MM Chapter 22: Musculoskeletal Injury

Compensation patterns refer to new behaviors that offset a weakness. When the body is injured, it adopts new movement patterns to protect the weakened areas and manage the resulting loss of function. For example, if you sprain an ankle, you limp. If you break one hand, you use the other. If you suffer a shoulder […]

This section considers musculoskeletal injuries in categories based on the primary structure involved in the injury, such as muscles, tendons, nerves, and joints. While this helps us to grasp injury basics, we must not forget that injuries affect the entire body, regardless of where they are located (review Chapter 20 for a detailed discussion of

Overuse injuries (often called repetitive stress injuries, cumulative stress injuries, occupational overuse syndrome, and other similar names) occur when you repeatedly do the same task or movement without sufficient recovery time. They are generally caused by repetitive movements and repetitive movements performed from awkward and unsupported postures. Overuse breaks down structures like muscles and tendons,

Overexertion injuries usually occur suddenly when you push your body too hard or try to lift, lower, push, pull, or carry something too heavy. Overexertion injuries often occur because of an abrupt increase in activity. For example, a weekend athlete might not run regularly for two weeks and then strain a hamstring muscle because of

An acute traumatic injury is an injury or a wound to the physical body caused by the application of extreme external force or violence. This type of force or violence might occur in many different situations, such as a mugging, a blow sustained during a sporting event (e.g., crossbody block in football), or blows, compression,

Emil and Estrid Vodder, Danish physical therapists, developed MLD in the 1930s. MLD stimulates lymph flow and fluid movement using light, and rhythmic strokes applied in a specific order and manner. It is used for conditions in which fluid collects in the tissue, including inflammatory conditions, lymphedema, and circulatory disturbances. MLD is an advanced bodywork

In many cases, the injury site does not progress normally through the maturation stage and the conclusion of the healing process. Instead, the tissue enters a recurrent inflammatory process that leads to excessive scar tissue formation, prolonged pain, and additional loss of function. Chronic inflammation has many different causes depending on the type of tissue

As tissue enters the final stage of healing, all evidence of edema is gone, but the area has not regained full range of motion or mechanical strength. This maturation stage can last from several weeks to several months to a year or longer, depending on the severity and location of the injury, the health and

As the acute stage of the inflammatory response concludes, muscle guarding subsides; heat, redness, swelling, and pain diminish; and the area regains some limited function as it enters the repair stage of the healing process. Depending on the severity of the injury and on the types of tissues to be repaired, this stage of healing

The acute stage of the inflammatory response begins seconds after tissue damage has occurred and lasts from several hours to several days, depending on the severity of the injury. The events of the acute stage of the inflammatory response are initiated and managed by over 180 different chemicals released from cells or activated plasma proteins.12