Muscle Pain

Muscle pain can be caused by a wide range of things, including injuries, infections, medications, neuromuscular disorders and diseases. Some degree of muscle pain is just a common part of living, particularly after exercising or physical activity. But chronic or severe pain can make it difficult to enjoy life. Symptoms can vary widely. You may feel pain all over your body, or it may be confined to a specific area. You may experience random sharp pains, or it could be a constant dull ache.

Diagnosis: Diagnosing muscle pain focuses on finding the source of the discomfort. Diagnostic options include blood tests, MRI, CT scan, studies of electrical activity in the muscles and muscle biopsy.

Spasticity is a disorder marked by abnormal stiffening or contraction of your muscles. Even when resting, your muscles may be unable to relax. It is usually caused by damage to the nerve connections that control your movement and stretch reflexes. Among the causes: spinal cord injury, stroke, brain injury, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. The condition comes in many forms. It can be as mild as feeling a tightness in your muscles. But in severe cases, it can cause extreme contractions, muscle tremors, pain, abnormal posture and bone deformities. It can also affect your ability to talk.

Diagnosis: Diagnosing spasticity involves a thorough physical examination, neurological testing and MRI.