Understanding Common Joint Injuries and Fighting the Pain

A joint is where two or more bones come together, such as the knee, hip, shoulder, and elbow. Joints can be damaged by many types of injuries. Joint injuries are very common in athletes. Typical injuries usually occur in the knees, ankles, wrists, shoulders, and elbows. These joints tend to swell and cause inflammation and redness in the area limiting their range of motion. Joint injuries often occur from contact sports, car accidents, etc. Sometimes it can range from sprains to fractures and dislocations.

Common joint injuries include:

• Rotator cuff injury
  • A rotator cuff injury is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint. A rotator cuff injury can cause aches & pains in your shoulder.

• SI Joint Dysfunction
  • SI Joint Dysfunction (Sacroiliac joint) is one of the more common cause of low back pain. The SI joint is one of the larger joints in the body, and is held together by very strong ligaments. This joint will usually cause a dull ache on one side of your low back.

• Runners knee
  • Runners knee refers to a number of overuse injuries involving pain around your knee. You will usually feel the pain behind or around the kneecap when you walk, kneel, or even run. Sometimes your knee may even swell up from this particular injury.

• Sprained ankle
  • A sprained ankle is an injury that happens if you roll, twist, or turn your ankle in an awkward way. This can stretch or tear the ligaments of tissue that help hold your ankle bones together. The ligaments are what stabilizes the joints, preventing excessive movement.

• Tennis Elbow
  • Tennis Elbow is when the tendons of the elbow become inflamed, which is usually caused by the overuse of the muscles in the forearm. You will most likely feel pain in this area when you lift something, open a door, and even when raising your hand. 

• Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic progressive disease that causes your joints to become inflamed, which can result in painful deformity and immobility, mostly in the fingers, wrists, and feet.

There are many different treatment options for joint problems, but it depends on the cause. If it is from a sports injury, more than likely you will be referred to a physical therapist or a chiropractor. The chiropractor will usually perform a spinal adjustment of the joint. This spinal adjustment results in a release called cavitation, which is oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide escaping from the joint when it is pushed past its range of motion. Chiropractors work to correct the underlying cause of joint dysfunctions so that your body can restore its normal range of motion in the region of the injured joint.