Musculoskeletal (MSK) symptoms include pain, stiffness, weakness, swelling, deformities, and systemic signs affecting bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Mnemonic: "P.S.W.S.D.S. =
Pain, Stiffness, Weakness, Swelling, Deformity, Systemic Signs"
1. PAIN TYPES IN MSK DISORDERS
- Usage Pain → Worse with movement, relieved by rest (Mechanical strain, OA).
- Rest Pain → Worse after rest, improves with movement (Inflammation, RA).
- Night (Bone) Pain → Worse at night, unrelated to movement (Bone diseases, Tumors).
Mnemonic: "U.R.N. =
Usage, Rest, Night Pain"
2. STIFFNESS IN MSK DISORDERS
- Early Morning Stiffness → Lasts >30 min, relieved by activity (Inflammatory – RA, Spondylitis).
- Inactivity Stiffness → Occurs after prolonged rest, improves with movement (OA).
Mnemonic: "E.I. = Early
Morning, Inactivity Stiffness"
3. WEAKNESS IN MSK DISORDERS
- Primary Muscle Weakness → Due to muscle diseases (Myopathy, Muscular Dystrophy).
- Secondary Muscle Weakness → Due to nerve, joint, or systemic conditions (Stroke, RA, Hypothyroidism).
Mnemonic: "P.S. =
Primary, Secondary Weakness"
4. SWELLING IN MSK DISORDERS
- Fluid Accumulation → Joint effusion (Arthritis).
- Soft Tissue Swelling → Due to bursitis, tendonitis.
- Bony Swelling → Due to osteophytes (OA), tumors.
Mnemonic: "F.S.B. =
Fluid, Soft Tissue, Bone Swelling"
5. DEFORMITY IN MSK DISORDERS
- Joint Deformities → Boutonnière, Swan Neck (RA), Heberden’s Nodes (OA).
- Bone Deformities → Osteoporosis (Kyphosis), Paget’s Disease.
Mnemonic: "J.B. = Joint,
Bone Deformities"
6. SYSTEMIC SIGNS IN MSK
DISORDERS
- Weight Loss, Fatigue, Fever → Chronic Inflammatory Conditions (RA, SLE).
- Night Sweats, Chills → Bone Infection (Osteomyelitis), Cancer.
- Irritability, Poor Concentration → Chronic Pain Syndromes (Fibromyalgia).
Mnemonic: "W.N.I. =
Weight Loss, Night Sweats, Irritability"
COMMON MSK DISORDERS
- Osteoarthritis (OA) → Most common joint disorder (Knees, Hands, Spine).
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) → Autoimmune, affects small joints symmetrically.
- Osteoporosis → Most common bone disorder, causes fractures.
- Tendinitis & Bursitis → Inflammation of tendons & bursae.
Mnemonic: "O.R.O.T. = OA,
RA, Osteoporosis, Tendinitis"
EXAMPLES OF COMMON MSK TESTS
- Stress Pain Test → Pain worsens in tight-pack positions (Inflammation, Effusion).
- Resisted Active Movement → Pain in Rotator Cuff Lesions (Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus).
- Passive Ulnar Flexion → Pain in De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis (Thumb Tendon Inflammation).
Mnemonic: "S.R.P. =
Stress Pain, Resisted Movement, Passive Flexion"
FINAL REVISION WITH MNEMONICS
- Symptoms = "P.S.W.S.D.S." (Pain, Stiffness, Weakness, Swelling, Deformity, Systemic Signs)
- Pain Types = "U.R.N." (Usage, Rest, Night Pain)
- Stiffness = "E.I." (Early Morning, Inactivity Stiffness)
- Weakness = "P.S." (Primary, Secondary Weakness)
- Swelling = "F.S.B." (Fluid, Soft Tissue, Bone Swelling)
- Deformity = "J.B." (Joint, Bone Deformities)
- Systemic = "W.N.I." (Weight Loss, Night Sweats, Irritability)
- Common MSK Disorders = "O.R.O.T." (OA, RA, Osteoporosis, Tendinitis)
- Tests = "S.R.P." (Stress Pain, Resisted Movement, Passive Flexion)
