Myalgia means " muscle pain" and is a symptom of many diseases and disorders. The most common causes are the overuse or over-stretching of a muscle or group of muscles. Myalgia without a traumatic history is often due to viral infection s. Longer-term myalgias may be indicative of a metabolic myopathy, some nutritional deficiencies or chronic fatigue syndrome.

The most common causes of myalgia are overuse, injury or stress . However, myalgia can also be caused by diseases, disorders, medications, as a response to vaccination It is also a sign of acute rejection after heart transplant surgery.

The most common causes are:

• Injury or trauma including sprains and strains

• Overuse: using a muscle too much, too soon, too often

• Tension or stress

Muscle pain may also be due to:

• Certain drugs, including:

• * ACE inhibitors for lowering blood pressure

• * Cocaine

• * Statins for lowering cholesterol

• Dermatomyositis

• Electrolyte imbalances like too little potassium or calcium

• Fibromyalgia

• Infections, including:

• * Influenza (the flu)

• * Lyme disease

• * Malaria

• * Dengue Fever

• * Hemorrhagic fever

• * Muscle abscess

• * Polio

• * Rocky Mountain spotted fever

• * Trichinosis (roundworm)

• Lupus

• Polymyalgia rheumatica

• Polymyositis

• Rhabdomyolysis

Overuse

Overuse of a muscle is using it too much, too soon and/or too often. Examples are:

• Repetitive strain injury.

Injury

The most common causes of myalgia by injury are: sprains and strain (injury).

Autoimmune

Multiple sclerosis, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Myositis, Lupus erythematosus, Familial Mediterranean fever, Polyarteritis nodosa, Devic's disease, Morphea

Metabolic defect

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency, Conn's syndrome, Adrenal insufficiency, Hyperthyroidism

Other

Chronic fatigue syndrome, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Hypokalemia, Exercise intolerance, Mastocytosis, Peripheral neuropathy, Eosinophilia myalgia syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Barcoo Fever, Herpes, Delayed onset muscle soreness, AIDS, HIV, Tumor-induced osteomalacia, Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome

Medications

Acrylamide, Asprin, colesevelam, darbepoetin, darunavir, ezetimibe, ibandronate sodium, Ibuprofen, imiquimod, interferons, isotretinoin, procainamide, quinupristin/dalfopristin, statins, sumatriptan, tasigna, tiotropium, vardenafil, zolmitriptan, zocor.

(Ibuprofen can help reduce swelling.)

Withdrawal syndromes

Sudden cessation of opioids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, or alcohol can induce myalgia.

• Delayed onset muscle soreness

• Myopathy

• Myelitis

• NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE CENTER Washington University a more comprehensive list