Unlocking Relief: The Role of Magnesium in Musculoskeletal Health – A Narrative Review

Musculoskeletal disorders are among the most prevalent causes of chronic pain and disability in clinical practice.

Despite a wide therapeutic options, their management remains challenging, and nutritional factors particularly

magnesium adequacy are often overlooked. Magnesium participates in many enzymatic reactions, governs

calcium flux in muscle and bone cells, modulates parathyroid hormone activity, and suppresses pro-inflammatory

signalling. Suboptimal intake is widespread across all age groups and is compounded by poor dietary quality,

ageing-related absorption decline, and drug-induced renal losses. This narrative review synthesised evidence from

MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar on the role of magnesium in bone mineralisation, skeletal

muscle physiology, cartilage integrity, and specific musculoskeletal conditions including osteoporosis,

osteoarthritis, non-specific low back pain, myofascial trigger points, and fibromyalgia. The available literature

consistently links higher magnesium intake with reduced fracture risk, greater muscle mass and power, lower

systemic inflammation, and better knee cartilage morphology. Supplementation confers particular benefit in

postmenopausal women and older adults with functional decline, while deficiency accelerates bone resorption,

heightens neuromuscular excitability, and amplifies joint inflammation. These findings support routine

assessment of magnesium adequacy in patients presenting with bone loss, chronic muscle pain, or inflammatory

arthritis, and argue for larger randomised trials to define optimal dosing and target populations.