Myalgia After Covid-19

Myalgia After Covid-19

To understand how Myalgia can set in during the recovery period from Covid-19 Illness,

We have to first understand the following.

  1. What is Myalgia
  2. What Causes Post Covid-19 Myalgia
  3. Common Myalgia symptoms during Covid-19 Recovery
  4. What can one do to overcome the symptoms & resume to your Daily routine.
  5. When to seek medical attention for the same.
  • What is Myalgia..?

In simple terms Myalgia is Painin the muscles or within muscle ‘tissue’.

Myalgia describes muscle aches and pain, which can involve ligaments and tendons, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones and organs. Injuries, trauma, overuse, tension, certain drugs and illnesses can all bring about myalgia.

  • What Causes Post Covid-19 Myalgia

Many people will have suffered some aches and pains before getting ill with Covid-19. But after contracting Covid-19 may have made the problems come back or get worse, it is due the simple relations between joints and muscles functioning better when they are being used i.e. they have regular movement in them. When unwell with Covid-19 or during its recovery, people are less active resulting in being less active than usual. This can cause pains & aches, Stiffness and muscle weakness, which in turn causes difficulties with activities such as standing, climbing stairs, gripping objects with your hands or lifting objects or rising your arms above your head.

  • Common Myalgia symptoms during Covid-19 Recovery

Also some of the treatments one undergoes to overcome Covid-19 may put extra stress and strain on one’s muscles and joints. Most common Myalgia symptoms observed are shoulder and back pain problem’s, but joint and muscle pain can set in any part of the body. People can also have odd or altered feelings such as numbness to pins and needles or weakness in arm and legs.

Majority of people who had been in hospitalized for Covid-19 treatment, Suffer from shoulder and arm problems after they are dispatched from the hospital. This Myalgia is a combination of pain, stiffness, numbness and weakness in some muscles.

  • What can one do to overcome the symptoms & resume to your Daily routine.

Most of the Myalgia problems that sets in during the post Covid-19 recovery subsides quite quickly. Looking after one’s joints and Muscles is the key part of one’s recovery. If you have been given advice or treatment about your Myalgia problems in hospital you should strictly follow that advice/treatments/exercises, But if the problems get severe you should contact your doctor or physiotherapist immediately.

A person should aim to resume his/her Daily Activates, by gradually increase the movement and activates you do. Joint and Muscles are designed for movement but you should pace yourself and rest when it’s called for. Do also take under consideration any previous or current symptoms you are suffering from. Set a goal post for each day and increase it gradually the next day. Tackle the problem a day at a time and over a period of few day you will feel the improvement and find you can do more and more activities.

  • When to seek medical attention…?

A Person should seek immediate medical attention from your Doctor or Physiotherapist for the following reasons.

  • If the pain gets severe, or experience prolonged numbness in his/her body.
  • If even after 3 months you have recovered from Covid-19, your joints and muscles problems have not improved.
  • If you develop new symptoms such as pins and needles, worsening weakness in your arms or legs or problems with your balance.
  • If Your unable to be active or exercise because of other symptoms such as fatigue or being breathless.

Lest address another important topic here for all the fitness fanatics who take daily exercising as an heavenly calling. “Is it safe to exercise/work-out after post Covid-19.

It safe to exercise after suffering from Covid unless you have been told not to by a health professional, such as a doctor or physiotherapist. Do aim for a balance between exercise and rest. Initially you may have to rest more frequently, but as time passes and you improve you should be able to keep more active and do more exercise.

The first aim should be to resume your general physical activity routine, once you have got that set you can aim to undertake more physical activates slowly and gradually. Flexibility and Strengthening exercises will help your joints and muscles problems.

For Flexibility one can try Stretching and Yoga .

And for Strength exercises you can do activities like climbing stairs, Lifting light weights & working with resistance bands etc.