Joint Pain Relief

Joint pain is a condition, coping mechanism or reaction that involves one or several of the various joints in your body. It can arise out of malfunction within, infection from without, dysfunction of its own mechanisms or related parts or as the result of an external influence. Joint pain may be a primary in causing the pain or secondary – being a symptom of or a result of a disease or other problem. Before seeking joint pain relief, you need to consider the causal factors. This involves understanding the major diseases resulting in joint pain. You also need to understand what a joint is and where it is located.

Definition

A joint is a connective mechanism. You can locate them widely throughout the body. There are several different types including synovial or free moving and fixed.

Causes

• Gout
• Ganglion
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Bursitis
• Sprains
• Dislocation
• Cartilage injuries
• Tendinitis
• Lupus

Approaches To Obtain Relief

There are several different ways to manage joint pain and obtain relief. They are both traditional and alternative. Methods may include medication, meditation, physical therapy and magnet bracelets. Below is a basic list and brief description of several of the more common and/or popular forms of joint pain relief.

• Medication – The traditional way to deal with joint pain is to take medication. The types and dosages vary according to the cause of the joint pain as well as the stage of the problem, individual sensitivity to medication and other personal and disease-related specifics. Joint pain usually involves inflammation. The medication, therefore, focuses on reducing the swelling. As a result, the types of medicine common to most types of joint inflammation problems are NSAIDs and steroids usually cortisone or derivative substances, cortisoids. There are also new forms of NSAIDs called COX-2 inhibitors of which the most common is Celebrex. More specifically directed medication includes disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for RA and prophylaxis with allopurinal for gout.
• Medications of sorts can also be applied. Those with minor cases of joint pain may turn towards various creams and lotions. Some of these do provide temporary relief. So, too, can the application of hot and/or cold towels, gel bags or other such products to the affected parts.
• Physical Therapy – This approach encourages the individual keep the affected joints from seizing up and/or becoming more painful. Physical therapy is usually started under the careful eye of a qualified physiotherapist.
• Protective and Assistive Devices – You may seek joint pain relief by resting the affected joint and its “attachments.” You can protect the foot by using a walker, for example. If you have gout, a cane may help ease the pain while you move about.
• Surgical intervention – This is the more drastic way to address the problem. It involves operating on the affected area. This is sometimes done to remove afflicted parts or portions. It can also involve the replacement of “bad” joints with artificial ones.
• Lifestyle Changes – In some cases of joint pain, the individual needs to alter their current lifestyle. This is particularly true where a lack of a proper diet and exercise have played a role in the existence of the condition. In some instances, changing these factors will ameliorate the condition and reduce the joint pain.
• Supplements – There are certain nutritional supplements that may or may not act to relive joint pain. These range from gelatin-based capsules to herbal/botanical remedies to natural substances such as cartilage (Chondroitin) and fish-oil to dimethyl sulphoxide, a by-product of wood processing.
• Alternatives – These tend to look at more holistic approaches to healing and pain removal. Some focus on traditional Asian methods of healing such as acupuncture; others look at more “New Age” approaches such as magnets and copper bracelets.
• Others – Chiropractic and osteopathic medicine are possibilities.

Conclusion

Joint pain is caused by different mediums. In order to obtain some form of relief, an individual can turn towards the traditional western medical field or look at some of the alternative and even complementary forms of medicine available. Lifestyle can also be a factor in reducing the overall instances of pain.