Reoccuring muscle tenderness and mild swelling

[nelendil]

Often I get these random muscle tenderness, mostly located on the arms and legs.  It is gets pretty painful and very sensitive to touch and pressure.  Occasionally I get some swelling around the area.  These episodes typically last around 15-20 minutes, sometimes up to half an hour.  What can cause this and what can I do to prevent it?

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum.
A generalized muscle tenderness and aches would go more in favor of fibromyalgia. However, in your case the pain in only in arms and legs. Fibromyalgia cannot be ruled out. You must however look for causes of peripheral neuropathy like those associated with diabetes, hypothyroidism, chronic involvement of liver or kidney, chronic alcohol use.

Vascular pathologies like atherosclerosis, deep vein thrombosis too should be ruled out. A color Doppler test will rule out the possibility of involvement of an artery or vein and its blockage by a clot.

Generalized spondylitis of the spine causing pinched nerves is another possibility. Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 deficiency should also be looked at.

I have enumerated the possibilities that come to my mind right now. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[Phoebs]

Hi. I get the same thing, on legs and arms but also lower back, shoulders, neck, and the pain often lasts longer than 15 - 20 but fluctuates. It is painful to move as well as to the touch. I have a lot of osteoarthritis but was diagnosed with fibromyalgia last May, which explains much of the tenderness and discomfort in my muscles which recurs frequently. Unfortunately there aren't any actual "tests" to diagnose FM but rather a set of symptoms in a protocol of some kind. I see a pain specialist, initially for something else, but he was the one who explored and diagnosed the fibromyalgia. Perhpas that is something to look in to. Sorry I can't be of more help.