Muscle Pain
Types of Muscle Pain
- Muscle Strain: Muscle strain occurs when a muscle is overstretched or torn. The overstretching damages muscle fibers, leading to inflammation, pain, and sometimes bruising or swelling. Strains are common in activities that involve quick starts, stops, or changes in direction, such as in sports and gym activities.
- Muscle Stiffness: Muscle stiffness results from prolonged inactivity or repetitive, unaccustomed activity. Lack of movement leads to decreased circulation, which can reduce the elasticity of muscles and make them feel tight. Sitting or standing in the same position for extended periods, or sudden, intense exercise after a period of inactivity, can cause muscles to feel stiff.
- Muscle Soreness: Muscle soreness, particularly delayed onset muscle soreness, is typically caused by unfamiliar strenuous activities that involve eccentric muscle contractions such as running downhill, lowering weights or any new workout routine. Microscopic damage to muscle fibers during exercise leads to delayed inflammation and pain.
Joint Pain
Joint pain is discomfort, pain, or inflammation arising from any part of a joint, including the bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, or muscles. Joint pain results from a variety of causes, including degenerative diseases, autoimmune conditions, injuries and infections.
Bruises
Bruising is the discoloration of the skin that occurs when blood vessels (usually capillaries) beneath the skin are damaged, causing blood to leak into the surrounding tissues. This results in a visible mark on the skin, often starting as a dark blue or purple patch and eventually fading to green, yellow, or brown as the body breaks down and reabsorbs the blood.
Rash
Skin Rash refers to any area of irritated or swollen skin. A rash can cause the skin to change color, become bumpy, itchy, scaly, or otherwise irritated.