Musculoskeletal diseases are those disorders which affect the overall support structures of the human body’s limbs, neck, and back. These structures include the muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and joints. When these support structures become damaged or otherwise misaligned, the resulting disorders can seriously affect your quality of life.
This disease can be caused by activities that involve a sudden exertion of force on the muscles, such as lifting something heavy, which causes the affected internal structures to weaken or otherwise strain to the point of pain. Musculoskeletal disorders can also be caused by repetitive motions over a long period of time, repetitive strain, or an ungainly posture. These causes generally develop over time, and result in a limited ability to perform activities you may have once found effortless.
Musculoskeletal disorders can develop in anyone, though women are more likely than men to experience some form of this disease, and its development will vary in how they manifest. It is common for individuals who either work at a desk or in an otherwise stationary position for long periods of time to develop disorders ranging from carpal tunnel syndrome to general muscle fatigue. When it comes to determining whether or not you are experiencing a musculoskeletal disease, there are several signs you can look for that may be contributing to a decreased quality of life.
1. Fractures
A fracture, or a broken bone, can result from high impact trauma on limbs, which usually result from incidents involving sports, car accidents, or a sudden fall. There are also pathologic causes that could result in a fracture, including osteoporosis or cancer. Experiencing a broken bone requires immediate medical care to quickly set the bone and facilitate healing.
This musculoskeletal disorder is common but can still cause a great deal of trouble for the affected individual. A broken bone can seriously affect movement, mobility, sleep, and your general quality of life. Most often, fractures can be repaired with a cast and time. If the break is severe enough, surgery may be required to repair the bone. Letting a broken bone sit without medical care can cause the bone to heal in an irregular pattern which can lead to further musculoskeletal issues in the future.
2. Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis refers to a degenerative condition where the cartilage in the body’s joints decreases which can lead to a loss of mobility and function in the joints. This disorder is a more severe form of musculoskeletal disease and is quickly becoming one of the most widespread causes of long-term pain and disability in the elderly.
This degenerative musculoskeletal disease can cause a high degree of pain in the affected individual, and most commonly affects the hips, knees, hands, feet, and spine. Diagnoses are usually made after complaints of persistent joint pain and subsequent C-Rays to determine the degree of cartilage deterioration.
3. Rheumatoid arthritis
This musculoskeletal disorder is a severe form of arthritis that involves general inflammation of the synovial joints, particularly in the peripheral joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can be a seriously debilitating disease that, within a decade of its appearance, can leave an individual unable to hold down a full-time job or otherwise get around in his or her day to day lives without severe pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis tends to develop along a genetic line, with the disease occurring within families fairly regularly. Smoking and obesity can also lead to future complications involving rheumatoid arthritis, and while the disease has no cure, there are certain therapies that can be sought to lessen discomfort and increase mobility.
4. Gout
When uric acid crystals accumulate in the joints, it leads to a condition known as gout. This disorder causes a great deal of joint inflammation, which causes spikes of pain that can be debilitating and create an overall sense of discomfort. These uric acid crystals form in individuals with a high level of uric acid in their blood and is most common in middle-aged to older men.
Gout is most often caused by the kidneys’ inability to properly eliminate uric acid in the body, which leads to an increase in uric acid production that then crystallizes and moves into the joints to cause moderate to severe musculoskeletal issues.
5. Lupus
Lupus is an inflammatory disease that can develop into myalgia, or muscle aches and pain, and/or myositis, or the inflammation of a specific set of muscles that causes them to weaken considerably. A lupus flare can increase the pain and discomfort of muscle and joint pain exponentially, making it next to impossible to operate normally.
Lupus arthritis is less likely to damage the joints than rheumatoid arthritis, but it is still an overall sense of decreased mobility, joint stiffness, and general pain. Lupus myositis is similar but targets a specific set of muscles instead of a general sense of pain, and can debilitate that set of muscles to the point where an individual may not be able to move or even stand up without serious difficulty.
6. Back pain
Perhaps one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders, lower back pain is associated with increased age, a lack of physical fitness, smoking, obesity, and an overall weakness of the lower back and abdominal muscles. This disorder can be caused by a number of external factors, as well, such as heavy lifting, repetitive bending, and other physical exertions.
Lower back pain can be either temporary, intermittent, or consistent, depending on the causative factors and severity of the disorder. This musculoskeletal disease can disturb your sleep patterns or otherwise decrease your ability to go about your day to day activities, resulting in a prolonged sense of pain and an overall decreased quality of life.
7. Fatigue
Fatigue is a broad symptom that can occur in numerous diseases and medical conditions. The symptoms and disorders listed above can all result in a general sense of fatigue, in large part because these musculoskeletal disorders often severely affect sleep. These disorders also create an overall sense of malaise that can leave you feeling exhausted as your body works overtime to fight off the pain.
Fatigue affects the body both physically and mentally and can seriously affect your ability to work as well as feel the motivation to work. Severe fatigue can even lead to depression, which will decrease your overall productivity both in professional and personal realms.
8. Lack of Sleep
The broad scope of musculoskeletal disorders that exist all have some impact on the quality of sleep that you can experience. This most often results in a lack of sleep, or a lack of good sleep, which leads to exhaustion and prevents the body from properly healing the musculoskeletal damage and pain that your body is experiencing.
Sleep is a necessary component of life. Your body requires this “recharge” session to recuperate and refresh, and helps facilitate increased circulation, tissue repair, and overall energy restoration. Without sleep, the body does not have the tools that it needs to operate efficiently. Without sleep, the body cannot fight back against the musculoskeletal disorders plaguing it.
