When you wake up in the morning, does it take you a little while to get going? Do you feel stiff and sore in your muscles or around your joints? When you clench your fists or bend your knees, are the joints tight, sore, or even painful? When you walk up and down steps, or bend over, do you have to take your time because of the discomfort you experience in your back and body? Do sudden movements cause you to have excessive pain?
Millions of people around the world experience some form of arthritic, traumatic, or chronic pain and look for relief in a potion or lotion, hoping it will give them results.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is common worldwide. In economically developed countries such as the United States, between 14% and 26% of the adult population suffers from chronic pain or arthritis. Approximately 11% report chronic, widespread pain. And MSK disorders account for 15% of work-loss days.
The fact is arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, fasciitis, and all of the “itis” gang has many causes and multiple mechanisms that initiate and promote its presentation. The worst thing someone can do is to just ignore the symptoms or take something to cover them up while the problem rages on. Symptoms are there as a warning. Don’t ignore them, instead investigate the reason behind them. When it comes to dealing with symptoms, the five most danger- ous words are “maybe it will go away.”
