What to do for Joint Pain?

It cracks, it crunches, it hurts – in the wrist, elbow or fingers. Where does it come from? And what can you do about joint pain?

Only a few people today still do real, strenuous manual work. Typical hand movements in many professions and increasingly also in private life: Click or tap on the computer keyboard, mouse, smartphone or iPad. The appropriate posture: stooped back, drooping shoulders, neck stretched forward. Click. Click. Tip. Tip.

Too much, too long, without pauses in movement, over years – this puts strain on fingers and joints and promotes the formation of tiny furrows and cracks, an early stage of arthrosis. In many cases, such signs of wear and tear do not become noticeable for years and then appear suddenly after an accident or injury. Or after an extreme strain, for example when renovating or gardening.

“The boxwood hedge absolutely must be cut by Sunday evening – and on Monday the thumb and wrist or even the outside of the elbow joint will hurt unbearably”, says hand surgeon Dr. Ulrike Saalfeld. In the case of pain and inflammation after a one-time overexertion, it is often sufficient to immobilize the joint for a few days with a bandage.

The most common reason for surgery is carpal tunnel syndrome

For other complaints this is usually not enough. For the surgeon, the most common reason for an operation is carpal tunnel syndrome: the swelling of tendons and tendon sheaths in the already narrow channel between the forearm and hand damages, among other things, a nerve that is important for feeling and feeling pain; typical symptoms are “falling asleep” and tingling in the fingers.

The tendency to develop carpal tunnel syndrome is inherited; in women it can become more severe from menopause onwards. Irritation of the muscle attachments on the outside (“tennis elbow”) or inside (“golfer’s elbow”) of the elbows and tendon or bursa irritation of the shoulders are also common. A relatively new phenomenon is the “smartphone thumb”: Irritations and inflammations at the base of the thumb joint as a result of excessive typing on the mobile phone keypad.

What do joints need to maintain mobility and strength for as long as possible? Above all, “a healthy mixture of stress and relaxation”, according to physiotherapist Janina Berg, who often deals with the so-called “mouse arm” in her practice. This is a collective term for complaints that are triggered or intensified by operating the computer mouse: pain in the wrist, forearm or on the outside of the elbow, numbness or a feeling of heaviness in the fingers.

“Such problems are a consequence of today’s working conditions,” says Janina Berg. “The whole day at the desk, enormous time pressure and the demand to permanently achieve 120 percent performance – many people are so tense that they don’t even think about loosening their muscles or changing their sitting position from time to time.

Exercises

To relax

Sit up straight, arms hanging. Shake hands for five seconds as if they were wet.

For stretching

Raise your right arm horizontally forwards with the palm facing upwards. With the left hand grasp the fingers of the right and pull them downwards, towards the body, until tension is felt in the forearm. The palm of the right hand points forward. Hold this position for a few seconds, then change sides.

Fortifying

Press the fingertips of thumb and index finger of the same hand against each other and hold this pressure for a few seconds. Do the same again with thumb and middle finger, thumb and ring finger, thumb and little finger.

Learn, try, experience: What is good for the body?

Together with her patients, the physiotherapist analyses which postures and movements trigger or intensify the complaints, where energy is wasted. Then new, gentle movement patterns adapted to the anatomy are practiced. This is one of the principles of a still young movement theory, the spiral dynamics.

But classical physiotherapy is also about learning, testing, experiencing: what is good for the body, how to avoid premature signs of wear and tear, how to relieve and strengthen a painful joint and how to “reprogram” the posture so that one-sided overstrain does not occur so easily.

However, as long as an injury is still fresh – and in the case of acute inflammation – the joint needs protection. A physiotherapeutic treatment can also alleviate the joint pain. With gentle, targeted pressing, pulling and massaging, the blood circulation and supply of synovial fluid is stimulated.

Loosen more often, move more: We must change our everyday life

Both are important for the complex interplay of bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments that make the everyday movements of the hands – grasping, pressing, pulling, turning – possible. Equally important are exercises that at least partially restore the stability of the joint. All practice, however, is of little help if there is no simultaneous change in everyday life. So it helps immensely to bring the wrist into its natural “neutral position” from time to time.

In this article you will also find out what else helps with pain in the legs!

And when the treatment is finished? What to do so that the pain does not return at some point? Doctors and physiotherapists agree on one thing: be in motion – as often as possible and in the most pleasant way. For example, walking, dancing or swimming. Then the crunching and grinding will disappear all by itself.

Joint pain: Causes, prevention and treatment

What happens in the body?

Whether knee, hip or hand – no movement without joints. A certain amount of wear and tear cannot be avoided. In many people, however, the wear and tear of the joint cartilage expands into arthrosis, the most common joint disease worldwide. The cartilage layer is reduced to such an extent that bones, muscles, joint capsule and ligaments are also affected.

The causes lie in a long-term overloading and incorrect strain on the musculoskeletal system, mostly caused by overweight or heavy physical work. Competitive sports are also among the causes that trigger arthrosis. Other possible causes are a congenital malposition of the joints (e.g. knock knees or bandy legs), hereditary predisposition or injuries that have healed after an operation in malposition. Bone diseases such as osteoporosis or metabolic diseases such as diabetes can lead to joint deformations.

How does it show?

The first signs of arthrosis are a feeling of tension and stiffness in the affected joint. For the most common knee and hip arthrosis, initial pain at the beginning of a movement is typical. Joint pain initially occurs during impact-like stress (e.g. when running downhill or during backstroke sports such as tennis), but later on these joint pains can also occur at rest. Many affected people report weather sensitivity and noises in the joint – the latter are due to the lack of cartilage mass. Joint pain often occurs in phases.

How can I prevent this?

Above all, regular exercise without overloading is important. Sports that are easy on the joints, such as swimming or cycling, are ideal. Exercise not only strengthens the joints, but also promotes the supply of nutrients to the tissue and the build-up of cartilage mass – the synovial fluid. A strong musculature also supports the joints. A healthy diet is just as important, because every extra kilo on the ribs puts additional strain on the joints.

What can I do if I already have it?

Arthrosis cannot be cured, the complaints can only be alleviated and the progression of wear and tear slowed down. The most important thing is to relieve the corresponding joint and compensate for the malposition. Orthopaedic aids such as a hand stick, buffer heels or inner rim elevations of the shoes are available for this purpose. Physiotherapy, massages, heat or cold treatments are also recommended. If necessary, the doctor will also prescribe pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory drugs.