What is Musculoskeletal Pain?

• Musculoskeletal pain can be caused by disorders of bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments.
• It can be back pain, knee pain, neck pain and hip pain
• It can be caused by
  • the wear and tear of daily activities
  • trauma to an area -car accidents, falls, fractures etc
  • some diseases or treatment (osteoporosis, diabetes, breast cancer treatment)
  • postural strain, repetitive movements, overuse and prolonged immobilization
  • changes in posture or poor body mechanics may lead to spinal alignment problems and muscle shortening, with the result that other muscles are misused and become painful
• Highly prevalence, huge impact on QoL
• According to a study targets at people aged 65+, 4,000 subjects in Hong Kong
  • Overall, back pain was most prevalent (48%), followed by knee (31%), neck (22.5%) and hip (8.9%) pain
• Give rise to considerable functional and psychological impairments
• Results in poor quality of life (poor sleep quality, disability etc) and even psychological problems. However,
• Many people tend to take pain lightly - people tolerate it, or prefer self diagnosis, using OTC products, painkillers or massage instead of seeking medical help.
• Many people who suffered from pain, considered themselves expert and thus, recommend friends how to treat pain - unfortunately with a poor diagnosis and recommendation on treatment, things may worse off.
• The above may lead to worsening off of the pain (and may develop neuropathic pain and subsequently, psychological problems) which may be irreversible.
• There rests a need to heighten alertness of Musculoskeletal Pain, the adverse consequences of pain and the need of early diagnosis by medical professionals, and provision of advanced treatment for the wellbeing of patients.