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Musculoskeletal Pain Specialist

Pohala Clinic PC

Family Medicine & Integrative Wellness Clinic located in Portland, OR

If you have pain that affects your connective tissue, muscles, or joints, Julie Foster, FNP, MSN, and her practitioners at Pohala Clinic PC can help. The team includes a naturopathic doctor with special training in spinal manipulations who can assess and evaluate your pain and offer therapies to provide you with relief. If you live in or around Portland, Oregon, call the office or book a visit online to learn more about strategies to relieve musculoskeletal pain.

Musculoskeletal Pain Q & A

What causes musculoskeletal pain?

Musculoskeletal pain may be felt in one area, such as your back or neck, or throughout your body. You may find it mildly annoying, or it may be pervasive enough to interfere with your daily activities and your quality of life.

Sometimes musculoskeletal pain stems from trauma, such as a fall, sports injury, or auto accident. It may also be caused by any number of other factors, including:

  • Aging
  • Overuse
  • Poor posture
  • Repetitive movements
  • Arthritis
  • Prolonged immobilization


Musculoskeletal pain often occurs due to spinal misalignments and resulting muscular and nerve impingement. You may also suffer from musculoskeletal pain due to an underlying condition, such as fibromyalgia.

How is musculoskeletal pain evaluated?

Julie and her team perform a thorough musculoskeletal evaluation that helps identify what may be causing your pain. This evaluation identifies a range of problems to see how an abnormality or pattern of movement is affecting the rest of your body.

The practice takes a holistic approach to this evaluation, taking into account your mind, body, and spirit. Your lifestyle, diet, and exercise habits may all contribute to musculoskeletal pain. You’ll be asked various questions such as:

  • When did the pain start?
  • How does the pain feel (stabbing, burning, numbing)?
  • Where is the pain located?
  • Do you have other symptoms associated with the pain, such as trouble sleeping?
  • What were you doing when you first noticed the pain?


The answers to these questions help the practitioners at Pohala Clinic PC determine the origins of your pain and understand how to treat it.

What symptoms suggest I need medical intervention to help with musculoskeletal pain?

You may complain that your entire body aches. You may feel like you have a pulled muscle or burning sensations in specific tissue. Pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances may also indicate you need help to get your body on the path to healing.

How is musculoskeletal pain treated?

The practitioners at Pohala Clinic PC offer a variety of strategies to alleviate your musculoskeletal pain. These include acupuncture, herbal supplements, massage, and cranial sacral therapy. Exercise and dietary interventions may also be offered.

Spinal manipulation can realign your vertebrae to relieve compromised muscles and nerves. These adjustments put your body back into a natural alignment so it can commence healing on its own.

If musculoskeletal pain is keeping you from fully engaging in your life, the team at Pohala Clinic PC can help. Call the office or click the online scheduler while you’re here on the website.