1. Too Much Exercise
Muscle inflammation can occur as a result of sudden overuse or exercise of a muscle, taking certain medications, injury and infection. Concentrated and frequent contraction of a muscle causes it to become inflamed. Inflammation is the body's way of fighting off bacteria and viruses using white blood cells and other chemicals. It can be painful and if left untreated causes loss of muscle. Bruising or redness accompanies some muscle inflammation. Attempt to relieve the inflammation by ceasing the behavior that caused it. If it doesn't go away, there may be an underlying condition. Prolonged or chronic muscle inflammation and swelling is called myositis.
2. Fighting Yourself
There are idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and toxic myopathies. With idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, the cause is unknown. The immune system turns on the body and instead of fighting infection, it destroys healthy tissue with inflammation. These types include dermatomyositis, inclusion-body myositis, juvenile forms of myositis and polymyositis. Toxic myopathies are related to medications. For example, you take medicine to help lower your cholesterol and your body reacts by swelling.
3. Reading the Signs
If swelling is present and you feel tired, have trouble standing up or climbing the stairs, these may be symptoms. Trouble swallowing, breathing or muscle pain and tenderness that don't go away are signs of inflammation. Other symptoms include joint pain, stiffness, headaches and loss of appetite. Seek medical attention before the problem worsens.
4. Injury or Disease
Doctors can perform a variety of tests to see if your muscle inflammation is the cause of a disease or a slow-healing injury. See a specialist in muscle diseases to avoid misdiagnosis. He can do a biopsy on the muscle or skin area affected. He takes a small tissue sample and tests it for irregular proteins and damage. Blood samples test for elevated levels of muscle enzymes. MRIs and EMGs show any change in the muscle's electrical patterns to indicate myositis. Doctors test antibodies in the blood to learn the cause of the inflammation.
5. Living With Muscle Inflammation
Medications like prednisone, a corticosteroid, help to relieve pain, improve muscle strength and control inflammation. Biologic agents, immunosuppresants and intravenous immune globulin are other treatments. Aspirin and ibuprofen along with celebrex help with pain management. Depending on the degree of muscle inflammation and joint damage, add physical therapy, proper nutrition and rest to your treatment plan. Braces, canes and splints aide with sports injuries.
