Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is an entrapment of the median nerve at the wrist where it passes through the carpal tunnel. This causes paraesthesia(abnormal sensations) pain, numbness, tingling and burning along the median nerve’s distribution(thumb, index finger, middle finger and half of the ring finger).

There are two thumb tendons, the Abductor Pollicis Longus (APL) and the Extensor Pollicis Brevis (EPB), that are involved in the onset of the condition known as ‘De Quervain's Tenosynovitis.’ Travelling side by side along the inside of the wrist they pass through a Synovial tunnel on the thumb side which helps to keep them in place. They glide back and forth freely to move the thumb because of a slippery coating called ‘Tenosynovium’ and when this and/or the tendon become inflamed it results in Tenosynovitis and when that inflammation restricts the movement of the tendons in the tunnel, the diagnosis is ‘De Quervain's Tenosynovitis.’

Widespread pain to the muscles of the body, unusually high levels of fatigue, tender points in multiple areas and great sensitivity to seemingly normal things, are all indicative of someone suffering from the disorder known as Fibromyalgia.

‘Ligament sprains’ and ‘Muscle strain’ are often confused and usually written about in tandem, however they are in fact quite different. Muscle and tendon (joining muscle to bone) strains occur when there is a poor level of fitness or poor dynamic control within the muscles, whereas Ligaments join bone to bone and injuries occur when there is excessive movement forced through a joint...quite different and so we deal with them in separate articles.

Musculoskeletal pain is pain caused by injury to the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and/or nerves. The pain can be either acute or chronic and either localised or widespread. It is basically a summary of all the types of physical pain a person could suffer from.

Also referred to as ‘Neck-Arm syndrome’, Neck-Arm pain encompasses a number of conditions that affect your neck or upper back, which include some arm symptoms. The most common form is the shoulder variety. Specific to problems that cause referred pain down the arm, Neck–Arm pain can also lead to a more advanced condition of ‘Abnormal Neural Tension.’

Overuse injuries, as the term implies, are the result of the gradual, repetitive action and overuse of certain muscles, tendons or bones, as opposed to acute injuries, like a sprained ankle, which happen instantaneously. They can happen through sports, be work related, or through constant repetition of any physical activity. As they happen over a period of time, there are generally four stages to Overuse injuries which are:

When a nerve becomes entrapped or ‘pinched’, usually because of injury to structures next to the nerve, this is referred to as a ‘Pinched nerve’, where nerve pain, damage and associated symptoms can occur. Self-diagnosed pinched nerves rarely need to be operated on and even upon MRI diagnosis, the rehabilitation of the poor biomechanics (often the cause of your dysfunction) have been found to be an effective treatment option with a significantly lower risk profile. Symptoms could be created by muscle tension, so the nerve is often unaffected, even with feeling symptoms of tingling, pins and needles and pain. But don’t underestimate it, the perception of a pinched nerve can and should be comprehensively assessed by an experienced Physiotherapist. Should there be any damage beyond that with which a Physiotherapist can assist, you will be referred to a surgeon for a second opinion.

A stress fracture, which consists of tiny cracks, is the result of excessive, usually repetitive, force through healthy bone. Often sports related, they are common injuries amongst runners, where fractures occur in the feet and the shin bones, but they can also occur in other sports, for example, where lumbar spine stress fractures are found among gymnasts and fast bowlers in cricket, and stress fractures in the wrist can occur when you use your hand to stop a fall, during sports or otherwise.

Tendinopathy encompasses tendon injuries and can develop in any tendon of the body. It includes Tendinosis and Tendonitis, which are different terms used for varying degrees of tendon injuries. Tendons are the tough fibres connecting muscles to bones. Tendon injuries generally occur near joints, like the shoulder, elbows, knees and ankles.