Musculoskeletal (MSK)

MSK describes the body system that includes the muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, joints, and cartilage. MSK pain refers to pain in any of the aforementioned structures and sometimes includes numbness and/or tingling, if nerves near these structures are being affected.

DHR Health has several MSK experts with the ability to diagnose and treat a variety of MSK conditions. Our interdisciplinary MSK team includes neurology, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, orthopedic spine, rheumatology, and urgent care.

Physicians |

MSK Report - January 2024 |

MSK Report - May 2024

Services

Back & Neck Pain

Common MSK causes of back and neck pain include tight or tense muscles, muscle weakness/deconditioning, arthritis/degenerative changes, herniated discs, and joints that get “stuck” or are not moving freely through their full range-of-motion. Sometimes MSK injuries can cause numbness, tingling, and/or pain to travel into the arms or legs if the nerves that go to these areas are being affected.

Elbow Pain

Common MSK causes of elbow pain include lateral epicondylitis (“tennis elbow”), medial epicondylitis (“golfer‘s elbow”), nerve entrapment at the “funny bone”, and arthritis/degenerative changes.

Foot & Ankle Pain

Common MSK causes of foot and ankle pain include plantar fasciitis (pain on the undersurface of the foot – especially near the heel – due to inflammation of a thick band of tissue called plantar fascia), sprain of ankle ligament(s), arthritis/degenerative changes in the joints of the foot and/or ankle, and tightness and/or weakness of the muscles surrounding the foot and ankle joints.

Hand & Wrist Pain

Common MSK causes of hand and wrist pain include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis/DeQuervain‘s tenosynovitis, wrist sprain, and arthritis/degenerative changes.

Hip Pain

Common MSK causes of hip pain include tight and/or weak muscles of the hip and buttocks, hip/buttock muscle strain or tear, iliotibial band syndrome, arthritis/degenerative changes in the hip joint, pelvic/sacral dysfunctions (e.g. “stuck” joints), hip impingement, hip labral tear, and referred pain from the lumbar spine.

Knee Pain

Common MSK causes of knee pain include arthritis/degenerative changes in the knee joint, tightness and/or weakness of the muscles surrounding the knee joint, iliotibial band syndrome, meniscal tear, sprain/tear of the major ligaments inside and outside of the knee joint, and patellofemoral syndrome (where the patella – knee cap – is going “off track” when the knee is bending/straightening).

Shoulder Pain

Common MSK causes of shoulder pain include impingement and/or tear(s) in one or more of the muscles of the rotator cuff, muscle weakness/deconditioning of the muscles of the shoulder and shoulder blade, arthritis/degenerative changes, adhesive capsulitis (“frozen shoulder”), and poor posture.