Musculoskelatal Pain

About Musculoskeletal Pain

Musculoskeletal pain is a general term used to describe any pain that affects the bones, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and nerves. The pain can be either localized, such as pain in joints, knee pain, spine pain, hip pain, lower back pain, etc. or widespread, as is the case with fibromyalgia and arthritis. The most common musculoskeletal pain is lower back pain, which afflicts millions of Americans owing to work-related conditions such as posture and amount of time seated. The causes of musculoskeletal pain are myriad and vary from person to person. Nevertheless, the most common causes are injury to body structure through accidents, falls, fractures, sprains, knocks, dislocations, and overuse. Although pain is the obvious symptom of musculoskeletal pain, where the pain is, its cause and whether it is acute or chronic will determine the way forward.

When you come in complaining of musculoskeletal pain, the doctor will look for one or more of the following symptoms:

• Localized or widespread pain worsened by movement
• Aching or stiffness of the entire body
• Sense of muscles being pulled or overworked
• Fatigue
• Sleep disturbances
• Twitching muscles
• Burning sensation in your muscles

Once all the symptoms have been identified, the doctor will then proceed to perform a hands-on examination of the affected areas. Through palpitation, they will determine the severity of the pain as well as any other obvious symptoms. This will help locate the exact pain points.

However, to determine the underlying causes of the pain, the doctor may order a number of tests including:

• Blood tests to confirm a diagnosis, such as rheumatoid arthritis
• X-rays to take images of the bones
• CT scans to get a more detailed look at the bones
• MRIs to look at soft tissues such as muscles, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons

The results from these tests will equip the doctor with the necessary information they need to take the next steps in treating your musculoskeletal pain.

Treatment of musculoskeletal pain depends on whether it is acute or chronic pain as well as what the underlying causes are.

That said, these are some of the treatment methods for pain control:

• Physical or occupational therapy
• Joint/limb immobilization using a splint
• Heal and cold treatment
• Reducing workload and increasing rest
• Reducing stress through relaxation and biofeedback techniques
• Acupuncture or acupressure
• Anesthetic or anti-inflammatory injections directly to the affected areas
• Strength and conditioning exercises
• Stretching exercises
• Chiropractic sessions
• Therapeutic massage
• Medications for fibromyalgia patients to regulate serotonin and norepinephrine levels
• Pain medication for chronic pain

After prescription of treatment steps, the doctor will suggest follow-up visits to observe your progress and determine whether the treatments are effective. In addition, if there are lifestyle changes required, you will need to make the necessary adjustments to reduce the recurrence of the pain you were experiencing.

If you are suffering from musculoskeletal pain, don’t hesitate to visit Dr. Rizvi’s Complete Family Care Clinic located at 901 San Bernardino Road, Suite 104, Upland, CA 91786-4963. Or give us a call on (909) 946-0844 to book your appointment today.