Joint Pain

 

Joint pain can come from a variety of sources. The joint lining could be inflamed, bursitis. The tendon that controls the movement of that joint could be inflamed, tendonitis. There could be a loss of cartilage in the joint from excessive use, osteo-arthritits. There could be a genetic deterioration of the joint, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

The key to successful rehabilitation of joint pain is to properly diagnose the cause of the joint pain.

If I move your shoulder and it hurts, then the inside of the joint is involved and you may have bursitis. If it only hurts when you move the joint it is likely tendonitis. If it hurts when you compress the joint it is likely osteo-arthritis.

Once you know the cause of the joint pain you treat it with heat, massage, anti-inflammatory medications, and possibly steroid injections if severe enough.

You do not do repetitive joint exercises. This is the biggest mistake I see patients and some therapists make. You limit the repititions and use isometric exercise to strenthen the muscles thereby protecting the joint.