Nerve Pain or Muscle Pain? How to Know the Difference (And Fix Both Naturally)

By Joe Zagami

Nobody likes being in pain. But here's the bitter truth: everyone who leads an active lifestyle will eventually deal with pain.

Period.

And while we're talking about bitter truths, here's another. Not all pain is the same.  Nerve pain is very different from muscle pain. Sure, they both hurt. But the symptoms are different. The sensations are different. And in many cases, the underlying causes and treatments are different.

Pain is universal. And it's complex.

In this article, we'll look at two of the most common types of pain for active people and athletes: nerve (neuropathic) pain and muscle (nociceptive) pain.

We'll show you what makes them different and easy ways to spot the differences quickly. And you'll discover natural solutions that can help fix both.

Pain 101: Why Do We Feel Pain? What Causes Pain?

In simplest terms, pain is an alert that tells us when there’s a problem.

Sometimes the problem is obvious. Things like closing a door on your finger or falling and twisting your ankle. Regardless of the cause, we all feel pain when our body needs us to. But why do we feel pain?

You can blame the nervous system for that. Without drilling too deep here, signals are sent along nerves to the brain. That’s where the signals are converted. And it’s at this point that we experience pain as we know it and think, “Ouch, I’m in pain.” (Likely a bit more colorfully than this… but humor me.)

Here’s the thing about pain. If you don’t know what’s causing it, you won’t be able to fix it. You might be able to mask it for a bit (more on that later). But unless you can fix the root cause, it’s unlikely that you’ll become truly pain-free.

Don’t worry. It’s not as hard as it seems. However, before trying to fix your pain, you must first understand the type of pain you’re experiencing.

Understanding Nerve Pain

Nerve pain is typically the result of irritation or inflammation that affects the proper functioning of nerves and nervous tissue. This dysfunction often manifests as chronic soreness or discomfort. It’s both ongoing and constant. In most cases, it will not resolve on its own.

What Causes Nerve Pain?

So, what causes irritation or inflammation to nervous tissue and nerves? In many cases, it’s an injury to the brain or spine. Or it could be from damage to an individual nerve. And unfortunately, these injuries aren’t always as obvious as a twisted ankle from a fall.

For instance, many “desk jockeys” will experience elbow pain from using a keyboard all day, five days a week. (Hey, all occupations come with hazards.) But what may at first seem like a phantom elbow injury may instead be ulnar nerve compression. This can lead to irritation and inflammation over time. Eventually, it can cause a condition called cubital tunnel syndrome.

Certain illnesses and infections can also cause nerve pain. Even harder to spot, nerve pain can result from a nutrient deficiency. (More on that in a moment.)

What Does Nerve Pain Feel Like?

For most people, nerve pain occurs in the limbs, back, and neck. It often presents first as a tingling or “pins and needles” sensation. This can escalate into shooting, stabbing, or “burning” pain. Some people also experience intermittent numbness or sharp sensations. Limited or painful movement is common in the affected area.

In extreme cases, partial paralysis can occur.

How Do You Treat Nerve Pain?

The most common treatments for nerve pain include painkillers (both over-the-counter and prescription), acupuncture, exercise, and physical therapy. The problem is that none of these solutions is a “silver bullet” for nerve pain. This makes diagnosing and treating the root of nerve pain critical.

For instance, say an underlying illness causes your nerve pain. All the NSAIDs in your local drugstore won’t fix the problem. (Worse yet, any temporary relief associated with painkillers can come with a serious catch.) Instead, you must properly treat the illness for the associated nerve pain to subside.

Understanding Muscle Pain

Muscle pain (nociceptive pain) sounds straightforward enough. But this type of pain can also affect bones and ligaments, too. Like nerve pain, it can be acute or chronic. In the case of muscle pain, chronic pain often stems from overuse or injury.

What Causes Muscle Pain?

Dehydration, stress, certain diseases, and viral infections can cause muscle pain. But it is typically the result of inflammation. In many cases, this stems from an overuse injury.

For instance, strains are common among athletes. Consider how many times a pitcher or quarterback repeats the same throwing movements in a single game. And when you factor in the countless hours of practice spent honing their skills over many years, it’s easy to imagine how overuse injuries can develop.

But it’s not just athletes. People with physically demanding jobs can experience overuse injuries, too. For instance, consider how frequently a construction worker or auto mechanic might repeat the same motion in a single day. Now spread that out over weeks, months, and years.

The point is that overuse injuries are more common than you might think. And yet a less severe form of overuse injury is even more common.

Almost everybody reading this has likely experienced delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. It’s the feeling of tightness, soreness, or tenderness that comes after strenuous exercise. Typically, DOMS symptoms last just a couple of days. They tend to improve quickly, which allows many people to work through them without a problem.

Perhaps most common of all is muscle pain caused by an injury from an accident – like a fall. We’ve all walked away from an embarrassing slip or misstep only to experience pain and swelling that lasts for days.

Though painful and annoying, these are primarily minor bumps and bruises in the big picture. However, muscle strains are a different story. In short, these are partial tears to muscle tissue. Strains often come with limited mobility. They’re almost like an extreme form of DOMS. The good news is that strains will typically improve with rest and at-home treatment. But if you have severe symptoms (ex: you can see that your bicep isn’t where it should be) or your symptoms aren’t improving within a week or two, see a medical professional.

What Does Muscle Pain Feel Like?

Most people describe common muscle pain as a dull, constant ache. It can also present as intermittent cramping. Sometimes, you might feel a sharp pain that comes with difficulty moving a muscle. It’s common to experience swelling and redness in the affected area, too.

How Do You Treat Muscle Pain?

As with nerve pain, muscle pain is often treated with painkillers like NSAIDs. And just like with nerve pain, NSAIDs can make things worse over time. This is why we recommend using natural anti-inflammatory solutions like curcumin. Depending on the origin of the pain, stretching, massage, and physical therapy can also help.

Keep Moving for Optimal Recovery

Being sedentary is not the best way to recover. In fact, it's a trap. Instead – if you can – you want to get your blood moving as much as possible. Nothing crazy. A short walk or ride on a stationary bike will suffice. The key is to get nutrient-rich blood into the painful area without putting it under direct stress. This will help the recovery process.

Read our Ultimate 5-Step Injury Recovery Guide HERE.

Do I Have Nerve Pain or Muscle Pain?

There can be a lot of overlap between muscle pain and nerve pain. And this can create a lot of confusion. Thankfully, there are a few key signs that can quickly point you in the right direction.

If your pain started after an injury, feels like a dull ache, and seems to be getting at least a little better with time? It’s likely muscle pain. The same goes for soreness or tenderness after a challenging workout or abnormal physical exertion (ex: helping a friend move, reorganizing your garage, trying a new sport, etc.).

However, if your pain seemingly came out of nowhere, you haven’t been active lately, and it feels like your skin is being stabbed with flaming needles? Then it’s likely nerve pain.

Remember, these are just key signs to point you in the right direction. They aren’t meant to replace a diagnosis from a medical professional. But even if you’re not sure about which type of pain you’re experiencing or what caused it in the first place, there are proven natural solutions that can help treat the underlying cause of both nerve pain and muscle pain.

Three Ways to Treat Nerve Pain and Muscle Pain Naturally

Here are the three best ways to treat nerve and muscle pain naturally:

Get Enough Magnesium. Every vital organ requires sufficient magnesium to function correctly. It’s critical for more than 300 bodily processes. That includes muscle and nerve function.¹ In fact, research shows magnesium may help repair nerve damage.²  So, it’s no wonder we have over 3,700 magnesium-binding sites throughout our bodies.

Not getting enough magnesium is one of the worst diet and nutrition mistakes you can make. Yet 75% of the population has some level of magnesium deficiency.³

Some early signs of magnesium deficiency include fatigue, as well as muscle spasms, stiffness, and weakness. Left unaddressed, this can progress into more urgent symptoms – like numbness and tingling.⁴ (Sound familiar?)

You can get more magnesium in your diet from dark leafy greens and raw organic nuts. But even though this may help you avoid a deficiency, that doesn’t mean your levels will be optimal. That’s why we recommend supplementing with a highly bioavailable (i.e., easy to absorb) form of magnesium, like magnesium citrate.

Supplement with Alpha-Lipoic Acid. Like magnesium, alpha-lipoic Acid (ALA) is critical to nerve health. It’s a potent antioxidant that helps protect nerve cells and improve their function. Part of what makes ALA so valuable for nerve pain is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier. This may be a major reason for its ability to help protect nerve tissue.⁵

Not surprisingly, the same anti-inflammatory effects that make it helpful for nerve pain may also help with muscle pain.

One study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that ALA helped experienced athletes recover better from intense recovery. They had less muscle damage and inflammation, and their recovery rate was significantly faster than the placebo group. The result? The ALA group saw zero adverse effects on their exercise performance.⁶

You can get ALA from your diet's dark leafy greens and red meat. But like magnesium, your best bet for optimal levels is to get it ALA in supplement form. We recommend that you aim for 300 mg of ALA. It’s a well-tolerated dosage shown to have positive effects.

Fight Inflammation with Curcumin. Turmeric has been prized in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for over 4,000 years because of its anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. But modern medicine confirms that most of its inflammation-fighting power comes from curcumin.

This antioxidant doesn’t just scavenge free radicals to help maintain a healthy inflammatory response. It can also help lower the levels of enzymes that cause inflammation in the first place.⁷ This is why curcumin has been linked to reduced joint pain and increased ease of movement.⁸

In terms of muscle function, one recent study linked curcumin to reduced muscle pain and increased muscle performance, as well as lower blood markers of inflammation.⁹ Another study found that curcumin can help reduce post-exercise DOMS.¹⁰ And multiple studies have found curcumin – even in relatively small doses – to benefit people suffering from nerve pain.¹¹

Clinical Advisory Board Commentary

Dr. Ro Mahajan, MD

Board-Certified Pain Physician

This post reviews an important step in the pain management diagnostic process by highlighting the symptomatic differences between nerve and muscle pain. Understanding these differences can help readers identify the type of pain they are experiencing, which is crucial for effective treatment.

In my clinical practice, I often recommend alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) for nerve-related pain conditions, such as neuropathy and radiculopathy. For joint-related pain, I typically suggest turmeric, and for muscle pain, magnesium is my go-to recommendation.

It's important to note that many pain conditions are not isolated to just nerves, muscles, or joints. Rather, they often involve a combination of these issues. As a result, I frequently recommend a combination of these supplements to address the multifaceted nature of my patients' pain.

Natural treatment options, like those described in this article, can be great first steps in managing your symptoms. They generally pose little risk. However, it's crucial not to overlook your body's signals and to work with your healthcare team to ensure a thorough diagnostic evaluation is performed.

This helps prevent the possibility of missing a more serious underlying condition.

Putting It All Together

Nobody enjoys being in pain. But determining the type of pain you’re experiencing can lead to better treatment, faster recovery, and perhaps even prevention in the future. If you can recognize the key differences between muscle pain and nerve pain, you’ll be one step closer to addressing the underlying cause.

Plus, now that you know the three best natural solutions for fighting both nerve pain and muscle pain, you may get the relief you want faster than ever before.

One more thing. If you’re looking for fast and lasting non-drowsy pain relief, you owe it to yourself to check out Mag 3D™.

We designed this Therapeutic Sports Nutrition™ breakthrough from the ground up to address the root causes of muscle tension, cramps, aches, and pain. But it also supports healthy circulation, oxygen delivery, and nerve function.

And we believe it’s the best way to get clinically proven doses of magnesium, alpha-lipoic acid, and curcumin for natural relief that you can depend on.