Musculoskeletal Pain and Injuries

A musculoskeletal injury is any damage or irritation to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, or bones that affects how you move. It might be a sudden event - rolling an ankle, straining a hamstring, tweaking your back lifting - or something that builds gradually with training load, desk work, or repetitive tasks. At Goji Physio in Lentor, Singapore, physiotherapy assessment identifies which structures are involved, why the problem developed, and what your body needs to recover and return to the activities that matter to you.

What kinds of pain and injuries does physiotherapy help with?

Physiotherapists assess and rehabilitate a wide range of musculoskeletal presentations, including:

• Acute injuries: ankle sprains, muscle strains (hamstring, lower back, knee, calf, groin, etc), ligament injuries, and joint sprains
• Overuse and load-related injuries: tendon pain (Achilles, patellar, rotator cuff, tennis/golfer’s elbow), shin pain, and stress-related bone injuries
• Joint and back pain: neck and lower back pain, shoulder pain, knee and hip pain, and arthritis-related joint pain
• Work and posture-related pain: desk-related aches in the neck, shoulders, and back, and repetitive strain
• Return-to-sport concerns: lingering symptoms, loss of confidence, or reduced performance after an injury

The same injury can behave very differently from person to person, which is why assessment focuses on your specific presentation rather than the label alone.

Which areas of the body can physiotherapy help with?

Pain is not always felt where the problem sits, so your physiotherapist looks at the whole movement picture. Common areas include:

• Back and neck pain: Lower back pain, mid-back stiffness, neck pain, and tension-type headaches linked to the neck. This includes sciatica (pain travelling into the buttock or leg) and slipped or herniated disc symptoms, which are often managed with education, graded movement, and progressive strengthening.
• Shoulder pain: Rotator cuff problems, shoulder impingement, and frozen shoulder, which often show up as difficulty reaching overhead, dressing, or sleeping on the affected side.
• Elbow, wrist, and hand pain: Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow, wrist and thumb pain, and hand symptoms such as numbness or tingling. Wrist pain linked to new parenthood is covered in Pelvic Girdle Pain and Mummy’s Wrist.
• Hip and knee pain: Hip pain, including pain around the outer hip and buttock, and knee pain such as runner’s knee, patellar tendon pain, and meniscus or ligament injuries. Joint pain from osteoarthritis often shows up as stiffness or pain on stairs.
• Foot and ankle pain: Ankle sprains and recurring ankle instability, Achilles tendon pain, plantar fasciitis, and heel or foot pain with walking or running.

What are the signs you should have a pain or injury assessed?

Many minor injuries settle with sensible self-management. It is worth having a pain or injury assessed when:

• Pain is not steadily improving after the first week or two
• You cannot bear weight, or the joint gives way, locks, or feels unstable
• There is significant swelling, bruising, or loss of movement
• Symptoms keep returning whenever you return to activity
• The problem is affecting your sleep, work, training, or daily tasks

If you experience severe pain, obvious deformity, numbness, or an inability to move a limb at all, seek urgent medical assessment first.

What does a session at Goji involve?

Your physiotherapist will take a history of how the injury happened, your symptoms, and your goals. This is followed by a physical assessment, which may include:

• Movement and strength testing: identifying which movements provoke symptoms and where strength or control is reduced
• Joint and tissue assessment: examining the injured area and the surrounding structures that share the load
• Functional testing: looking at how you walk, squat, hop, or perform the tasks relevant to your sport or work
• Load and training review: understanding what changed before the injury appeared

You will leave with an explanation of what is going on and a structured, progressive rehabilitation plan - built around your stage of recovery and where you want to get back to.

How long does recovery take?

Recovery timelines vary widely depending on the tissue involved, the severity, and your overall health and activity demands. Some strains settle within a few weeks, while tendon and post-injury strength work often takes longer. Rather than promising a fixed timeline, your physiotherapist will set clear milestones and progress your loading as your body is ready.

Frequently asked questions

Should I rest completely or keep moving?

Complete rest is rarely the best approach for musculoskeletal injuries. Relative rest - modifying rather than stopping activity - combined with early, appropriate loading usually supports recovery better than doing nothing. Your physiotherapist will guide what is safe at each stage.

Do I need a scan before starting physiotherapy?

Often not. Many musculoskeletal injuries can be assessed and managed effectively based on clinical examination. Imaging is useful in specific situations, and your physiotherapist will advise if a referral for a scan or medical review is appropriate.

Can physiotherapy help with sciatica or a slipped disc?

Often, yes. Many people with sciatica or disc-related pain improve with a plan that combines education, graded movement, and progressive strengthening, and surgery is needed in only a minority of cases. Your physiotherapist will check for features that need urgent medical review, such as new leg weakness or changes in bladder or bowel control, and refer you on if needed.

Can physiotherapy help with frozen shoulder?

Physiotherapy is a common first approach for frozen shoulder. It focuses on managing pain, keeping the shoulder moving within comfortable limits, and gradually restoring range and strength. Frozen shoulder tends to move through stages over many months, so your physiotherapist will tailor the plan to the stage you are in.

Should I use ice or heat?

Both can help manage symptoms at different stages. Ice is commonly used to ease pain and swelling in the early period, while heat can help with muscle tension and stiffness later on. Neither replaces active rehabilitation - they are tools for comfort alongside your plan.

When can I return to sport or training?

Return is guided by how the tissue is tolerating load, your strength and control, and the specific demands of your activity - not just how the injury feels day to day. A graded return-to-sport plan reduces the chance of re-injury.

Can physiotherapy help an old or recurring injury?

Yes. Injuries that keep coming back often point to an underlying issue with strength, control, or training load that has not been fully addressed. An assessment can identify what is driving the recurrence and target it directly.