Peruse our table of possible diagnoses for each body part. Whether you have a rotator cuff injury, acute knee pain, migraines, tennis elbow or any other complaint our professional physiotherapists are ready to assess you.
SHOULDER PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Rotator cuff – Strain | Rotator cuff – Tear | Tumor (bone tumors in the young) |
| | Referred pain from – Diaphragm |
Glenohumeral dislocation | Adhesive capsulitis | Referred pain from diaphragm, gall bladder, ulcer, heart, spleen, lungs |
Glenohumeral instability | Biceps tendinitis | Thoracic outlet syndrome |
Glenoid labral tears | Nerve entrapment – Suprascapular | Auxiliary vein thrombosis |
Referred pain from Cervical spine | Fracture | |
Referred pain from Thoracic spine | | |
Referred pain from Soft Tissues | | |
Fracture of clavicle | | |
AC joint sprain | | |
Levator scapulae syndrome | | |
Other muscle tears | | |
Brachial plexus | | |
| | |
| |
LATERAL ELBOW PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Extensor tendinopathy | Synovitis of the radiohumeral joint | Osteochondritis dissecans – Capitellum |
Referred pain – Cervical spine | Radiohumeral bursitis | Osteochondritis dissecans – Radius (in adolescents) |
Referred pain – Upper thoracic spine | Posterior interosseous nerve entrapment (radial tunnel syndrome) | |
Referred pain – Increased neural tension | | |
| | |
ACUTE WRIST PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Distal radius fracture (often intra-articular in the athlete) | Fracture of hook of hamate | Carpal dislocation – anterior dislocation of lunate |
Scaphoid fracture | Triangular fibrocartilage complex tear | Carpal dislocation – Perilunar dislocation |
Wrist joint sprain | Distal radioulnar joint instability | Traumatic ulnar artery aneurysm or thrombosis |
Intercarpal ligament sprain/tear | Scapholunate dissociation | |
| | |
THORACIC PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Intervertevral joint sprain - Disk | Fracture of the rib posteriorly | Cardiac causes |
Intervertevral joint sprain – Apophyseal joints | Thoracic disk prolapsed | Peptic ulcer |
Paraspinal muscle strain | T4 syndrome | Tumor (e.g. carcinoma of the breast, secondary deposits) |
Costovertebral joint sprain | | |
Scheuermann’s disease (adolescents) | | |
| | |
LOW BACK PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Non-osseous injury – Intervertebral disk | Intervertebral disk prolapse | Malignancy – Primary |
Non-osseous injury – Apophyseal joint | Spondylolisthesis | Malignancy – Metastatic |
Stress fracture of the pars interarticularis (spondylolysis) | Lumbar instability | Osteoid osteoma |
Sacroiliac joint injury/inflammation | Spinal canal stenosis | Multiple myeloma |
Paravertebral muscle trigger points | Vertebral crush fracture | Severe osteoporosis |
| Fibromyalgia | |
| Rheumatological causes | |
| Gynecological causes | |
| Gastrointestinal causes | |
| Genitourinary causes | |
| | |
BUTTOCK PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Referred pain from lumbar spine or sacroiliac joint | Piriformis conditions | Spondyloarthropathies |
Hamstring origin tendinopathy | Fibrous adhesions around sciatic nerve | Malignancy |
Ischiogluteal bursitis | Prolapsed intervertebral disk | Bone and joint infection |
Myofascial pain | Chronic compartment syndrome of the posterior thigh | |
| Stress fractures | |
| Apophysitis/avulsion fracture | |
| | |
HIP AND GROIN PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Adductor muscles | Iliopsoas strain | Slipped capital femoral epiphysis |
Ostetis pubis/pubic symphysitis | Iliopsoas bursitis | Intra-abdominal abnormality |
Trochanteric bursitis | Stress fracture | Spondyloarthropanthies |
Nerve entrapment | Rectus abdominis tendinopathy | Avascular necrosis of the head of the femur |
Referred pain from lumbar spine or sacroiliac joint | Inguinal hernia | Perthes’ disease |
| Infection | Tumors |
| Hip joint | |
| ‘Snapping’ hip | |
| Nerve entrapment | |
| Rectus femoris muscle strain | |
| Avulsion apophysitis/fracture | |
| | |
ANTERIOR THIGH PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Quadriceps muscle contusion (cork thigh, charley horse) | Referred pain (upper lumbar spine, sacroiliac joint, hip joint) | Slipped capital femoral epiphysis |
Quadriceps muscle strain (rectus femoris) | Stress fracture of the femur | Perthes’ disease |
Myositis ossificans | Sartorius muscle strain | Tumor (e.g. osteosarcoma of the femur) |
| Gracilis strain | |
| Avulsion of the apophysis of rectus femoris | |
| | |
POSTERIOR THIGH PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Hamstring muscle strains - Acute | Referred pain – SIJ | Tumors – Bone tumors |
Hamstring muscle strains – Recurrent | Tendinopathy | Vascular – Iliac artery endofibrosis |
Hamstring muscle contusion | Bursitis - Semimembranous | |
Referred pain – Lumbar spine | Bursitis – Ischiogluteal | |
Neural structures – Gluteal trigger points | Fibrous adhesions | |
| Hamstring syndrome | |
| Chronic compartment syndrome of the posterior thigh | |
| Apophysitis/avulsion fracture of the ischial tuberosity (in adolescents) | |
| Nerve entrapments – Posterior cutaneous thigh | |
| Nerve entrapments – Sciatic | |
| Adductor magnus strains | |
| Myositis ossificans, hamstring muscle | |
| | |
ACUTE KNEE PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Medial meniscus tear | Patellar tendon rupture | Fracture of the tibial plateau |
MCL sprain | Acute patellofemoral joint injury | Avulsion fracture |
ACL rupture | LCL sprain | Osteochondritis dissecans (in adolescents) |
Lateral meniscus tear | Coronary ligament sprain | Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (post injury) |
Articular cartilage injury | Bursal hematoma/bursitis | |
PCL sprain | Acute fat pad impingement | |
Patellar dislocation | Low quadriceps hematoma | |
| Avulsion of biceps femoris tendon | |
| Dislocated superior tibiofibular joint | |
| | |
ANTERIOR KNEE PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Patelofemoral syndrome | Synovial plica | Referred pain from the hip |
Patellar tendinopathy | Pre-patellar bursitis | Osteochondritis dissecans |
Fat pad impingement | Quadriceps tendinopathy | Slipped capital femoral epiphysis |
Patellofemoral instability | Infrapatellar bursitis | Perthes’ disease |
| Tenoperiostitis of upper tibia | Tumor (especially in the young) |
| Stress fracture of the patella | |
| Osgood-Schlatter disease | |
| Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome | |
| Excessive lateral pressure syndrome | |
| | |
LATERAL KNEE PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Iliotibial band friction syndrome | Patellofemoral syndrome | Common peroneal nerve injury |
Lateral meniscus abnormality | Osteoarthritis of the lateral compartment of the knee | Slipped capital femoral epiphysis |
| Excessive lateral pressure syndrome | Perthes’ disease |
| Biceps femoris tendinopathy | |
| Superior tibiofibular joint sprain | |
| Synovitis of the knee joint | |
| Referred pain | |
| | |
SHIN PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Bone (tibia/fibula) | Referred pain | Tumors |
Tenoperiostitis | Pes anserinus | Vascular insufficiency |
Chronic compartment syndrome | Osgood-Schlatter disease (adolescents) | Erythema nodosum |
| Chronic compartment syndrome | Hyperparathyroidism |
| Entrapment syndrome | Rickets |
| | Paget’s disease |
| | Sarcoidosis |
| | Syphilis |
| | Acute anterior compartment syndrome |
| | |
CALF PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Muscle strains | Superficial posterior compartment syndrome | Deep venous thrombosis |
Muscle contusion | Deep posterior compartment syndrome | Arterial insufficiency |
Muscle cramp | Referred pain | |
Referred pain | Entrapment | |
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) | Stress facture of the fibula | |
| Stress fracture of the posterior cortex of the tibia | |
| Varicose veins | |
| | |
ACHILLES REGION |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Achilles tendinopathy | Posterior impingement syndrome | Achilles tendon rupture |
Retrocalcaneal bursitis | Sever’s disease (adolescents) | Achilles tendinopathy due to the inflammatory arthropathies |
| Achilles bursitis | |
| Referred pain | |
| | |
ACUTE ANKLE INJURIES |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Ligament sprain | Osteochondral lesion of the talus | Complex regional pain syndrome |
Lateral ligaments | Ligament sprain | Greenstick fractures (children) |
| Fractures | Ruptured syndesmosis |
| Dislocated ankle | Tarsal coalition |
| Tendon rupture/dislocation | |
MEDIAL ANKLE PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Tibialis posterior | Medial calcaneal nerve entrapment | Navicular stress fracture |
Flexor hallucis longus tendinopathy | Calcaneal stress fracture | |
| Tarsal tunnel syndrome | |
| Talar stress fracture | |
| Medial malleolar stress fracture | |
| Posterior impingement syndrome | |
| Referred pain from lumbar spine | |
| | |
REAR FOOT AND INFERIOR HEEL PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Plantar fasciitis | Calcaneal fractures | Spondyloarthropathies |
Fat pad contusion | Medial calcaneal nerve entrapment | Osteoid osteoma |
| Tarsal tunnel syndrome | Regional complex pain syndrome |
| Talar stress fracture | |
| Retrocalcaneal bursitis | |
| | |
FOREFOOT PAIN |
COMMON | LESS COMMON | NOT TO BE MISSED |
Corns, calluses | Freiberg’s osteochondritis | Complex regional pain syndrome |
Onychocryptosis | Joplin’s neuritis | |
Synovitis of the MTP joints | Stress fracture of the sesamoid | |
First MTP joint sprain | Toe clawing | |
Subungual hematoma | Plantar wart | |
Hallux abducto-valgus | Subungual exostosis | |
Hallus limitus | Stress fracture of the base of the 2nd metatarsal | |
Morton’s neuroma | Synovitis of the metatarsal-cuneiform joint | |
Sesamoid pathology | | |
Stress fracture of the metatarsal | | |
Fracture of the 5th metaarsal | | |
| | |
MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS |
OBVIOUS DIAGNOSIS | TRUE DIAGNOSIS |
|
Migraine headache | Upper cervical zygapophyseal joint hypomobility | |
Rotator cuff tendinopathy | Glenohumeral joint instability (younger athlete)
Acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis (older athlete) | |
Tennis elbow | Cervical disk abnormality | |
Wrist ‘tendinitis’ | Cervical abnormality | |
Hip osteoarthritis | Upper lumbar spine disk degeneration | |
Persistent hamstring strain | Abnormal neural tension | |
Patellofemoral pain/knee osteoarthritis | Hip abnormality | |
Bucket handle tear of the meniscus | Referred pain from a ruptured L4-5 disk | |
Patellar dislocation | Anterior cruciate ligament rupture | |
Osgood-Schlatter disease | Osteoid osteoma tibial tuberosity | |
‘Shin splints’ (periostitis, tendinopathy) | Posterior impingement
Retrocalcaneal bursitis | |
Achilles ‘tendinitis’ (tendinopathy) | Posterior impingement
Retrocalcaneal bursitis | |
Plantar fasciitis | Medial plantar nerve entrapment | |
Morton’s neuroma | Referred pain from an L5-S1 disk prolapse | |
| | |
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP