Palpating muscles, massaging the evidence? An editorial relating to 'Terminology and classification of muscle injuries in sport: The Munich consensus statement'
Year: 2012
Type: editorial
Abstract: There is no denying the fact that appropriate classification of muscle injuries is a major challenge for both clinicians and researchers.The classification system proposed in this issue has been developed by highly experienced clinicians, and has the potential to impact upon both our daily practice and future research.1 Although the proposed classification of muscle injuries may reflect the daily practice of many physicians, it will likely challenge the practice and mindset of others.Notably, this classification system is broadly inclusive of various forms of muscle-related pain, and reaffirms the central role of history taking and physical examination in the diagnosis of muscle injuries and in predicting their subsequent clinical trajectory.The emphasis on clinical assessment contrasts with manuscripts in recent years which have prioritised the use of imaging as a key diagnostic determinant-at the expense of clinical assessment. 2 3 The authors are therefore to be commended.The proposed classification, perhaps more than any other classification, highlights the paucity of evidence from which to develop classifications.We lack high-level studies to confidently guide clinical management of muscle injuries.As a result of both the poor state of evidence and the complexity of the challenge, this proposed classification of muscle injuries raises as many questions as solutions and, thus, it has the potential to promote urgently needed research in this area.
Authors: Johannes L Tol, Bruce Hamilton, Thomas M Best
Language: English
Subfield: Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W2137079767