Joint Related Pain

What causes knee pain?

Your knees work hard every day, so it’s no wonder knee problems are so common.

The knee contains two joints – between the lower leg bone and thigh bone, and between the knee cap and thigh bone – as well as ligaments and cartilage.

Because knee pain has so many possible origins, it’s important to get a thorough diagnosis and a treatment plan that is right for you.

Common causes of knee pain include:

  • Patellofemoral joint syndrome
  • Patellar tendinopathy
  • Iliotibial band syndrome (ITB syndrome)
  • Fat pad impingement
  • Meniscus tear
  • Torn or sprained anterior cruciate ligament
  • Torn or sprained posterior cruciate ligament
  • Medial or lateral collateral ligament sprain
  • Cartilage damage
  • Dislocated kneecap

Our physiotherapists are also experienced in treating other, rarer causes of knee pain and assisting with coping strategies for chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis


Treatments for knee pain

First your physio will assess the cause of your knee pain, then they’ll design an individual, hands-on treatment program.

They’ll help you correct any biomechanical causes of knee pain and advise on preventing further injuries.

Treatment for knee pain is always individual, but might include:

  • Mobilisation techniques
  • Muscle releases and stretches
  • Muscle strengthening exercises, with biofeedback to help measure and improve muscle activation
  • Taping
  • Therapeutic ultrasound
  • Advice on modifying your activity
  • Biomechanical correction
  • Cold therapy
  • Massage
  • Advice and recommendations for corticosteroid or sclerosing injections

What causes shoulder pain?

Your shoulder is your most mobile joint. It’s also quite easy to damage. The older you get, the more careful you need to be to avoid injury with exercise.

Unlike other joints it has no strong ligaments surrounding it; instead, it’s held together by a group of four muscles which together are known as the rotator cuff. It is also joined to your skeletal frame only by your collar bone, so those muscles are very important.

There are many types of shoulder pain, some caused by acute injuries and others by overuse or poor posture. They include:

  • Frozen shoulder
  • Shoulder impingement
  • Tendonitis or bursitis
  • Rotator cuff tears
  • Shoulder instability or dislocation
  • Osteoarthritis

Physiotherapy for shoulder pain

Shoulders love to move. If you’re experiencing shoulder pain, we’ll almost certainly give you strengthening exercises, which have been shown to help improve shoulder pain in both the short and longer term.

Treatment for shoulder pain may include:

  • Therapeutic massage
  • Manual therapy
  • Therapeutic ultrasound
  • Taping
  • Strengthening exercises

Physiotherapy can be very effective at treating shoulder pain, but some tears to the rotator cuff require surgery. After your operation, our physios can work with you and your surgeon to help you get the best outcome and restore pain-free movement.


Elbow pain

The best-known elbow injury is tennis elbow – tiny tears and inflammation to the muscles and tendons caused by overuse.
Using a computer mouse, playing violin or repetitive household tasks can also be to blame.

Once a physiotherapist has diagnosed your elbow pain, they can help reduce inflammation using massage, ultrasound and mobilisations.

Our physios will also help correct any biomechanical factors contributing to your pain, provide you with a splint if required to keep you in your sport and give you exercises to help restore mobility once the pain settles.

We hope you find this article helpful and informative, however it is not intended as medical advice and should not be taken as such. We always recommend you see a medical professional if you have specific concerns about your health.

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