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Alternative Treatment Modalities for the Active Female with Musculoskeletal Pain

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The Active Female

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Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the alternative treatment modalities for the active female with musculoskeletal pain. Alternative treatment modalities are defined as any treatment that is not considered standard clinical management, i.e., surgical or pharmacological, but other nontraditional methods that have gained popularity despite scientific controversy. Topics include heat/cold treatment, exercise therapy, neuroscience education, supplements (CBD, antioxidants, glucosamine, etc.), chiropractic spinal manipulation, acupuncture, dynamic compression, Kinesio taping, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), cupping, and homeopathy. Data have been collected from various journals and different studies published on PubMed and Cochrane Library. Treatments were grouped into tiers based on currently available evidence. Available literature review best supports the utilization of thermal modality, exercise regimen, neuroscience training, and specific supplements as management options for musculoskeletal pain in active females. Other treatment modalities either lack sound supporting evidence or have only low-quality evidence to support claims of beneficial outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Adin William Mizer & Stephen S. Rossettie

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Mimi Zumwalt

Authors
  1. Adin William Mizer
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  2. Stephen S. Rossettie
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  3. Mimi Zumwalt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mimi Zumwalt .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Jacalyn J. Robert-McComb

  2. Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Mimi Zumwalt

  3. Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain

    Maria Fernandez-del-Valle

Chapter Review Questions

Chapter Review Questions

  1. 1.

    A 50-year-old female patient has had continued knee pain 6 months after a knee injury despite diagnostics and exams indicating that the injury has healed. She mentions that she is afraid to do much physical activity due to the pain. Based on the information in the chapter, what would be her best treatment options?

    1. (a)

      Prescribe the patient an opioid for the pain so she can resume her daily activities

    2. (b)

      Encourage her to try alternatives such as CBD and to start taking water aerobics

    3. (c)

      Discuss with her that pain may not always indicate the body is damaged then refer her to an exercise therapist

    4. (d)

      Inform the patient she should apply heat three times a day, start taking glucosamine and use KT tape before physical activity

  2. 2.

    What is a major obstacle for conducting quality randomized controlled trials for many alternative treatment modalities?

    1. (a)

      No one wants to participate in treatments that could possibly harm them

    2. (b)

      There is not enough funding to conduct the trials

    3. (c)

      It is difficult to blind patients to many of the treatments

    4. (d)

      There are no obstacles

  3. 3.

    On a return checkup to clinic, a 22-year-old female patient with chronic low back pain asks about homeopathy and chiropractic spinal manipulation. What do you tell her?

    1. (a)

      If the pain has not gone away with normal treatment, the patient might as well try homeopathy or chiropractic spinal manipulation because she has nothing to lose

    2. (b)

      Homeopathic medicine will not do any harm but chiropractic medicine has been known to cause dissected vertebral arteries so the patient should pursue homeopathic medicine

    3. (c)

      It would be foolish to try either of these treatments because neither has any evidence supporting its benefits

    4. (d)

      Some evidence has supported the use of spinal manipulation (but not homeopathy) for reducing back pain intensity, but both types of treatment have significant risk for adverse effects

  4. 4.

    Two college co-eds present to the emergency room after a collision during an intramural flag football game. The male is complaining of right knee pain, and the female has left knee pain, both rate the pain as a 7/10. Both test positive for anterior drawer and negative for posterior drawer and McMurray’s. Without seeing X-rays or MRI results which patients would you suspect is more likely to have a torn ACL?

    1. (a)

      The male, due to their stronger muscles, males are more likely to rupture ligaments

    2. (b)

      The female, because of the biomechanics of their knee, females are more likely to tear their ACL

    3. (c)

      The male, because he probably had a previous knee injury in high school

    4. (d)

      The female, because females have inherently weaker tendons and ligaments

  5. 5.

    A high school athlete comes into your clinic with a sore shoulder and explains that she saw an Olympic runner training with Kinesio tape. The patient then asks you to treat her with Kinesio tape. How do you respond?

    1. (a)

      Kinesio taping has been shown to be effective for muscle aches, so do as the patient asks

    2. (b)

      Explain that although elite athletes can be great role models, they also tend to use treatments that are heavily based on placebo rather than evidence

    3. (c)

      Ask a nurse to wrap the patient using whatever tape is available because the effects are in the patient’s head

    4. (d)

      Tell her that only fools believe Kinesio taping works better than placebo and she should never mention it again

Answers

  1. 1.

    c

  2. 2.

    c

  3. 3.

    d

  4. 4.

    b

  5. 5.

    b

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Mizer, A.W., Rossettie, S.S., Zumwalt, M. (2023). Alternative Treatment Modalities for the Active Female with Musculoskeletal Pain. In: Robert-McComb, J.J., Zumwalt, M., Fernandez-del-Valle, M. (eds) The Active Female. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15485-0_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15485-0_11

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-15485-0

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