Joint Pain
Empower Physical Therapy offers physical therapy for joint pain, whether it is related to arthritis, injury, surgery, or another condition. Joint pain can be felt in the knees, ankles, hips, neck, shoulders, and even in the back. Physical therapy for joint pain works by:
- Strengthening the muscles around joints
- Improving range of motion
- Helping you to have better mobility
Dealing With Acute and Chronic Joint Pain With Manual Therapy
For patients who are experiencing acute or chronic joint pain due to injury, surgery, or arthritis and other degenerative conditions, physical therapy performed by a physical therapist offers one of the most promising and long-lasting treatment options. Pain and stiffness in the joints can be related to acute problems like injury or surgery, or it can be the result of more chronic conditions such as arthritis and osteoarthritis, among others.
For many people dealing with acute and chronic joint pain, over-the-counter and prescription drugs offer temporary relief that comes with either diminishing returns, additional side effects, or both. For consistent long-term relief manual therapy, and other physical therapy treatments can offer a better solution.
Conditions That Lead to Joint Pain
There are several common acute and chronic conditions that can lead to joint pain. These conditions include:
- Injury
- Surgery to repair injury or treat other conditions
- Osteoarthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Neuropathic pain or peripheral
- neuropathy
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Physical Therapy Treats Joint Pain
Physical therapy may not be able to reverse the underlying cause of the pain, whether it is chronic in nature or stemming from injury or surgery. But for many patients, physical therapy has been shown to help patients experiencing joint pain to improve their range of motion, flexibility and muscle strength, while reducing the pain that they feel.
Addressing pain and stiffness in joints with physical therapy is accomplished through precise evaluation of the condition and how it presents in the body. This is followed by adherence to a treatment plan that can include exercises performed at appointments and in the patient’s own time, manual therapies to increase blood flow to the affected areas while decreasing inflammation, and other therapeutic techniques including IASTYM.
Physical Therapy for Joint Pain Relief
Physical therapy, when performed by a physical therapist can be an important component of a treatment strategy for patients experiencing chronic or acute joint pain, regardless of the underlying cause. Through exercises and manual (and other) therapies, doctors of physical therapy can help patients experiencing joint pain to improve their strength, flexibility, range of motion, and quality of life.