Overview
Chronic Joint Pain
Your body’s joints are where your bones meet, allowing your skeleton to move. These include your shoulders, ankles, elbows, feet, wrists, and knees. Joint pain – the discomfort, aches, and soreness you may feel in any of these areas – is a common complaint that usually doesn’t require a hospital visit.
While joint pain can stem from an illness or injury, arthritis is a common culprit. But it can also arise from other conditions or factors. Overall, your joints play a crucial role in your body’s mobility, so it’s important to take care of them.
What causes joint pain?
One of the most common causes of joint pain is arthritis. The two main forms of this condition are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Arthritis.
According to the American College of Rheumatology, OA is most common in adults over age 40. This type of arthritis progresses slowly and tends to affect commonly used joints like the wrists, hands, hips, and knees. OA results from a breakdown of the cartilage that serves as a cushion and shock absorber for the joints.
The second form, RA, affects about 1.5 million Americans according to the Arthritis Foundation. RA more commonly affects women than men, and it can deform and debilitate the joints over time. This type of arthritis causes pain, inflammation, and fluid buildup in the joints as the body’s immune system attacks the membrane that lines them.
Other causes.
Joint pain can be caused by a variety of conditions, including:
- Bursitis: Inflammation of the cushioning pads around joints
- Lupus: An autoimmune disease that can affect the joints
- Gout: A type of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid
- Certain infectious diseases like mumps, influenza, and hepatitis
- Chondromalacia of the patella: A breakdown of the cartilage in the kneecap
- Injuries to the joint
- Tendinitis: Inflammation of the tendon
- Infections in the bone or joint
- Overuse of a joint
- Certain types of cancer
- Fibromyalgia: A condition causing widespread muscle pain
- Osteoporosis: Weakening of the bones
- Sarcoidosis: An inflammatory disease that can affect the joints
- Rickets: A vitamin D deficiency that can impact bone and joint health
What are the symptoms of joint pain?
If you’re experiencing joint pain, it’s a good idea to see a doctor, especially if you don’t know the cause or are having other unexplained symptoms. Make an appointment if:
- The area around the joint is swollen, red, tender, or warm to the touch
- The pain lasts for three days or more
- You have a fever but no other signs of the flu
You should also go to the emergency room right away if:
- You’ve experienced a serious injury
- The joint appears deformed
- Swelling of the joint occurs suddenly
- The joint is completely immobile
- You have severe joint pain
The key is to get checked out, whether it’s making an appointment or heading to the ER, to determine the cause and get the right treatment. Don’t hesitate to see a doctor if you’re dealing with persistent or worrisome joint issues.
How is chronic joint pain diagnosed?
Your medical provider will likely perform a physical exam to assess your joint pain. They’ll also ask you a series of questions to help narrow down the potential causes.
If needed, they may order a joint X-ray to identify any arthritis-related damage.
Additionally, if they suspect another underlying condition, they may request blood tests to screen for autoimmune disorders. This could include a sedimentation rate test to measure inflammation or a complete blood count.
How is chronic joint pain treated?
Home treatment.
Medical providers consider both osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to be chronic conditions. Unfortunately, there is no treatment that can completely eliminate the joint pain associated with arthritis or prevent it from returning. However, there are effective ways to manage the pain and discomfort:
- Using topical pain relievers or taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation.
- Staying physically active and following a fitness program focused on moderate exercise can be very beneficial.
- Stretching before exercising helps maintain a good range of motion in your joints.
- Keeping your body weight within a healthy range lessens the stress on your joints.
If your pain isn’t due to arthritis, you can try taking a nonprescription anti-inflammatory, getting a massage, taking a warm bath, stretching frequently, and getting adequate rest.
By following these tips, you can effectively manage your joint pain and maintain an active, healthy lifestyle.
Medical treatment.
Your treatment options will depend on the cause of your pain. If needed, your medical provider may recommend Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) injections. PRP can benefit people with arthritis or chronic joint pain. For these patients, PRP injections can alleviate discomfort and improve function. PRP is a great option for people who aren’t ready for a hip, knee, or shoulder replacement.
Other nonsurgical options could include lifestyle changes or medications that may help put your rheumatoid arthritis (RA) into remission. If you have RA, your medical provider will first focus on reducing inflammation. Once your RA is under control, your treatment will aim to keep it that way and prevent future flare-ups.
Our unique approach to chronic joint pain.
At biowoRx, we view our patients as partners in care. If you’re looking for a collaborative relationship with your practitioner, then we may be right for you. That being said, it’s important to understand that temporary and chronic joint pain can both trigger unpleasant symptoms, but they’re fundamentally different. Temporary joint pain often stems from an injury or accident, and it typically goes away on its own. In contrast, chronic joint pain rarely resolves without treatment, and it’s usually caused by a combination of factors rather than a single incident. While temporary joint pain is a common experience, chronic joint pain requires more attention and care.
Annamarie Salyer FNP-C
Founder – bionwoRx