydrated is important. "Drink plenty of water" is a mantra that you may get tired of, but it's more important than you may want to admit. So, stay close to the bathroom, and drink lots of water to give your body the fluids it needs to manufacture blood, digest nutrients, and flush toxins from your body.

While muscle and joint pain are common, unrelenting discomfort should be checked by your doctor.