Musculoskeletal Pain

More than 126 million Americans, or about 50% of adults, experience musculoskeletal pain. There are many different types of musculoskeletal pain, but all can have a negative effect on your mobility and quality of life. At Coastal Spine & Sports Medicine, PLLC, in Wilmington, North Carolina, Francis Pecoraro, MD, DAPMR, SAAPMR, works with patients to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal pain. To schedule an appointment, call the office or request one online today. 

What is musculoskeletal pain?

Your musculoskeletal system consists of:

• Bones
• Muscles
• Tendons
• Ligaments
• Cartilage
• Nerves

Musculoskeletal pain stems from damage that occurs to one or more of these tissues or structures. Injuries of the musculoskeletal system are common, but most are minor problems like bruising and mild muscle strains that heal quickly with basic intervention.

If you have a severe musculoskeletal injury or persistent symptoms, it's essential to get the appropriate treatment to avoid long-term issues like joint instability, atrophy, and chronic pain.

What type of musculoskeletal injury might I have?

You could incur many types of musculoskeletal injuries, but some of the more common ones include:

Sports injuries

Playing sports and being physically active are excellent for your health but can increase your risk of having a musculoskeletal injury. Common sports injuries include anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprains, tennis and golfer's elbow, Achilles tendon injuries, groin and hamstring strains, and fractures.

You could also suffer an impact injury, which might cause a concussion if you hit your head. Overuse injuries are common as well, where constant use causes inflammation and the development of microtears in soft tissues or stress fractures in bones. Sports injuries are more likely to affect athletes, but they could happen to anyone.

Joint pain

Examples of common joint injuries include:

• Meniscal tears (knees)
• Rotator cuff tears (shoulders)
• Labral tears (hips and shoulders)
• Cubital tunnel syndrome (elbows)
• Plantar fasciitis (feet)
• Sprained ankles
• De Quervain's tenosynovitis (thumbs)

Injuries like these can increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis, one of the leading causes of chronic joint pain.

Back and neck pain

One of the most common causes of back and neck pain is the deterioration of your spinal structures due to age and wear-and-tear. You might also develop a musculoskeletal injury like a sprain, strain, fracture, or whiplash.

These injuries often occur as a result of overexertion, poor lifting and handling techniques, falls, and auto accidents. 

What are the treatments for musculoskeletal pain?

If you have usculoskeletal pain, Coastal Spine & Sports Medicine, PLLC offers comprehensive orthopedic, functional, and regenerative medicine treatments, including:

• Osteopathic manipulation
• Regenerative IV therapy medicine
• Prolotherapy and ozone joint therapy
• Neural therapy and nerve hydrodissection
• Medical acupuncture and electro-acupuncture 
• Trigger point therapy and dry needling
• Bioelectric medicine 
• Corrective Exercise
• Peptides and exosomes
• Cupping and gua sha therapy
• Neurokinetic therapy
• Kinesiology taping
• Infrared heat therapy
• PEMF

Coastal Spine & Sports Medicine, PLLC doesn't just treat your musculoskeletal injury. Dr. Pecoraro can support your recovery, promote healing, and optimize your physical fitness by analyzing your movement patterns so you don’t reinjure yourself with poor compensation. He may prescribe a plan including orthopedic and corrective exercises, diet, and/or nutritional supplements to promote faster recovery and healing.

To take advantage of the expert treatment available at Coastal Spine & Sports Medicine, call the office or request an appointment online today.