Joint pain originates from a range of causes, with pain spanning from mild discomfort to severe and debilitating. It is often caused by conditions affecting the bones, cartilage, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or surrounding structures. Fortunately, there are ways to relieve pain. Here are some common causes of joint pain and how physiotherapy treatments can help manage the symptoms.
Common Joint Pain Causes
The most common causes of joint pain are:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis occurs over some time. It is when your cartilage, the protective cushion between your bones, wears away, causing your joints to become stiff and painful.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic disease that causes swelling and pain in your joints. This occurs when your joints deform, usually in your fingers and wrists.
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Polymyalgia rheumatica is a condition that causes pain and stiffness in the muscles around the shoulders, neck and hips. The symptoms are particularly prominent in the morning or after being inactive for a time, limiting the range of motion in affected areas.
Meniscus tears
Meniscus tears are often caused by twisting your knee, usually when playing sports such as football or basketball. However, it can also be caused by twisting awkwardly when you stand up, or wear and tear. This can limit your range of motion.
Labral tears
A labral tear is a tear in the cartilage that lines the hip socket or the labrum, the ring of cartilage that surrounds the hip joint socket. Labral tears can occur in the shoulder as well. It is usually caused by overuse, injuries, abnormalities or repetitive motions. A labral tear can cause hip stiffness and a limited range of motion.
Bursitis
Bursitis is painful swelling in a small, fluid-filled sac called a bursa. Bursae is like a bubble wrap that protects structures throughout your body, cushioning the spaces between the bones and your muscles, tendons and skin. Bursitis happens when a bursa becomes irritated and swells. It is often caused by repetitive movements, prolonged pressure, trauma, or conditions such as gout or rheumatoid arthritis. Infection (septic bursitis) can also be a cause. The pain may develop suddenly or build up over time.
Tendinitis (now referred to as Tendinopathy)
Although tendinopathy isn’t a “joint issue” specifically, as it affects the surrounding structures of the joint rather than the joint itself, tendinopathies can contribute to joint pain and are common issues for people needing joint pain treatment. Tendinitis is the inflammation of your tendons, the connective tissue that sits between your muscles and bones. This is often caused by repetitive activities and overuse, usually occurring in your shoulders (e.g. rotator cuff), elbows (e.g. tennis or golfer’s elbow) and knees.
Types Of Joint Pain Treatment
Physiotherapy restores normal joint movement through mobilisations, exercises and massages, which alleviates joint pain.
If you are experiencing joint pain, it’s important to see a clinical professional who will be able to diagnose your problem. It’s recommended to consult with an accredited physiotherapist to give an initial assessment to determine the underlying cause of your pain to recommend the most appropriate treatment.
What to expect at an Initial Assessment
- Medical History: The physiotherapist reviews your medical history, past injuries, and lifestyle factors to understand the context of the joint pain.
- Physical Examination: They assess the affected joint(s) for range of movement, muscle strength, alignment, and any signs of inflammation.
- Functional Assessment: The therapist will then evaluate how the pain affects daily activities, mobility, and specific movements that worsen or relieve the pain.
- Pain and Movement Assessment: Observing the impact of pain on certain movements helps identify dysfunctional patterns that may be contributing to or worsening the pain.
Joint pain treatment options include:
- Mobilisation exercises: Mobilisation exercises are specific movements that help improve the range of motion, flexibility, and function of joints, muscles, or tissues that are stiff or restricted.
- Massage Therapy: Comprising of deep tissue massage, Swedish massage and sports massage, massage therapy is ideal for reducing stress, improving circulation and enhancing flexibility.
- Heat Therapy: Heat therapy is a common and effective treatment that helps enhance blood flow, reduce muscle spasms, alleviate pain and relax stiff tissues, which will speed up the recovery process.
- Laser Therapy Treatment: Laser therapy treatment is a cutting-edge treatment option that uses targeted light energy to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes.
- Shockwave Therapy: Shockwave therapy uses acoustic waves to deliver energy to damaged tissues, encouraging regeneration and repair.
- Acupuncture Treatment: Acupuncture stimulates points of the body’s energy pathways which unblocks stagnant energy and reduces inflammation.
Why is Physiotherapy The Most Effective For Joint Pain Treatment?
While joint pain can happen over time due to wear and tear, it can also be caused by a sudden injury. Depending on the severity of the injury, the pain can be persistent. In some cases, joint pain can be debilitating and affect your quality of life. Poorly managed joint pain can also lead to more serious issues, such as limiting your mobility and causing emotional distress due to perpetual discomfort.
Temporary pain relief such as over-the-counter painkillers is a common fix that people turn to when experiencing joint pain, but this does not address the root cause of the pain. To properly manage long-term joint pain relief, it is crucial to seek treatments that go beyond symptom management.
Finding The Best Joint Pain Treatment
To effectively treat joint pain, physiotherapy is a holistic and evidence-based approach to managing and reducing pain. This helps you manage your pain in the most effective way, while achieving long-term relief and a better quality of life.
Physiotherapy is a highly effective treatment option for a range of pain and injuries, ranging from joint pain treatment to knee pain relief and back pain relief. Clinical experts focus their joint pain treatment on treating the root causes of your joint pain by conducting a personalised and thorough assessment of any underlying conditions. This ensures that your joint pain is properly managed and treated to prevent future recurrences.
We are True Physio, your trusted local physiotherapy clinic and recommended by 100s of the people we help. With 10 UK clinics and decades of experience, we’re ready to help you kickstart your joint pain treatment journey and get back to doing the things you love – pain-free. Our physiotherapists are trained and qualified to assess, diagnose and treat joint pain through manual therapy, exercise and education.
Get in touch today to book an appointment.