MUSCLE AND JOINT PAIN IN COVID-19 DISEASE:
Introduction:
SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for COVID-19. Covid-19 is a characterized by varying symptoms some common to respiratory illness (fever, cough, runny nose) and others altogether strange (loss of taste and smell and “foggy brain”). (https://daradia.com/headache-in-covid/)Some patients of Covid-19 have complained of joint pain and many researches are conducted to identify the reason of joint and muscles pain. Now the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) recently added muscle pain in the list of covid-19 symptoms. Some muscle and joint complications of COVID-19:
- muscle inflammation
- nerve dysfunction causing weakness and numbness
- diseases of the joints
- abnormalities in soft tissues
Research Analysis:
Recent research published in The Lancet in October 2020 finds that nearly 15 percent of COVID-19 patients report experiencing joint pain. “Viral infections are a known cause of acute arthralgia [joint pain] and arthritis,” the authors of the research write. “Approximately 1 percent of all cases of acute inflammatory arthritis have a viral origin.”
Up to 30 April 2020, in Alicante General University Hospital, 306 patients with proven COVID-19 have been admitted. Eighty-one (26.4%) complained of muscle and joint pain at presentation. No patient had evident arthritis at admission, but four (1.3%) developed acute arthritis during hospitalization.
How Covid-19 cause muscle pain?
Muscle pain due to any viral infection is common in all over world. Similarly, Covid-19 viral infection also cause muscle pain. For more details visit site (https://daradia.com/pain-management-in-covid/).Mostly it is due to muscle inflammation.it is common role of human body when any endogenous(outside) substance invades human body then immunological response occur. Body releases some cytokines which cause inflammation in muscles and ultimately cause pain in it.
Difference Covid-19 and other infection pain:
Muscle pain:
Sometimes covid-19 cause muscle and joint pain. But these types of pain are also occurred due to some other infections. So how can we differentiate these two types of pain? It is very difficult job to differentiate . so, there are some parameters on which basis you can differentiate both type of pain.
In covid-19 infection pain will be in whole body muscle and some joints of body.
But during specific type of infection or injury pain will be in only specific muscle in which injury occur.
One more condition is of workout pain. Workout muscle pain last for about 48-72 hours. So, you can differentiate.
The difficult case is of common fever or other such infection in which body pain can occur. So, you can differentiate that fever pain will disappear when you are recovered.
Joint pain:
Regarding joint pain and swelling people can also experience viral arthritis. There is also a growing number of reports of reactive arthritis associated with COVID-19.
People with arthritis may also be more likely to experience infections. This in turn puts them at a higher risk of severe symptoms and additional complications of COVID-19. Typically, in a coronavirus infection, the pain is in muscles rather than in joints. But if you have an arthritic joint in your arm or leg, the virus may exaggerate the symptoms. The pain may be severe and limiting.
A 2019 study Trusted Source notes that viral respiratory infections may be a risk factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, no reports currently link COVID-19 to cases of RA.
Nevertheless, COVID-19 is a new illness, and researchers are still collecting data to learn more about it. Symptom lists may still require updating.
Is it a symptom of long COVID?
Long COVID refers to a range of symptoms that may last weeks or months after the initial infection with SARS-CoV-2.
However, similarly to COVID-19, it appears that, while people may experience joint pain, joint swelling is not a common symptom Trusted Source of long COVID.
Pain after Covid-19 vaccination:
Some people experience joint and muscle pain after Covid-19 vaccination. It can be an adverse effect of vaccine. But no worries it will not take for long. It will disappear within 2-3 days. The ratio of after covi-19 vaccination pain is so much low. So don’t worry about such reactions.
How can you treat muscle and joint pain from Covid-19?
Muscle pain:
If muscle pain is due to work out, then it can be relieved by icing, rolling, light stretching, massage, and light aerobic activity before starting your workout routine.
But if muscle pain is due to Covid-19 then strategy to treat will be different. Then you should take following treatment
- Bed rest
- Fluid hydration
- acetaminophen or NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like aspirin and ibuprofen.
Many patients take anti-inflammatory medication to help control the pain and sometimes the fever brought on by the virus. While the medication may be helpful, it may also suppress other symptoms, such as fever, that would help diagnose the coronavirus infection.
Joint pain:
Sometimes joint pain can occur in covid-19 infection. So, you must have to take some measures to reduce joint pain.
- Applying ice and heat and resting
- Physical therapy
- Staying active
- Over-the-counter medication
- Prescription medications
- Supplements
- Losing weight
A good way to avoid flare-ups is to modify activities that can increase joint pain, such as:
- Avoid sitting on low chairs
- Avoid long distance running
- Do exercises that won’t require deep bending, like modified squats using a chair
Exercise at Home
There are a few exercises you can do at home to strengthen your hips and knees. Exercises that target specific muscle groups are effective. One of the most important muscles for hip and knee health is the quadricep muscle. This is the muscle on the front of your thigh. And you must have to take exercise of this muscle. Using low resistant training methods do not require machines or weight systems. It’s a great way to use your body weight to strengthen those areas.
Go to the Doctor
So be aware of your symptoms. If you have any questions about pain or other symptoms relating to your bones or joints, contact your orthopedic surgeon. If your condition is not good by taking these medications. Then instantly stop using these medicines. Consult your doctor immediately.
