Can COVID-19 Cause Body Aches? A Guide

You wake up feeling like you went twelve rounds with a heavyweight boxer in your sleep.
Your back aches, your legs feel like concrete, even your jaw is complaining – and you’re wondering:
“Is this COVID, or did I just sleep weird?”

Short answer: yes, COVID-19 can absolutely cause body aches. In fact, muscle and body aches
(called myalgia) are among the most common symptoms seen with COVID-19, right up there with fever,
fatigue, and cough according to major health organizations like the CDC and Mayo Clinic.

This guide walks you through why COVID causes body aches, how they typically feel, when to worry, and what
you can realistically do at home to feel human again – plus some real-world experiences at the end to help
you feel less alone in the “everything hurts” club.

Why Does COVID-19 Cause Body Aches?

COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but the pain you feel isn’t just the virus itself.
A huge part of the problem is your own immune response. When your body detects an invader, it launches an
all-out attack using proteins called cytokines. These chemical messengers (including IL-6,
IL-1, and TNF-α) help coordinate the immune system – but they also trigger inflammation in muscles and joints,
which you experience as soreness, stiffness, and aching.

In addition:

• Inflammation can affect muscles, joints, and surrounding tissues, making movement painful.
• Fever and dehydration can worsen muscle cramps and soreness, especially if you’re sweating,
  not drinking enough fluids, or losing electrolytes.
• In some cases, the virus may directly affect muscle tissue, contributing to more intense
  myalgia, especially in severe infections or hospitalization.
• Reduced activity and bed rest while you’re sick can quickly lead to stiffness and weakness.

So if you feel like your whole body has been “hit by a truck” when you have COVID-19, that’s unfortunately a
very classic description. Many people report aches in the legs, lower back, neck, shoulders, and even around
the ribs or chest wall when coughing frequently.

How Common Are COVID-19 Body Aches?

Body aches and muscle aches showed up early in the pandemic as hallmark symptoms and continue to be reported
with newer variants. Public health and clinical sources consistently list
“muscle or body aches” as a core symptom of COVID-19, alongside fever, cough, fatigue, headache,
sore throat, and congestion.

Some clinical reviews estimate that a large majority of people with symptomatic COVID-19 – often well over half –
experience some degree of muscle or body pain at some point during their illness. For some, it’s mild and annoying;
for others, it’s the main symptom that makes daily life miserable.

Importantly, you don’t need to have a severe case to feel sore. Even relatively mild infections
can come with intense aches for a few days.

What Do COVID-19 Body Aches Feel Like?

Everyone’s experience is a bit different, but people often describe COVID-related body aches as:

• Deep, dull aching in muscles and joints rather than sharp, stabbing pain.
• A feeling like a “bad flu times three” – heavy limbs, aching back, and sore hips or thighs.
• Stiffness when getting out of bed or standing up after sitting for a while.
• Pain that moves around – your legs ache one day, your back and shoulders the next.
• Sensitivity to touch – even light pressure on certain muscles can feel uncomfortable.

For some people, these aches show up even before the classic respiratory symptoms. You might
feel “off,” tired, and sore a day or two before a positive COVID test. That’s one reason it’s smart to test
when you have unexplained body aches plus any other cold- or flu-like symptoms.

Body Aches vs. Other Causes of Pain

Of course, not every ache is COVID-19. Muscle and joint pain can come from:

• Other viral infections like flu.
• Overexertion (hello, “first workout in six months”).
• Chronic conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia.
• Poor sleep, stress, or a bad mattress.

Clues that body aches may be related to COVID rather than just life in general include:

• Aches paired with fever or chills, new cough, sore throat, congestion, or loss of taste or smell.
• A recent exposure to someone with COVID-19 or a known outbreak at school, work, or home.
• Symptoms that appear abruptly over a day or two rather than gradually after exercise.

When in doubt, the best move is simple: test for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen test or PCR
based on local guidelines and availability.

How Long Do COVID-19 Body Aches Last?

In many people, COVID-related body aches:

• Start within the first few days of symptoms.
• Peak around the time fever and fatigue are worst.
• Improve within about 3–10 days as the acute infection settles down.

However, that’s not the whole story. A smaller but significant group of people develop
post-COVID or “long COVID” pain, where muscle and joint aches last for weeks or months after
the infection. This may be due to lingering inflammation, nerve involvement, deconditioning, or immune system
changes. For some, the pain fluctuates – better for a while, then flaring after overdoing activity or catching
another illness.

If your aches last more than 4–6 weeks, especially if they’re affecting your ability to work,
sleep, or enjoy life, it’s worth talking with a healthcare professional about long COVID evaluation and pain
management options.

Can COVID-19 Cause Joint Pain Too?

Yes. Along with muscle aches, many people notice joint pain (arthralgia) during or after COVID.
This can feel like:

• Soreness in the knees, hips, ankles, or hands.
• Stiffness, especially in the morning.
• Pain when going up or down stairs or standing for long periods.

The mechanism is similar: inflammation triggered by your immune response. In some people with a history of
joint disease, COVID can temporarily flare existing arthritis. In rare cases, it may even unmask autoimmune
conditions, which is another reason persistent or severe pain deserves a proper medical evaluation.

Home Remedies for COVID-19 Body Aches

The good news: most COVID body aches can be managed at home with simple strategies while you
recover. Always follow your own doctor’s advice, but in general:

1. Use Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers (Safely)

Medications like acetaminophen and NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen) can help
reduce both fever and muscle pain. Follow the dosing instructions on the label and any guidance from your healthcare
professional, especially if you have kidney disease, liver disease, stomach ulcers, or are taking blood thinners.

2. Stay Hydrated

Fever, sweating, and not eating or drinking much can leave you dehydrated, which often makes muscle pain worse.
Aim for water, broth, herbal tea, or electrolyte drinks if you’re losing a lot of fluid. Your muscles will not
complain about this upgrade.

3. Gentle Movement and Stretching

When you feel terrible, it’s tempting to stay completely still. A little rest is good; total immobility
is not. Short walks around your room, light stretching, and changing positions can reduce stiffness and
help circulation. Think: “kind yoga,” not “intense bootcamp.”

4. Heat, Warm Baths, and Comfort

Warm showers, baths, and heating pads can be surprisingly effective for muscle aches. The warmth relaxes tight
muscles and can make you feel more comfortable, especially before bed. Be careful not to fall asleep on a heating
pad and avoid burns by using low or medium heat settings.

5. Sleep Like It’s Your Job

Your immune system repairs and recalibrates while you sleep. Try to:

• Keep your room dark and cool.
• Avoid doomscrolling COVID news in bed (easier said than done, but helpful).
• Use extra pillows to support aching areas, like between the knees or under the lower back.

When Body Aches Could Signal an Emergency

While most aches are uncomfortable but manageable, certain warning signs mean you should seek urgent
medical care rather than waiting it out at home. Call emergency services or go to an emergency department
if you have body aches plus:

• Severe difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
• Chest pain or pressure that doesn’t go away.
• New confusion, trouble staying awake, or fainting.
• Blue or gray lips, face, or nail beds.
• Severe, sudden muscle pain or weakness, especially with dark urine or inability to move a limb.
• Very high or persistent fever that isn’t responding to medication.

These can be signs of serious complications and need urgent evaluation, whether they’re due to COVID-19 or
another condition.

Long COVID and Persistent Body Aches

For some people, the story doesn’t end when the virus clears. Weeks or months after the initial infection, they
still feel:

• Daily muscle or joint pain.
• Crushing fatigue.
• “Brain fog” and trouble concentrating.
• Shortness of breath with light exertion.

This cluster of ongoing symptoms is often called long COVID or post-acute sequelae of
SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). Pain specialists and long COVID clinics are seeing patients whose quality of life
is seriously affected by persistent aches and neuropathic-type symptoms (burning, tingling, pins-and-needles).

Treatment may include:

• Gradual, structured physical therapy and gentle exercise programs.
• Medications for nerve pain or chronic pain syndromes when appropriate.
• Sleep optimization, stress management, and mental health support.
• Evaluation for other conditions like autoimmune disease, anemia, or thyroid problems that can worsen pain.

If your body aches are still a major character in your life story months after COVID, you’re not “imagining it,”
and you’re not alone. Long COVID is very real and worth addressing with a healthcare team that takes your symptoms
seriously.

How to Tell if Your Aches Are Improving

Tracking symptoms can help you see patterns and progress. Signs that you’re headed in the right direction include:

• You can move more easily when getting out of bed.
• Pain responds to over-the-counter medications and comfort measures.
• You’re gradually able to do normal activities (showering, making meals, short walks) without a big flare-up.
• Sleep is improving, and you’re waking up feeling slightly less “run over.”

If things are going the opposite way – more pain, more fatigue, more symptoms – that’s a good time to reconnect
with your healthcare professional.

of Real-Life Experience: What COVID Body Aches Feel Like (and What Actually Helps)

Medical descriptions are useful, but sometimes you just want to know what it’s really like from the
“regular human” side. While everyone’s experience is different, here’s a composite of what many people report
about COVID-related body aches – and what helped them get through it.

For a lot of people, the first sign something was wrong wasn’t a dramatic cough or a blazing fever. It was a
weird, all-over soreness that didn’t match anything they’d done. Imagine waking up and feeling like you ran a
marathon you don’t remember signing up for. Walking to the bathroom feels like a small hike. Sitting at your
desk for 20 minutes leaves your back, hips, and shoulders throbbing.

One common theme is the “moving target” pain. On day one, the thighs and calves ache. On day two,
the lower back and neck join the party. By day three, even the small muscles between the ribs can hurt, especially
if you’re coughing. This unpredictability can be frustrating – just when you think one area is calming down,
another one lights up.

People also talk about how fatigue amplifies pain. On days when they slept poorly or had more
fever, their body aches felt sharper and more exhausting. On days when they managed a long nap, stayed hydrated,
and took scheduled pain relievers, the pain was still there but dialed down enough to watch a show, read, or
have a conversation without wincing every few minutes.

What actually helped, according to many patients:

• Simple routines. Taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen on a regular schedule (within safe limits),
  drinking a glass of water every time they took medicine, and doing a few gentle stretches while waiting for
  the kettle to boil.
• Heat + rest combo. A warm shower in the morning to loosen stiff muscles, followed by a short
  rest with a blanket and pillows propped under the knees or behind the back, often made the rest of the day
  more manageable.
• “Micro-movement” breaks. Instead of staying in bed for hours without moving, people found that
  walking slowly around the room every 60–90 minutes prevented the “rusted robot” feeling that made pain spike.
• Lowering expectations. Many people felt better when they accepted that for a few days, their
  main job was “healing.” Dishes could wait, emails could wait, laundry could wait. Taking the pressure off to
  be productive often reduced stress, which in turn made pain slightly easier to tolerate.

For those with long COVID body aches, the story is more complicated. Pain may come and go in
waves. Overdoing it on a “good day” – cleaning the whole house, exercising too hard, or taking on a busy workday –
can lead to a big flare the next day. Many long COVID patients have learned the art of pacing:
doing a bit less than they think they can, resting before they crash, and planning days with built-in recovery time.

Support – from healthcare teams, physical therapists, mental health professionals, and other people going through
the same thing – makes a huge difference. Simply hearing “yes, body aches from COVID are real, and no, you’re not
weak for struggling” can be powerful. When pain is invisible, validation is often the first step toward effective
care.

If you’re reading this while in the middle of those aches, here’s the bottom line: COVID-19 can absolutely
cause body aches, but there are steps you can take to manage them and red flags you can watch for. Most
people improve over time with rest, supportive care, and patience. If your pain is severe, persistent, or affecting
your life long after the infection, reach out for help – your pain deserves attention, not just endurance.

Conclusion: Listening to Your Achy, COVID-Weary Body

COVID-19 body aches are common, uncomfortable, and sometimes surprisingly intense. They happen because your
immune system is working hard, inflammation is active, and your muscles and joints are caught in the crossfire.

The key steps are:

• Recognize that body aches can be a COVID symptom, especially with other signs like fever or cough.
• Use at-home care – rest, hydration, gentle movement, and safe medications – to stay as comfortable as possible.
• Watch for emergency warning signs that require urgent care.
• Seek medical advice if pain is severe, unusual, or lingering for weeks or months after infection.

Your body is sending signals. You don’t have to panic, but you also don’t have to ignore them. With the right
information and support, you can navigate COVID-related body aches more confidently – and, eventually, get back
to a life where walking to the fridge doesn’t feel like a heroic quest.

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