Joint Pain

 

 

 

 

 

All pain is felt through the nervous system so it would be correct to say all pain is as a result of nerve stimulation. In this context the term " joint pain " refers to the joint being the source causing the actual pain as opposed to the nerve or muscle. Furthermore, throughout this section, joint pain will be regarded as the "tracking of the joint" when movement occurs, not for example osteoarthritis which is an inflammatory condition.

Joint pain, which in this case is as a result of incorrect bone movement, is a very common condition reported in the clinic. It must be made clear that "joint maltracking" does not mean that a "joint is out", it simply means that the movement is not a fluent as it should be. It is very common for people to be told after they have been assessed that their joints are "out", and as a result, require aggressive manipulation techniques to correct the problem. This is incorrect.

Mobilisation techniques do not need to be aggressive. At James Grigg Injury Clinic, mobilisation techniques are based on the latest techniques from New Zealand that are gentle, non aggressive and highly effective.

Case study: Neck pain due to joint maltracking

A 48 year old lady reported to the clinic with severe pain in her neck after "jolting" it when taking out the rubbish. She was able to rotate her head fully to the right with no pain. However, even just slight movement to the left would send shooting pain into the upper shoulder and shoulder blade.

Previous to this visit, the lady had received treatment elsewhere and had been told that 3 of her neck (cervical) vertebrae were "out". Treatment for the condition had involved aggressive manipulation of the neck area which produced a "clicking" and "popping" sound. Following treatment there had been no improvement in her symptoms.

After a detailed examination of the ladies neck at James Grigg Injury Clinic it was clear that there was some maltracking within the neck joint. The joint was not "out", it was just not just moving as smoothly as it should be. It was decided that the initial treatment should involve gentle mobilisation to the neck. 

Mobilisation technique, the process:

Minimal pressure was applied to the faulty joint within the neck. There was no pain felt. The lady was now asked to rotate her head to the left only if pain was absent. There was no pain at all with full rotation to the left. The movement was repeated twice and then the pressure was removed. The lady was now asked to move here neck to the left on her own and no pain was felt. Treatment was then focused on soft tissue release techniques which reduced the spasm in the surrounding muscles.

Joint maltracking is very common and can produce severe pain which many patients believe is due to serious injury. The good news is that correct treatment is quick and effective.

To receive the best treatment for your discomfort arrange an appointment today or if you have any questions please feel free to email