Musculoskeletal Pain & Injury 101

Musculoskeletal pain is the most common reason for medical visits to the doctor. It can be as simple as a carpel tunnel from typing all day at work,  just sitting in the same position at work, or back or neck injury from a car accident.

Pain specialists examine, diagnose, manage and treat musculoskeltal pain & injury. The musculoskeletal system is made up of your bones, muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and nerves. This complex system requires all of it’s parts to be healthy in order for you to move and work with out pain, discomfort or limited movement.

Pain specialists correct spine and bone injuries, abnormalities and deformities. They can help patients who struggle with agonizing arthritis, have broken bones from a car accident, or work injury.

Pain Treatment, Rehabilitation & Prevention

Once a pain specialist has evaluated and diagnosed an injury or disorder, a pain specialists will decide the best course of treatment for the patient. Rehabilitation is often suggested to build muscles through repetitive exercise that will restore mobility, increase movement and rebuild strength.

Back Pain Most Common Musculoskeletal Pain?

Lower back pain is the most common type of muscle pain as well as, tendonitis, myalgia (muscle pain), and stress fractures.

Causes of musculoskeletal pain

Musculoskeletal pain is most caused by an injury to the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or nerves. This can be caused by jerking movements, car accidents, slip and falls, work injuries: fractures, sprains, dislocations, and direct blows to the muscle.

Bad posture or prolonged immobilization from sitting in the same position at work all day can also cause chronic muscle pain.

Types of musculoskeletal pain?

Some of the more common types of pain include:

  • Bone Injury: This is usually deep, penetrating, or dull. It most commonly results from injury. It is important to be sure that the symptoms are not related to a fracture or tumor.
  • Muscle spasms and cramps: This is often less intense than bone pain, but it can still be debilitating, caused by an injury, an autoimmune reaction, loss of blood flow to the muscle, infection, or a tumor.
  • Tendon and ligament injury: Tendons or ligaments injuries, including sprains often becomes worse when the affected area is stretched or moved.
  • Fibromyalgia: This is a condition that may cause pain in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments ans is usually in multiple locations and can be difficult to describe. Fibromyalgia is usually accompanied by other symptoms.
  • Joint injuries: Joint injuries and diseases usually produce a stiff, aching, “arthritic” aches that range from mild to severe and worsens when moving the joint. The joints may also swell. Joint inflammation (arthritis) is a common cause of pain.
  • “Tunnel” syndromes: This refers to pain due to nerve compression. The disorders include carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, and tarsal tunnel syndrome. The pain tends to spread along the path supplied by the nerve and may feel like burning. These disorders are often caused by overuse.
Musculoskeletal pain

Causes of Musculoskeletal pain, include workplace or sports injuries.