It is estimated that 30% of the Australian population suffer from some form of pain related to musculoskeletal conditions.
The most common causes of musculoskeletal pain are:
Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints. Itcauses pain, stiffness and disability and is very common. It affects both adults and children, and can cause chronic pain.
A joint is situated where two bones meet. Joints allow movement and flexibility of various parts of the body.
The movement of the bones is caused by muscles which pull on tendons that are attached to bone. Cartilage covers the end of bones. Between the cartilage of two bones that form a joint there is a small amount of thick fluid called synovial fluid. This lubricates the joint, which allows smooth movement between the bones.
The synovium is the tissue that surrounds a joint. Synovial fluid is made by cells of the synovium. The outer part of the synovium is called the capsule. This is tough membrane that gives the joint stability and stops the bones from moving out of joint. Surrounding ligaments and muscles also help to give support and stability to joints.
Arthritis may affect just one joint (knee, hip, spine, shoulder, elbow, hands or feet), a few joints, or many joints.
The two most common types of arthritis are:
However, there are many different causes of arthritis including:
The symptoms of arthritis vary depending on the nature and severity of the underlying cause. Symptoms can include:
X-rays can reveal if osteoarthritis from degenerative changes is causing your knee hip or joint pain. The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is made from your:
There is no blood test to diagnose Osteoarthritis.
Conservative treatment options refer to management of the problem without surgery.
Some conservative treatment measures for knee osteoarthritis include:
Osteoporosis is a condition that affects bone strength (the word osteoporosis literally means "porous bones").
Bone is made of tough, elastic fibres (collagen fibres) and gritty, hard material (minerals). It is a living tissue and contains cells that make, mould and take back up (resorb) bone.
Initially, as you grow, bone forms faster than it is resorbed. But, as you get older, this reverses. As a result, from about the age of 35, you start to lose a certain amount of bone material overall.
Your bones become less dense and less strong. The amount of bone loss can vary. If you have a lot of bone density loss, then you have 'thinning' of the bones (osteoporosis).
If you have osteoporosis, your bones can break more easily than normal, especially if you have an accident such as a fall. If you have a milder degree of bone loss, this is known as osteopenia.
The exact cause of osteoporosis is not clear. The major risk factors associated with an increase in the incidence of osteoporosis include:
At present, there is no national screening programme in Australia for osteoporosis. However, if you have a risk factor, our practice may ask questions to see how many other risk factors for osteoporosis (listed above) apply to you.
If you are found to be at increased risk, or your risk is uncertain, you may be referred for a DEXA scan. DEXA stands for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. It is a scan that uses special X-ray machines to check your bone density.
A DEXA scan can confirm osteoporosis.
Treatment of osteoporosis aims to strengthen the existing bones, while stopping the disease progression.
Speak to our doctors about your osteoporosis.