Joints are places in your body where two bones meet. For example, your hip joint is where your pelvis meets your thigh bone. Your joints give your body much-needed support and flexibility for everyday movements, so if a disease or injury impacts any of your joints, you can experience pain, stiffness, and decreased mobility.
Many different things can cause joint pain, from chronic conditions to acute injuries, which is partly why it’s such a prevalent issue in people of all ages.
If you’ve been dealing with joint pain, you’re probably ready to get some relief from the daily impact it makes on your life. And the team at Valley Orthopedic Institute in Palmdale and Ridgecrest, California, led by orthopedic experts Anand Shah, MD, Mehul Taylor, MD, and Adam Amir, DO, is here to help.
This month’s blog breaks down five common causes of joint pain and how we can address each one with expert-level care.
One of the top causes of joint pain is arthritis. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, but the two most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis develops when the cushioning cartilage that protects and lubricates your joints breaks down. This causes your joints to rub together and triggers pain and swelling. Rheumatoid arthritis is actually an autoimmune condition where your immune system begins attacking the lining in your joints, causing pain and swelling.
There is currently no cure for arthritis, so slowing down the progression of the disease is key to pain management. We offer physical therapy and injections for maintaining flexibility and lowering pain; however, exercising regularly and eating a low-inflammation diet are helpful for arthritis management.
Bursae are small sacs that sit between your bones and soft tissues to prevent them from rubbing against each other. However, these bursae can become irritated and inflamed due to undue friction and significant joint overuse, which is a condition known as bursitis.
Most often, bursitis develops from frequently repeated joint movements, such as sports activity, gardening, and hiking. If you don’t stretch, warm up, and cool down properly, your joints (and bursae) start to feel the effects. Bursitis can occur in any joint, but commonly develops in the shoulders, knees, hips, and elbows.
To manage bursitis, rest your affected joint, apply ice packs, and take over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications. After a few weeks, if your joint is still painful, our team can provide physical therapy and regenerative therapies for more effective healing.
Tendons are strong bands of fibrous tissue that attach your muscles to your bones, and they’re designed to give your joints strength and flexibility. But even with their strength and sound structural design, joint overuse can lead to tendon irritation and inflammation, known as tendonitis.
When a sport, hobby, or occupation requires you to use repetitive joint movements and you don’t use proper posture or stretching and recovery techniques, your tendons will suffer damage and subsequent tendonitis. This condition often develops in your elbow (tennis or golfer’s elbow), hands (trigger finger), and wrist.
Resting your affected joint, learning proper postural positions, undergoing physical therapy, and getting injections from our team can relieve pain and encourage effective healing.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain and tenderness throughout your whole body, making it difficult to move around and accomplish everyday tasks. The joint pain and poor mobility associated with fibromyalgia can often lead to a misdiagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. However, fibromyalgia is thought to be caused by misfired pain signals.
While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, finding a way to effectively manage pain is key to improving your quality of life. One method that our team offers is physical therapy. Learning how to stretch your body to increase strength and flexibility is vital to joint pain management.
Oftentimes, common viruses, such as the common cold, flu, and COVID-19, can lead to painful and tender joints. However, with plenty of rest and fluids, the joint pain should go away as your body fights off the virus.
To learn more about our healthcare services for joint pain, schedule an appointment with our team by calling 661-949-8643 or using our online booking feature today.
