Will Physical Therapy Aggravate My Joint Pain?

Joint pain is a common complaint for millions of people in the United States — in fact, over 53 million Americans have arthritis, the most common cause of chronic joint pain. If you’re one of these people, you want relief — and you may be wondering if physical therapy can help.

At first glance, physical therapy and the exercises it involves might sound too harsh for joints that are already sore and irritated. But the fact is, physical therapy can actually help with joint pain, including the painful symptoms associated with arthritis.

At Minit Medical Urgent Care and Physical Therapy in Kihei, Kahului, and Lahaina, Hawaii, our expert team is skilled in designing physical therapy plans tailored to all sorts of joint pain and stiffness. Read on to learn how physical therapy works to support healthy joints, so you can decide if it’s a good choice for you.

Joint pain basics

Joint pain can happen for different reasons, but often, it’s caused by excessive wear and tear on the joint surfaces. Damage sustained in a traumatic fall, sports injuries, infections, and even prior joint surgery can all contribute to joint pain, and so can common degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis (OA). 

Joint pain can involve the bones themselves, and it can also be caused by problems involving the tendons, ligaments, or muscles supporting joints. Some joint pain involves the bursae, tiny fluid-filled sacs that cushion your joints and facilitate smooth movement.

While acute joint pain tends to resolve once an underlying injury or infection subsides, chronic joint pain is more often associated with joint degeneration. 

Over time, wear and tear inside the joint causes the joint surfaces to break down, increasing friction and leading to painful inflammation. Joint degradation can also be associated with autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or psoriatic arthritis (PSA).

The good news? Virtually every form of joint pain responds well to physical therapy, either alone or in combination with other therapies.

The benefits of physical therapy

Physical therapy helps joints in multiple ways. First, the gentle exercises and stretches involved in therapy promote circulation to your joints and the muscles and tissues that support them, promoting natural healing that can reduce your reliance on pain medicines.

Improved circulation also delivers nutrients and oxygen to your muscles and joints, relieving inflammation that leads to soreness and stiffness. By working to strengthen the muscles supporting your joints, your plan helps reduce strain on your joint surfaces, as well.

Regular exercises and stretching improves lubrication inside the joints, too, reducing painful friction and improving overall mobility. Depending on your needs, your plan can be used on its own or in combination with medication and other medical treatments, as well.

Safe for sore joints

When your joints are already sore, it’s natural to worry that additional activity might make your symptoms worse. But one of the key benefits of physical therapy is its adaptability: Your plan is specifically designed to support your joints, so you can gain all the benefits without placing additional burden on your joints.

In fact, the customizable nature of physical therapy is what makes it so good for people with joint pain. Not only can your plan be designed to relieve stress and strain on your joints, but our team can modify your plan over time in direct response to your body’s changing needs, your symptoms, your health profile, and other factors for maximum benefits and continued joint protection.

During each therapy session, be sure to give your therapist plenty of feedback about how you’re feeling, especially if you feel any discomfort. Open communication is the best way to make sure your plan stays on track with your needs and adapted to your comfort level, too.

Start enjoying healthier joints today

Physical therapy can play a key role in helping relieve chronic joint pain and in preventing your symptoms from getting worse. To learn how we can tailor a physical therapy plan for your specific needs and goals, request an appointment online or over the phone with Minit Medical Urgent Care and Physical Therapy in Kihei, Kahului, and Lahaina, Hawaii, today.