Inflammation is a significant underlying contributor to many common chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance, the Institute for Biomedical Research Barcelona reports. Maintaining a healthy body weight, liming tobacco exposure and exercising can combat inflammation.

The serratus anterior muscle covers the outer and posterior portions of the rib cage. It attaches to the upper ribs as well as to the shoulder blades.

Occasional soreness, muscle twitching and fatigue are common life occurrences that most people experience occasionally. When they happen frequently, however, they are oftentimes symptoms of a deeper medical condition that needs your attention.

Your buttocks, or gluteal muscles, may be painful because of overuse, muscle strain or sciatic issues. The piriformis muscle, located deep within the gluteal region, is a common culprit of buttock pain, explains Dr.

People who are bedridden need to exercise to prevent their muscles from atrophy and shortening. Muscle atrophy occurs when the muscles become thin and weak. The muscles shorten when they are not stretched or moved.

A number of factors and conditions can produce joint pain and skin peeling, including illnesses and adverse reactions to certain medications. However, your symptoms might result from various autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, in which your body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks itself.

Your shoulder is the most mobile joint in your body. Although it is a ball and socket joint, the socket is very shallow, allowing the ball to rotate through almost a 360 degree range. Because it is so mobile, the shoulder is also vulnerable to injury.

The National Library of Medicine reports that 99 percent of the calcium that is taken into the body is deposited into the teeth and bones and the calcium left over is absorbed into the bloodstream. However, sometimes calcium deposits are unabsorbed and as a result are deposited into the soft tissues.

Your hands are constantly exposed during daily activities, making your fingers prone to injury. Mallet finger occurs when the tendon that straightens the last joint of your finger is torn.

Neck stiffness and limited range of motion often are the result of poor spinal alignment when sleeping on a soft mattress or thick pillow. After hours of being bent in an unnatural position, the muscles in your neck can suffer spasms or nerves can become irritated.

Facet joints are located between each vertebrae in your spine. They function to connect the vertebrae, as well as allow you to bend and twist your spine. Sometimes, the joint can become irritated, inflamed and painful. Pain that originates in your facet joint is known as facet joint syndrome.

Viruses are microscopic agents that replicate in the body's cells and are responsible for a bevy of infections and diseases, including chickenpox, AIDS and the common cold. Although bacterial infections may be treated with antibiotics, viral infections cannot.