How a physio can help relieve joint pain

Published February 2025 | 5 min read
Expert contributor Yves Silveira, musculoskeletal physiotherapist
Words by Carrie Hutchinson

Finding it hard to climb stairs? Everyday movements taking a toll on your back and neck? Relief might be as close as your local physio clinic.

It’s hard to underestimate how important our joints are to our everyday quality of life. They could be seen as the 'glue' keeping our body together. But what are they exactly?

Joints are the essential parts of our body that form the connections between our bones. They’re complex structures made up of many types of tissue, including muscles, bones, ligaments, cartilage, tendons and synovium (a connective soft-tissue membrane).

As well as being important for movement, joints also take a lot of strain, so it’s not uncommon for people to feel joint pain in their hands, elbows, ankles and spine, although by far the most common problem areas are the knees and hips.

The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics suggests 3.7 million Australians – or about 15% of the population – are affected by arthritis (excluding gout).

For writer Rachel Smith, the intermittent joint pain in her hand and fingers began just over a year ago, and it wouldn’t go away.

“It’s my mouse hand and writing hand, so I would notice after taking notes by hand it would get worse,” she says. “It’s usually fine in the morning after a good sleep but slowly gets worse during the day, because, as a writer, I’m at my computer all day.”

The causes of joint pain

Joint pain can be caused by osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and bursitis (inflammation of the ‘cushions’ that protect tendons), as well as sprains, strains and other injuries.

“Joint pain can come about for a number of reasons,” says physiotherapist Yves Silveira. “For many people, it’s a lack of muscle strength and activation that puts more pressure on the joints, which can lead to pain.”

While there can be a number of factors that contribute to joint pain, Yves adds, it’s important to work with a physio to find – and treat – the main cause.

If you’ve got joint pain, whether it’s arthritis in your knees making it hard to climb stairs or a badly configured workstation giving you a stiff neck, you can make a physio appointment without having a referral from a GP.

What does a physio do?

A physiotherapist uses physical therapy, including soft tissue massage, to manage the pain and improve the mobility of their patients. In contrast, a chiropractor uses hands-on manipulation of joints and soft tissues to correct alignment problems in your spine and musculoskeletal system.

An osteopath sits somewhere in between these two as they use a variety of methods on the whole body to treat pain, including soft tissue massage, gentle movement of joints and some joint adjustment.

Eligible members with HCF extras cover can get 100% back* on their first visit for a new condition or an existing condition where there's been no treatment for three months with a participating physiotherapist, chiropractor and osteopath (one per calendar year) through the More for Muscles and More for Backs programs. Use our Find a Provider tool to find a participating provider.

What to expect at your first physio appointment

“The first thing we do is take a thorough history to work out what the underlying causes are,” says Yves, adding he’ll ask patients about their work and social history. “Then there’s an extensive examination to look at what might be contributing to that joint pain.”

In Rachel’s case, her GP recommended a physio who specialised in treating hands. On her first visit, she spent a lot of time answering questions and undertaking tests. 

“My physio asked a heap of questions about the type of work I do and when the pain started,” she says.  

He examined her to determine where the pain was and what kinds of movements set it off, then tested her grip strength in both hands. He also gave her a hard hand brace to wear. Usually made from hard plastic, a hard or rigid hand brace is strapped on to your wrist and hand. It can be removed or adjusted throughout the day and throughout your recovery.   

“I was told to go away and do everything in that brace for three weeks – all typing, all other activities, cooking, exercising,” she explains. “It drove me crazy for the first week, and I became very behind on work because I couldn’t type that well.”  

The second week was better, she says, and by the third it was just something she forgot about and wore all the time.  

“I also did a series of hand exercises four times a day to build the muscles around the thumb and wrist where most of the pain is. This really helped, but it’s not entirely gone. Apparently, it can take a while.” 

What’s involved in treatment at a physio

Your physio will likely include a range of treatment options to relieve the pain, says Yves, and most patients would also be sent home with an exercise plan.

“We’ll look at doing some specialised manual therapy techniques, which include massage, soft-tissue mobilisation and other techniques, just to help alleviate some of the symptoms,” he says.  “That would usually be a combination of mobility and some form of stretching, and potentially strength training to help get the joint strong.”

The length of treatment depends on the severity of the pain, he adds, though in most cases, it’s usually something a physio can fix quite quickly. This includes relieving the arthritis pain in knees using manual therapy and exercise.

“A lot of our clients often delay surgery or sometimes don’t even need surgery in time,” he explains.

One of his main recommendations is movement, and a 2024 study from the University of South Australia agrees, suggesting although physical activity is known to ease symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (OA), only one in 10 people with the condition exercised regularly.

“Research shows that physical activity is good for people with knee OA, but most people with this condition do not move enough to support joint or general health,” says the study’s lead researcher Dr Brian Pulling.

How to get the most from your physio visits

• Follow the advice: “You’re paying for an opinion and guidance,” says Yves. “The more you follow the physio’s plan, the faster you’ll begin to feel results.”
• Change your behaviours: “Listen to all the factors that may be contributing to your pain. If we suggest bad ergonomics might be causing neck or back pain, going back to the same workstation will continue to put structures at risk,” says Yves.
• Move more: “When you have joint pain and are sore, you might be tempted to not move but then you’ll stiffen up,” says Yves. “A good general principle – depending on the condition – is just to get up and move. The more you move, the better you'll be.”

Need a little extra support?

Carrying extra weight can take its toll at any stage and age. That’s why we’ve partnered with Prima Health Solutions to give eligible members free access to our Osteoarthritis Healthy Weight for Life program^{^} to help you improve your quality of life. This program helps members who want to reduce the pain in their joints, improve their mobility or prepare for hip or knee surgery.

If you’re at the stage where you may need a total joint replacement and your physician agrees, HCF’s No-Gap Joints program may be able to help cover it. Our No-Gap Joints program for primary hip and knee replacements gives eligible members peace of mind, with no out-of-pocket costs from hospital admission through to discharge and post-surgery rehab⁺. We've partnered with private hospitals and clinicians in NSW and Vic to give greater flexibility and continuity of care while keeping costs down.