Pain is a localized and unpleasant sensory perception in the body, activated by sensory nerve endings. It can be classified according to its intensity, origin, and duration (acute and chronic). Pain can be caused by diseases or trauma, these being the main cause of musculoskeletal pain. Other causes include degenerative or inflammatory arthropathies.
Traditionally, most conditions have been treated with surgery to treat chronic pain or repair an injury. In some cases, surgical treatment is the one of choice, depending on the severity and situation of the injury.
However, nowadays conservative therapies are used more and more, which include non-invasive and comprehensive care, with the purpose of relieving pain, healing the injury and/or reducing the risk of progression and complications. Examples of conservative treatment in musculoskeletal injuries include:
- Pharmacotherapy
- Physiotherapy
- Immobilizations
- Repose
- Infiltrations
It is advisable to use this as first-line management, especially when it can prevent the progression of the damage of the lesion and thus avoiding surgery. An example is prolotherapy, which favors the rapid and natural recovery of the tissue, helping to avoid surgery just to eliminate pain. As mentioned above, surgical treatments may be unavoidable, so you should always see a specialist who handles conservative therapies (such as a sports medicine doctor) for a second opinion.