Musculoskeletal Injuries & Conditions
Musculoskeletal injuries are some of the most common injuries. Musculoskeletal injuries are not only prevalent in the workplace, but among athletes, weekend warriors, and can result from motor vehicle collisions, slip and fall accidents, and other incidents. Rigorous training, repetitive movements, and acute and traumatic events can lead to a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries. Age is also another factor in developing musculoskeletal conditions. As we get older, we are more prone to get wear and tear injuries.
Musculoskeletal injuries affect the muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, or other connective tissue in body. They affect a person’s ability to perform work and participate in their activities of daily living. Different symptoms develop for different types of musculoskeletal injuries.
Musculoskeletal pain is pain that affects:
Bones.
Joints.
Ligaments.
Muscles.
Tendons.
Musculoskeletal pain can be acute, meaning it is sudden and severe. Or the pain can be chronic (long-lasting). You may have localized pain (in one area of your body), or it may affect your entire body.
The most common types of musculoskeletal pain include:
Bone pain: Injuries such as bone fractures or other musculoskeletal injuries cause bone pain. Less commonly, a tumor may cause bone pain.
Joint pain: Stiffness and inflammation often accompany joint pain. For many people, joint pain gets better with rest and worsens with activity.
Muscle pain: Muscle spasms, cramps and injuries can all cause muscle pain. Some infections or tumors may also lead to muscle pain.
Tendon and ligament pain: Ligaments and tendons are strong bands of tissue that connect your joints and bones. Sprains, strains and overuse injuries can lead to tendon or ligament pain.
At Aptiva Health, we offer same-day and walk-in appointments for musculoskeletal injury and conditions to evaluate, diagnose, and make the appropriate referral for additional treatment based upon your specific musculoskeletal injury or condition. We treat these conditions in our General Medicine, Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Pain Management, and Physical Therapy departments.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
People with musculoskeletal injuries and conditions sometimes complain that their entire body aches. Their muscles may feel like they have been pulled or overworked. Sometimes, the muscles twitch or burn. Symptoms vary from person to person, but some common symptoms of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions are:
Pain
Swelling
Inflammation
Limited flexibility
Reduced or complete loss of function
Difficulty weight bearing
Fatigue
Aching and stiffness
Pain the worsens with movement
Burning sensations in the muscles
Sleep disturbances
Muscle twitching
diagnosis
Your doctor will conduct a thorough physical examination and medical history. In some cases, your doctor might suggest tests such as:
X-ray. X-ray is used to help detect bone fractures and degenerative joint disease.
Computerized tomography (CT) scan. CT scanners combine X-rays taken from many different angles, to create cross-sectional images of the inside of your body. CT scans can help diagnose bone problems and subtle fractures. A special kind of CT scan can accurately identify gout even when the joint is not inflamed.
Ultrasound. This technology uses sound waves to produce real-time images of the soft tissue structures within and around an affected limb. Your doctor may want to move your knee into different positions during the ultrasound to check for specific problems.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI uses radio waves and a powerful magnet to create 3D images of the inside of your body. This test is particularly useful in revealing injuries to soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons, cartilage and muscles.
LAB TESTS
If your doctor suspects an infection or inflammation, you're likely to have blood tests sent to a laboratory for analysis.
Treatments
You will need to provide a medical history and information about how the injury occurred, and undergo a physical examination.
During the physical examination, your health care professional will palpate the area and ask about the degree of pain or tenderness. You will be asked to move the injured area to test its range of motion as well.
Your course of treatment will depend on the location and severity of your injury. Initial treatment for many musculoskeletal injuries is aimed at controlling inflammation and promoting the healing response.
The acronym R.I.C.E. is a helpful guide for the immediate treatment of most acute injuries. When performing R.I.C.E. treatment, you will take the following steps:
Rest: Limit the forces acting on the injured part of the body. This generally means limiting activity, and it may mean using crutches, a sling, or another aid to fully rest the area.
Ice: Ice is helpful at controlling swelling and inflammation, and it can also help tremendously with pain reduction. Many athletes who ice an acute injury find they don't need pain pills to help alleviate discomfort.
Compress: Compression is performed by snugly, but not tightly, wrapping the injured part of the body with a compression bandage. Too-tight constriction can cause worsening of your symptoms and other problems.
Elevate: Elevating the injured extremity can also help reduce swelling and inflammation and, in turn, reduce pain.
After the initial healing period, your doctor will determine what, if any, additional treatment is needed and may refer you to our another specialist within our group for your specific injury.
Additional treatments for musculoskeletal injuries include:
Bracing
Medication for inflammation and pain
Pain-relieving injections, such as a corticosteroid, PRP, or stem cell
Cupping
Scraping
Kinesiotaping
Traction