If You Have Joint Pain, Here’s Why You Need Physical Therapy

There it is again. That pain in your hands, knees, hips, elbows, shoulders, feet, or spine. You have a long day ahead of you and you want to stay busy and be productive, but you’re in so much pain and discomfort that you can hardly get yourself up and out of bed. This is the reality of millions of people who suffer from joint pain. Unfortunately, our body is a machine and just like any other type of machine the mechanisms that make it up can get damaged as they age with time. Fortunately, understanding how your body works and making adjustments to the way we move along with rehabilitation to injured joints can alleviate much of the pain and make life easier to live.

This is where physical therapy comes into play. We are STAATS Physical Therapy and in this article we will discuss the benefits of physical therapy and how it can help to alleviate joint pain. 

Common Causes of Joint Pain

While it is true that as we age so do our joints, but that happens because of different activities that we engage in or events that happen in life. Here are a few of the common causes of joint pain:

  • Autoimmune diseases – As we age, we might develop an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, which causes inflammation in the joints that leads to painful swelling

  • Strains and Sprains – Accidental strains and sprains in our muscles can lead to inflammation and pain in our joints, especially if it does not heal properly

  • Sports Injuries – Whether it’s from stress, an active job, or a sports-related hobby, repeated activities can cause soft tissue injuries overtime that lead to joint pain

  • Infections – If you contract a virus you could end up suffering an infection. Many people who contracted COVID-19, for instance, felt flare-ups of old or existing joint injuries.

  • Osteoarthritis – According to the CDC, This is the most common form of arthritis and is even referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis because of the effects that it has on the body

While there are other factors that can lead to pain or discomfort in the joints, these are the most common causes of joint pain.

How Physical Therapy Helps

Knowing the common causes is helpful in order to identify the reason behind your joint pain, but knowing more about how it works is crucial.

Teaching You about Joints and Movement

One of the benefits of working with a physical therapist is that they can teach you about joint pain. Understanding how it works can help you to pinpoint the specifics of your issue, which can in turn allow the therapist to provide you with more specific and helpful treatments. Not only can they teach you how it works, but they can teach you more effective ways to move. Proper movement is an imperative part of healing your joints, not only in the moment, but for your long-term health. 

Movement Techniques and Exercises

Physical therapists will also be able to provide manual therapy techniques for your pain. These can include using ice or heat, electrotherapy, and even self-massaging that can help to break up the tissue in your joints that are causing the pain. Physical therapy also includes stretches designed to help with stiffness and range of motion and exercises designed to strengthen the muscles that surround the joint to prevent unnecessary pressure on the joints themselves.

Schedule a PT Appointment to End Your Joint Pain

Now that you know just how beneficial physical therapy can be for joint pain, why suffer any longer or wait to schedule an appointment? Give us a call today at (732) 920-0880 to make your physical therapy appointment with STAATS Physical Therapy.

You can also click here to schedule an appointment callback and someone from the STAATS team will reach out to you as soon as possible to schedule your appointment.

Ride the wave of rehabilitation with us and end your joint pain with physical therapy!