Physical Medicine offers a non-surgical alternative to patients with severe chronic pain.

Musculoskeletal Pain
Musculoskeletal pain is potentially severe pain which is often described as “deep” and “aching”. However, every person’s pain experience is different and so descriptions of pain vary. Frequently there is altered skin sensation or “pins and needles” associated with this pain. Joint range of motion and muscle strength both also tend to be reduced.

Musculoskeletal pain is frequently caused by dysfunction in the muscles and their surrounding fascia. Biomechanical problems and postural habits often predispose to problems in these soft tissues. Alternatively, trauma may cause problems when the capability of the tissues to withstand forces is exceeded. This may occur acutely (eg car accident leading to whiplash) or more chronically (eg lengthy computer mouse work causing neck and shoulder pain). Musculoskeletal medicine considers these soft tissue problems to be reversible dysfunction rather than irreversible damage / pathology. They are like glitches on your home computer - which are far more likely to be “soft ware errors” fixed by rebooting the system, rather than hardware errors that require parts to be replaced.

Musculoskeletal doctors
Musculoskeletal doctors are pain generalists who have typically had 12-15 years of medical training. They have extensive training and experience in general practice, thoroughly understanding the holistic nature of health and well being. They then undergo specific study and training in musculoskeletal medicine, including a post-graduate diploma. Musculoskeletal doctors are uniquely trained to understand how pain and dysfunction occurs in the body. Their skill comes in relieving this pain and improving function.

Musculoskeletal doctors possess the broadest range of knowledge and skills to treat your pain. They are in a unique position to be able to provide truly holistic treatment. Their skills overlap with:

• the medical skills of orthopedics / neurology / general practice / sports medicine
• the manual skills of physiotherapy / osteopathy / chiropracty
• the pain education and counselling of psychology / psychiatry
• the postural / functional knowledge of yoga / osteopathy / biomechanics