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- General:
- Individuals who are more susceptible to musculoskeletal problems tend to maintain fixed positions (such as sitting in a chair or standing), perform repetitive movements of the limbs (such as athletes or factory workers), overload particular muscle groups, apply pressure on body parts, and use forceful movements (such as in sports).
- Musculoskeletal problems and pain can be caused by damage or injury to bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bursae, or nerves. If no injury has occurred or if pain persists for more than a few days, then another cause is often responsible.
- Bone pain is usually deep, penetrating, dull, or sharp. It commonly results from injury. Other less common causes of bone pain include bone infection (osteomyelitis), vitamin A toxicity, and tumors.
- Muscle pain is often less intense than that of bone pain but can be very unpleasant. For example, a muscle spasm or cramp (a sustained painful muscle contraction) in the calf is an intense pain that is commonly called a charley horse. Pain can occur when a muscle is affected by an injury, an autoimmune reaction (for example, polymyositis or dermatomyositis), loss of blood flow to the muscle, dehydration and resulting electrolyte imbalances, infection, or invasion by a tumor.
- Tendon and ligament pain is also often less intense than bone pain. This type of pain is often worse when the affected tendon or ligament is stretched or moved. Common causes of tendon pain include tendonitis, tenosynovitis, lateral and medial epicondylitis, and tendon injuries. Common causes of ligament pain include injuries (sprains).
- Arthritis:
- The exact causes of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis remain unknown. Most researchers believe that several factors, including obesity, age, joint injury or stress, genetics, and muscle weakness, may contribute to the development of osteoarthritis. Some researchers believe that cartilage damage may occur when too many enzymes that allow for the natural breakdown and regeneration of cartilage are released.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is considered an autoimmune disorder because the immune system does not function properly and attacks the body's own cells. Some researchers believe that this autoimmune process is triggered by an infection with a virus or bacterium. Heredity may also play a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Periarthritis typically occurs after a joint becomes injured, which causes scarring, thickening, and shrinkage of the joint. It may also occur after exposure to cold temperatures. Periarthritis typically affects the shoulder. Individuals who have other types of long-term arthritis that affect the shoulders have an increased risk of developing periarthritis of the shoulder.
- Fibromyalgia:
- Gender: Although fibromyalgia may develop in men or women, statistics indicate that women are seven times more likely to develop the condition than men. Nine out of 10 fibromyalgia patients are women, and an estimated 3.4% of American women have the condition. Women's symptoms also tend to be more severe than men's. Women may be more prone to develop fibromyalgia during menopause.
- Age: Individuals between the ages of 20 and 60 are at the highest risk of developing fibromyalgia, although it may occur at any age.
- Genetic factors: There is some indication that genetic factors may be involved in the development of fibromyalgia. Studies have shown that individuals with family members who have fibromyalgia are at a higher risk of developing it themselves.
- Specific lifestyle factors: People who have recently experienced a traumatic physical or emotional event (such as a divorce, car accident, or death of a family member) may be at a higher risk of developing fibromyalgia.
- Psychiatric illness: While the majority of individuals with fibromyalgia report a history of psychiatric symptoms, such as depression or anxiety, many patients do not. There is no clear evidence that psychiatric illness causes fibromyalgia.
- Aggravating factors:
Changes in weather, cold or drafty environments, infections, allergies, hormonal fluctuations (premenstrual and menopausal states), stress, depression, and anxiety may all contribute to fibromyalgia.
- Muscular dystrophy:
- Muscular dystrophy refers to a number of diseases that are caused by genetic mutations that involve progressive weakness, degeneration, and wasting of muscles. The Duchenne and Becker types of muscular dystrophy (DBMD) have similar signs and symptoms, are caused by the same genetic mutation (dystrophin mutation), and occur more frequently in males than in females.
- The particular gene that causes DBMD is found on the X chromosome, and so it is called "X-linked." Females carry two X chromosomes. Males carry one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. Because males have only one X chromosome, a male carrying a copy with a DBMD mutation will have the condition. However, because females have two copies of the X chromosome, a female can have one copy with a DBMD mutation and one functional copy. Because the functional copy is usually enough to compensate, a female with a DBMD mutation usually has few or no symptoms. However, because she can pass the mutation on to her children, she is called a "carrier."
- Each son born to a woman with the dystrophin mutation on one of her two X chromosomes has a 50% chance of inheriting the mutated gene and having DBMD. Each of her daughters has a 50% chance of inheriting the mutation and being a carrier. While most cases of DBMD occur by inheritance from the mother, in approximately one-third of boys with DBMD, there is a new mutation that forms in the egg, and so the mother is actually not the carrier of the mutation.
- Temporomandibular joint disorder:
- The cause of most TMJ disorders remains unknown. Some types of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders appear to be caused by injury to the joint from a severe blow to the jaw or arthritis. Many behaviors, including frequently clenching the jaw or grinding the teeth (which may occur during sleep), poor posture that puts strain on the muscles and bones near the jaw, or other habits that overwork the jaw muscles (e.g. constantly chewing gum), may contribute to the development of TMJ disorders. However, further research is needed to definitively determine if these behaviors cause TMJ disorders.
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