Being the most movable joint in the body also makes the shoulder relatively unstable. The shoulder needs to be firmly anchored by it’s muscles, ligaments and tendons and any injury or overuse can cause instability and pain. Injury can lead to underuse of the shouder and in turn can lead to conditions such as ‘frozen shoulder’. Degeneration also causes pain and discomfort as do many diseases (such as gallbladder, liver or heart disease) any of which may cause pain to radiate to the shoulder.

Some occupations seem to be more prone to shoulder problems including any involving repetitive movements such as:

• Cashiers
• workers using keyboards for long periods
• plasterers
• hairdressers
•  people exposed to vibration from machinery.
• Throwing Sports
• Cyclists
• Golfers

Is a relatively common problem and can be caused by inflamed tendons and bursa on different areas of the joint. Injuries include:

• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Golfers Elbow
• Tennis Elbow
• Arthritis
• Entrapment of ulnar nerve, median nerve or radial nerve
• Fracture of one of the bones accompanied with swelling

Strains involving stretches or tears to the ligaments supporting the joint can happen when the elbow is over extended. The amount of ligaments involved will determine how much pain and discomfort will result from the injury.

Within the hand  there are many small bones and even more ligaments holding them in place and tendons to attach muscles, allowing movement. When they are damaged it can  lead to a host of different problems.

Tendonitis is inflammation of the tough cords attaching the muscles to the bones. While it can happen in any joint it most frequently occurs in the wrist and fingers. When the tendon is irritated, swelling and pain result.

Tenosynovitis is inflammation of the lining of the sheaths which hold the tendons, this is the most frequent tendon problem but can be combined with tendonitis making the problem worse. It is generally caused by overuse, injury, strain or excessive exercise. The thumb is the area affected most often.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a relatively common complaint where the nerve running from the forearm to the hand is compressed in the wrist causing pain, numbness, tingling and sometimes muscle weakness. If you have any of these symptoms it is advisable to get an early diagnosis as manual therapy and exercise may significantly help.

There are many other injuries of the wrist and hands and it is possible that more than one structure is implicated. Treatment will be given to suit individual needs with any necessary rehabilitation.

It is possible that problems with your lower back can be referred to the hip area and also that hip pain itself may be referred to the thigh or groin area. Through a series of tests your osteopath will be able to determine which structure is causing the problem.

The force required to walk and run means our hip joints have high demands placed on them throughout our daily activities. To assist the hip, the ligaments, muscles, tendons and bursa help protect the joint. When one or more structure becomes inflamed/dammaged through trauma or overuse, the hip does not function as efficiently and this can lead to pain. Overuse can also cause the cartilage to wear away causing arthritis.

There are many possible causes of knee pain, some of these include;

• Cartilage/ damage
• Ligament strain
• Arthritis
• Muscular impalance
• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Referred pain

As well as pain, you may suffer from your knee popping or clicking, giving way, crunching or grinding, locking or possibly swelling. They all indicate different structures that may be affected, so they are important to tell your osteopath about.

Can be caused by many different factors;

• Ligament Sprains
• Muscle Strains
• Bursitis
• overuse injuries
•  plantarfasciitis.
• Morton’s Neuroma
• Sever’s Disease
•  Metatarsalgia
• Bunions
• Fractures
• And many more

It is important to obtain a diagnosis as quickly as possible so that treatment can begin and rehabilation of the injury is not delayed. A treatment plan will be tailored to your requirments.

Your osteopath may suggest some exercises to build strength and support the injured joint as well as stretches to ease any associated pain and help prevent it from happening again.