Causes, symptoms, types and prevention of musculoskeletal pain

Musculoskeletal pain is usually caused by injury. Apart from arthritis, additional factors that might cause pain include overuse, bad posture, and referred pain that radiates from another location. 

Muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and nerves can experience pain, which is known as musculoskeletal discomfort. If it affects one part of your body, like your back, you can feel the pain there. 

If you suffer from a widespread illness like fibromyalgia, you could experience it all over your body. From minor to life-interfering levels of pain, the condition can affect anyone. Read below to know in detail about musculoskeletal pain:

Causes of Musculoskeletal Pain

Musculoskeletal pain has several different root causes. With the wear and tear of regular activities, muscle tissue can be affected. The musculoskeletal pain can also be caused by trauma in a particular area, including jerking movements, car accidents, falls, fractures, sprains, and dislocations. 

Other causes of pain include postural strain, overuse, repeated motions, and longer immobilization. Muscle reduction and spinal alignment issues can be caused by changes in posture or poor body mechanics. It can also lead to the overuse and discomfort of other muscles.

Signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal pain

Sometimes, people with musculoskeletal pain claim that their entire bodies hurt. They could feel as though their muscles have been pulled or overworked. The muscles can twitch or burn sometimes. The most usual symptoms are stiffness and aching, though they might vary from person to person, the common symptoms include:

  • Muscle pain that feels like it is burning.
  • Tiredness.
  • Pain that becomes worse with movement.
  • A twitch in a muscle.
  • Disruptions to sleep.

What types of pain affect the musculoskeletal system?

Musculoskeletal pain comes in the following forms:

  1. Joint pain: Stiffness and inflammation go hand in hand with joint pain. For many people joint discomfort improves when in rest and grows worse with doing some activity.
  1. Bone pain: Bone fractures and other musculoskeletal injuries can result in bone pain. A tumour may sometimes cause bone pain.
  1. Tendon and ligament pain: Ligaments and tendons are powerful bands of connective tissue that hold your joints and bones together. Tendon or ligament discomfort can be caused by strains, sprains, and overuse accidents.
  1. Muscle pain: Injuries, muscle cramps, and spasms can all result in pain in the muscles. Muscle pain might also result from some illnesses or malignancies.

Can musculoskeletal pain be prevented?

The chances of experiencing musculoskeletal pain rise with age as muscles, bones, and joints progressively degenerate. Musculoskeletal pain, however, is not always present. It is possible to reduce the chance of getting these kinds of problems by taking care of the body as an adult.

Early life is the most important time to make good living choices. Bones, joints, and muscles can stay strong with regular stretching activities. Examples of how these beneficial behaviours can be used are: 

  • Performing daily tasks in a safe manner to prevent muscle pain.
  • Safely lifting objects that are heavy.
  • Minimizing repetitious movements.

Final thoughts

Musculoskeletal pain can be uncomfortable and sometimes, a sudden accident, like a shattered bone, can cause severe pain. Some people experience pain because of medical disorders like arthritis or fibromyalgia. The proper treatment can alleviate your symptoms, whether your musculoskeletal pain is acute or chronic.