Joint Pain/ Injury:

Did you know there are more that 300 joints in the human body? These joints give our bodies the ability to bend, move and twist. So, when a joint is plagued by pain or injury, everyday activities can become difficult.

How can you care for your joints? Some simple preventive measures can be taken to reduce the risk of joint pain and injury, helping to maintain strong and healthy joints:

Preventing Joint Pain and Injury

Maintain a Healthy Weight: Excess weight stresses joints, increasing the risk of pain and injury. Adopting a balanced diet and regular physical activity helps achieve and maintain a healthy weight, relieving joint pressure.

Regular Exercise and Stretching: Low-impact exercises, such as swimming or cycling, improve joint mobility while reducing injury risk. Incorporating stretching exercises enhances joint flexibility and prevents stiffness.

Proper Posture and Ergonomics: Good posture while sitting, standing, and lifting distributes weight evenly across joints, reducing strain. Using ergonomic equipment and adjusting your work environment to support proper alignment minimizes repetitive strain injuries.

Avoid Repetitive Strain: Performing repetitive movements without breaks strains joints, leading to pain and injury. Take regular breaks during repetitive activities and incorporate different movements to avoid overloading specific joints.

Causes of Joint Pain and Injury

Joint pain and injury can arise from various factors, including:

• • Arthritis: A prevalent cause of joint pain is arthritis, which includes osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. These conditions lead to joint inflammation, stiffness, and pain.
• • Injury or Trauma: Joint pain may result from injuries such as fractures, dislocations, sprains, or strains, damaging the joint and causing discomfort.
• • Inflammation: Conditions like bursitis or tendonitis cause joint inflammation, leading to pain, swelling, and limited mobility. Bursitis in the hip is a common example of this.
• • Overuse or Repetitive Motion: Excessive strain from overuse or repetitive activities can cause joint pain, especially in athletes or those engaged in repetitive tasks.

Physical therapy for joint pain/ injury can help prevent or delay joint replacements and manage symptoms of arthritis and chronic joint pain while providing tools to minimize pain or further damage to the joint and help acutely injured joints recover from injury. Improving flexibility and range of motion in the affected joints is also a key component in most physical therapy programs.