bone, joint, and muscle disorders
Musculoskeletal Pain
Causes of Musculoskeletal Pain
Musculoskeletal pain can be caused by disorders of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bursae, or a combination (see Introduction to the Biology of the Musculoskeletal System ). Injuries are the most common cause of pain. is usually deep, penetrating, or dull. It commonly results from injury. Other less common causes of bone pain include bone infection ( Osteomyelitis ), hormone disorders, and (known as myalgia) is often less intense than bone pain but can be very unpleasant. For example, a muscle spasm or cramp (a sustained painful muscle contraction) in the calf is an intense pain that is commonly called a charley horse. Pain can occur when a muscle is affected by an injury, loss of blood flow to the muscle, infection, or a tumor. Polymyalgia Rheumatica is a disorder that causes severe pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, upper and lower back, and hips. is often less intense than bone pain. It is often described as "sharp" and is worse when the affected tendon or ligament is stretched or moved and is usually relieved by rest. Common causes of tendon pain include Tendinitis and Tenosynovitis , Bursae paincan be caused by trauma, overuse, gout, or infection. Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs that provide a protective cushion around joints. Usually, pain is worse with movement involving the bursa and is relieved by rest. The affected bursa may swell. Joint pain(called arthralgia) may or may not be related to joint inflammation (called arthritis). Arthritis may cause swelling as well as pain. A wide variety of disorders can cause arthritis, including Inflammatory arthritis (such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) ) Osteoarthritis (OA) None Infectious Arthritis None Gout and related disorders Autoimmune disorders (such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) ) Vasculitic disorders (such as Immunoglobulin A–Associated Vasculitis ) Osteonecrosis None Injuries affecting the part of a bone inside a joint Arthritic pain can be new (acute, for example, when caused by infections, injuries, or gout), or longstanding (chronic, for example, when caused by rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis). Pain resulting from arthritis is typically worse when the joint is moved but usually is present even when the joint is not being moved. Sometimes pain originating in structures near the joint, such as ligaments, tendons, and bursae, seems to be coming from the joint. Fibromyalgia may cause pain in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments. The pain is usually felt or causes tenderness in multiple locations and may be difficult to describe precisely but is usually not coming from the joints. Affected people usually have other symptoms, such as fatigue and poor sleep. Some musculoskeletal disorders cause pain by compressing nerves. These conditions include the tunnel syndromes (for example, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome , Sometimes, pain that seems to be musculoskeletal is actually caused by a disorder in another organ system. For instance, shoulder pain may be caused by a disorder affecting the lungs, spleen, or gallbladder. Back pain may be caused by a Stones in the Urinary Tract , 