Joint pain can be situational, a temporary annoyance, debilitating, and everything in between. But how do you know it’s time to get treatment for it?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. You need to assess how much the pain and discomfort from an injury or a chronic condition — like arthritis, for example — are limiting your movement and your ability to participate in life.
At Empire Physical Therapy & Athletic Rehabilitation, our caring physical therapists, Billy Reilly, MS, PT, and Paul LaRosa, MS, PT, listen to how you describe your joint pain, what led to it, your personal and family medical history, and more.
All of this information, plus thoroughly reviewing clinical information like results from imaging tests, gives them insight to create the best treatment plan for you.
Many people can have a tendency to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to aches, pains, and discomforts. And the self-talk isn’t always helpful: “It’s not so bad.” “It’s probably only temporary.” “Don’t be a wimp.”
Listen to your body so you don’t diminish joint pain you should be paying attention to.
Joint pain frequently strikes in the knees, hips, elbows, wrists, shoulders, ankles, and feet. The back and neck are also often affected.
The pain may originate from repetitive movements (tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome from working at a keyboard), a fracture or other type of injury, or a chronic condition like arthritis or tendonitis.
No matter which of your 360 joints is giving you trouble, you deserve to find relief.
We’d argue that joint pain — even if it’s short-lived and seemingly not a big deal — can lower your quality of life significantly if it’s causing any achiness, stiffness, swelling, or any other type of discomfort, and if it’s limiting your mobility or stamina.
Ignoring the problem not only has a negative effect on your well-being — it can actually put you at higher risk for further injury and heightened pain.
In fact, seeking care for your joint pain sooner rather than later can help delay or negate the need for surgery in the future. In other words, the earlier you get help with taking care of your joints, the longer they’re likely to last and remain in good working order.
At Empire, we offer diverse, innovative treatments for many joint problems that cause pain and movement challenges. First, the physical therapist you end up working with (for consistency, you always see the same person at Empire) performs a thorough assessment of your condition so he can:
This conversation paints a portrait that informs your customized treatment plan.
Then we may recommend a specific course of hands-on physical therapy and sophisticated high-tech treatments like electrical stimulation (e-stim) and ultrasound therapy.
By sending mild electrical currents through your skin to your muscles, e-stim treatment causes repeated muscle contraction and relaxation. This eases pain and inflammation, encourages tissue healing, and makes your muscles stronger.
Ultrasound therapy heats your tissues to hasten healing, improve circulation, and reduce joint pain.
We may also suggest a test called a functional movement screen, which assesses the way you move. If you’re moving improperly due to joint pain, we can see that better and use that information as we create your treatment plan.
We’re also proud to offer patients access to our in-house, state-of-the-art gym, so you can do any of the exercises we recommend right here at Empire.
Call our easily accessible Midtown East office in Manhattan, New York City, at 607-602-1330 to schedule an appointment and get to the bottom of your joint pain. We can help you get back to a pain-free, active life again.
