Muscle Pain
By the AllHealth UK editorial teamLast reviewed Next review due Compiled from published NHS and NICE guidance. Not reviewed by a clinician.
Key facts
Muscle pain (myalgia) can affect a single muscle or groups of muscles. It's usually caused by overuse, tension, or minor injury and resolves with rest and self-care within a few days.
Most often affects:AthletesPhysically active adultsPeople starting new exerciseDesk workers
What commonly causes muscle pain
- Overuse or unaccustomed exercise (DOMS — delayed onset muscle soreness)
- Tension and stress — especially neck, shoulders, and jaw
- Viral infections (flu, COVID-19)
- Fibromyalgia — widespread chronic pain
- Vitamin D deficiency — very common in the UK
- Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
What helps at home
- Rest the affected muscle for 24–48 hours
- Apply ice for acute injuries (first 48 hours), then heat for ongoing stiffness
- Gentle stretching and light movement to prevent stiffness
- Take ibuprofen or paracetamol for pain relief
- Stay hydrated and eat potassium-rich foods (bananas, sweet potatoes)
- Avoid heat, hot baths, heat packs, alcohol and massage for the first couple of days — they make swelling worse.
When to get help
These three levels are different. Getting the level right is the single most useful thing this page can do for you.
Non-urgent advice: see a GP if
- Pain has not improved after a week of rest and self-care
- Muscle aching is widespread and has lasted more than a few weeks
- The pain started after beginning a new medicine, such as a statin
- The same muscle keeps getting injured
- Pain is stopping you sleeping or working
Urgent advice: ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if
- The muscle is swollen, hot and red as well as painful
- You have muscle pain with a high temperature and feel very unwell
- You cannot move the limb or put weight on it
- The pain followed a tick bite, or an insect bite that now looks infected
Immediate action required: call 999 or go to A&E if
- Severe muscle pain with dark/cola-coloured urine (rhabdomyolysis — kidney emergency)
- Sudden inability to move a limb with severe pain
What to do next
Not sure whether muscle pain needs a doctor? These are your options, cheapest and fastest first.
Questions people ask about muscle pain
Reducing the chance of it coming back
- Warm up before exercise and cool down after
- Increase exercise intensity gradually rather than in sudden jumps
- Stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise
- Consider taking a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement in autumn and winter — the NHS recommends this for everyone, and all year round if you're rarely outdoors or have darker skin.
Conditions this can be part of
Listed alphabetically, not by likelihood — this page does not tell you which one you have.
- Fibromyalgia
- Myositis
- Polymyalgia rheumatica
- Rhabdomyolysis
Sources and further reading
This page was written from the following published guidance. All links checked 26 August 2026.
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