About pain management: musculoskeletal pain

What is pain management: musculoskeletal pain?

Different types of manual therapy, or mobilization, can be used to treat people with spinal alignment problems. For acute musculoskeletal pain, these techniques have been shown to speed recovery.

In patients with musculoskeletal disorders such as fibromyalgia, medications to increase the body's level of serotonin and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters that modulate sleep, pain, and immune system function) are prescribed in low doses. Some of the medicines used to aid sleep include Ambien, Klonopin, and Desyrel.

Other treatments may include:

  • Injections with anesthetic or anti-inflammatory medications in or around the painful sites
  • Exercise that includes muscle strengthening and stretching
  • Physical or occupational therapy
  • Acupuncture or acupressure
  • Relaxation/biofeedback techniques
  • Osteopathic manipulation (a whole system of evaluation and treatment designed to achieve and maintain health by restoring normal function to the body)
  • Chiropractic care
  • Therapeutic massage

What are the symptoms for pain management: musculoskeletal pain?

The quality of the Pain can vary based on where it’s located.

Bone Pain may be dull, sharp, stabbing, or deep. It’s typically more uncomfortable than muscle or tendon pain.

Muscle Pain can be intense and short-lived if it’s caused by a cramp or powerful muscle contraction, commonly called a charley horse. The muscle may twitch or contract uncomfortably.

Tendon Pain may feel sharp if an injury caused it. It usually worsens when you move or stretch the affected tendon and improves with rest.

Joint Pain feels like an aching. It may be accompanied by Stiffness and swelling.

Fibromyalgia causes multiple tender spots throughout the body.

Nerve compression Pain may feel like tingling, pins and needles, or burning. Other symptoms depend on the cause of the pain, and can include:

  • stiffness
  • soreness
  • swelling
  • redness
  • cracking or popping sound in the joint
  • trouble moving the affected area
  • weakness
  • fatigue
  • difficulty sleeping
  • Muscle spasms or twitches
  • bruising

What are the causes for pain management: musculoskeletal pain?

Musculoskeletal disorders

These disorders directly affect the bones, muscles, joints, and ligaments. The most common cause of musculoskeletal pain is an injury to the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, or ligaments. Falls, sports injuries, and car accidents are just a few of the incidents that can lead to pain.

More than 150 different musculoskeletal disorders exist. Some of the most common ones are:

Non-musculoskeletal contributors to pain

These are a few of the non-musculoskeletal disorders that cause pain in the bones, muscles, joints, and ligaments:

  • overuse at work or while playing sports
  • poor posture
  • prolonged bed rest, such as during an illness or after surgery
  • infections of the bones, muscles, or other soft tissues
  • certain tumors and cancers, including tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCTs) and metastatic prostate cancer spread to bone

Pain can sometimes feel like it’s originating in the musculoskeletal system, even when it’s from another organ system entirely. For example, a heart attack can cause pain that radiates down the arm. This is called referred pain, and it can stem from the:

  • heart
  • lungs
  • kidneys
  • gallbladder
  • spleen
  • pancreas

What are the treatments for pain management: musculoskeletal pain?

Different types of manual therapy, or mobilization, can be used to treat people with spinal alignment problems. For acute musculoskeletal pain, these techniques have been shown to speed recovery.

In patients with musculoskeletal disorders such as fibromyalgia, medications to increase the body's level of serotonin and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters that modulate sleep, pain, and immune system function) are prescribed in low doses. Some of the medicines used to aid sleep include Ambien, Klonopin, and Desyrel.

Other treatments may include:

  • Injections with anesthetic or anti-inflammatory medications in or around the painful sites
  • Exercise that includes muscle strengthening and stretching
  • Physical or occupational therapy
  • Acupuncture or acupressure
  • Relaxation/biofeedback techniques
  • Osteopathic manipulation (a whole system of evaluation and treatment designed to achieve and maintain health by restoring normal function to the body)
  • Chiropractic care
  • Therapeutic massage

What are the risk factors for pain management: musculoskeletal pain?

Common risks causing muscle pain include but are not limited to:

  1. Chronic exertional compartment syndrome
  2. Chronic fatigue syndrome
  3. Claudication
  4. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  5. Dermatomyositis
  6. Dystonia
  7. Fibromyalgia
  8. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
  9. Influenza (flu) and other viral illness (influenza-like illness)
  10. Lupus
  11. Lyme disease

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