Joint Pain What to knowPainful joints make performing everyday tasks difficult and become a constant source of discomfort and irritation. You may no longer enjoy the activities you love because specific movements cause pain and discomfort. You do not have to worry about living with the conditions permanently because there are measures you can take to prevent and minimize the pain.

Our board-certified physicians at Tarpon Interventional Pain and Spine Care are experts in treating joint pain and want you to get back to doing the activities you love and enjoy. Read on to get a better understanding of the condition.

Joint Pain Types

There are various types of joint pain, including:

  • Neck pain
  • Elbow pain
  • Hand pain, including fingers and wrists
  • Foot pain, including toes and ankles
  • Shoulder pain
  • Hip pain
  • Knee pain

Patients may feel pain in more than one joint simultaneously.

Joint Pain Causes

Joint pain is caused by different factors and conditions resulting from infection, injury, illness, or inflammation. Joint pain is more prevalent in old age and may affect any body part.

When a person experiences pain in multiple joints, the condition is called polyarthralgia.

Common causes of joint pain include:

1. Arthritis
Patients with arthritis often complain of persistent joint pain and inflammation. The causes of arthritis vary among different types.
Some common types of arthritis include:

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) – An autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack its own tissues. It is more predominant in women than men and causes joint deformity over time. RA causes inflammation, pain, and fluid retention.

Osteoarthritis(OA) – It is also known as degenerative joint disease. OA results from joint cartilage loss or degeneration. It is common in older adults from 40 years. It progresses slowly, affecting the hips, hands, knees, and wrists, causing swelling and stiffness of the joints.

Gout – It occurs when the blood has excessive uric acid levels leading to sharp crystal formation. The uric acid gets into joint spaces causing pain and inflammation. It commonly affects the big toe joint and is more predominant in men than women.

2. Injury/Trauma
Injuries usually occur due to falls, car accidents, and bicycle wrecks which may cause joint pain. The resulting impact can cause fractures, strains, dislocations, or sprains. Excessive effort or use of the joints may also cause injuries.

3. Disease/Conditions
Some diseases that cause joint pain often cause inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and loss of range in motion. They include and are not limited to the following:

  • Osteoporosis
  • Lupus
  • Rickets
  • Gout
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Cancer
  • Bone or joint infection
  • Tendon Inflammation (Tendinitis)
  • Infectious diseases like hepatitis, influenza, and mumps
  • Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like gonorrhea or chlamydia
  • Inflammation of the cushioning pads around joints (bursitis)

4. Viral infections
Some viral infections, rashes, and fever might make joint movements painful and swollen. Examples of viruses that cause joint pain are hepatitis C and B, which may cause joint issues.

Joint Pain Symptoms

Symptoms of joint pain are mild or severe and vary from person to person depending on the affected joints and time of day. Joint pain and swelling are usually accompanied by aches, stiffness, heat or warm sensation, and fatigue.

Other symptoms include:

  • Limited joint movement
  • Weakness in the joint, or joint instability
  • Joint tenderness
  • Locking of the joint
  • Loss of joint range of motion
  • Limping
  • Muscle cramps

Joint Pain Diagnosis

Initial diagnosis involves a physical examination and evaluation of a patient’s medical history. Physical examinations involve joint inspection and checking the joint range of motion.

The doctor may also ask questions like whether there is a family history of joint pain to establish the potential cause.

Laboratory tests may be conducted to help make a diagnosis. A sedimentation rate test may be performed to measure inflammation levels in the body.

Blood tests may be performed to check the following:

  • Uric acid
  • C-reactive protein
  • Rheumatoid factor
  • Antinuclear antibodies
  • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate

X-rays, MRIs, CT Scans, and ultrasounds may also be necessary to diagnose joint damage due to arthritis.

Joint Pain Treatment Methods

Medical Treatment
Treatment varies depending on the underlying cause.

A doctor may prescribe pain medication or injections for pain relief for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be necessary for minimizing pain and inflammation.

Some cases may require drawing out build-up fluids in the joints to test for gout or infection.

The doctor may perform surgery for severe cases like joint replacement.

Home remedies/ Treatments
Home remedies vary depending on the underlying cause of the pain. Topical pain relievers and taking over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or paracetamols relieve pain.
The RICE treatment helps alleviate joint pain. RICE stands for

Rest: Don’t use the injured area.

Ice: Apply ice packs.

Compression: Wrap the injured area with an elastic bandage.

Elevation: Raise the injured area to reduce swelling.

Get in touch with our pain specialists at Tarpon Interventional Pain & Spine Care today if you are experiencing unexplainable joint pain.

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