Joint Pain
Many people experience joint pain
The severity of the episode of the pain is important
The type of injury almost always benefits from physical therapy
The most effective benefit for joint injuries and pains is specific movements - which can be discovered with a mechanical analysis
Our bodies experience many different forces throughout each day. This is how our bodies are shaped - with flexible joints that we can control with muscles. This is great because normally our bodies are fully capable of handling a variety of tasks and activities without any problems. However, most people have put their bodies to the test and have “strained” themselves in some way. This is very common for physical people - those that have physically demanding jobs involved in the shipping industry or work in warehouses, or even those involved in custodial and housekeeping. Athletes are amongst the most obvious of people who push themselves to the limit and experience strains and sprains. However, it is also true that even those with non-active lifestyles may experience the exact same issues.
So what is really happening here? While it’s true that we can overuse our muscles which leads to injury - if a problem resolves after only a day or two, then it is not a significant problem worthy of our attention. The sprains and strains that last longer than a few days are more concerning. This is usually an injury to connective tissue - not the muscle. This is when we need to pay more attention.
Injuries to muscles tend to be mild - muscles are robust and durable units of physiology. They have an excellent blood supply, which means that it is continuously supplied with nutrients. Muscle tissue is able to adapt to new stresses quickly, including damage to the tissue. Major muscle tears are uncommon and are the exception here, if you tear a muscle you need to seek medical attention. Muscle strains heal quickly and naturally. This is similar to why lifting weights to build strength involves small amounts of damage to the tissue, so that it will rebuild itself stronger (although this process is simplified here, it is related to the durability of muscle tissue).
Therefore, if injuries that linger are our problem, what is likely to be the source? You can usually count on the joint itself to be at the center of the issue. Our joints are lined with connective tissue (aka cartilage/collagen/synovium). Connective tissue is typically very strong and can be rather flexible. But as stated before, if we put our bodies to the test and/or push our bodies to work without adequate rest, we can experience injury. When connective tissue is injured it does not heal quickly and robustly like muscle tissue. Instead connective tissue takes much longer to heal and also heals differently.
Similar to the spine, when we have injured our connective tissue - it frequently disrupts the movement of the joint. This means we have damaged and/or moved the connective tissue within the joint “out of place”, per say. When this happens we will experience discomfort and pain when this tissue is compressed or stretched abnormally. The severity of these sensations can vary greatly, as the joint is not behaving the way it normally does.
When this connective tissue is displaced, healing will take place anyway. The trouble here, is that if you have restricted movement and your body heals the connective tissue in its current state - you will continue to lose that movement beyond the healing of the tissue. This also means that you have likely formed unnatural scarring and restrictions throughout the joint. This can lead to a joint with less structural integrity and strength when it is put under pressure.
So what can we do about this? Well, before that tissue has had a chance to heal, we can perform a mechanical analysis which will reveal ways to “reduce” this displaced tissue and restore it more/less. Then with repeated performance of this right type of movement, we can help to ensure that the tissue stays in place while healing occurs. This can lead to a near full recovery of function in the joint, and nearly the same structural integrity. This is the best case scenario.
However, many people do not understand this idea and may heal with the tissue in the “displaced” state. Now this may seem very bad, but it can still be improved. The connective tissue associated with the scarred and abnormally healed area can be “remodeled.” This also requires a mechanical analysis to determine the types of movements required. Once these movements are practiced in the right way - over the course of many weeks (usually 8 - 12 weeks or more) a person’s joint tissues can be reshaped once again to a state where they can move fully and withstand heavier pressures and forces. This is great news for anyone who has experienced an injury and has never felt the same since.
This is by no means a full guarantee that you will feel exactly as you did before an injury. The longer you have had an injury and the more severe the problem, the longer it will take to fix it. But restoring your joints to the best possible movement and strength is worth it. A mechanical analysis and treatment is available to help revitalize a person from injury, no matter what stage of injury you are in.