Oakwood Joint Class 101: All the answers, none of the pressure

Everyone gets aches and pains every now and then, but when that pain lingers for more than a few days you may need to seek help.

No matter how old you are and what your issue may be, however, ‘help’ does not have to equate to ‘surgery.’

“There are a lot of different ways to deal with joint problems,” said Jeff Kline, director of Sports Medicine for Oakwood Healthcare.

That’s the idea behind Joint Class 101, an informal seminar that brings together a variety of medical experts to talk to people in an informal setting. Oakwood puts on the class frequently throughout the year, with the next one scheduled for April 17 at Oakwood Hospital-Southshore.

“It’s designed for anyone that is experiencing knee, shoulder or hip pain and they’re not really sure where to turn for answers,” said Kline. “There is a lot of information out there in the public domain and we think we’ve got a great class for people to attend and learn about joint pain, what causes it—and what to do about it.”

The class is a combination of a presentation and a question-and-answer period, said Thom Smith, a physical therapist and supervisor at the Oakwood Physical Therapy clinic in Allen Park. At each class, Oakwood brings together at least one primary care physician, physical therapist, occupational therapist and orthopedic surgeon. They talk about basic anatomy—such as how the various joints in the body work—and discuss common causes of joint pain.

Later, the classes break up into smaller groups and can ask questions of the experts in an informal setting.

 “It’s a unique situation,” said Smith. “It’s a casual atmosphere where you can ask questions of several different experts all at the same time. It will help give you a better understanding of the problem. It’s a lot easier to voice your opinion, and a great way to get the information that will help you go in the right direction for treatment.”

The most common cause of joint pain is osteoarthritis, he said, a degenerative condition caused when the cartilage around the joint breaks down. There are many different ways to treat it—anything from over the counter medication to injections, physical therapy—that are investigated prior to recommending any kind of surgery.

“Surgery is not the only answer and it’s certainly not the answer we’re always looking for,” said Smith. “We offer the audience many options. Surgery is the last option we want to consider—and I guarantee that our surgeons will agree to that.”