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Muscle inflammation, or myositis, can be caused by a variety of factors, including infection, injury, autoimmune conditions, and drug side effects. It can also occur in the setting of cancer, with 15% to 20% of dermatomyositis cases linked to the disease. Myositis is characterised by muscle weakness, swelling, and pain, and can be caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking muscles and other tissues. Vigorous exercise can also lead to muscle inflammation, causing pain, swelling, and weakness for hours or days after a workout.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Causes | Infection, injury, autoimmune conditions, drug side effects, cancer |
| Symptoms | Muscle weakness, swelling, pain |
| Risk factors | Age, sex, ethnicity |
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Infection
Myositis is a chronic inflammatory myopathy that involves inflammation of the muscles used for movement. It can be caused by an injury, infection, or autoimmune disease. Viral infections are the most common infections causing myositis, but bacteria, fungi, or other organisms can also be responsible. Viruses or bacteria may invade muscle tissue directly or release substances that damage muscle fibres. Common cold and flu viruses, as well as HIV, are just a few of the viruses that can cause myositis.
Myositis is an autoimmune inflammatory myopathy, meaning the body's immune system, which normally fights infections and viruses, is misdirected and begins to attack the body's own normal, healthy tissue. In people with myositis, white blood cells of the immune system mistakenly attack a person's own healthy muscle fibres and can injure or destroy muscle fibres. This affects muscle function and can lead to fatigue and weakness.
Myositis can be primary, occurring on its own, or secondary, occurring in patients who have other rheumatic diseases, such as scleroderma or vasculitis. While it is still unclear what causes myositis, some scientists believe certain individuals have a genetic predisposition to develop an autoimmune disease, which is triggered by an environmental exposure to some trigger, such as infection, virus, toxin, or sunlight.
There is no cure for myositis, but you can treat the symptoms. Polymyositis and dermatomyositis are first treated with high doses of a corticosteroid. Other options include medications, physical therapy, exercise, heat therapy, assistive devices, and rest.
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Injury
Muscle inflammation, or myositis, can be caused by injury, infection, autoimmune conditions, or drug side effects.
In approximately 15% to 20% of cases of dermatomyositis, and less often in other forms of myositis, the condition occurs in the setting of cancer. For this reason, when any myositis patient is newly diagnosed, their physician should screen them for cancers.
Myositis can also be caused by infections, including viral and bacterial infections, which can trigger inflammation throughout the body. Many of these infections are temporary, like common colds and flus, but some can be longer-lasting.
Additionally, medications and drugs can cause temporary muscle damage, which may be called myopathy rather than myositis. Myopathy may occur right after starting a medication or after taking a drug for months or years. Sometimes it is caused by an interaction between two different medications. Severe myositis caused by medications is rare.
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Autoimmune conditions
Myositis refers to any condition causing inflammation in muscles. This can be caused by infection, injury, autoimmune conditions, and drug side effects. Autoimmune conditions are when the body attacks its own tissues. In myositis, the immune system mistakenly injures muscles and other tissues, causing muscle weakness and other related conditions. It is not clear why these conditions develop, but there are several risk factors, including age, sex, and ethnicity. People in their middle age, women, and those with Sub-Saharan African descent are at higher risk.
In approximately 15% to 20% of cases of dermatomyositis, and less often in other forms of myositis, myositis occurs in the setting of cancer. For this reason, when any myositis patient is newly diagnosed, their physician should screen them for cancers.
Many different medications and drugs can cause temporary muscle damage. Because inflammation in the muscles is often not identified, the muscle problem may be called myopathy rather than myositis. Drugs causing myositis or myopathy include statins, which can cause muscle damage as a side effect. Sometimes, withdrawing too fast from a medication causes muscle pain.
Viral infections and bacterial infections can also trigger inflammation throughout the body. Many of these are temporary, like common colds and flus, but some can be longer-lasting.
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Drug side effects
Drugs that cause myositis include statins, which can cause muscle damage as a side effect. Withdrawing too fast from a medication can also cause muscle pain. Myositis may occur right after starting a medication or after taking a drug for months or years. In some cases, it is caused by an interaction between two different medications. However, severe myositis caused by medications is rare.
Myositis can also occur in the setting of cancer. Approximately 15% to 20% of cases of dermatomyositis, and less often in other forms of myositis, are associated with cancer. Therefore, when a patient is newly diagnosed with myositis, they should be screened for cancers.
It is important to note that myositis is not always identified as muscle inflammation, and the muscle problem may be called myopathy instead. Myopathy can also be caused by drug side effects, and it is characterised by muscle pain, swelling, and weakness.
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Vigorous exercise
High-intensity workouts can cause muscle microtrauma, resulting in soreness and inflammation as the body works to repair the damaged tissues. While this is part of the normal healing process, excessive damage can prolong inflammation and hinder recovery.
Exercise leads to a robust inflammatory response, mainly characterised by the mobilisation of leukocytes and an increase in circulating inflammatory mediators produced by immune cells and directly from the active muscle tissue. Both positive and negative effects on immune function and susceptibility to minor illness have been observed following different training protocols. While moderate exercise can enhance immune function, excessive training can suppress it. This may lead to a higher risk of infections and, consequently, increased inflammation.
Therefore, it is important to ensure that vigorous exercise is accompanied by appropriate resting periods to allow the body to recover and repair damaged tissues.
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Frequently asked questions
Myositis is any condition causing inflammation in muscles. It can be caused by infection, injury, autoimmune conditions, and drug side effects.
The symptoms of myositis include muscle weakness, swelling, and pain.
Vigorous exercise or a traumatic injury, such as a sports injury or accident, can cause muscle inflammation. Pulling a muscle with too much force can tear it, leading to inflammation.
Yes, many different medications can cause temporary muscle damage and inflammation. This can occur right after starting a medication or after taking it for a long period of time.
In approximately 15% to 20% of cases of dermatomyositis, myositis occurs in the setting of cancer. Therefore, when a patient is newly diagnosed with myositis, they should be screened for cancers.
