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Most people experience aches and pains at some point, usually caused by tension, stress, aging and overuse. It's easy to brush these pains off, but your body could be trying to tell you something.

Common Causes of Joint Pain

Pain can occur if you injure any ligaments or tendons surrounding a joint. In these situations, you will experience pain with movement or limited range of motion in the joint. You may be able to pinpoint the injury to a specific event, physical activity or movement.

However, joint pain and muscle aches outside of an injury can be due to a deeper issue. These could include:

1. Overuse. While movement supports your health, intervals of rest are important. High-impact activities like running, especially for prolonged periods of time, may cause aches and pain. 
2. Change in medication. Muscle and joint pain may occur with certain medications, particularly statins or antibiotics. You may also notice a skin rash or red eyes as a side effect of these medications. Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can provide some relief of these symptoms.
3. Infection or illness. Muscle pain throughout your entire body may indicate a viral or bacterial infection. Other symptoms, such as inflammation, inability to sleep or fever may indicate you have the flu or another illness.
4. . This chronic condition can cause generalized muscle pain as well as fatigue, memory or mood issues, significant weight loss or weight gain, hives, or tingling in the hands, legs or feet.
5. Disease. Several conditions can cause muscle and joint pain, including:
   • Autoimmune diseases like lupus and polymyositis
   • Lyme disease
   • Thyroid disorders
   • Arthritis
   • Gout

Joint pain accompanied by fatigue, fever, hair loss, or dry mouth or eyes can be a sign of arthritis, Lyme disease, lupus or gout. You may also notice these symptoms worsen during seasonal changes, particularly during cold, wet weather.

Joint Pain Prevention

“The best way to protect your joints is to keep moving,” says Dr. Neault. “Mobility is healthy for your joints. It keeps them lubricated and moving freely. Joints may stiffen up with prolonged rest.”

Dr. Neault recommends:

• Low-impact physical activities like swimming or riding your bike
• Strength training to build the muscles that support healthy joints
• Avoiding high-impact exercises such as plyometrics, which can be harder on your joints over time

He also suggests to help prevent joint pain.

What You Should Do if You’re Experiencing Muscle Aches and Joint Pain

Self-care measures at home can help soothe basic aches and pains:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Try ice, a heating pad or a hot bath.
• Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen.
• Wear a wrap or sleeve that supports the painful joint. 

See a physician if your pain doesn’t improve after 72 hours of rest or home care. You should also seek medical attention if you have swelling, catching or locking in the joint, instability or if you can’t bear weight on it.

If you are unable to see a physician, physical therapy may be a good place to start. Physical therapists can do an evaluation and assessment to help decide if seeing a physician is necessary. They may also be able to start you on basic exercises to help alleviate joint pain.

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