What is joint pain?
Your joints are complex body parts containing bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Joint pain may affect one or more of these body parts and cause varying degrees of discomfort and disability.
Joint pain may affect any joint in your body. Pipeline Physical Therapy specializes in treating neck, shoulder, elbow, knee, and hip pain.
What causes joint pain?
You can develop joint pain from any disease or damage that affects one or more of the components that make up your joint. Common causes of joint pain include:
- Arthritis
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
- Fracture
- Dislocation
- Sprain or strain
- Tennis elbow
- Golfer’s elbow
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear
- Achilles tendon
- Ankle sprain
- Rotator cuff tear
- Labral tears
Your joint pain may occur after an injury. Athletes are especially prone to joint injuries due to the stress they place on their joints when engaging in physical activity.
Overuse and aging may also contribute to joint pain.
What can I expect during a joint pain evaluation?
Pipeline Physical Therapy takes a holistic and patient-centered approach to care. During your joint pain evaluation, your dedicated doctor of physical therapy conducts a thorough initial assessment.
During your assessment, your physical therapist asks detailed questions about your joint pain, including the type of pain you feel, when it started, and what activities worsen your discomfort. They also review your medical and surgical history, as well as your daily habits and activities.
Then, your physical therapist evaluates the joint that is causing your pain to assess flexibility and the strength of the supporting muscles.
How can physical therapy help joint pain?
After your initial assessment, your physical therapist spends time talking to you about the underlying cause of your joint pain and the treatments you need to alleviate your discomfort.
The physical therapists at Pipeline Physical Therapy use many modalities to alleviate joint pain and improve health and function. Your treatment plan may include:
- Soft tissue mobilization and massage therapy
- Therapeutic exercises
- Neuromuscular rehabilitation
- Joint mobilization
- Hot and cold therapies
- Mechanical traction
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy
- Interferential current (IFC) therapy
- Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) therapy
- Home exercise program
- Gait analysis
- Corrective postural training
Your dedicated licensed doctor of physical therapy schedules one-on-one sessions to provide the support and education you need to improve joint health.
The goal of physical therapy for joint pain is to improve joint mobility and flexibility as well as the strength of the supportive muscles. It may also help you avoid surgery.
For a comprehensive and holistic approach to joint pain, call Pipeline Physical Therapy, or book an appointment online today.
