Not all pain shows up in the spine. Knees, hips, elbows, wrists, and heels can all develop pain from overuse, injury, or compensation patterns that started somewhere else in the body.
Dr. George Perez treats extremity pain for patients throughout Pearland, Shadow Creek, Manvel, and the surrounding area, looking beyond just the joint that hurts to understand what's actually causing the problem.
What Causes Extremity Pain
Pain in the arms or legs often has more than one contributing factor. Sometimes it's a direct injury or overuse issue in the joint itself, like a sprained ankle or tennis elbow. Other times, it's a compensation pattern, where restricted motion or muscle imbalance somewhere else in the body (like the hip or low back) puts extra strain on a joint further down the chain. Heel pain, for example, is frequently tied to how the entire lower body is moving, not just the foot itself.
How It's Treated
Care starts with a thorough exam to determine whether the pain is coming from the joint itself, a soft tissue issue, or a compensation pattern from somewhere else. Treatment may include targeted adjustments, soft tissue work or dry needling to release tight, overworked muscles, and radial shockwave therapy for stubborn, chronic issues like plantar fasciitis or tendinitis that haven't responded to rest. Therapeutic exercise is often used to correct the underlying imbalance so the problem doesn't return.
Common Areas Treated
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Knee pain
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Hip pain
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Elbow pain (including tennis and golfer's elbow)
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Wrist and hand pain
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Heel and foot pain (including plantar fasciitis)
Who This Helps
Extremity pain is common among athletes managing overuse injuries, active patients recovering from a sprain or strain, and anyone dealing with joint pain that's stuck around longer than it should. Whatever the joint, the same approach applies: find the actual cause, not just the symptom, and build a plan around it.