Healthy joints are crucial for comfortable movement, but age and stress are two factors that can negatively impact our joint health. A lot of people try to push through discomfort and learn to live with occasional joint pain, but sometimes joint symptoms are a sign of a problem that should be professionally addressed before a major issue develops. In today’s blog, we share four joint pain problems that you should consider bringing up to your doctor or a physical therapist in your area.
Joint Pain Symptoms You Don’t Want To Ignore
If your knees, hips, wrists or elbows are dealing with any of these issues, consider connecting with a physical therapist. Not only do they often respond well to conservative treatment, but earlier intervention tends to produce better results and prevent further joint damage. Here are the four signs to watch out for.
- Catching – If it feels like your joint is catching or locking when you try to bend it, know that’s not normal. If your joint struggles to get past a certain point, it’s a clear indication that there’s something that needs to be addressed in the joint. Left unaddressed, it can increase your fall risk if the joint issue is in your knee or hip.
- Weakness – If the discomfort in your joint is leading to weakness in the area, you should work to strengthen the area with the help of a physical therapist. It may not seem like a big deal to compensate for your bad knee as you walk or move, but if one joint is weaker than the other, the healthy joint is at risk for more damage as it now has to handle more stress and pressure because of the compensation. If one knee is weaker than the other, it’s a sign you should work to correct the problem before it becomes worse or negatively affects the other joint.
- Non-Weight Bearing Pain – Another sign of a problem that shouldn’t be overlooked is when pain develops even though you’re not loading the joint. Rotational pain in the wrist or elbow requires attention, as does pain in the knee that develops even though you’re not standing and putting weight through it. Discomfort that doesn’t derive from pressure suggests there is a functional issue in the joint.
- Doesn’t Go Away – Some joint pain should be expected if you had a rather physical day or just got done with athletic activity, but oftentimes this pain is most intense within the first 12-24 hours and then fades as time passes. However, if your joint pain remains consistent for a few days, or if pain ends up getting worse, it’s a sign of an issue that should be looked at by a trained medical eye. Don’t learn to live with it, proactively treat it.
