From Injury to Relief: Your Guide to Soothing Musculoskeletal Pain

Even for the most conscientious among us, some musculoskeletal pain is inevitable. From straightforward sprains and strains to chronic pain, this form of physical discomfort can challenge your ability to complete daily tasks—especially those that test your mobility or endurance.

Musculoskeletal pain doesn’t have to stop your routine in its tracks. Here, we’ll discuss the journey from injury to lasting relief, helping you get back on your feet and back to what matters.

Sudden Musculoskeletal Injury: Sprains, Strains, and Bruises

Sudden (or acute) musculoskeletal injuries like sprains, strains, and bruises can happen in the blink of an eye. A simple trip, bump, or fall can be enough to damage soft tissue, leaving you with lingering pain, soreness, and even difficulty walking.

But what is musculoskeletal pain, exactly? It’s defined as pain stemming from the joints, bones, muscles, ligaments, or tendons. The most common acute causes of muscle and joint pain include:

• Sprains occur when a ligament, a band of fibrous connective tissue, stretches or tears.
• Strains develop when a muscle or tendon stretches or tears. Tendons are another type of connective tissue that join muscle to bone.
• Bruises (also called contusions) result from bleeding under the skin’s surface, causing discoloration and, often, tenderness.
• Tendinitis refers to inflammation of a tendon, causing pain, tenderness, and difficulty moving the affected area. While it’s commonly caused by overuse, tendinitis can also result from a sudden injury, like a fall or impact during sports.¹
• Bursitis occurs when a bursa, one of the fluid-filled sacs that help protect a joint, becomes inflamed. Similar to tendinitis, it’s often triggered by overuse, but can stem from a fall or sudden impact.

First Aid for Acute Pain: The R.I.C.E. Method

Dating all the way back to 1978 when it was invented by renowned sports physician Dr. Gabe Mirkin, the R.I.C.E. method is a widely known method for managing acute injuries.² R.I.C.E. is an acronym that stands for:

• Rest: This method advises resting the affected area while it heals.
• Ice: Icing the injury as soon as possible after it occurs can help bring down swelling and calm pain.
• Compression: Constricting the area by wrapping it with an elastic bandage helps with support, immobilization, and swelling.³
• Elevation: Elevating the injured area above heart level helps reduce swelling by encouraging blood to flow away from the injury.

R.I.C.E. is best used as soon as possible after an acute injury, when swelling is at its peak.⁴ After around three days (for mild injuries), you can start to reintroduce basic movements to your routine.

Immediate Relief: How Topical Gels and Sprays Can Help

Topical gels and sprays can help manage minor muscle and joint pain while your body recovers, making it easier to get through your daily tasks. Unlike oral medications, which affect the entire body, topical pain relief products directly target the painful area to calm discomfort. Many topical treatments are also available over the counter, making them an accessible way to ease pain.

Some creams, gels, and topical sprays for pain contain menthol as the active ingredient. Menthol activates cold receptors in the treatment area, which sends signals to the brain that help override pain signals, resulting in a cooling sensation and pain relief.

Managing Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Overuse

Unlike an acute musculoskeletal injury, which happens suddenly, chronic pain develops over time when a muscle or joint is repeatedly strained.

Understanding Repetitive Strain and Overuse Injuries

To understand what causes musculoskeletal pain, it’s crucial to grasp the concept of overuse and wear and tear. Unlike acute injuries, which happen suddenly (often from an accident, like a fall), overuse injuries develop gradually over time from repetitive movements and repeatedly pushing your body beyond its limits. When your body’s repair processes can’t keep up with the resulting tissue damage, it can lead to overuse injuries.⁵

Overuse musculoskeletal injuries are particularly common in athletes, but can impact anyone. Other groups that tend to get overuse injuries include gym-goers, service members, and people in careers that involve repetitive movements, like construction workers.⁶

Long-Lasting Relief with Pain Relief Patches and Roll-Ons

Patches can provide ongoing relief for several hours. The patch maintains contact with the skin, helping to keep you comfortable throughout the day.

Roll-ons are easy to apply, even when you’re away from home. Unlike gels and creams, you don’t need to touch the product directly to spread it across the painful area. So whether you’re experiencing pain at the office, in the car, or between errands, you can roll on cooling pain relief gel for lasting comfort.

The Complete Approach to Musculoskeletal Pain Relief

Musculoskeletal pain management often requires a well-rounded approach, combining pain topicals or medications with physical therapy and professional intervention, as needed, to help you return to your normal activities.

When to Use Topical Treatments vs. Oral Medications

As you work to recover from a musculoskeletal injury, you might be weighing the benefits of topical treatments and oral medications. While you should always consult your doctor to learn about the best treatment approach for your needs, here are some general guidelines:

• Topical treatments deliver targeted relief directly to the painful tissue. They may be a helpful option for managing localized discomfort.⁷
• Oral medications are systemic, meaning they travel throughout your bloodstream. Your doctor may recommend them in more severe or widespread cases of musculoskeletal pain, when topical treatments aren’t potent enough to provide noticeable relief.

The Role of Exercise and Physical Therapy in Pain Management

While rest is often crucial in the early stages of an injury, ongoing bed rest or immobilization can create issues. Aside from lost strength and mobility, it can stunt the healing process by limiting blood flow to the injured tissue. Musculoskeletal back pain, in particular, often responds poorly to prolonged bed rest because it can lead to stiffness and poor posture.

With this in mind, exercise and support from a trained physical therapist are pillars of effective musculoskeletal pain management.

• Gentle, low-impact exercise can help you regain strength and mobility while the tissue heals, encouraging a faster return to your regular activities. While it’s always critical to check with your doctor about safe workout options for your condition, movement promotes blood flow to the damaged tissue, giving it the oxygen and nutrients it needs to heal.⁸

• Physical therapists offer professional guidance to help you return to normal activities (without pain) after a musculoskeletal injury. They can provide a personalized regimen of stretches and strengthening exercises designed to correct imbalances and support your body’s healing process. In a study of physical therapy for sport-related orthopedic injuries, 86.11% participants reported less pain and 80.09% reported improved range of motion.⁹

When It’s Time to See a Doctor

While R.I.C.E. and topical treatments can go a long way toward healing mild and moderate musculoskeletal pain, more severe cases require professional help. If your pain persists despite at-home care, significantly disrupts your daily activities, or occurs with other severe symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing, or extreme muscle weakness, it’s time to contact your doctor for a formal evaluation.