What we treat - Muscle and Joint Injuries & Pain Conditions

Muscle and Joint Injuries & Pain Conditions

Within a physical rehabilitation context, it is common that muscle and joint injuries are considered in a different light from muscle and joint pain conditions. This can be confusing when the net result of either is pain and restricted function. As there is often a definite start to the pain, whether caused by injury or pain condition, it is common for a person to perform an activity review and assign a cause or injury to explain the pain. It can be confusing; but it is also important to establish the difference and the true cause of pain.

There are four main categories which can account for most pain that is seen in a physiotherapy clinic:

1. Trauma, blunt force or penetrating - this accounts for many of the muscle and joint injuries acquired in motor vehicle accidents; in a fall; collisions or twist and fall injuries while playing sports, etc
2. Slow onset pain - often described by clients who experience on and off symptoms. Examples include back or neck pain while sitting which disappears when standing; shoulder pain only when stretching to a top shelf; or a slow build up of nagging discomfort and pain, often over months, for unknown reasons. Such pain presentations are often identified as bursitis, tendonitis, neuralgia, early arthritis, or the truly non-specific mechanical low back pain, etc.
3. A combination of the first two categories is perhaps the most common pain presentation. There is clear trauma resulting in equally clear sprain or strain findings on assessment. However, this trauma complicates existing but less well defined low-grade, slow onset or occasional pain. For best treatment results, it is important that the underlying symptoms be identified and included in a treatment plan.
4. Pain not related to muscle and joint function is normally first picked up by a family or specialist physician; and can include cancer pain, neurodegenerative pain and other serious pain sources. Physiotherapy can play a limited role in these pain conditions

At Avalon Laser Health, all our providers contribute to the care of clients with muscle and joint conditions. We recommend initial assessment with one of our physiotherapists because of their strong muscle and joint assessment skills.

We appreciate our clients’ efforts at self-education, and have identified several resources we think are especially informative, such as physiocheck.

We can and do treat all muscle and joint injuries; and too many conditions with special names to list.

The muscle strains, ligament sprains, nerve injuries, myofascial issues, post fracture care, bursitis and tendonitis injuries of feet, ankles, knees, hips, spine, neck, back, shoulder, jaw, elbow, wrist and hands are all commonly treated. If you have muscle or joint pain, we can help!