Introduction
Pain all over the body can be very different. Patients take the pain very differently. They can occur in phases and can sometimes be stronger or weaker. However, the pain can also be permanent and cause the patient great discomfort. Many patients are restricted in their everyday life or even their job.
Causes
Pain all over the body can have various causes. The pain can originate from the muscles, joints or nerves. In most cases there is an underlying disease that causes the pain.
For example, diseases from the rheumatic spectrum of forms are possible. Various joints are affected simultaneously, usually symmetrically, by rheumatism or even arthrosis. The joints hurt regularly and also swell.
This is due to increasing wear and tear of the bony structures. There can also be various infectious diseases that spread throughout the body and cause general discomfort. Herpes zoster, for example, can cause shingles.
It spreads in a belt-like manner along the stomach and back and can be very painful. Furthermore, there is also the possibility that the pain originates from the bones and that these are tumors or even metastases. Osteoporosis, a bone disease in which the bone substance is increasingly degraded, can also cause such complaints.
A serotonin deficiency can also lead to increased pain, since serotonin, as a messenger substance in the central nervous system, has an analgesic effect. Rheumatism is the term used to describe a variety of illnesses that are associated with different complaints of the supporting and locomotor system, i.e. the joints or muscles. Pain is found in several places in the body and is usually distributed symmetrically.
The pain is accompanied by functional limitations. In the case of the various rheumatic diseases, typical body regions or areas are affected. In addition to the pain and functional limitations, a variety of other symptoms can occur.
The complaints are caused by immune reactions that are misdirected by the body. The diseases themselves cannot be cured, but can be alleviated by medication. Multiple sclerosis, also known as MS or encephalomyelitis disseminata for short, is a chronic inflammatory disease.
It belongs to the autoimmune diseases. The body’s own defense system attacks the central nervous system such as the spinal cord and brain. In particular, the immune cells attack the sheath (myelin sheath) of the individual nerve fibers.
This process is called demyelination. The nerve fibers are increasingly destroyed and are finally no longer able to transmit excitation. As a result, the nerves fail and muscles can no longer be moved.
Symptoms of paralysis occur. The attack of the immune cells leads to scattered centres of inflammation, which can cause the patient considerable pain, distributed over the body. Multiple sclerosis progresses in phases.
The first sign is often reduced vision, as the optic nerve can be affected quickly. As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe. The patient experiences sensory disturbances in the arms and legs, generally feels very tired, later walking and standing becomes increasingly difficult and control over emptying the bladder and bowel can also be impaired.
Finally, paralysis of the face and other muscles occurs, so that from a certain point on, the patient is no longer able to care for himself or herself alone. So far, multiple sclerosis cannot be cured and its progression can only be slowed down by medication. Fibromyalgia is a fiber-muscle pain.
It is a chronic, but not inflammatory disease of the skeletal system. Various symptoms occur, which is why it is also called fibromyalgia syndrome. Often affected persons complain about “pain all over the body like sore muscles“.
How severe the symptoms are depends on the severity of the disease. There are mild and severe forms of fibromyalgia known. Distributed over the entire body, pain occurs in muscles and joints.
They occur particularly frequently in the neck, back, arms and legs, and abdomen. The pain is accompanied by severe fatigue and sleep disorders.Patients usually do not fall asleep well or even sleep through the night, as they often wake up from the pain. At the same time, patients feel very cold or sweaty.
The hands and feet are particularly affected. Other complaints can also be caused by different organs. Irritable bowel syndrome and an increased urge to urinate may also occur.
The heart and lungs can also cause various problems. Another major problem is the psychological situation of those affected. They often suffer additionally from depressions, fears and concentration disorders.
They are often listless, but also have an inner restlessness. Stress is often a factor that makes the symptoms worse. Which symptoms a patient has can vary greatly, which is why the disease is not always easy to diagnose.
The exact cause is unclear, and it is assumed that the pain processing has changed. Life expectancy is not reduced in fibromyalgia. Physiotherapeutic and psychological methods are used for therapy – in severe cases also medication.
Pain all over the body can also be accompanied by fever. Joint and muscle pain is then called limb pain. In combination with fever, these complaints can indicate a severe cold or a classic flu.
The patient feels very worn out and tired. He shows a significant decrease in performance. In addition to fever, other symptoms such as a cold, cough and headaches can also occur.
In younger patients, and especially in children, influenza also often manifests itself with nausea and vomiting. However, if there is no flu-like infection behind the pain and fever, the patient should consult a doctor and have a more detailed examination. In some cases, meningitis (inflammation of the meninges) or organic diseases may also be responsible for the symptoms.
Pain all over the body can also be related to pregnancy. They can be one of the first signs of an existing pregnancy. In addition to the typical symptoms at the beginning of pregnancy, such as nausea and vomiting, some women also have complaints such as fatigue, tiredness and aching limbs.
The pain can be of varying intensity and can be reduced or made worse by exercise. The reason for aching limbs can also be the hormonal changes that a woman goes through during pregnancy. In many women, the symptoms improve as the pregnancy progresses.
In some cases, however, general pain can also occur during an advanced pregnancy. If they persist, they should also be examined by the treating gynaecologist or another specialist. A flu-like infection may also be responsible for the pain.
Especially if the pain is accompanied by fever, it may be caused by a cold. In most cases, a cure with plenty of rest is recommended. Drugs are only prescribed when really necessary.
The reason for this is that one does not want to endanger the unborn child by administering the medication. Last but not least, an infection with herpes viruses can also be present, which can be dangerous for the child. The infection can also manifest itself with symptoms similar to those of a cold.
It is not unusual for aching limbs to occur. After a certain age, a woman undergoes hormonal changes again. She enters the menopause, which follows the woman’s last menstrual period.
During this time, the concentration of the hormones estrogen and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) changes in particular. These changes also cause some typical symptoms. Among the most common symptoms are: What many women are not so familiar with is that stronger muscle and limb pain can also occur.
They occur occasionally and can last up to hours or even days. In addition, morning stiffness can also occur, which initially restricts movement after waking up. Although there is a connection between pain all over the body and the menopause, the woman should still have it clarified by a doctor so that another organic disease can be definitely ruled out.
Light exercise in the form of cycling, Nordic walking, swimming, yoga or hiking can be helpful against the pain. In this way the muscles can be strengthened and loosened.In addition, exercise also helps to improve mood during the menopause.
- Hot flashes
- Weld outbreaks
- Sleep disorders and also
- Depressive states.
Stress is a burden for the body.
In conjunction with other stress factors such as overwork, it can also trigger psychosomatic pain. Such pain is not due to physical causes but to mental stress. The pain is not imagined by the person affected, but is also perceived as physical pain.
Furthermore, stress leads to tension in the body, which can cause muscle tension. Stress also has a negative effect on existing chronic pain. They can be intensified.
Stress should be avoided in case of pain all over the body. One should pay attention to sufficient recovery phases. In medicine there is psychosomatics.
Psychosomatic illnesses include illnesses which are caused or influenced by psychological and psychosocial factors. These diseases include somatoform disorders. With these diseases, the symptoms cannot be sufficiently explained by a physical cause.
It is assumed that psychological factors and stress also play an important role in their development. Often these diseases are caused by pain in various parts of the body or spread over the whole body. In addition, dizziness or digestive problems may also be present.
It is important to say that affected persons do not imagine these pains, but that they really exist. The treatment of such diseases is not easy. Physiological methods such as behavioral therapy play an important role in therapy.