Musculoskeletal Pain & Muscle Tear Treatment
Musculoskeletal pain and discomfort are prevalent in any rural or urban society, Singapore included. The sources of such pain may be obvious, such as the result of precipitating incidents. However, the cause of the pain can also be either insidious and arise from the overuse of injured muscles, or seemingly innocuous and stem from sedentary lifestyles.
Precipitating incidents include accidents, falls or forms of exercise. These events are typically traumatic and may force the body into positions it is usually not used to. Furthermore, these events may stress your muscles and tendons, causing strains and tears that appear as pain. For instance, a car accident can lead to pain in the knee or ribs, where you feel tenderness in these affected areas and perhaps breathlessness if there is a case of an intercostal muscle strain.
Apart from the above-mentioned incidents, long term musculoskeletal pain may present itself gradually. For instance, an office worker can start feeling a strain in their wrists after two to three months of constant typing, or perhaps even lower back and neck pain after many months and years of prolonged sitting in front of the computer screen.
This type of pain usually arises because of muscular imbalance or weaker postural muscles forced to work overtime. However, lower back pain may also be caused by prolapsed discs; a constant poor sitting posture can build unnecessary pressure at susceptible discs and cause them to tear.
Additionally, people who lead inactive lifestyles tend to suffer from musculoskeletal aches and pains. These may arise from the constant joint stress – primarily from getting injured while the body is in a state of deconditioning (a process whereby the body experiences a physical or psychological decline in function) or from weight gain.
What can you do to treat musculoskeletal pain?
This category of pain is commonplace, and many see the treatment as simple as purchasing off-the-counter medication, ointments and getting adequate rest. However, persistent aches, if untreated, may result in chronic pain. While a patient suffering chronic musculoskeletal pain may have recovered from the inciting injury, the pain can still persist in the area. This is due to the pain signals getting fired up and amplified.
From the time the ailment starts up till seeking medical treatment, other external sources may also exacerbate the site of pain, resulting in more than one irritant source. Hence, treatment starts with careful and professional assessment, in order to delineate the various possible sources of pain.
While medication has been proven helpful, the main intent is to reduce the pain sensation so that the patient may commence physiotherapy and return to normality. Typically, opioids are avoided in the prescription.
Lastly, specific pain interventions may be helpful to complement medication and physiotherapy. It’s best to discuss the benefits and side effects with your pain physician to aid decision-making in your treatment.
Here at The Anaesthesia And Pain Practice, we take pride in offering highly safe and comfortable treatments in Singapore that are tailored to your medical condition. Entrust us with your rehabilitation journey; our team of skilful and certified anaesthesiologists strive for expeditious yet pleasant recoveries for all our patients.
Get in touch.
Simply head over to this online inquiry form and describe the pain experienced in your back, knee, ribs or other areas of your body – let us assist you with a comprehensive treatment today.