Bone or muscle?
Patients often ask if their problem is one of bone or muscle. The meaning here is whether the treatment should be directed at one or other body structure. The answer is usually that it is both, to treat one without reference to the other can result in less than optimal outcomes.
Bony problems result in ligament damage and associated muscle spasm, muscle problems often put undue strains on joints (bones). The legacy of any injury is to always affect the local area and distant parts. This is why treatment of only the local area can result in re-injury due to weakness of surrounding structures.
It is important to treat the local problem but also the compensations to the local injury.
