WHAT COULD BE CAUSING YOUR MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN?

WHAT COULD BE CAUSING YOUR MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN?

• Musculoskeletal pain refers to pain felt in the bones, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and muscles.
• The pain might occur in just one part of the body, such as the back, or all around the body. The latter condition occurs due to complications such as fibromyalgia.
• The pain can range from mild to severe, making it a possible interference in your daily life and activities.
• The pain can be acute or chronic. In the former, it will occur suddenly and go away quickly.
• However, in the latter case, the pain could last for 3 to 6 weeks.
  Let’s look at musculoskeletal in detail:

Types of Musculoskeletal Pain

People are most likely to deal with pain in their lower back.  However, the pain could occur all around the body, due to various conditions, such as:

1. Muscle pain is caused by injury to the soft tissues between organs; a condition is known as myalgia.
2. Bone pain, due to trauma from an injury or a fracture, leads to chronic pain in the bones.
3. Pain in the tendons, ligaments, and joints is another type of musculoskeletal pain.
4. Nerve compression pain is due to conditions that put pressure on the nerves, such as arthritis.
5. Back pain may occur due to a slipped disc in the spine or damage to the spine.
6. Chest pain, due to a lack of oxygen going to the heart walls or inflammation in the chest.

Causes of Musculoskeletal Pain

Possible causes for musculoskeletal pain are divided into musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal disorders.

• Musculoskeletal disorders are those that directly affect muscles, ligaments, bones, and tendons.
• The most probable cause of musculoskeletal disorders is trauma sustained from injuries to the muscles, ligaments, bones, and tendons of the body.
• Sports injuries, falls, car accidents and sudden position changes during movement are some incidents that could be responsible for this.
  There are more than 150 musculoskeletal disorders. The prominent ones include:

1. Autoimmune conditions and arthritis.
2. Injuries such as dislocations and fractures
3. Osteoporosis
4. Problems in the structures of joints and bones caused by conditions such as scoliosis

   Similarly, there are quite a few non-musculoskeletal disorders that could lead to musculoskeletal disorders. Some of the common ones include:

1. Poor posture
2. Overwork of the body at work, such as regularly participating in extreme sports
3. Infections of the muscles, bones, and soft tissues
4. Lengthy bed rest after an injury or during an illness
5. Certain cancers and tumors that affect the bones

   At times, the pain could be originating from an organ and feel like musculoskeletal pain. This condition is called referred pain and usually stems from the:

1. Kidneys
2. Lungs
3. Heart
4. Spleen
5. Gallbladder
6. Pancreas