Joint Pains

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Joints, bones and muscles make up the bulk of the musculo-skeletal system. Some joints are more prone to problems than others and the most commonly affected are the four major load bearing joints: shoulders, hips, knees and ankles, as these paired joints support the body’s own weight. The two other commonly affected paired joints are the elbows and wrists, as these are usually involved in work-related weight bearing.

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We are designed by nature and evolution to exist in a motion rich environment; sadly with modern technology a great deal of our day to day motion has been greatly reduced. The old phrase ‘use it or lose it’ could not be more appropriate to describe how reduction in musculo-skeletal movement results in reduction of muscle mass and joint function.

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As a result of the reduced motion requirements, when we make demands of our muscles to perform tasks beyond their current capabilities, the result is often pain. This is our built in warning system that something is very wrong. Muscle fatigue will always show up way before joints begin to deteriorate – and yet this is very often ignored until it’s too late. The root cause of many joint problems is that when primary muscle movers stop functioning, in times of need other muscles are recruited to help perform the task at hand. This produces undue tension on the joints which now become pulled to some extent in directions they should not be going. Again the result is pain and prolonged misuse of this kind causes damage, although not necessarily irreparably.

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Setting these musculo-skeletal problems right is usually straightforward and unless obvious joint disease has progressed too far – they should never require surgical solutions.

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