Joint Pain
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Joint Pain
Joint pain refers to the discomfort that comes from the point where two or more bones meet in the body; commonly referred to as the joint. It is at times called arthritis or arthralgia. This kind of bone pain can be mild and cause soreness each time one moves his or her joint or can be severe, bringing problems when using the joint. Joint pain is not often a crisis as many cases of mild joint pain are effectively managed at home.
Causes
The causes of joint pain may include numerous conditions such as adult still's disease, ankylosing spendytis, avascular necrosis, bone cancer, broken bone, bursitis, complex regional pain syndrome, dislocation, fibromyalgia, gout, hemochromatosis, hypothyroidism, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, leukemia, lupus, Lyme disease, osteomalacia, osteomelyelitis, Paget's disease of bone, pseudo gout, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets, sprains and strains, tendonitis, septic arthritis and sarcoidosis. An individual suffering from any of the above medical conditions stand a great risk of developing joint pains.
Symptoms
When a person experiences joint pain accompanied by swelling, redness, softness and warmth in areas surrounding the joint, he or she should make an appointment and see a general practitioner for immediate medical attention. Other symptoms of joint pain include joint deformity, inability to use the joint, intense pain and rapid swelling of the affected area. Patients may also experience joint stiffness, joint swelling and muscle cramps. Joint pain may also arise due to damage to any of the ligaments and tendons adjacent to the joint, injury to the cartilage and bones within the joint.
When to seek medical help
See your doctor if joint pain is accompanied by any of the following:
- Swelling
- Redness
- Warmth and tenderness around the affected joint
Immediate help should be sought in any of the following causes:
- Joint deformity
- Intense pain
- Inability to use the affected joint
- Sudden swelling around the joint
Home remedies and lifestyle changes
Home remedies and lifestyle changes include activities that can be practiced at home to relieve or reduce the susceptibility to joint pains. Such measures include avoiding the use of joint in ways that can make the pain worse, applying an ice pack to the painful joint and trying pain relievers obtainable from over the counter such as ibrufen. These home remedies can greatly be successful when caring for mild joint pain.
Treatment
The treatment of joint pains depends on its specific cause since the underlying cause may be treated at the onset. Treatment entails joint replacement surgery for the damaged joints, immunosuppressant for dysfunction of the immune system, antibiotics in case the cause is due to infection, and in a situation of allergy, discontinuing medication.
When treating the main cause of joint pain, pain management can still play a key role whose extent varies depending on the precise cause of the arthralgia. Managing pain may be through regular stretching exercises, use of prescribed pain medications, over the counter drugs and other treatments considered suitable for the signs and symptoms of joint pains.
For instance, Capsaicin a substance that is commonly found in chili peppers is capable of relieving joint pain from arthritis and other related illnesses. It works by blocking substances mandated with the transmission of pain signals while triggering the release of chemicals in the body called endorphins, which block pain. However, the capsaicin cream has side effects which include burning or stinging in the body locations where it is applied. Another current option in joint pain treatment is an arthritis cream which contains methyl salicylate.
References