Why does my body hurt after a fall?
William Rodriguez
Published Jan 15, 2026
Bruised muscles are typically caused by trauma or blunt force to a body part. This trauma crushes the muscle fibers, but doesn't break the skin tissue. In many cases, a bruised muscle is seen as a mild injury. In more severe cases, they can lead to serious tissue damage and complications.
Why is my whole body sore after a fall?
Oftentimes the pain can start immediately after an accident or begins a few days after. Once your nerves become irritated they begin to swell and the body does what it can in order to protect the damaged areas. Inflammation and swelling build up and can irritate the nerves that are around your muscles.
Can a fall cause body aches?
Soft Tissue Damage
They can also be among the most painful injuries. These injuries are not usually visible, but your body is sore after a fall. They may not manifest themselves until days or weeks after you suffer an injury.
How long will you be sore after a fall?
Simple remedies for soreness include using an ice pack, massages, stretching, and most importantly, rest. Muscle soreness should not last longer than five days. Seek medical attention if the pain doesn't subside after a week, the injured area feels numb, or you are unable to walk or move your arms or legs.
What helps aching after a fall?
RICE. It stands for rest, ice, compress, and elevate, and it's the go-to treatment for minor sprains and bruising. Ice the injury as soon as possible and put pressure on it with an elastic wrap or bandage. If you've hurt an arm or leg, rest with it raised above your heart to keep swelling down.
34 related questions foundWhat happens to your body after a fall?
Falls can cause broken bones, like wrist, arm, ankle, and hip fractures. Falls can cause head injuries. These can be very serious, especially if the person is taking certain medicines (like blood thinners).
Should you rest after a fall?
If we simply rest after an injury, the acute symptoms and pain may resolve but when attempting to return to our regular lifestyle activities we will find that our ability to carry out our daily functions are impaired, which can lead to a long-term decrease in ability.
How do you know if fall is serious?
Symptoms of a Potential Fall Injury
- Severe or lingering pain.
- Headaches.
- Obvious swelling.
- Ringing in the ears.
- Bruising.
- Loss of balance.
- Dizziness.
- Back pain.
Can a fall make you feel unwell?
Another common symptom of a fall that leads to a head injury is dizziness. This condition can result from, among other causes, debris in the inner ear from the accident. The debris moves around in the inner ear and causes feelings of dizziness and vertigo by telling your brain you are in motion when you aren't.
What should you check after a fall?
After the Fall
Check the patient's breathing, pulse, and blood pressure. If the patient is unconscious, not breathing, or does not have a pulse, call a hospital emergency code and start CPR. Check for injury, such as cuts, scrapes, bruises, and broken bones.
How long does it take for muscles to heal after a fall?
Recovery time depends on the severity of the injury. For a mild strain, you may be able to return to normal activities within three to six weeks with basic home care. For more severe strains, recovery can take several months. In severe cases, surgical repair and physical therapy may be necessary.
What is Post fall syndrome?
Post-fall syndrome (PFS) is a severe complication of falls in older adults. PFS is considered to be a medical emergency in geriatric patients, given the risk of a decompensatory “domino effect” and mortality. Unfortunately, there is currently no consensus on how to detect patients at risk of PFS.
What are the three types of falls?
Falls can be classified into three types:
- Physiological (anticipated). Most in-hospital falls belong to this category. ...
- Physiological (unanticipated). ...
- Accidental.
Is it better to move around after a fall?
"If you do not move it, you lose it." It is a normal tendency that when you are in pain, to remain still, rest, and not stress the injured area. In fact, this is very appropriate in the very early stages to take it easy after an accident. However, the avoidance of activity should only last for several days.
How do you tell if you have internal injuries from a fall?
Unfortunately, internal bleeding from a slip and fall often goes unnoticed. If left untreated, internal bleeding can lead to serious medical complications and even death.
...
INTERNAL BLEEDING FROM HEAD INJURIES
- Altered mental states.
- Headaches.
- Stiff neck.
- Confusion.
- Coma.
- Weakness.
- Slurred speech.
- Loss of vision.
When should I see a doctor after a fall?
Seeing a doctor immediately after a fall is imperative. Waiting to seek medical treatment can prolong your discomfort and possibly worsen your condition. You could also be at risk of falling again.
How do I know if I have internal bleeding after a fall?
Abdominal pain and/or swelling can be caused by Internal bleeding from trauma in the liver or spleen. These symptoms get worse as the bleeding continues. Light-headedness, dizziness, or fainting can result from any source of internal bleeding once enough blood is lost.
What happens to your muscles when you fall?
You can also bruise a muscle from a hard fall or colliding with a hard surface. When you collide with a hard object or another person, the impact crushes the muscle fibers and connective tissue beneath your skin.
What is the safest way to fall?
There are correct ways to fall, however, the recommended procedures are:
- Tuck your chin in, turn your head, and throw an arm up. It is better-to land on your arm than on your head.
- While falling, twist or roll your body to the side. ...
- Keep your wrists, elbows and knees bent.
When you fall and hurt your back?
You can help ease injuries to your back by: using cold compresses (such as covered ice packs) for 20 minutes at a time every 3 to 4 hours for the first day — these will ease pain and swelling. using warmth after the first day — showers, baths or hot moist towels can help ease pain and help recovery.
What is the most common activity leading to patient falls?
The most common activity performed at the time of the fall was ambulation (35/183; 19%). Of those who fell during ambulation, the most frequent destinations were: bed to bathroom (37%), bedside commode to bed (11%), and bed to bedside commode (6%).
What injuries can you get from falling?
What Injuries Can You Get From a Fall?
- Traumatic brain injury.
- Strains and sprains.
- Broken or fractured bones.
- Spinal injuries.
- Bruises and cuts.
- Stretched or torn tendons and ligaments.
- Dislocated shoulders.
- Injured tailbone.
What are three psychological effects of a fall on an older person?
Falls can cause adverse psychological impact on carees, increased fear of falling again, decreased self-efficacy, and confidence in balance [5].
Why can't elderly get up after a fall?
A major source of complications is lying on the floor for a long time afterward, a risk that increases with age and declining muscle function. For older people in particular, it can result in pneumonia, pressure sores, dehydration, hypothermia, and even death.
What part of your body heals the slowest?
Nerves typically take the longest, healing after 3-4 months. Cartilage takes about 12 weeks to heal. Ligaments take about 10-12 weeks to heal. Bones take about 6-8 weeks to heal on average.