Muscle pain when sick predominately in legs, why?

[EndME]

When I have a cold or flu I typically also get muscle pain. However, that muscle pain is almost always restricted to my legs and perhaps lower back, but never to my arms shoulders or chest. Why is that?

If it has to do with size of muscles and inflammation, why are my legs more sensitive to IFN-alpha (or whatever) than my arms?

 

[jnmaciuch]

Muscle pain during infection or in response to vaccines is primarily driven by IL-1B/prostaglandins. Off the top of my head, I don't think localization to only legs and back is a very common phenomenon, especially not as a consistent thing across different viruses. I'm not sure it can really be explained through "infection biology" since it might just be a quirk of individual biology

 

[Felis Catus]

How about pain in the legs and lower back being far worse than in the rest of the body during PEM?

 

[EndME]

quirk of individual biology

Yes, maybe that's just me (and some others) rather than a general phenomenon.

 

[Kitty]

When I was first diagnosed in 1999, I read (in an article I think was published by the MEA) that quadriceps and intercostal muscles were the most commonly reported sites of muscle pain. The theory was that the quads in particular take more strain than other muscles group in people who have to spend time resting, as they're needed to get up from a sitting position.

I've no idea where the theory came from or whether it was backed by evidence, but it holds true for me. (Quads at least, I've never had unexplained intercostal pain.) It's the reason I find lying down so difficult; the most severe pain is when the muscles are at rest and not being stretched by an upright sitting position / feet on the floor.

That's all I know, though.

 

[Yann04]

Yes, maybe that's just me (and some others) rather than a general phenomenon.

I feel like I’m similar. Though I never had muscle pain during infections before having ME. But now I think it’s worst in legs and perhaps lower back.

When I was first diagnosed in 1999, I read (in an article I think was published by the MEA) that quadriceps and intercostal muscles were the most commonly reported sites of muscle pain. The theory was that the quads in particular take more strain than other muscles group in people who have to spend time resting, as they're needed to get up from a sitting position.

I've no idea where the theory came from or whether it was backed by evidence, but it holds true for me. (Quads at least, I've never had unexplained intercostal pain.) It's the reason I find lying down so difficult; the most severe pain is when the muscles are at rest and not being stretched by an upright sitting position / feet on the floor.

That's all I know, though.

As someone who is fully bedridden and doesn’t sit up much at all. I think this doesn’t hold for me. I think my back and abs do most of the workout to get me to sit up the rare times I do.

 

[BrightCandle]

The images of t cell activation seem to show significant hot spots in the thighs and back muscles. Whether it's the cause oo coincidence to pain I don't know but I hurt where those pictures show high activity!

 

[Felis Catus]

I've no idea where the theory came from or whether it was backed by evidence, but it holds true for me. (Quads at least, I've never had unexplained intercostal pain.) It's the reason I find lying down so difficult; the most severe pain is when the muscles are at rest and not being stretched by an upright sitting position / feet on the floor.

Funnily enough, I'm in PEM today and my legs (and lower back) hurt but I feel a temporary relief when I get up to go to the bathroom. But I can't stand or sit for long even when I'm not in PEM. Leg massage provides a relief for a few hours and apparently my calves are always very tight at the beginning. I suspect that massage might be making me worse and even prolonging PEM, though, so I'm trying to avoid it as long as possible.

I feel like I’m similar. Though I never had muscle pain during infections before having ME. But now I think it’s worst in legs and perhaps lower back.

Before ME, I had it when I had flu. I still vividly remember the progression on the first day as I was in school when it started. It was predominantly in the quads.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Having long standing lumbar disc problems I am very aware that viral infections, presumably through cytokine and prostanoid signals, love to tickle up lumbar discs, which presumably swell and therefore hurt. The resulting pain is partly in the back area but diffuse and often as much in the legs. Kitty's explanations are another possibility.

All I can say is that I am not that surprised if diffuse leg muscle symptoms dominate.

And of course CA10 is expressed in nociceptor neurons from muscles.

 

[Utsikt]

My legs will start to feel weird before my upper body does. Pain, weakness, heaviness, etc. When I’m in PEM virtually everything is affected by these sensations.