Dr. Mukesh Vyas

Joint stiffness is a feeling that the movement of a particular joint is getting restricted. The stiffness is generally accompanied by pain and occurs mainly due to arthritis or as a result of an injury to joint. Appropriate and regular exercises can help reduce stiffness and pain, increase flexibility, improve endurance, develop muscle strength and keep bone and cartilage in healthy condition.

What physiotherapy is all about? How it can be helpful in treating joint stiffness?
One of the allied health professions is physiotherapy, which by using mechanical force and movements, exercise therapy and electrotherapy, acts as a remedy for impairments and promotes a person’s mobility and joint function. The kind of physical therapy treatment which people receive for their joint stiffness mainly depends on the exact cause for the condition and other symptoms such as pain and inflammation.

Procedure for treating joint stiffness through physiotherapy-

1. When you go for physiotherapy, the first thing a physical therapist would do is to ask you about the exact condition with respect to the symptoms, which you might be experiencing along with the joint stiffness. You should clearly state to the physiotherapist since when have you been experiencing stiffness. The very next thing which a therapist would ask is, your medical history if you have been suffering from arthritis.
2. After all the preliminary diagnosis through the question-answer session, the physiotherapist would conduct a thorough physical examination and look to evaluate the joint and other structures associated with it to find out what exactly is causing joint stiffness and other symptoms like, pain, inflammation etc.

Now, after the completion of his questioning and physical examination, the comprehensive physical therapy treatment plan would be prepared as per the exact of your stiffness, symptoms and your needs.

Treatment options-
First, by determining the exact cause of joint pain and then treating it with highly effective therapies, physiotherapy acts as a preventive mechanism for reducing joint stiffness and the pain associated with it.
The treatment options which physiotherapists generally go for are as follows:

• Manual therapy: this manual therapy generally involves soft tissue and joint mobilization to provide relief from joint restriction and muscle tension.
• Soft tissue massage: soft tissue massage involves therapists only using their hands o reduce back muscle tension and restore mobility to stiff joints, as an effort to allow the patient more flexibility.
• Acupuncture: the physical therapy of acupuncture helps in restoring the balance of energy in the body and thus provides relief from pain, inflammation and proceeds with the healing process. This is done through single-use fine needles, which are used at different ‘trigger’ points on the body, as per your symptoms, thus helping to stimulate the flow of energy.
• Ultrasound: while conducting an ultrasound, physiotherapist uses a transducer to send a stream of high-frequency sound waves into one’s body. These waves bounce off one’s organs, muscles, and tissues.
• Exercises: physiotherapist would instruct you to do some stretching exercises where you would require moving your limbs without support and muscle strengthening exercises which would make you kneel, stand and sit to maintain your own balance.

Heel pain is a common problem in the body where the affected person experiences pain radiating from the heel bone. Heel pain usually progresses slowly over time, it is recommended to consult a medical professional, if heel pain turns severe. The pain tends to most severe after one has been inactive for some time such as after waking up in the morning.

Causes-
Heel pain is usually caused when tissues present in the bottom of the heel (plantar fascia) is damaged. These tissues connect the heel bone with the bones of the feet and help in absorbing shocks. Tears are formed in these tissues when they are damaged or when they get thicker. These tissues are at an increased risk of wear and tear for those who are over 45 years old. The risks also tend to increase if the person is obese or whose occupation requires standing for lengthy periods of time.
Among other causes of heel pain are heel bone fractures, fat pad atrophy (a condition where a layer of fat present under the heel bone is reduced) and bursitis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs present around the joints). Peripheral neuropathy is a condition where damage occurs in the peripheral nerves (that transmits signals between the central nervous system and the rest of the body), this can cause pain in the heel.

Symptoms-
The symptoms of heel pain include:

1. Experiencing pain while jogging or walking

2. A feeling of pins pricking the heels after waking up in the morning

3. Inability to bend the heel

4. Painful swelling

5. Pain in the heel accompanied by fever

Prevention and treatment-

Heel pain can be prevented by taking certain preventive measures such as restricting usage of high heeled shoes without proper support and stretching the heel regularly. Medications such as painkillers are used to treat symptoms of heel pain
Physiotherapy treatment - 
1. Some instructions have to follow 
2. Manual therapy 
3. Ift +ultrasound therapy 
4. Calf stretching 
5. Contras bath