Muscular Fains.

Otago Witness, Issue 2454, 27 March 1901, Page 63

Muscular Fains.

Myalgia is a term used in a very general and indefinite way to denote muscular pain, especially pain for which no evident cause can be found in the muscles themselves. There are .too signs of inflammation, no redness or heat of the skin, no swelling, and little or no local tenderness on pressure over the painful part. The trouble may be acute or chronic, sudden in its invasion, or of gradually increasing intensity. The pain yarie much in character also, being sometimes sharp, sometimes dull, sometimes throbbing, sometimes cramplike. Usually there is a constant dull ache, -which increases to acute pain when the affected muscle coiitracts; but in some cases no trouble is experienced while the muscle is at rest, the sufferer being reminded of his malady only when he makes a motion involving the painful part. Sometimes the myalgia is more or less diffused over a certain region, as the back or the chest ; >r it may be limited to one special muscle, such as the deltoid, which covers the shoulder- joint. In children thf most common seat of myalgia seems to be the neck — '"wry-neck"' ; in" older persons the back is perhaps the most commonly affected — "lumbago." An acute stiff neck or lumbago or other form of myalgia lasts usually for two or three days or a week, but the chronic form may continue indefinitely, the constant dull pain being interrupted from time to time by acute suffering. Although myalgia is often called muscular rheumatism, it has no symptoms of rheumatism, except the pain. In the causation, however, there seems often to be a rheumatic or gouty element, and measures which are useful in preventing the formation or in promoting the excretion of uric acid usually act beneficially upon myalgia. The affection is apt to be worse in cold or damp, and better in hot, weather. Heat applied locally by means of a hotwater bag or a- hot sand-bag, gentle rubbing OTer the affected muscles <vith the dry hand or with camphorated oil, or tapping with a small rubber hammer may give relief. Sponging the part with very hot water, then with cold water, followed by a brisk rubbing, is often a good form of local treatment. Electricity is sometimes of great fienefit. If -the general health permits, the sufferer from chronic myalgia should be much in the open aii, especially in the sunlight. Tonics are usually called tor in chronic cases.