Musculoskeletal Pain
What is musculoskeletal pain?
Musculoskeletal
pain affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. It can be
acute (having a rapid onset with severe symptoms) or chronic (long-lasting).
Musculoskeletal pain can be localized in one area, or widespread.
Lower
back pain is the most common type of musculoskeletal pain. Other common types
include tendonitis, myalgia (muscle pain), and stress fractures.
What are the causes of musculoskeletal pain?
Anyone
can experience musculoskeletal pain. It is most often caused by an injury to
the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or nerves. This can be caused
by jerking movements, car accidents, falls, fractures, sprains, dislocations,
and direct blows to the muscle.
Musculoskeletal
pain can also be caused by overuse. Pain from overuse affects 33% of adults.
Lower back pain from overuse is the most common work-related diagnosis in
Western society.
Poor
posture or prolonged immobilization can also cause musculoskeletal pain.
What are the symptoms of musculoskeletal pain?
Symptoms
of musculoskeletal pain depend on whether the pain is caused by an injury or
overuse and whether it is chronic or acute. The symptoms can also differ from
person to person.
Common
symptoms include:
- Localized or widespread pain that can worsen with movement.
- Aching or stiffness of the entire body.
- The feeling that your muscles have been pulled or overworked
- Fatigue
- Sleep disturbances
- Twitching muscles
- The sensation of "burning" in your muscles
If you
have any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor for a thorough
examination.
What are the different types of musculoskeletal pain?
Musculoskeletal
pain has varying symptoms and causes. Some of the more common types of pain include:
- Bone pain: This is usually deep, penetrating, or dull. It most commonly results from injury. It is important to be sure that the pain is not related to a fracture or tumor.
- Muscle pain: This is often less intense than bone pain, but it can still be debilitating. Muscle pain can be caused by an injury, an autoimmune reaction, loss of blood flow to the muscle, infection, or a tumor. The pain can also include muscle spasms and cramps.
- Tendon and ligament pain: Pains in the tendons or ligaments are often caused by injuries, including include sprains. This type of musculoskeletal pain 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. The pain is usually in multiple locations and can be difficult to describe. Fibromyalgia is usually accompanied by other symptoms.
- Joint pain: Joint injuries and diseases usually produce a stiff, aching, "arthritic" pain. The pain may 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 musculoskeletal disorders that cause 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.
How is musculoskeletal pain diagnosed?
Your
doctor will begin by conducting a thorough medical history. He or she will be
looking for possible causes of your pain, such as workplace or sports injuries,
and will also ask if the pain is ongoing or acute.
The
doctor will then conduct a hands-on examination looking for the source of the
pain. This may include palpating the affected area. This helps him or her
locate the origin of the pain. However, to determine the underlying cause of
the pain, the doctor will often follow the exam with laboratory tests and
X-rays.
These may
include:
- Blood tests to confirm a diagnosis, such as rheumatoid arthritis
- X-rays to take images of the bones
- CT scans to get an even more detailed look at the bones
- MRIs to look at soft tissues such as muscles, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons
Based on
the findings from your examination and the results of these tests, your doctor
should be able to diagnose the cause and type of your pain. This will help him
or her to create a treatment plan for you.
How is musculoskeletal pain treated?
Musculoskeletal
pain is best treated by treating its cause. This will vary depending on whether
you are experiencing bone, muscle, ligament, tendon, or joint pain, or some
other kind of musculoskeletal pain.
Treatments
include:
- Physical or occupational therapy
- Using a splint to immobilize the affected joint and allow healing
- Using heat or cold
- Reducing workload and increasing rest
- Reducing stress through relaxation and biofeedback techniques
- Acupuncture or acupressure
- Injections with anesthetic or anti-inflammatory medications in or around the painful sites
- Strengthening and conditioning exercises
- Stretching exercises
- Chiropractic care
- Therapeutic massage
For
patients with fibromyalgia, medications to increase the body's levels of
serotonin and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters that modulate sleep, pain, and
immune system function) are often prescribed in low doses.
Pain
relievers may be used during treatment for any type of musculoskeletal pain.
Your doctor may recommend analgesics such as acetaminophen, NSAIDS, or, if pain
is severe, opioids.
Disclaimer:
This information does not replace your physician's advise, only for information purpose and is subject to your Physician's scrutiny. Please visit your GP for professional diagnosis as blogger will not be held liable for any problems or misunderstanding and wrong application of the information.
Sourced and quoted completely from: http://my.clevelandclinic.org
