One-third of adults in the US have a musculoskeletal disorder, making it one of the most common illnesses. That number is growing very quickly because the population is getting older and more active. Most people say it makes their whole body hurt or makes their muscles feel pulled or overworked. Pain, tiredness, and trouble sleeping are all common signs of musculoskeletal pain.
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What Does Musculoskeletal Pain Feel Like?
Different types of musculoskeletal pain feel different in different tissues:
- Bone pain: This is dull and aching, like pain that goes deep into the body. If you break a bone, the pain might be worse.
- Joint pain: It’s possible that your joints hurt, hurt, or are stiff. There may be a burning, throbbing, or “grating” feeling. For many people, joint pain gets worse when they move around and gets better when they rest.
- Back pain: This kind of pain can be deep or sharp. Some people have general muscle pain, while others only have pain in certain places.
- Tendon and ligament pain: Moving the hurt area makes the pain worse. Many people feel sharp pain.
Different Kinds of Musculoskeletal Pain
Many different things can cause musculoskeletal pain, which comes in many different forms. Following are the some types:
- Most of the time, bone pain is dull, deep, or penetrating.
- Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes widespread pain in the muscles, joints, and memory. It can also make you feel bad.
- Having pain in the joints where bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments meet, like in the shoulders, hips, or knees
- Muscle pain, such as cramps and spasms, is called myalgia.
- Disorders that cause nerve compression, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
- Pain in tendons and ligaments that gets worse when you move or stretch the hurt area
What Causes Musculoskeletal Pain?
These are some common reasons why musculoskeletal pain happens:
- Some types of arthritis, like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Lupus is an example of an autoimmune disease
- Shearings in the spine
- Falls, car accidents, broken bones, sprains, dislocations, and direct blows
- Inactivity or bad posture for a long time
- Overuse at work or in sports
- Nerves getting pinched
- Being stiff
- Spondylolisthesis is a condition of the spine that affects the lower back bones.
Signs of Musculoskeletal Pain and When to See a Doctor
If you’re in pain for no apparent reason, you should see a doctor right away. Musculoskeletal conditions can be as mild as bad posture causing low back pain or as serious as cancer. Your doctor will probably ask you about your past and present symptoms. Pain in the muscles and bones is hard to explain. The following descriptions might help you clearly describe your pain so that you can get a quick diagnosis.
- Joint pain: Because it’s in one place, joint pain is usually easy to pinpoint. It usually feels like it’s hurting, burning, swelling, and being stiff.
- When you have bone pain, it’s harder to ignore because it’s deep and dull.
- Muscle pain: Seizures, cramps, and aches happen quickly and can be felt. A cramp that goes away might not need medical help, but muscle pain that won’t go away could be a sign of an illness, vitamin deficiency, or injury.
- Tendon pain is sharp when it’s injured and gets worse with use. It goes away when you rest. If you don’t get treatment right away for a tendon injury, it might get worse.
- Nerve pain: If a nerve is pinched, you might feel “pins and needles,” tingling, burning, soreness, weakness, or twitching that you can’t control in the area.
Remember that people with lupus and fibromyalgia don’t usually have a single point of pain. Instead, they feel pain all over their bodies. To be sure of the diagnosis, doctors may order tests.
How to Take Care of Yourself at Home?
- Rest the new pain until it goes away. Do not make the pain worse. If you feel better and your doctor says it’s okay, slowly start exercising again.
- Take your medicines safely. Read all the directions on the label and do what it says.
- Take the painkillers your doctor gave you exactly as they were told to.
- If you don’t have a prescription for pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter one.
- For 10 to 20 minutes, put ice or a cold pack on the hurt joint. Do this while you’re awake every one to two hours for three days. Place a thin piece of cloth between your skin and the ice.
- You can try putting heat on the hurt area after two or three days. Several times a day, put heat on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Some types of heat therapy are heating patches and packs that can be heated in the microwave. You could also try going back and forth between heat and ice.
How to Treat Musculoskeletal Pain?
Musculoskeletal pain is what best pain management doctors in Dallas treat most of the time, you can get help from physical therapists, rheumatologists, osteopaths, and orthopedic specialists. The way you are treated will depend on what is causing your pain. Talk to your doctor before you start treatment.
Medicines
Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) pain relievers that aren’t steroids, like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve). Corticosteroid injections into the painful area for some types of pain. Opioids (only for severe pain because they can be addicting and have bad side effects).
Surgery
Surgery is usually done when all other treatments fail. Laminectomy is the removal of hard tissue and repair of cartilage and soft tissue
Lifestyle Changes
Your doctor may tell you to take it easy on a body part that is hurt or overused until it heals. If you have arthritis or other muscle pain, a physical therapist can help you stretch and work out. Both ice and heat can ease pain. When you get hurt, ice reduces swelling and eases pain right away. A few days after the injury, heat can help with stiffness. Talking to someone about your pain can help. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches you better ways to deal with your pain.
What Problems Could Happen if you don’t Treat Musculoskeletal Pain?
Musculoskeletal injuries that are moderate to severe can cause long-term pain and problems with mobility if they are not treated. This could make your life worse and keep you from working. For severe or long-lasting pain, you need to see a pain management fort worth. You should start treatment that is right for you as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Pain in the muscles, bones, and joints can come from a number of places, some of which are not in those areas. If your musculoskeletal pain is very bad or doesn’t get better after a few weeks, you should see your doctor for a checkup to find out what’s wrong.
Chronic musculoskeletal pain can significantly affect your quality of life, making daily tasks challenging. Identifying the root cause, such as overuse, injury, or underlying medical conditions, is key to effective treatment. Early intervention with therapies like physical therapy, medication, or lifestyle changes can prevent the pain from worsening.
In addition to medical treatment, adopting healthy habits can play a vital role in managing pain. Regular exercise, maintaining proper posture, and ensuring a balanced diet rich in nutrients that support bone and muscle health can promote long-term relief and overall well-being. Consulting with a specialist for a tailored plan can help you regain mobility and reduce discomfort.
