5 Causes of Joint Pain — And How to Treat Them

Persistent joint pain has a significant impact on your life. It keeps you from your responsibilities and doing the things you love. 

Fortunately, chiropractic care can improve joint pain, and our team at Herald Square Chiropractic and Sport in New York City provides this essential service. We’re joint pain relief specialists with the knowledge and experience to develop customized treatment plans. 

There are many reasons for joint pain. Today, we’ll look at five of the more common causes. 

1. Osteoarthritis

Your joints experience wear-and-tear over the years. Everyone ages at their own pace and experiences it at different rates. In your joints, this wear-and-tear presents as osteoarthritis. 

The smooth cartilage surface that protects and lubricates the ends of bones at a joint starts to break down. That causes inflammation and pain and potentially affects your range of motion. 

As cartilage deterioration advances, bones come into direct contact, causing severe pain. Other structures in the joint start to break down, too. There’s no way to reverse osteoarthritis, but we provide options to ease pain and slow its progression. 

2. Autoimmune arthritis

Arthritis is a catch-all term for any condition or disease that affects joints, and there are dozens of these. Osteoarthritis is the most common, followed by rheumatoid arthritis, which is caused by an autoimmune disorder. 

With this condition, your body mistakenly attacks joint tissue, causing tissue deterioration, inflammation, and pain. Psoriatic arthritis and lupus are two similar diseases caused by autoimmune system disorders. 

3. Tendon injuries

Attaching muscles to bones, tendons are second to osteoarthritis for causing joint pain. Tendon injuries include partial and complete tears, leading to inflammation and pain. Though you feel symptoms at a joint, the pain is actually in a supporting muscle. 

4. Ligament injuries

Made of a tough tissue similar to tendons, ligaments connect bone to bone. The most common cause of ankle joint pain is a sprain — an overextension of ligaments caused by rolling your foot to the outside. 

5. Torn meniscus

Your knees have two cartilage pads called a menisci. These keep the knees stable. While damage to the meniscus can happen with forms of arthritis, it’s a common sports injury where forceful movement tears and twists the tissue. 

Treating joint pain

While many look to chiropractic care for fast relief of joint pain, that’s only one benefit. In fact, the goal of chiropractic is more than joint pain relief. It’s about returning your body to balance so your natural healing systems provide the relief. 

Your adjustments relieve pressure on nerves and improve blood flow, contributing to reduced joint pain. We also offer massage and physical rehabilitation therapy, as well as specialized sports medicine services. 

Trust our Herald Square Chiropractic and Sport team in Midtown Manhattan to resolve your joint pain. You can book an appointment online or by calling our office directly. Schedule your visit today.