Musculoskeletal Disorders: What is it? What is its impact on the human body?

Did you know that musculoskeletal disorders are the leading contributor to disability worldwide? According to the World Health Organization (2019), approximately 20% to 30% of individuals across the globe live with a debilitating musculoskeletal condition.

Musculoskeletal disorders are injuries of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage and spinal discs affecting the movement of the human body. Musculoskeletal disorders are also known as repetitive motion injury, repetitive stress injury or overuse injury. Musculoskeletal conditions can be acute (short course) that occur suddenly such as fractures, sprains and strains or they can be chronic (over 6 months) causing ongoing pain and disability. They are characterised by pain which is usually persistent leading to limited mobility reducing an individual’s ability to work and to participate in activities. Musculoskeletal disorders also have an impact on mental wellbeing commonly causing depression and leading to the increased risk of developing other chronic health conditions. The most common musculoskeletal conditions are osteoarthritis, back pain, neck pain, fractures associated with bone fragility, injuries and systemic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Particularly low back pain has been identified to be the single leading cause of disability.

Musculoskeletal disorders are not only prevalent in ageing populations, but they are also common in the life-course from adolescence to older age. The risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders include the lack of physical activity, obesity, smoking and a poor diet with inadequate nutrition.

The management of musculoskeletal conditions may require care from your general practitioner who may refer you to see a specialist or another health care practitioner such as a chiropractor, physiotherapist or osteopath. In other cases, simple lifestyle changes may help such as exercise which is a key component to the management of musculoskeletal conditions, weight management, psychological therapies and pharmacological therapies. However, before doing anything it is important to consult with your general practitioner about your condition.

Dr Hanife Mehmet

(BBiomedSc, BHlthSc/AppSc [Chinese Medicine], PhD)