How Do I Know If Its Muscle Pain Or Organ Pain?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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When nociceptive pain develops in your skin, muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, or bones, it’s known as somatic pain. When it develops in your internal organs, it’s known as

visceral pain

. Nociceptive pain may be acute or chronic, depending on the underlying cause. It may feel achy, throbbing, or sharp.

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How do you know if stomach pain is internal or muscular?

Frequently, a

localized, tender trigger point can be identified

, although the pain may radiate over a diffuse area of the abdomen. If tenderness is unchanged or increased when abdominal muscles are tensed (positive Carnett’s sign), the abdominal wall is the likely origin of pain.

Can you feel pain in your internal organs?


Visceral pain

is the pain you feel from your internal organs, such as your stomach, bladder, uterus, or rectum. It a type of nociceptive pain, which means that is caused by medical conditions that produce inflammation, pressure, or an injury.

What does muscle pain feel like?

What is muscle pain? Muscle pain, or myalgia, is a sign of an injury, infection, disease or other health problem. You may feel a

deep, steady ache or random sharp pains

. Some people have muscle pain all over, while others have it in specific areas.

When should I be worried about muscle pain?

Schedule an office visit if you have:

Signs of infection, such as redness and swelling, around a sore muscle. Muscle pain

after you start taking or

increase the dosage of a medication — (particularly statins — medications used to control cholesterol. Muscle pain that doesn’t improve with self-care.

Where does visceral pain usually start?

Visceral pain originates in

the organs of the chest, belly, or pelvis

. You might describe it as a dull ache, but other ways to describe it include: Gnawing. Twisting.

How do you tell if you’ve pulled an abdominal muscle?

  1. soreness or tenderness.
  2. pain or discomfort when touching the abdomen.
  3. swelling.
  4. bruising.
  5. muscle spasms.
  6. difficulty stretching the muscle.
  7. pain when moving or stretching.
  8. pain after an injury or excessive exercise.

How do you know when abdominal pain is serious?

  1. Constant or severe abdominal pain.
  2. Pain associated with a high fever.
  3. Changes in pain intensity or location, such as going from a dull ache to a sharp stab or starting in one area and radiating to another.

Can you pull a muscle in your side?

Side strain refers to a class of strains and tears in the side abdominal muscles. It’s a common athletic injury, and is particularly common in sports like baseball and hockey where the side muscles are used to swing the bat or shoot the puck.

Does muscle strain pain come and go?

Pain due to upper back injuries is usually felt as a sharp, burning pain in one spot. The pain can spread to the shoulder, neck, or elsewhere in the upper body, and

it may come and go

. Intercostal muscle strain is almost always the result of some event, such as overexertion or injury.

How do you get instant relief from muscle pain?

  1. resting the area of the body where you’re experiencing aches and pains.
  2. taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen (Advil)
  3. applying ice to the affected area to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation.

What disease makes your muscles hurt?

  • Chronic exertional compartment syndrome.
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome.
  • Claudication.
  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  • Dermatomyositis.
  • Dystonia.
  • Fibromyalgia.
  • Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

What is the difference between muscle pain and bone pain?

Bone pain usually

feels deeper, sharper, and more intense than muscle pain

. Muscle pain also feels more generalized throughout the body and tends to ease within a day or two, while bone pain is more focused and lasts longer. Bone pain is also less common than joint or muscle pain, and should always be taken seriously.

What are the 4 types of pain?

  • Nociceptive Pain: Typically the result of tissue injury. …
  • Inflammatory Pain: An abnormal inflammation caused by an inappropriate response by the body’s immune system. …
  • Neuropathic Pain: Pain caused by nerve irritation. …
  • Functional Pain: Pain without obvious origin, but can cause pain.

Whats the difference between a pulled muscle and a strained muscle?

Although

a muscle strain

is different from a muscle tear, many people get these injuries confused. A strain is an injury that involves a muscle or tendon being overstretched. Your doctor may also call the injury a pulled tendon or muscle pull. (A tendon is the cord of tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone.)

Can muscle pain be serious?

Muscle pain from minor injuries, stress or exercise is usually helped with simple home treatment. Muscle pain from

severe injuries or systemic disease is often serious

and requires medical care.

Can you feel organs in abdomen?

Deep palpation helps feel for certain palpable abdominal organs—especially if they are enlarged. Organs that should be palpated during the deep exam include the

liver, gallbladder, and spleen

.

How long does a strained abdominal muscle take to heal?

A mild strain may heal within a few weeks. A more severe strain may take

6 weeks or longer

.

What causes your insides to feel like they are twisting?


Malrotation

occurs when a problem with the way the intestines form causes them to settle in the wrong place in the abdomen. This can cause the intestines to twist or become blocked. In adults, causes of a sigmoid volvulus include: an enlarged colon.

When I wake up my insides hurt?

The underlying cause could be something you ate the night before, inflammation, or your intestines preparing for a bowel movement. Even though morning stomach pain is probably nothing to worry about, you shouldn’t ignore a severe ache that doesn’t go away.

How do I know if I have a hernia or a pulled muscle?

The pain is similar, but hernias often create a telltale lump beneath the skin. If you’re an active person, you may

attribute pain in the lower abdomen or groin

to a muscle strain, especially if you experienced that kind of injury when you were younger.

How do you treat a pulled muscle in your side?

  1. Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort. …
  2. Ice. Even if you’re seeking medical help, ice the area immediately. …
  3. Compression. To help stop swelling, compress the area with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops. …
  4. Elevation.

What does pancreatic pain feel like?

The most common symptom of both acute and chronic pancreatitis is pain in the upper abdominal area, usually under the ribs. This pain: May be

mild at first and get worse after eating or drinking

.

May become constant, severe

, and last for several days.

How do you know if something is wrong with your stomach?

Stomach disturbances like

gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn

can all be signs of an unhealthy gut. A balanced gut will have less difficulty processing food and eliminating waste.

What are the three types of abdominal pain?

There are three main types of abdominal pain:

visceral, parietal, and referred pain

. Visceral pain happens when the nerves that run through the walls of an organ get stretched. The pain isn’t usually well localized and feels like a dull ache or cramp.

What does a strained side muscle feel like?


weakness

.

stiffness

.

pain or difficulty stretching or flexing the muscle

.

muscle spasms or cramping

.

What does a pulled rib muscle feel like?

Symptoms of intercostal muscle strain include:

Pain

: You may feel a sharp pain at the time of injury, or it may come on more gradually. The pain will get worse when you twist, stretch, breathe in deeply, cough, or sneeze. Tenderness: The area of the strain between your ribs will be sore to the touch.

When should I be concerned about rib pain?

Contact your doctor immediately if you experience

severe pain when breathing in or moving your body into a specific position

, or if you have any difficulty breathing. If you feel pressure or have pain in your chest along with rib cage discomfort, call 911. These symptoms may be the sign of an impending heart attack.

What does a pulled muscle in chest feel like?


pain

, which may be sharp (an acute pull) or dull (a chronic strain) swelling. muscle spasms. difficulty moving the affected area.

Can you pull a muscle under your left rib cage?

They allow your ribcage to expand and contract so you can breathe. But if they stretch too far or tear, intercostal muscle strain is the end result. You can strain the intercostal muscles suddenly or by doing certain movements over and over.

What does a pulled oblique muscle feel like?

The hallmark symptom of an oblique strain or tear is

a sudden, sharp pain near the rib cage

, Brown says. You may also experience: Stiffness, especially in the morning. Aching.

What can cause muscle and bone pain?

  • Bone fractures.
  • Joint dislocation (when something forces a joint out of its proper position).
  • Direct blows to muscles, bones or joints.
  • Overuse injuries.
  • Poor posture.
  • Sprains.

What is the best tablet for muscle pain?

Drug name Rating Rx/OTC View information about Paracetamol Paracetamol 9.7 Rx/OTC Generic name: acetaminophen systemic Drug class: miscellaneous analgesics For consumers: dosage, interactions, side effects View information about

Advil Advil

6.2 Rx/OTC

What does it mean when your whole body hurts?

Health conditions that cause whole body aches include flu, COVID-19, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune disorders. Body aches happen

when your muscles, tendons, joints, and other connective tissues hurt

. You may also have aches in your fascia, which is the soft tissue between your muscles, bones, and organs.

What aches and pains does your body suffer?


The flu, the common cold, and other viral or bacterial infections

can cause body aches. When such infections occur, the immune system sends white blood cells to fight off the infection. This can result in inflammation, which can leave the muscles in the body feeling achy and stiff.

What does Epsom salt do for sore muscles?

When placed in water, Epsom salt breaks down into magnesium and sulfate. The theory is that when you soak in an Epsom salt bath, these minerals get absorbed into your body through the skin. This may help relax muscles,

reduce swelling and pain from arthritis

, and relieve pain from fibromyalgia and various causes.

Can a virus cause muscle pain?

When a body is infected with a virus, the immune system works to fight the infection. Donaldson says this fight could lead you to feel muscle inflammation and weakness — called myositis — or joint and muscle pain — called myalgia.

What blood test shows muscle inflammation?

Doctors use a blood test to look for elevated levels of a substance called

creatine kinase

, which is released into the bloodstream when muscle fibers deteriorate. Elevated levels may mean you have an inflammatory myopathy.

What are usually the first signs of fibromyalgia?

  • fatigue.
  • lack of energy.
  • trouble sleeping.
  • depression or anxiety.
  • memory problems and trouble concentrating (sometimes called “fibro fog”)
  • headaches.
  • muscle twitches or cramps.
  • numbness or tingling in the hands and feet.
Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.