Musculoskeletal Pain
Musculoskeletal pain arises from muscles, bones, joints, tendons or ligaments. A recent strain may settle with graded movement, while persistent, inflammatory or unexplained pain needs assessment for a different cause.
Key takeaways
- Location, onset, injury, swelling and neurological symptoms help distinguish common strain from more serious disease.
- Staying gently active is often preferable to prolonged bed rest for uncomplicated back or muscle pain.
- NSAIDs and muscle relaxants have important kidney, stomach, cardiovascular and sedation risks.
A pain-medicine listing cannot establish the cause or safe option; injury mechanism, examination, other conditions and current medicines guide care.
What does assessment look for?
Clinicians consider overuse, trauma, inflammation, infection and referred or nerve pain. Examination looks at function, tenderness, joint swelling, strength and sensation. Imaging is useful for selected findings rather than every episode.
What can treatment include?
Naproxen may reduce inflammatory pain in selected patients; metaxalone has a limited role when acute spasm is prominent. Rehabilitation and gradual return to activity often matter more than prolonged medicine use. See pain management for class context.
When to seek urgent care
Seek emergency care after major trauma or for pain with new weakness, numbness around the groin, bladder or bowel loss, a hot swollen joint with fever, chest symptoms, a cold pale limb or rapidly spreading redness.