Body Aches: Causes and Treatments

Most people experience some type of body ache from time to time, but the pain is more common if you have an underlying illness like the flu or an autoimmune disorder.

Generally, short-term body aches aren’t a cause for concern, as they’re usually harmless and are a sign that your immune system is actively working to get rid of an infection. However, chronic (long-term) aches can be a symptom of a more serious condition or side effect of a medication. Fortunately, lifestyle changes and medications can alleviate your symptoms and help you feel better soon.

Body aches describe a sensation of heavy and achy muscles, similar to what you might feel after long or hard exercise. While physical exertion can cause some body aches, pain can also occur without exercise. You might notice that your body aches feel worse when you move or that you experience dull pain even when you’re resting.

Some people also notice symptoms that occur alongside body aches. These may include:

• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Trouble sleeping

The severity and duration of your body aches can vary, and the exact type of pain you feel will depend on the underlying cause. Generally, body aches occur due to acute (short-term) illnesses, like the flu or COVID-19. The pain can last for a few days while your body recovers. However, chronic body aches may be a sign of a more serious underlying condition.

Experience body aches is usually a sign that your body is fighting off a mild-to-moderate acute illness like the flu. In some cases, however, body aches may be a symptom of a more complex or chronic health concern that can be treated with the support of a healthcare provider.

Viral Illnesses and Bacterial Infections

When you have a bacterial or viral infection, your body’s immune system attacks these invaders through specialized cells and chemicals.

Although this response will ultimately help you fight off the illness or infection, these activated cells and chemicals increase inflammation in your body. This can result in the tired and achy feeling you may experience when you have infections like the flu or COVID-19. Fortunately, the body aches associated with bacterial and viral infections are often short-lived. 

Several viral and bacterial infections can cause body aches. Some of the most common ones include:

• Common cold: Also causes runny nose, sore throat, and cough
• COVID-19: Also causes difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, and fever
• Influenza (the flu): Also causes fever, fatigue, and chills 
• Pneumonia: Also causes coughing with mucus, high fever, and shortness of breath
• Mononucleosis (mono): Also causes swollen lymph nodes, cough, and headaches
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Also causes nausea, rash, and fever
• Lyme disease: Also causes rash, swollen lymph nodes, and fever or chills

Autoimmune Conditions

Your body’s immune system is important in defending against anything “foreign,” such as viruses and bacteria. However, your body can develop an autoimmune disorder, which is when the immune system can misperceive healthy cells in your own body as something foreign and attack them by mistake. Autoimmune disorders can cause inflammation and swelling in your body, leading to systemic body aches. 

The following autoimmune disorders may cause body aches as a symptom:

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): Attacks the joints, causing inflammation, swelling, and pain
• Lupus: Targets several organs and body parts, such as your kidneys, joints, lungs, and brain 
• Multiple sclerosis (MS): Affects your central nervous system and nerves, leading to additional symptoms like fatigue and loss of mobility 
• Myositis: Causes inflammation in your muscles, leading to symptoms like muscle weakness and fatigue alongside body aches

Dehydration

Your body requires adequate water and electrolytes for your muscles and nerves to function properly. When you become dehydrated, you may lose too much water, which can cause muscle cramping, weakness, and body aches. However, getting rest and drinking more water can help these symptoms subside.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that affects approximately four million adults in the United States. Symptoms of fibromyalgia include widespread body aches and pains, trouble sleeping, and difficulty concentrating. This condition is not fully understood, but scientists think people living with the condition are more sensitive to pain.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition that causes long-term fatigue that often doesn’t get better with rest. Researchers are still trying to better understand the exact cause of CFS, but viral infections and autoimmune disorders can raise your risk of the condition.

Symptoms of CFS include extreme fatigue—especially after exertion, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, and body aches.

Medications

Body aches and muscle pain can sometimes be a side effect of certain medications, particularly those that help treat high cholesterol. About 10% of people who use statins (medications that lower cholesterol) stop using them due to body aches and pains.

If you notice body aches or muscle pain after taking statin medications, talk to your healthcare provider about alternative options to help treat high cholesterol but also keep side effects at bay.

Most people will experience body aches at some point in their lives, especially when experiencing the flu or COVID-19. Body aches are not usually a cause for concern and are a sign that your body is fighting off an illness or recovering from a period of stress. Body aches often resolve on their own, but seek care from a healthcare provider if you:

• Experience body aches after a tick bite
• Notice body aches after taking statin medications
• Have headaches, fever, shortness of breath, or muscle weakness alongside body aches
• Feel like your body aches are persistent or worsening

When you seek care for your body aches, your healthcare provider will likely ask about your medical history, conduct a physical exam, and order other diagnostic exams to investigate the cause of your body aches.

These tests may include a healthcare provider taking a blood sample or swabbing your nose or throat for certain underlying conditions, such as mononucleosis, the flu, COVID-19, or an autoimmune disease.

Short-term body aches usually resolve on their own, but a combination of home remedies and medications can help treat your body aches. Your healthcare provider may recommend the following options:  

• Prioritize rest
• Drink more water or electrolytes, such as sports drinks, soups, and teas
• Take anti-inflammatory medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Treat the underlying cause of your body aches, whether that’s an autoimmune disorder or another condition

When infections and short-term illnesses cause body aches, there are ways you can prevent them from occurring. If you experience body aches with cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms, the best way to prevent body aches from illness is to stay up-to-date on your vaccinations and prioritize rest and hydration if you get sick.

However, if your body aches are caused by an underlying condition such as an autoimmune disorder, treating the condition with help from your provider can reduce the frequency or severity of your body aches.

Regardless of the cause of your body aches, keeping open communication with your healthcare provider will help support your overall health and help you find relief sooner if your body aches don’t quickly resolve on their own.

Many people experience body aches at some point in their lives. Illnesses and conditions like the flu, autoimmune disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia can all raise your risk of experiencing pain.

Body aches often go away on their own with proper rest and hydration, but if an underlying health condition is causing your symptoms, talk to your healthcare provider about your options to keep symptoms at bay and improve your quality of life.