Learn about Four Painful Joint Disorders The article discusses the symptoms and treatment modalities for four types of joint pain.
Joints connect the bones, link the skeletal system, support the body, and help in movement. Joint pain refers to discomfort, pain or inflammation arising from any part of a joint, including the bone, cartilage, ligaments, tendons and muscle. A painful joint can prevent you from living an active and independent life. Leading multispecialty healthcare centers in Brooklyn, NYC offer a comprehensive array of pain management options for acute and chronic pain. They provide customized treatment to address pain and help patients return to an active lifestyle. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of people in the United States who reported severe joint pain increased from 10.5 million in 2002 to 14.6 million in 2014. Joint pain can range from mildly irritating to debilitating. Acute pain usually resolves after a few weeks but chronic pain can last for several weeks or even months.
Causes Joint pain can be caused by an injury or disease affecting any of the tendons, ligaments, cartilage or bursae surrounding the joint. It can also be caused due to arthritis, infection, or due to tumors of the
joint. Symptoms and signs associated with joint disorders include redness, swelling/inflammation, locking of the joint, stiffness/weakness, loss of range of motion of the joint, and limping.
Four Joint Disorders Let’s look at causes and symptoms of four painful joint disorders -- bursitis, chondromalacia patellae, gout, and septic arthritis. Bursitis - Bursitis is a painful condition that affects the bursae -- small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons and muscles near the joints. Bursitis develops when these sacs become inflamed. Common symptoms include pain that increases with movement or pressure, swelling, loss of movement, redness in the affected area, and a feeling of tenderness even without movement. Infections from gout or rheumatoid arthritis and overuse injury directly contribute to this painful condition. Chondromalacia Patellae - One of the common causes of chronic pain (at the front and center of the kneecap), this joint disorder occurs when the cartilage on the undersurface of the patella (kneecap) deteriorates and softens. It is the result of repetitive wear and tear of the kneecap, which can arise due to severe injury to the patella or due to aging. Sports activities that put great stress on the knees increases the potential risk of developing this condition. Common symptoms include pain and feeling of sensations of grinding/cracking on bending the knee, and severe pain after sitting/standing or exercising for a prolonged period of time. Gout - A common but complex form of arthritis, gout involves sudden and severe attacks of pain, redness, swelling and tenderness in the joints, often at the base of the big toe. It is generally caused by a buildup of uric acid that forms within the joints. The signs and symptoms of gout in most cases occur suddenly, and often at night and include intense joint pain, inflammation and redness, lingering discomfort, and limited range of motion. Septic Arthritis - Septic arthritis occurs when an infection caused by a bacteria or virus spreads to a joint or to the synovial fluid that surrounds the joint. Generally, the infection begins in another area of the body and spreads through the bloodstream to the joint tissue. The infection may enter the body through surgery, open wounds, or injections. Infectious arthritis typically affects the knees, but can also affect the hips, shoulders, and other joints. Primary symptoms include severe joint pain that gets worse with movement, fever, weakness and fatigue, rapid heart rate, poor appetite and redness, and swelling around the joint.
Treatment Methods In a professional Brooklyn-based pain management center, a team of health care professionals comprising of orthopedists, pain management doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, and rehabilitation experts will develop customized treatment plans to address the pain and other symptoms associated with these joint disorders. The top treatment modalities used to treat joint pain are as follows -
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Medications – For moderate to severe pain joint pain, over-the-counter or Non- steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen sodium (Aleve) can provide relief. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be effective for mild pain without any swelling. Cox-2 inhibitors (celcoxib) are a type of NSAIDs that target pain and inflammation due to arthritis. Antidepressants and antiepileptic drugs (which both interfere with pain signals) may also be prescribed.
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Steroid injections - Most commonly used in patients with joint disease, these involve injecting steroid medications (which may be combined with a local anesthetic) directly into the joints. Other injection options include removing fluid from the joint (often done in connection with a steroid injection) and injections of hyaluronan, a synthetic version of the natural joint fluid.
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Physical therapy - Physical therapy involves techniques that help strengthen the muscles around the joints, stabilize the joint, and improve range of motion. Physical therapists use modalities such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), ice/heat application, and ultrasound to reduce muscle spasm, inflammation and pain, and improve joint mobility. Therapeutic exercise programs like stretching, strengthening, isometric and aerobic exercises help reduce stiffness and improve joint mobility by allowing the joints to move through their full range of motion. Examples include weight training, sit ups, crunches, leg raises and hyper extensions, walking, swimming and bicycling.
For people who are overweight, losing extra body weight can help relieve some pressure on painful joints. Resting the joints by taking regular breaks from normal activities reduce repetitive strain on the joints. For bursitis, wearing a knee brace can provide warmth and compression to the area, which can help relieve pain and improve stability.