Over the years, I’ve learned to very easily distinguish between the pain I feel when I injure a joint versus a muscle. And I’ve had my share of injuries… plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, chondromalacia patella, ITB syndrome, SI sprain, thoracic/rib sprain, rotator cuff strain, cervical sprain, and I’m probably leaving out a few.

Though I’m not into extreme sports and I exercise regularly, I have some structural skeltal abnormalities that have predisposed me to these many injuries just with somewhat normal activity (especially running…which I love but my body doesn’t share the sentiment.)

The pain from the joint injuries or sprains is quite distinct from muscular injuries. Joint pain is often felt or described as being:

1. Sharp

2. Localized

3. Worse with specific movement patterns

For example, when I sprained my wrist, I could pinpoint the exact joints/ligaments that were affected, and it only hurt in the one spot when I extended my wrist back. When I sprained my SI joint, the pain was again, very specific to the SI joint, and it hurt when I brought my leg out to the side and extended my spine as if into a backbend.

A muscle injury, or strain is usually experienced differently. The pain tends to be:

1. Along the length of the muscle or tendons

2. Worse when the muscle contracts and stretches

3. More difficult to pinpoint to just one spot

4. Tenderness to the touch with or without muscle spasm

When I strained my rotator cuff, it hurt to both reach my arm up (as it contracted) and reach my arm around my back (as it stretched). When I pressed on the tendon it was very sore to touch, and the pain seemed to travel all around my shoulder.

The treatment for both types of acute injuries is the same: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. In terms of rehabilitation, it’s important to consult with a doctor regarding the best form of treatment for your specific injury. You may find that for joint injuries, a chiropractor or physical therapist may offer the most relief. Muscular injuries may respond well to massage and/or physical therapy. Again, I can’t stress the importance of early access to evaluation and treatment to prevent a chronic condition from developing.