Suffering from Joint Pains - Effective Physiotherapy Can Help

Posted by Arjun Viswanath on February 2nd, 2017

If you’re suffering from joint pains and arthritis, effective physiotherapy can help. Consult a physiotherapist so you can understand what is happening to your joints and muscles, why they hurt, and what you can do to manage the pain. A physiotherapist can also use different modes of treatment to help alleviate your condition. 

Though medications may help relieve the symptoms of arthritis, physiotherapy provides many other pain relief methods that can complement your medication. Ice packs are effective for soothing hot and swollen joints, for example, while heat packs can relax tense and tired muscles. Splinting is also used for swollen joints. Your physiotherapist can show you how to do these treatments on your first visit so you can do them at home between appointments. Depending on your case, you might benefit from transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS. The physiotherapist will use a small electronic device (called the TENS machine) that your nerve endings pulses via pads that are placed on your skin. It blocks pain messages so that they don’t reach your brain. 

Your physiotherapist may also recommend that you make regularly graded exercise a part of your lifestyle to manage your joint pain. Graded exercise typically starts slowly and then increases in small steps. They are designed to strengthen your joints and the muscles that support them, ultimately improving your fitness and stamina so that you can increase your activity levels without more pain. Regular graded exercise also stimulates your body’s natural production of endorphins or pain-relieving hormones.

Massage is another big part of physiotherapy for joint pain relief. Proper massage techniques can make joint movements a lot more comfortable while helping your muscles relax. Manipulation may also help improve your range of movement. Note that manipulation is not appropriate for all patients, though. A physiotherapist can determine whether it might be useful to you. 

Acupuncture is similarly used for joint pain physiotherapy. It can help stimulate the brain and make it produce more endorphins. Other modes of physiotherapy for joint pain relief include electrotherapy, which uses low-level laser therapy and ultrasound to stimulate your body’s natural healing process and reduce pain. 

Some of the best physiotherapists in London have access to hydrotherapy pools where patients with joint pain can perform exercises and guided movements in warm water. Like many patients with arthritis, you might find it much easier to move in water because it will support your weight. The warmth is also soothing. Your physiotherapist will be able to assess if you can benefit from hydrotherapy. 

About the Author: 

This article is written by Arjun Viswanath, the Clinic Director of London Physiotherapy and Wellness Clinic. London Physiotherapy and Wellness Clinic is an outpatient rehabilitation centre. Their staff includes clinical specialist physiotherapists and sports therapists. Their therapists have worked with all age groups and successfully helped them to recover from their injuries easily. They also offer special programs for youth athletics as well as for pregnant women.