Joint pain can have adverse effects on your lifestyle and ability to perform basic activities such as walking to the kitchen for a simple snack. Left unchecked, the condition can lead to conditions such as paralysis. Thus, it’s essential to learn about joint pain, especially if the complication has reached the chronic stages.
Pain that seems to be originating from the joints can, in some cases, originate outside the joints. This might include from body parts such as the tendons, ligaments, muscles, and more. Other disorders that might lead to pain include tendinitis, arthritis and bursitis.
The actual joint pain might relate to various factors. The most common sign of joint pain is inflammation. The inflamed joints might also be tender, swollen, and the overlying skin might be red. Arthritis might also affect the joints in the limbs or joints in the central section of the skeleton. Pain might also occur when a joint moves or experiences intense physical pain. Other complications include fever, excessive discomfort, mouth sores, and more.
Different factors come into play when addressing issues such as joint pain. As a result, doctors consider various factors of pain, mainly when it affects the joint. When the pain involves several joints, some disorders are likely to affect similar joints on either section of the body. The disorder is referred to as symmetric arthritis.
How Diabetes Can Cause Joint Pain?
Diabetes is a chronic health complication that relates to various factors such as blood sugar and insulin production in the body. Insulin is a hormone responsible for delivering glucose to the cells of the body. If one has high levels of blood glucose regularly, this might lead to various health issues.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune health complication. The condition occurs when the pancreas fails to produce sufficient insulin. Furthermore, Type 2 Diabetes is an acquired health complication. Type 2 Diabetes causes the body to produce less insulin, and this causes a compromise in body functions. Over time, if one does not seek proper medical treatment, diabetes can have adverse effects on the musculoskeletal system. Furthermore, diabetes can also lead to various alterations in the small blood vessels and nerves. Thus, issues such as joint pain and hand complications are often associated with diabetes
Treating and Managing Joint Pain
For those who have experienced sore muscles, aching knees, painful knees, and more, you will know just how such a complication can compromise the quality of your life. Recent medical studies have shown that the common complications that lead to joint pain include tendinitis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and more. Furthermore, there is a significant increase in the number of diagnoses that are made each year. Various complications can cause this type of pain. While its best to consult with a medical health professional on pain management, you can also consider applying essential DIY treatments. The common techniques for managing joint pain might include:
Medical Help
Similar to addressing any type of physical health issue, medical health is the best approach if you want the best results. The pain might relate to various factors, which you might not necessarily notice with a “naked eye.” If possible, it’s best to get a certified medical health professional to address the leading cause of the pain. Studies have also shown that advanced techniques such as nerve stimulation, electro-acupuncture and magnets are also useful. Other medical options include:
- Pain relievers include – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including Naproxen, Celecoxib, and Motrin. Acetaminophens for pain management such as Tylenol.
- Corticosteroids – which help to regulate any inflammation or swelling complications. However, before ensure that you get advice before using the corticosteroids. These are special injections that help to relieve pain and promote healing of muscles and bine
- Specific antidepressants and anticonvulsants – these are medications that may affect the pain signals and can be beneficial for people with intense joint pain. Similar to the corticosteroids, these medications are administered through prescriptions.
- Using antibiotics – the antibiotics help you to treat infections on the joint that might lead to secondary issues such as chronic joint pain.
Self-care and Support Techniques
Taking good care of your body is the first critical process in the treatment of physical health complications. You have to make savvy decisions, especially with advice from a certified medical professional. This way, you can reduce the recovery time required to address your joint pain.
Below are some techniques that you can use to achieve improved management of pain in the joints. Some of these techniques you can apply through DIY methods. Some of them might require help from a licensed or certified health specialist. Consult with a health care team before you consider these techniques for managing joint pain:
- Physical therapy – a physical therapist can play a significant role in restoring the functionality of a joint. Furthermore, they can also provide information on simple exercises and techniques for using assistive devices.
- Acupuncture – various studies demonstrate that acupuncture plays a significant role in regulating joint pain. The technique might involve using small needles in specific points of the body.
- Exercise – research has shown that stretching and basic physical activity helps to reduce the occurrence of joint pain. More so, physical activity also does well to assist in managing body weight, thus leading to less stress on the joints. The exercise can also improve the strength of the bones and muscles around the joints. Therefore, you will experience enhanced joint flexibility.
- Massage – a massage therapist with sufficient experience in working with people with physical health complications might be beneficial. You can also apply some simple DIY massage techniques you can use for the treatment process.
- Yoga and meditation – these are powerful techniques that help to train the body to better manage pain and discomfort situations. More importantly, yoga is also a form of physical activity that helps to stretch the muscles in the body.
Using A Cold or Heat Pack Appropriately
This type of treatment is common among people that engage in regular physical activity such as athletes. Using hot or cold pads, compresses, or ice packs may help reduce the pain associated with the affected area.
This is perhaps the most commonly used technique for managing muscle, bone, and general pain in the body. That said, it’s crucial to determine the way in which these therapy techniques work to achieve the best results. For instance, a cold pack is only useful when the injury is still fresh because it helps to control the inflammation. Furthermore, the cold packs are also beneficial when you want to numb acute pain associated with sprains and strains.
On the contrary, heat packs are only useful during the days that one experiences joint pain a few days after the occurrence of the injury. The heat packs work by improving the flow of blood to the affected area, thus providing enhanced pain relief. It’s also crucial to know that using heat therapy is only useful as a basic pain management technique.
Consuming The Proper Supplements
The consumer market is packed with various supplements that are useful for managing joint pain. The most notable pain supplement would be fish oil. Some types of fish oil contain omega-three fats that help to regulate inflammation that comes from issues such as arthritis. Even more, taking health supplements such as vitamins helps to restore the bone and muscle strength. Therefore, taking supplements can go a long way in helping to manage joint pain.
More so, there is evidence to demonstrate that linoleic acid, which is found in primrose oil, can also help to address the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Other forms of supplements to consider include Indian Frankincense, ginger, avocado soybean, and more. That said, before consuming any unknown supplement, consult with a health professional for advice.
While joint pain might compromise your natural gait and ability to move around, engaging in physical exercise is an excellent way of addressing the pain. However, the physical activity regimen should relate to factors such as your health, physical well-being, lifestyle, and more. More so, you may have to work through some pain before exercising becomes tolerable regardless of the pain. For instance, activities such as muscle-strengthening activities, cycling, tai chi, and yoga offer excellent ways to get started. Also, individuals that are overweight might have to consider water-based activities, because the play minimal impact on the structure of the body.
Re-evaluate Your Footwear
For some forms of joint pain, you must evaluate your footwear because this can lead to pain. Additionally, sandshoes or shoes that have adequate foot support are ideal for the knees. Thus, consider investing in shoes that provide optimal support for the entire body. The ideal footwear promotes the performance of bones and muscles, regardless of the activity or characteristics of the user. Good examples to consider might include Orthofeet’s plantar fasciitis shoes and the Gravity Defyer Pain Relief shoes, amongst many others. These are shoes that offer enhanced support, and are suitable for various types of activities that involve the entire body. You can even ask for additional advice on footwear from a professional medical health professional
Get A Full-Body Massage
While full-body massage is not an effective treatment for joint pain or arthritis when used alone, it can play a major role in reducing the occurrence of pain. A good massage helps to improve the performance of the muscles and to easy any point occurring in the joints. In fact, massage is commonly used as a technique amongst athletes and physical athletes to address various types of pain in the body. The specific methods used in a massage help to target particular muscle and bone groups in the body. In some cases, a massage might also be combined with techniques such as acupressure, which help to relieve tension and more.
What to Expect at The Doctor’s?
The doctors will perform various tests to determine the presence and factors associated with joint pain. For instance, they might ask specific questions and perform a physical exam as well. The findings of the doctors and the physical exam can point out the presence of joint pain. They might ask about complications such as swelling, stiffness, or previously diagnosed complications.
The complete physical examination will involve an evaluation of all joints. They will also evaluate other factors such as warmth, tenderness, redness, and more. The joints will then be exposed to their full range of motion, without any form of assistance and vice versa. This evaluation technique helps to identify the part of the body that leads to pain, and if it causes any type of inflammation. In the cases of chronic joint pain, the doctor might also check the functionality of nerves within the surrounding areas.
Some findings will provide useful information that your physician will use to address chronic knee pain. For instance, if you come across tenderness or inflammation around the join, then bursitis is a likely cause. If the joint complication is associated with no pain, then fibromyalgia might be a likely cause. It is through these findings that a doctor can differentiate in between the common causes of the complication. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are health complications with similar symptoms.
Finally
The main take-home message is that you have to keep active and informed when addressing pain in the joints. You must exercise, eat well, and best of all, take good care of your knees. Avoid exercising without a proper plan, and exposing the joints in the body to any unusual positions which can cause a strain.
It’s important to note that joint pain is a complication that relates to various factors. Being able to identify the complication early enough, and applying the proper treatment methods is therefore essential. The ideal management method addresses the various components involved, including muscles, bones, and overall body health. Therefore, if the joint pain advances and becomes chronic, then it’s essential to consult with a professional doctor. The treatment might involve a combination of techniques and will relate to the characteristics of your specific joint pain complications.
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