Joint Pain
Whether your joint pain is caused by arthritis, age-related wear and tear or injury, physiotherapy can help reduce joints’ inflammation and improve flexibility.
Physiotherapy focuses on treating musculoskeletal disorders with various physical treatments, emphasising exercises and movement rather than medication.
An ankle sprain is a well-known injury that involves the strain of the ligaments that support the ankle joint. Most commonly, it is the ligaments on the outside of the ankle that are injured (a lateral ankle sprain), as the ligaments on the inside of the ankle are much broader and stronger.
Arthritis refers to a group of conditions affecting the body’s joints, including the bone, muscle and surrounding soft tissues. The most common symptoms are joint pain, stiffness and reduced function, which can lead to disability and reduced quality of life. Arthritis is a common condition affecting 3.5 million Australians which is about 15 per cent of the population. Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are the two most common types.
There may be a number of causes for pain in your big toe. Turf toe is a name given to a sprain of the joint at the base of your first toe. Hallux limitus (stiffness of the first metatarsalphalangeal joint), as its name suggests, is a condition that causes limited movement at this toe, as well as pain. Bunions, as they are known colloquially, is a condition where the first toe progressively deviates and begins to point toward the second toe (sometimes overlapping it). Another cause of big toe pain is gout, an inflammatory arthritis that leads to joint pain, swelling and redness.
Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is an inability to lift your arm up above your head or move your arm in different directions, initially because of pain and later because of stiffness. It has four phases: pain, stiffening, frozen and thawing. The natural course of recovery for a frozen shoulder (if you do nothing), from initial pain to thawing and resolution of symptoms is 2–3 years.
Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a condition where pain is felt on the front of the knee, either around or behind the patella. The patellofemoral joint is part of the knee joint, where the kneecap (patella) sits within its groove (trochlea) on the front of the thigh bone (femur). A smooth layer of joint cartilage covers the trochlea and the back of the patella to help the joint surfaces glide without friction. There are ligaments that help hold the patella centred on the trochlea, and also several muscles attaching to the patella that move it along the trochlea groove. The patellofemoral joint functions as a pulley system to help the quadriceps muscles straighten the knee most efficiently.
Osteoarthritis (OA) refers to a painful joint condition that is the result of a number of movement, lifestyle and genetic factors that progress as you age. OA is the most common type of arthritis, affecting 9.3 per cent of Australians. OA can develop at any age, although it is more common in people over 45 years old, and affects 33 per cent of people over 75 years of age. Globally, osteoarthritis of the knee-and-hip is the eleventh highest contributor to global disability – partly due to its high prevalence. In 2017 to 2018, one in eleven (9.3 per cent) or approximately 2.2 million Australians were living with osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common autoimmune disease in Australia, affecting about 2 per cent of the Australian population. Women are affected by RA about 2.5 times more than men. The onset of RA usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 50 years, which are usually the peak income-earning years. Living with RA between the ages of 30-50 can be particularly difficult for women who are often navigating a pathway to parenthood.
Tennis elbow is a term for pain on the outside of the elbow that is typically aggravated by gripping or lifting when the palm is facing downwards. One of the most common diagnoses for tennis elbow is tendinopathy of the common extensor tendons of the wrist, which is typically an overuse injury. The muscles that bend the wrist backwards connect via a tendon that attaches just above the elbow, at the bone on the outside of the elbow. This tendon can become painful after activities such as gripping, pruning and tennis. Many people find that their symptoms continue for months to years if not assessed and treated early.
How can we help?
Physiotherapy is a safe and effective way to treat joint pain. It can help reduce pain, improve mobility and function, and prevent further injury. With the right treatment plan, you can get back to enjoying your life without the pain of facet joint pain.
- Exercises to strengthen and stretch your lumbar spine to keep it as strong and flexible as possible.
- Massage and heat treatments can help to relieve muscle spasms and pain in the affected area.
- Postural advice and exercises are an important part of physiotherapy treatment to alleviate any additional strain on your lower back.
- Joint mobilisation, which involves applying pressure to or rotating a stiff joint, can help the affected or nearby joints move more freely.
- Joint manipulation and cracking can help relieve a buildup of pressure on the stiff joints.
- Ergonomic evaluation
- Soft tissue treatment
- Core stability training
- Hydrotherapy
- Dry needling
Are you having a joint replacement?
Joint School is a pre-surgical education program that is delivered by one of our Physiotherapists in conjunction with a Nurse Practitioner from the Sunshine Coast Orthopaedic Group.
