Musculoskeletal injury refers to damage of muscular or skeletal systems, which is usually due to a strenuous activity and includes damage to skeletal muscles, bones, tendons, joints, ligaments, and other affected soft tissues. In one study, roughly 25% of approximately 6300 adults received a musculoskeletal injury of some sort within 12 months—of which 83% were activity-related. Musculoskeletal injury spans into a large variety of medical specialties including orthopedic surgery (with diseases such as arthritis requiring surgery), sports medicine, emergency medicine (acute presentations of joint and muscular pain) and rheumatology (in rheumatological diseases that affect joints such as rheumatoid arthritis). Musculoskeletal injuries can affect any part of the human body including; bones, joints, cartilages, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and other soft tissues. Symptoms include mild to severe aches, low back pain, numbness, tingling, atrophy and weakness. These injuries are a result of repetitive motions and actions over a period of time. Tendons connect muscle to bone whereas ligaments connect bone to bone. Tendons and ligaments play an active role in maintaining joint stability and controls the limits of joint movements, once injured tendons and ligaments detrimentally impact motor functions. Continuous exercise or movement of a musculoskeletal injury can result in chronic inflammation with progression to permanent damage or disability. In many cases, during the healing period after a musculoskeletal injury, a period in which the healing area will be completely immobile, a cast-induced muscle atrophy can occur. Routine sessions of physiotherapy after the cast is removed can help return strength in limp muscles or tendons. Alternately, there exist different methods of electrical stimulation of the immobile muscles which can be induced by a device placed underneath a cast, helping prevent atrophies Preventative measures include correcting or modifying one's postures and avoiding awkward and abrupt movements. It is beneficial to rest post injury to prevent aggravation of the injury. There are three stages of progressing from a musculoskeletal injury; Cause, Disability and Decision. The first stage arises from the injury itself whether it be overexertion, fatigue or muscle degradation. The second stage involves how the individual's ability is detrimentally affected as disability affects both physical and cognitive functions of an individual. The final stage, decision, is the individual's decision to return to work post recovery as Musculoskeletal injuries compromise movement and physical ability which ultimately degrades one's professional career.
Repetitive use injuries
Injury can be described as a ‘mechanical disruption of tissues resulting in pain.' Despite the fact tissues can self-repair, muscle degradation occurs after repeated and prolonged use. Overuse and strain injuries can occur at work, physical activity and daily life. Repetitive motions strain our musculoskeletal systems, if continued in an improper form can result in chronic inflammation with progression to permanent damage. These injuries can compromise an individual's posture or other physical abilities, including fine motor movements. Nerves play an important role in repetitive strain injuries as it is nerves that get pulled in injured soft tissues ultimately affecting motor functions. Pressure on the nerve will impair blood flow which can impair either distal or proximal points to the first injury and cause pain. Tendons connect muscle to bone whereas ligaments connect bone to bone. Tendons and ligaments play an active role in maintain joint stability and controls the limits of joint movements, once injured tendons and ligaments detrimentally impact motor functions. Injuries associated with repetitive-use activities include: tennis elbow, tendonitis, wrist injuries, myelopathy, low back injuries and lower leg and ankle injuries. Repetitive use injuries are a result of rapid and continuous movements, long duration postures without adequate support. Excessive muscle use results in fatigue which limits movement of limbs.
Forms of musculoskeletal injuries An acute injury can be traced back to a specific incident, causing immediate pain and often swelling. On the other hand, a Chronic injury does not have a distinct origin, it develops slowly, is persistent and long lasting, and it is accompanied by dull pain, aches or soreness.
Neck and shoulder injury
The shoulder is a joint which allows your arm to move Poor posture can lead to nerve damage. Repetitive shoulder movements, overhead, swinging, throwing or circling movement can cause musculoskeletal injury. Some cases can result in spinal cord damage at the C3-C5 levels, producing a myelopathy which can dramatically compromise overall movements in arm and legs as well as other fine motor functions. Injury to the rotator cuff is a result of trauma and old age, complete and partial tears are more frequent in older patients caused by degeneration of the tendons.
Wrist and hand injury
Wrist mobility is often restricted due to inflammation of the forearm muscles as they contract and tighten due to injury. Most wrist dislocations occur between the capitate and the lunate. Carpal fractures are caused by falling on an outstretched hand the wrist is hyper-extended in ulnar deviation with a component of rotation. Swelling of the Median nerve tissue leads to nerve entrapment ultimately resulting in restriction of movement, other symptoms include; pain, numbness and weakness. DeQuervain's Tenosynovitis is a form of tendinitis of the muscles that move the thumb.
Leg and foot injury
Most leg pain is transferred pain from our backs or hips. Foot injuries including plantar fasciitis is another source of pain which is associated with-standing for long periods. There are three major tendons that maintain stability at the ankle joint; anterior extensors, medial flexors and lateral peroneal, these tendons facilitate movement around the ankle, foot and toes. Malleolar fractures are related to ankle twisting or shearing injury, these fractures are often associated with ligament injury. An ankle sprain can lead to a spectrum of soft tissue impingement reducing motion in the ankle.
Spinal and neck injury
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![Musculoskeletal injury: This demonstrates (A) a well-aligned person whose balance is maintained and whose line of gravity falls within the base of support. Diagram (B) demonstrates how balance is not maintained when the line of gravity falls outside the base of support, and diagram (C) shows how balance is regained when the line of gravity falls within the base of support.[19]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Centre_of_Gravity.png/500px-Centre_of_Gravity.png?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=parser&utm_content=thumbnail)
