Musculoskeletal Disorders Q & A

What are musculoskeletal disorders?

 

Musculoskeletal disorders include any injury or disease affecting your bones, muscles, and joints and their supporting structures, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. 

Since the musculoskeletal system is responsible for structural support and movement, any problem you develop can significantly affect your ability to function.

The top causes of musculoskeletal disorders include:

• Degenerative disease

• Falls

• Sports injuries

• Overuse injuries

• Playground accidents

• Car accidents

You can also injure your musculoskeletal system due to prolonged inactivity, poor technique during athletic activities, and poor posture.

 

What type of musculoskeletal disorder might I develop?

 

Sprains, strains, and fractures top the list of musculoskeletal injuries. A few of the most common include:

• Sprained ankles

• Knee injuries

• Rotator cuff injuries

• Tendon and ligament tears

• Herniated discs

• Neuropathy

You can also develop many musculoskeletal diseases, with the most common being:

• Osteoarthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Osteoporosis

• Fibromyalgia

• Tendonitis

Musculoskeletal disorders often involve the nearby blood vessels and nerves, causing additional symptoms and complications.

 

What symptoms do musculoskeletal disorders cause?

 

Musculoskeletal disorders cause symptoms such as:

• Pain

• Swelling

• Bruising

• Muscle weakness

• Joint instability

• Tingling, burning, or numbness

• Limited movement

In most musculoskeletal conditions, your symptoms are localized, affecting only the injured or diseased area. But there are some exceptions. For example, fibromyalgia causes muscle and joint pain throughout your body.

If you have a damaged nerve, you can feel pain, tingling, and numbness along the nerve. This usually happens when a pinched spinal nerve sends pain down your arms or legs.

How are musculoskeletal conditions treated?

 

The team at Rapha Health and Wellness begins with a thorough physical exam and orders diagnostic tests like ultrasound, CT scans, and X-rays when needed to evaluate your bones and soft tissues.

After determining the cause of your symptoms, they create an individualized treatment plan that may include any of the following:

• Rest or immobilization

• Changing your activities

• Physical therapy

• Pain management

• Anti-inflammatory medications

• Muscle relaxants

• Knee injections

• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) joint injections

To make PRP treatments, your provider draws a sample of your blood and processes it in a centrifuge. The centrifuge separates the platelets and plasma from other blood cells.

Your provider injects the platelets and plasma (PRP) into your joint. The platelets release proteins that naturally accelerate healing, reduce inflammation, and promote new cell growth.

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