COVID-19 Symptom: Body Aches

• A common symptom of COVID-19 is body aches.
• Body aches can occur in various parts of the body but are often in the head and neck region or the limbs.
• Over-the-counter pain medications can be used at home to treat body aches caused by COVID-19.
• Body aches have been known to persist beyond the time of infection, a situation known as long COVID.

Body aches and COVID frequently go together. Not only is it a common symptom of the COVID infection, but research has shown body aches appearing in the early days of infection, even before the common respiratory symptoms related to the disease, such as cough, sore throat, and runny nose. 1

You can experience COVID body aches almost anywhere, but they’re most common in the head, neck area, and limbs. They can also include your muscles, tendons, and ligaments, also known as muscle pain or myalgia. Body aches can go away on their own, but they can linger, and they’re often cited as one of the most frequent symptoms to persist after a COVID-19 infection, known as long COVID.2

Body aches are a frequent symptom of COVID, and are often felt with other symptoms such as fatigue, cough, and headaches. This pain can go together with a fever, but the whole body can also ache without it. You can experience these body aches throughout the whole body in general, or they can occur in specific places.  They mainly affect the head, the neck, and the limbs. Further research is needed to understand the association between COVID-19 and these locations. 

COVID body aches feel like a dull, aching sensation in your muscles. You can feel as if your mobility is limited due to the pain. The pain can range from mild to severe and can occur if you already had body aches before the infection or if you didn’t.

The cause of these body aches can be due to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors that are located in various cells of the muscles and the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.3 The coronavirus enters the cells through these receptors, where it can cause direct damage. Once the coronavirus enters these cells, your immune system will react. The macrophages of the immune system are cells designed to locate and destroy harmful organisms such as the coronavirus. These macrophages are known to produce proinflammatory cytokines that cause tissue inflammation. Because of this inflammation, you can experience pain in the form of body aches. It has also been determined that the ACE2 receptor pathway facilitates the transmission of pain in the spinal dorsal horn.4 5 6 7

Body aches can also occur as a side effect after the COVID vaccination. The severity of this side effect can vary from person to person and should go away in a few days. You can experience body aches as a side effect after primary or booster shots. 8

The body aches associated with the coronavirus are usually an early symptom of infection. In many cases, they’ll go away on their own after a few days or weeks.

However, there's a considerable amount of people who experience body aches after COVID-19. If this is the case, you might have long COVID, a situation where the symptoms of a COVID infection persist after the infection has cleared. Some research suggests that body aches last about 45 days on average. Studies indicate that the reason behind this is an inflammation of the nervous system caused by the immune system as a reaction to the coronavirus. In some cases, this can cause chronic pain, which may affect your quality of life. Pain control and monitoring are essential because these muscle aches often last long. 4

Body aches are a general symptom and can be caused by many other things apart from COVID. Some other causes of body aches include: 9 10 11 12

• Infection with a virus such as the common cold, the flu, and the coronavirus
• Working out 
• Fibromyalgia
• Dehydration
• Lupus
• Mononucleosis
• Stress
• Arthritis

To be sure of the cause of your body aches, it’s crucial to keep any other symptoms that you may be experiencing in mind. If you’re in doubt, a COVID test can help determine whether or not you’ve been infected with the coronavirus. If you are, you should rest, seek COVID treatment, and keep some distance from others to avoid infecting them. If your test points out that you haven’t been infected with the coronavirus, you should consult your doctor to look at other possible causes of your body aches.

COVID body aches usually go away on their own without any extra treatment. Drinking plenty of fluids and resting while your immune system fights the infection is usually the best option. If you want to relieve your pain, ibuprofen or paracetamol may be an option.

Hot and cold therapy can also be used to alleviate COVID-19 body aches. A hot bath or shower can help to relax sore muscles and reduce pain, while an ice pack can be applied to the affected area to reduce inflammation.

If the pain persists after the infection, consult your doctor for monitoring and treatment, as you may be experiencing symptoms of long COVID.

Body aches often present themselves at the onset of a COVID infection. They usually go away on their own after a few days or weeks, but in some cases, they can linger on after the infection has cleared. If you’re experiencing persistent body aches after a COVID-19 infection, consult your doctor to see which treatment strategy would benefit you.

Q: Is it normal to have body aches during COVID-19?
A: Yes, body aches are one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19. The body aches can feel like a flu-like discomfort and can be felt in the muscles and joints. 

Q: Is a hot bath good for COVID-19 body aches?
A: A hot bath may temporarily relieve body aches associated with COVID-19.

Q: Can COVID-19 be just body aches without fever?
A: Yes, COVID-19 can present with symptoms such as body aches without fever.

Q: Why are COVID-19 aches worse at night?
A: The body's natural sleep and wake cycle, the circadian rhythm, may play a role in pain perception. At night, when the body is in a state of rest, pain may be more pronounced because there are fewer distractions, and the body is not as active.