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How to Treat Post-Injury Degenerative Joint Disease

by | Jan 17, 2023 | Back Pain

person holding their knee

After an injury, the body remembers. Even once a scar is faded and healed, your body can still experience aches and pains it never had before. One of the most common lingering effects after an injury is pain and loss of motion in a joint. This is called post-injury degenerative joint disease

While it may be debilitating in the short term, the good news is that it’s treatable. If you follow the right care plan, your body can truly heal and reduce pain and inflammation in the long term. 

What is Post-Injury Degenerative Joint Disease?

Degenerative joint disease is the most common form of arthritis. Also called Osteoarthritis (OA), this condition occurs when the cartilage inside of a joint begins to break down. This is common with age and can range from mild to debilitating.

Unlike aging, post-injury degenerative joint disease is caused by a traumatic event to the body. This could be a car crash, a slip on the ice, a sports injury, a fall, or any other injury that damages your bones and/or joints. It most often occurs in these parts of the body:

  • Ankles
  • Knees
  • Hips
  • Elbows

The main difference between arthritis caused by injury and arthritis that comes from age is the timeline: you’ll often start experiencing symptoms right away. It also appears much more often in children, teens, and young adults compared to other forms of arthritis.

➡ Read Now: Arthritis – The Painful Truth

Signs of Post-Injury Degenerative Joint Disease

Sometimes, joint pain will go away as your body heals from its injury. However, it’s not uncommon that pain lingers after an injury has healed – which can be a sign that you’re experiencing longer-term degenerative joint disease. Some common signs include:

  • Pain
  • Swelling
  • Stiffness
  • Tenderness
  • Grinding, creaking, or crunching sensation
  • Limited range of motion

Seeing one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy  as soon as possible can slow the progression of the disease. If you’re unsure if you’re experiencing post-injury arthritis, schedule a free phone consultation or discovery visit

➡ Read Now: I’ve Got Some Pain, But Not Enough To Justify A Visit To The Doctor

How to Treat Post-Injury Degenerative Joint Disease

You can address some symptoms like pain on your own, using heat, ice, and pain medication – but this won’t fix the underlying problem. As long as the cartilage in your joints has worn down, any topical treatment or medication will only temporarily remove the pain from your joints.

Physical therapy is the most effective way to treat degenerative joint disease. Physical therapy with an expert like PRO Therapy is designed specifically to help aid the healing process. 

Following an injury, it’s important to follow a care plan that will not only ensure that your injury heals, but also that you’re avoiding future pain and injury by healing it right. PRO Therapy creates a customized care plan based on your body to ensure the healing process is done right. 

Your care plan will be tailored to your body, but some common treatments we offer include:

Spinal/Extremity Joint Manipulation

Active Release Technique

Kinesiotaping

Neuromuscular Re-Education

Wellness Coaching

Sport-Specific Programs

Mechanical Traction

Joint Mobilization

Work Hardening/Conditioning Programs

Trigger Point Therapy

Graston Technique

Gait Training

Personal Training

Cupping Therapy

Ultrasound

Dry Needling

Soft Tissue Mobilization

Electrical Stimulation

Therapeutic Exercise

Postural Evaluation

Nutrition Coaching

Laser Therapy

Muscle Energy Techniques

Myofascial Release

Therapeutic Activities

Custom Orthotics

All these treatments need to be done by a licensed professional who knows how to manipulate the body without causing further injury – a professional like one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy With PRO Therapy

If you want to make physical therapy a success, partnering with one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy is going to help you avoid future pain and resolve current pain.

We Love to Help People:

  • Keep Active – So you can run after your kids all day, take your grandchildren to the park with ease, enjoy a nice round of golf, run or walk anytime that suits you.
  • Stay Free From Painkillers – So you’re not always reaching in the cupboard for pills to ease the pain whenever it strikes, getting only a “quick fix” when you need a “permanent fix” – PLUS they’re no good for your long-term health, “mask” the pain and certainly don’t actually do anything to fix the problem.
  • Avoid Dangerous Injections/Surgery – We’ll help you get to the root cause of what’s going on – so you don’t have to get to the point of having to face injections or surgery.
  • Found Out What’s Wrong – We’ll help give you peace of mind and ensure that your problem is “corrected” and “healed” properly – also give you a set of exercises perfectly catered to you to help speed up recovery.
  • Get More Enjoyment Out Of Life – So you can enjoy quality time with family and friends that your daily aches and pains steal from you – also finally get a good night of sleep without constantly tossing and turning.

➡ Read Now: Why Our Physical Therapy Team Are Amazing (And What They Have Taught Me)

Are you ready to make physical therapy work for you? Give us a call! We offer complimentary phone and in-person consultations. We aim to meet our patients wherever they are in their journey and answer all questions we can to ensure a smooth experience at PRO Therapy. We want to help you make the best decision for you! 


Dr. Kevin Spahr

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Read our reviews from other people like you who came to see the physical therapy team – and left much healthier and happier.
Excellent
PRO Therapy
Based on 46 reviews
ashley M.
I’ve been dealing with plantar fasciitis for years and I thought there was no going back from the pain I felt all day everyday. Pro therapy has truly been a game-changer. From the very first visit, with Brooke she made me feel heard, supported, and hopeful. She took the time to explain my condition, tailored a treatment plan specifically for me and listen to the feed back from each visit to see what the next best thing was. Pro therapy staff been incredibly encouraging every step of the way.

The care I’ve received has been top-notch — professional, compassionate, and effective. I can already feel a huge difference in my pain levels and mobility. I genuinely look forward to my appointments because of how much relief I’ve gotten in just a handful of visits.

I Highly recommend pro therapy to anyone dealing with plantar fasciitis. They truly care about your recovery and go above and beyond to help you heal.
All in all, I am beyond satisfied with the care I’ve received with pro therapy
Misty L.
Kevin at ProTherapy is excellent! He is able to listen to feedback and discern next steps for meeting clients where they are at on their healing journey. He really cares about his client's wellness. His guidance as been spot on and appreciated! I will recommend ProTherapy to family and friends.
angela martinez D.
I was referred to PRO Therapy by my chiropractor. I was in desperate need of a good PT after very minimal mediocre treatment at another well known clinic. My first visit I knew my experience would be different with PRO Therapy. There was adequate time to share the history following my knee injury and I felt like I was taken seriously. Dr. Spahr formulated a plan that I was comfortable with and we were off. He made it clear that he wanted to see if we could truly heal the knee without another cortisone injection. I love that I felt included in my treatment plan and am always asked if I have questions about what we’re doing. Dr. Spahr is very good at what he does, he’s super knowledgeable for sure! He has a very good and natural ability to meet you where you’re at and moving at a pace that works for your body. My knee issues are resolving at a remarkable pace without another cortisone injection! When I started with PRO Therapy, I thought at the end of it all I would likely need another injection but that’s not the case at all. I would absolutely recommend you give PRO Therapy a try if you’re considering. I’ve referred my husband and can’t wait to see what kind of results he will have. Thanks Dr. Spahr!
Linda S.
I had the pleasure of working with Dr Kalvin,I had tendinitis in my knee and hamstring, after 6wks of P.T my pain level went from a 10 down to a 1. He was absolutely amazing, very informative and patient with me. Thank you so much for taking care of me 💖
Knel L.
Went in for help with my knee as it usually gets tight when I run. We went through a few sessions and honed in on what the problem potentially is. Dr. Kelvyn pointed a few things out that I wouldn't have figured out myself. Since the problem is probably form and/or muscle related it won't be an overnight fix. I get a set of exercises to do each visit that address my areas of weakness. It was good working with Dr. Kelvyn and definitely recommend checking out PRO Therapy
Debbie E.
I had 5 sessions of physical ther6with Dr Kelvin. This was my first experience. I felt listened to & he made every effort helpful my symptoms. I enjoyed the dry needeling experience. I have had some pain rein these 5 sessions and look forward to more progress with the exercises he gave me to do this winter while snowbirds. Clean clinic and friendly staff. Much appreciated. Thank you,
Debra Erickson
Naser A.
Susan I.
I strongly recommend Pro Therapy for anyone seeking physical therapy treatment. I have worked with several of the therapists at Pro Therapy and have been very pleased with all of them and the treatments they prescribed. I had PT for my shoulder, pre and post hip replacement surgery, and most recently I have been working with Dr. Spahr for back pain. He has combined exercise with other treatments such as dry needling and types of massage. My pain lessened and became manageable very quickly. With continued treatments almost all my back pain was gone and I was able to return to physical chores such as gardening.
My goal after hip surgery was to be able to walk 8 miles on uneven surfaces. Pro therapy helped me to achieve that. Besides being very successful therapists, they are very friendly, good listeners, and are easy to work with. I am very happy with all the treatments I have received there, will definitely go back to them if need be, and without a doubt recommend them to anyone in need of physical therapy.
Dylan P.
Kevin helped me alleviate muscular compensation patterns I had developed from an old injury. For years I had endured pain as a byproduct from those compensations and had visited numerous physical therapists/chiropractors to no avail. Kevin was the first PT that I felt was actually listening to what I thought was going on with my body and together we built a working theory on identifying the issues and fixing them. He suggested I pair my physical therapy with chiropractic through north suburban healthcare (same building) and two months later I feel like I can see the light again. My physical therapy exercises are not exacerbating my symptoms like they used to from other PTs, and I finally feel like I am rebuilding a solid foundation to eventually enjoy the active lifestyle I have been missing out on for years. In short, if you feel like you are at the end of your rope, give Pro therapy a shot. I’m glad I did.
Barbara J.
It’s been a step-by-step positive experience. Therapy has helped me learn how to take care of my shoulder surgery. And I have regained strength and range of motion. I didn’t have before surgery.