Joint pain is common among adults and can include aches and soreness in areas where your bones meet. Pain in the joints occurs when damage (injury) or disease affects the connections between bones. Tissues of the joint that cause pain include cartilage, bone, ligaments, muscles and tendons.
Virtually any joint in the body can be affected by pain. Levels of discomfort vary from mild and short-term (acute) to debilitating and chronic. Joint pain has the potential to negatively affect a person’s quality of life. A patient may experience pain in one or more joints of the body. Fortunately, there are many treatment options to manage joint pain.
As with all pain issues, be sure to discuss all your symptoms with your doctor. It is particularly important to see your doctor if your joint pain is accompanied with swelling, redness or warmth around the joint. It is more urgent to see your doctor if you see any joint deformity, cannot use your joint, or are experiencing a sudden or intense pain with or without swelling.
Your treatment options will depend on the underlying cause and severity of your pain. Many causes of joint pain resolve with minimal or no treatment, or respond well to basic home-care. Treatments for joint pain can range from simple lifestyle modifications and home care, to prescription medications, injections, physical therapy and other medical treatments.
Adequate hydration and dietary modifications can also help reduce joint pain. Exercise, weight loss in overweight patients, bandaging, rest of the affected joint(s) and chiropractic treatments can also be beneficial.
Based on the underlying condition, further treatments may be required. If there is something that can be addressed by another type of specialist, we will refer you to the appropriate specialty doctor.