How to Reduce Musculoskeletal Pain with Telehealth

Musculoskeletal pain, or MSK, affects muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments of people of all ages and demographics. It’s estimated that 1 in 5 people live with MSK pain. But what classifies as MSK pain? And what can a person do to reduce it and improve their quality of life? One option is treatment via telehealth with a licensed physical therapist. First, let’s explore what causes musculoskeletal pain, what classifies pain as a musculoskeletal problem, and finally, how to successfully treat it.

What Causes Musculoskeletal Pain?

A person can experience musculoskeletal pain for a variety of reasons. Trauma is a common cause; car accidents, a jerking movement, a sports-related injury, fall, or dislocation can all cause MSK pain. Other causes are from sustained, repetitive motions, postural strain, overuse, incorrect body mechanics from industrial or manufacturing work, or even prolonged periods of immobilization.

What Classifies as Musculoskeletal Pain?

As I stated above, musculoskeletal pain includes aliments that affect a person’s muscles, tendons, bones, and/or ligaments. Lower back pain is the most common type of MSK pain, but classifications include:

• Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions that cause pain in joins and connective tissue, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and gout.
• Pain in the spin, such as neck or back pain.
• Fibromyalgia, which causes pain in tendons, joints, and muscles throughout the body.
• Bone pain from an injury like an infection or fracture.
• Nerve compression pain, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the different types of MSK pain, but chances are high these examples will remind you of someone you know who suffers from these common sources of pain.

It’s important to remember these disorders affect people of all age groups and significantly contribute to a decreased quality of life. They can affect a person’s ability to work, sleep, and move. So how does a person reduce musculoskeletal pain? What options are available to them?

How Telehealth can Help Treat Musculoskeletal Pain

There are many treatments for MSK pain, but often the best option is seeing a physical therapist. A physical therapist will be able to treat the cause of the pain instead of masking the symptoms with medications or expensive surgeries. They’ll be able to suggest exercises and techniques that will help to reduce everyday pain.

What may come as a surprise is that people affected by MSK pain can see a physical therapist virtually without ever having to leave their home. This telehealth option works similarly to what you would experience in a clinic. And with Agile Virtual PT, you can meet with a licensed physical therapist to address your pain and develop a plan to specifically target the problem. All sessions take place within your home through the help of technology. By using a computer or mobile device, you can connect with the same physical therapist for every session to treat your MSK pain and discuss questions and concerns in real time. Schedule an appointment with Agile Virtual PT today and see how telehealth can help!