The hands, shoulders, wrists, and elbows are made up of a complex network of bones, joints, and soft tissues. Picture how often we rely on our upper extremities for daily use, and it is for this reason that they develop overuse injuries and progressive diseases like arthritis.
Joint pain makes everything twice as difficult. In this article, we give you three ways to achieve joint pain relief.
Acupuncture
In acupuncture, thin needles are inserted into specific points on the body known as “acupoints” that stimulate energy pathways known as meridians that run throughout the body. By stimulating these acupoints along certain meridian lines, practitioners can help improve circulation and promote healing within painful joints or areas where inflammation has formed.
The benefits associated with acupuncture include increased blood circulation, which helps improve tissue oxygenation levels and reduces swelling and stiffness in joints due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Exercise
Fortunately, there are several exercises that you can do to provide some relief from joint pain. The key is finding the right combination of stretches and strengthening movements for your specific needs.
Two forms of exercise that many people find helpful in relieving joint pain are yoga and Pilates-style stretching exercises. These types of workouts focus on lengthening tight muscles, while also providing gentle resistance with each movement to help strengthen them, as well. This type of activity helps reduce inflammation around joints by allowing more space between them, which reduces friction during movement. Additionally, this type of workout encourages proper posture and body alignment, which further lessens the pressure on painful joints over time if practiced regularly. That’s why it’s important not just to stick with one routine but rather switch up poses frequently throughout each session for the best results.
Strength training has also been found useful in reducing stiffness and improving the range of motion associated with chronic conditions like arthritis. It also helps decrease pain associated with the condition. Strength training is a great way to strengthen the joints and muscles in the shoulders, elbows, and wrists. Lifting two- to five-pound weights and using exercise bands to do reps can help with improving joint pain.
Joint Replacement Surgery
If pain persists after trying a variety of conservative treatments, your orthopedic doctor may recommend joint replacement surgery. The goal of a typical surgical procedure is to replace damaged bone and cartilage with artificial parts that replicate as closely as possible natural movement in the joint while eliminating discomfort. During surgery, the doctor removes any worn-out pieces from your joint, before inserting new components made from metal alloys and plastic materials designed to match perfectly into place within the body’s anatomy. These prosthetic components may be humeral heads (shoulder ball), ulnar head (elbow) implants, scapular plates, radial head replacements, carpometacarpal arthroplasties (wrist), or metacarpophalangeal arthroplasty/prosthesis (fingers), depending on the joint being replaced.
Once these prosthetic devices have been implanted correctly during surgery, they decrease pain and provide increased stability, improve range of motion, and restore mobility and overall function.
Joint Pain Treatment in Lutherville, Maryland
The team at Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder specializes in treating conditions affecting the upper extremities. If you are experiencing joint pain, don’t wait any longer and find out what treatments our board-certified and fellowship-trained doctors will recommend for you. We offer a wide range of treatment options, including non-surgical and surgical treatments.
To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors, call our office today at (410) 296-6232, or use our convenient online request form.
