Fatigue And Sore Muscles And Joints

Essentials For Older People: Weakness

As people age, the amount of muscle tissue and muscle strength tend to decrease. These changes occur partly because older people may become less active but also because the production of the hormones that stimulate muscle development decreases. Thus, for older people, bed rest during an illness can have a devastating effect. Compared with younger people, older people start out with less muscle tissue and strength at the beginning of the illness and lose muscle tissue more quickly during the illness.

Drugs are another common cause of weakness in older people because older people take more drugs and are more susceptible to side effects of drugs .

When evaluating older people who report weakness, doctors also focus on conditions that do not cause weakness but interfere with balance, coordination, vision, or mobility or that make movement painful . Older people may mistakenly describe the effects of such conditions as weakness.

Regardless of what is causing weakness, physical therapy can usually help older people function better.

The symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica usually develop over a short period of time and may include:

• muscle pain and stiffness, particularly in the neck, shoulders, hips, thighs and upper arms
• increased pain and stiffness after youve been resting or inactive
• fatigue
• difficulty raising arms above shoulder height
• weight loss
• slight fever.

How Is Fibromyalgia Diagnosed

Because fibromyalgia is a cluster of different symptoms, its not always easy to diagnose.

Theres no specific test for fibromyalgia. So doctors might do tests to rule out other conditions or problems. For example, feeling very tired can be a sign of a thyroid problem. So a doctor may do thyroid tests. If the tests show a persons thyroid is normal, the doctor will know something else is causing the problem.

A doctor will ask about a persons medical history and symptoms, and do an exam. If there is no sign of other health problems, and the patient has had widespread pain for at least 3 months, doctors may decide its fibromyalgia.

Diagnosing fibromyalgia can take a while . That can get pretty frustrating. Dont give up. You may need to find a doctor who has experience with the condition.

How Is Fibromyalgia Treated

There’s no cure for fibromyalgia. But treatment can help manage symptoms, ease pain, and improve a person’s overall health and quality of life. Treatments include lifestyle changes and medicines.

Doctors usually ask people to start with lifestyle changes before turning to medicines. Changes doctors may recommend include:

• Regular exercise. Exercise may increase pain at first, but it can help make things better when done gradually and regularly. Some people get help from a physical therapist. Stretching and relaxation exercises can also help.
• Stress-relief methods. These can include yoga, t’ai chi, and other disciplines, as well as light massage, breathing exercises, and acupuncture.
• More sleep. Getting enough sleep is one of the most effective ways to treat fibromyalgia. It can help to avoid caffeine, sugary beverages, and sugary snacks late in the day. It can also help to go to bed and get up at the same time each day and limit napping during the daytime.
• Healthy lifestyle choices. Eating healthy foods can help with fibromyalgia. Doing things you love can help too. Hobbies and other activities not only make people feel good about themselves, they also can distract them from the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

If lifestyle changes don’t help on their own, a doctor may prescribe medicines such as:

• antidepressants: some can ease pain and tiredness, and help with sleep
• anti-seizure medicines: some medicines used to treat epilepsy also can treat fibromyalgia symptoms

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Symptoms Of Polymyalgia Rheumatica

The symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica usually develop over a short period of time and may include:

• muscle pain and stiffness, particularly in the neck, shoulders, hips, thighs and upper arms
• increased pain and stiffness after youve been resting or inactive
• fatigue
• difficulty sleeping
• difficulty raising arms above shoulder height
• weight loss
• slight fever.

Not everyone will experience all of these symptoms. Each person with polymyalgia rheumatica will have their own unique set of symptoms.

Q: How Is Pots Treated

A: Treatment plans for POTS may include the following:

• Medications.
• Multidisciplinary patient education, including shared medical appointments.
• Self-help tools for patients to use to improve their body through diet and exercise .

The good news is that several wellness tools have proven much more effective in managing POTS than expensive supplements.

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Conditions Of Muscle Inflammation

Inflammatory diseases of muscle typically affect older adults and include conditions such as polymyalgia rheumatica , polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Some of these conditions respond well to steroids . Unfortunately, as explained above, steroids also cause muscle wasting and weakness.

Conditions of generalised tissue inflammation such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis can cause muscle weakness. In a small proportion of cases of rheumatoid arthritis, muscle weakness and tiredness may be the only sign of the disease for some considerable time.

Try Smaller More Frequent Meals

Many people with chronic fatigue often feel too tired to eat or dont feel hungry. If youre losing weight or struggling to eat enough throughout the day, Groppo recommends trying smaller meals more frequently or adding small snacks between each meal. Eating more frequently may help keep your energy up. Smaller portions may be easier to tolerate as well.

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> > > Best Joint Pain Solution Available

Over-the-counter pain medication and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are effective for moderate and severe cases. However, some cases of osteoarthritis dont respond well to these medications, and doctors will usually advise patients to seek medical advice before having surgery. If osteoarthritis is not yet severe enough, doctors will often prescribe over-the-counter medication to help reduce pain. In the worst-case scenario, they may prescribe a special drug to alleviate the symptoms.

In the case of severe cases, a doctor may prescribe corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation in the affected joints. Repeated corticosteroids, however, can be damaging to cartilage. For severe cases, the doctor may prescribe joint replacement. This is a surgical procedure that replaces the damaged joint surfaces with artificial ones. It is often an expensive and lengthy procedure, but it will reduce the pain and improve the function of the joint.

As with other types of osteoarthritis, MIV-711 has the potential to reverse or slow down the progression of the disease. The drug has also shown promise in reducing the progression of osteoarthritis. In addition, MIV-711 has the potential to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis in the affected joints. This drug has been developed in a laboratory and is currently being tested on a clinical trial in patients with the condition.

Treatment For Muscle And Joint Pain

In case you dont have any other symptoms that would indicate having one of the conditions described below consider using some homemade treatments to ease the pain.

Here is what you can do to relieve muscle discomfort:

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Womens Health Problems Doctors Still Miss

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Women may feel like their symptoms and health problems are not taken seriously
• Some live with symptoms for 10-plus years before finally getting the right diagnosis
• Hard-to-diagnose women who cant get the help may have autoimmune disorder
• Learn names, risk factors, symptoms, and treatments for misdiagnosed illnesses

RELATED TOPICS

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Ashley Price felt terrible. She was tired, dizzy spells came and went, dark splotches popped up on her chest for no reason, and shed gained 50 pounds in two years. Some days she was starving other days she could barely eat. Her doc suggested that her problems would go away if Price just ate less and exercised more, even though she was dieting and working out regularly. Price demanded thyroid tests, only to have them come back normal.

Her doctor told her: I have no idea what it is. Wait for it to go away. It didnt go away. I could no longer think straight, no matter how hard I tried or what I did, Price says. Worse, she suffered three straight miscarriages.

Finally, four years after this nightmare began after the third miscarriage an ultrasound revealed that her ovaries were riddled with cysts. She had polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder symptoms include irregular periods, infertility, brain fog, and obesity.

1. Polycystic ovary syndrome

What is it, and who gets it?

How does it feel?

What is it, and who gets it?

4. Lupus

Role Of Inflammation In Fatigue

The mechanisms of fatigue are complex and have been studied in animal models and humans. Because fatigue could be explained by loss of muscle mass or altered mood, Norden et al. proposed a model to discriminate between these phenomena: some colon tumor-bearing mice demonstrated signs of fatigue and depressed mood , with no association with decreased normalized contractile properties of skeletal muscle of the limb. So fatigue seemed linked more to behavior than muscle activity.

Inflammation could play an important role . The injection of IL-1 in murine models decreased social exploration and increased hypersomnia and body weight loss, which were all improved by the administration of anti-inflammatory IL-1RA or IL-10 . Moreover, in the model of tumor-induced fatigue in mice seen earlier, fatigue was associated with increased levels of IL-1 and IL-6 in the brain, and treatment with minocycline, an anti-inflammatory agent, improved grip strength without reducing tumor growth or muscle mass .

Table 1 Possible mechanisms involved in fatigue

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Best Foods For Sore Muscles And Joints

Posted by Abby Vichill | Sep 16, 2020 | Functional Sports Nutrition | 2

Are you suffering from sore muscles and joints more frequently than ever before? We are talking more than just your typical tight hamstrings after an intense leg day

There are a number of reasons a person may be experiencing sore muscles and joints, including acute injury, food sensitivities or intolerances, chronic physical exertion, chronic stress, nutrient deficiencies, autoimmune disease, infections, or underlying gut issues.

Thankfully we can move mountains when we eat the right foods for sore muscles and joints.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease As A Cause Of Joint Pain And Fatigue

IBD can include Crohns disease as well as ulcerative colitis . They are both chronic conditions that affect the digestive system.

Ulcerative Colitis leads to inflammation in the large intestine. Crohns results in sores and ulcerations in the gastrointestinal tract.

Some of the common symptoms of IBD include joint pain and fatigue. With the onset of chronic inflammation, the digestive tract can get infected or damaged with ulcerations, abscesses and fistulas. This leads to rectal bleeding and diarrhea.

IBD can also have life-threatening perforations of the intestines. In fact, hemorrhages may require emergency blood transfusions and surgery.

Inflammatory bowel disease may look different in different patients. It can be quite difficult to diagnose because people will confuse IBS with diarrhea or constipation. However, it cannot be called an autoimmune disease.

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Get A Good Nights Sleep

Its important to try to get a good nights rest because poor sleep patterns can cause fatigue or make it worse.

If youre having trouble sleeping, or you regularly wake up feeling unrefreshed, it would probably help to look at ways you might be able to sleep better. Healthcare professionals talk about a principle called sleep hygiene, which covers things you can do to improve your chances of getting a good nights sleep.

Too much sleep can also cause fatigue. Thinking about what a good nights sleep means to you, can help. Your activity charts can tell you a lot about how youre sleeping.

Getting Adequate Rest Can Fight Short

In most cases, chronic fatigue is not substantially improved by rest. Chronic fatigue often makes it more difficult to get adequate rest. Similarly, fatigue can interfere with sleep, resulting in unrefreshing sleep, difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakening, or sleep apnea.

Rest is unlikely to relieve fatigue caused by a medical condition.

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The Most Common Causes Of Muscle Pain

Not all aches are related to stress or physical activity. As stated above, some medical conditions can cause muscle pain. For example:

Fibromyalgia

In case you have pain on both sides of your body that lasts longer than three months, it might be a sign of fibromyalgia. It is a long-term condition that can cause pain in muscles, general fatigue, sleep and cognitive disturbances. Other symptoms of this condition include headaches, dry eyes, anxiety, pain in the lower belly, and bladder problems.

Keep in mind that only professional healthcare providers can make a diagnosis. If you notice the symptoms of fibromyalgia, make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible and get the right treatment on time.

Exercise Can Worsen The Symptoms Of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Stndrome

While exercise can be helpful for more common forms of fatigue, the relationship of exercise to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is much more complex. Exercise can, in fact, temporarily worsen the symptoms of CFS a phenomenon sometimes referred to as post-exertional malaise or payback. This can strike ME/CFS patients about 12 to 48 hours after exercise and make their symptoms worse for days or even weeks.

Even so, ME/CFS patients are not discouraged from exercising. A carefully structured and balanced program of exercise can, over time, help build stamina. Not exercising can cause deconditioning, which can make symptoms worse.

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Causes Of Fatigue In Arthritis

Inflammation, pain, inactivity and lifestyle factors can cause extreme tiredness when living with arthritis.

Everyone gets worn out from time to time. But exhaustion that disrupts your daily life and doesnt get better after a good nights sleep has its own medical term: fatigue. Fatigue significantly affects the quality of life for people with many forms of arthritis-related diseases, includingrheumatoid arthritis,psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia andosteoarthritis. Your lack of energy may be caused by your inflammatory disease and other health conditions you have, as well asmedications side effectsand lifestyle habits.

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What Are The Causes Of Muscle Weakness

Muscle weakness is commonly due to lack of exercise, ageing, muscle injury or pregnancy. It can also occur with long-term conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. There are many other possible causes, which include stroke, multiple sclerosis, depression, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome .

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What Can I Do

Therefore, ensuring that all your thyroid levels are optimal, supplementing magnesium, Vitamin D or using Epsom salts for baths/foot soaks and exploring whether you have adrenal issues and subsequently treating it, could help you resolve the symptoms. Low Free T3 levels in particular should be checked for and addressed.

Fluid retention, another somewhat common hypothyroid symptom, can cause pain, too. Its most often seen around the ankles and feet and worsens with physical activity. This is also often solved with optimal thyroid and vitamin levels.

Other short term treatments for hypothyroid myopathy can include massaging the affected area/s, which increases blood flow and eases aches and pains, or a warm bath/foot soak which helps to relax muscles, bonus points if you use Epsom salts, which is a popular trick for relaxing and relieving tired and achy muscles, among other things . You can get the ones I use by clicking here.

Magnesium spray or a Turmeric Supplement is also popular if you prefer to not add another supplement or tablet to your daily regimen and acupuncture has been helpful to some thyroid patients, too. A magnesium spray that is particularly popular with thyroid patients is this one.

Gluten-caused inflammation can cause joint and muscle pain in some people, too.

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Other Sources Of Fatigue

Your fatigue is not always directly related to your arthritis disease activity, inflammation or pain. In fact according to a 2017 study published inCurrent Rheumatology Reports your fatigue level probably has more to do with other contributing factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, sleep disturbance and depression. Several of them may work together to cause your extreme tiredness, but identifying and treating even one of these factors can provide relief.

Managing Pain

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Complementary And Alternative Medicine

Several mind-body therapies have been used, often in conjunction with medication and physical therapy, to alleviate joint pain. Some of these include:

• Tai chi
• Acupuncture

In addition, while there was some hype about taking the dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin for repairing the damaged cartilage of osteoarthritis, current scientific evidence is unfortunately not so supportive of this. That said, for some people, there may be a small pain-alleviating benefit to taking these supplements.

In the end, it’s best to talk with your healthcare provider about whether these are right and safe for you.

How Chronic Pain Causes Fatigue

The Arthritis Foundation says, The pain-fatigue connection can be a vicious circle. Dealing with pain for months at a time over many years can wear you down. It can affect your sleep habits, which adds to your exhaustion. Being fatigued, in turn, can worsen pain and make it more difficult to manage.

Here are five specific ways pain can cause fatigue.

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