Joint pain is a common problem that many people face in the course of their lives. It plays an important role in physiotherapy, as it is often the reason patients seek therapeutic help.
Joint pain can present as a dull, gnawing pain or as a sharp, stabbing pain. It can occur acutely, for example after an injury, or develop chronically, as in osteoarthritis.
Possible causes are diverse: inflammation (arthritis), wear (osteoarthritis), injuries such as sprains or strains, unfavourable loading, or conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which involves hypermobile joints.
Physiotherapy treatment of joint pain uses various methods, including manual techniques to mobilise the joints, strengthening exercises for the muscles surrounding the joint, posture training, and guidance on joint-friendly movement in everyday life.
The aim is to ease pain, improve mobility and restore or maintain the function of the affected joint. Targeted exercises and behavioural changes are intended to achieve long-term improvement and slow the progression of joint wear.