JOINT PAIN
at Absolute Health and Wellness
A joint is the meeting of two bones; the joint surfaces are covered by a special type of cartilage called hyaline cartilage. Joints are held together by joint capsules, ligaments, muscles and tendons, and fascia.
A healthy joint has smooth bony surfaces, intact tissues, healthy blood supply, and synovial fluid for lubrication.
A painful joint can affect one or more joints at the same time and can be caused by local changes to the joint, or systemic changes in the body, such as infection, inflammation, or autoimmune diseases. Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of joint pain and affects 40% of people over the age of 65.
If you have experienced any of the following as a result of your joint pain, we can help!
- Decreased strength or range of motion
- Decreased endurance
- Obesity
- Changes in joint alignment and feelings of instability
The Naturopath's Approach to Joint Pain
ASSESSMENT: Your naturopath will carefully assess your joint health, with a systems-based approach. We will discuss the following:
- Exercise: physical impact placed on the joints may affect their health
- Diet: the foods we eat make up the anatomical structures of the joints. Food also affects inflammation throughout the body
- Inflammation: the amount of inflammation in our body affects our joint health
- Hormones: hormones play a huge role in bone and joint health, especially as we age
- Healthy Aging: bone and joint health changes as we age, many of these changes can be addressed and minimized
- Specialized Lab Testing: some conditions associated with joint health, will have biological markers which can be tested.
TREATMENT: our naturopath uses several options to treat joint pain, and any other contributing factors
- Herbs: research shows certain herbs can be helpful for the bones, joints, connective tissue, blood flow and immune system. Acupuncture and Dry Needling: acupuncture has been proven to be effective in both pain management as well as increasing tissue repair in various forms of joint pain.
- Vitamins/Minerals: certain key nutrients make up the structural components of joints (bones, ligaments, cartilage). Supplementing these nutrients can benefit joint health
- Weight Management and Lifestyle Change: various modifiable lifestyle factors (such as weight, smoking, sleep, exercise, diet, and motivation) have important roles to play
- Prevention: certain aspects of joint pain are avoidable; we can discuss how to preserve your joints in the future
Click here to learn more about Naturopathy.
The Phyiotherapist's Approach to Joint Pain
ASSESSMENT: Our physiotherapists will get to the root cause of your joint pain by assessing the following:
- Patient History: to determine any causative factors
- Observation: for any signs of joint irritation, inflammation, or changes in joint alignment
- Gait and Functional Tests: to assess your body mechanics and determine if that is contributing to or affected by your pain
- Range of Motion: noting any joint restrictions and comparing your range of motion to normative values
- Strength: looking for any areas of weakness
- Soft Tissues: to test the integrity of the ligaments, muscles, and cartilage
- Palpation: touching around the painful area to help determine what structures may be causing your pain
TREATMENT: Our physiotherapists use a variety of treatment techniques to help you manage your joint pain:
- Manual Therapy: joint mobilizations, soft tissue release, and stretching to help improve range of motion
- Acupuncture and Dry Needling: acupuncture has been proven to be effective in both pain management as well as increasing tissue repair in various forms of joint pain.
- Therapeutic Modalities: ultrasound, hot/cold therapy, and electrostimulation can help with pain management and promoting healing
- Exercise: current clinical practice guidelines recommend exercise as an integral role in joint pain management. We have access to various types of equipment to help you build strength and endurance
- Education: we will discuss topics such as weight management, exercise, and pain management techniques for self-management
Click here to learn more about Physiotherapy.
The Chiropractor's Approach to Joint Pain
ASSESSMENT: Our chiropractors use thorough subjective and physical assessments to determine the best course of action:
- Head to toe assessment: chiropractors can help with back and spine related pain, but also peripheral joints too
- Health History: learning about your past helps us better understand your current state of joint health
- Movement: observing how you move tells us a lot about how your joint health, muscle imbalances and posture
- Functional Testing: looking at range of motion
- Strength: looking for weakness and imbalance
TREATMENT: Our chiropractors use a variety of treatment techniques to help you manage your joint pain:
- Manual Therapy: joint mobilizations, soft tissue release, and stretching to help improve range of motion
- Therapeutic Modalities: ultrasound, hot/cold therapy, and electrostimulation may help with pain and/or tissue repair
- Exercise: exercise plays a crucial role in joint pain
Click here to learn more about Chiropractic.
The Massage Therapist's Approach to Joint Pain
ASSESSMENT: Massage therapists can assess your joint pain to fully tailor your massage
Our massage therapists will use the following information to help improve the effectiveness of your massage:
- Patient History: to determine any causative factors
- Observation: for any signs of joint irritation, inflammation, or changes in joint alignment
TREATMENT: Our massage therapists use a variety of manual techniques for soft tissues and joints that can improve:
- Pain
- Range of motion
- Muscle tone
- Inflammation
Click here to learn more about Massage Therapy