It can be hard to move around when dealing with joint pain. It restricts you from doing your daily activities and can make your lifestyle sedentary.
Fortunately, joint specialists can address these concerns to help you manage the pain and return to an active life. However, relieving joint pain also depends on the type and intensity of your condition.
Let’s talk about what joint pain is, the different ways to relieve pain, and where you can go for effective joint pain management in Baltimore, MD.
What Does Joint Pain Look Like?
Joints connect the bones and other structures in our body. They are a vital part of the skeletal system responsible for support and mobility. Hence, when you experience joint pain, your overall function becomes limited because each movement can easily lead to extreme pain.
Joint Pain and Other Symptoms
Joint pain usually comes with the following:
- Stiffness
- Throbbing
- Inflammation
Sometimes, it can feel like the bones of the affected area are scraping off one another. Severe conditions can be unbearable to the point they interfere with your quality of life. That’s why you must get a proper diagnosis and learn how to manage or avoid them in the future.
Probable Causes
Many factors can lead to joint pain, like:
- Arthritis
- Gout
- Overuse or overfatigue
- Viral infection
- Injury
Its tendency also increases with age, exposure to stress, and anxiety. You cannot always avoid these things, and everyone may experience joint pain from time to time. You can only lessen their instance or quickly address them to get relief.
Ways To Relieve Joint Pain
Here are some ways to relieve your joint pain:
1. Apply Heat or Cold Treatment
Many joint specialists advise hot and cold compresses as a common inexpensive home remedy for pain. Depending on the need, get a heating pad or ice bag, and apply it to the area for 20 minutes.
It will depend on your condition, as heat and cold treatments are not interchangeable. Heat treatment can help ease the stiffness or soreness of the joint. On the other hand, you may use a cold compress to lessen swelling or inflammation.
2. Over-The-Counter Medication
When heat and cold treatments do not suffice, you can use over-the-counter medication for joint pain. Pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help reduce minor pain but not inflammation.
If your case of joint pain includes visible swelling, it is better to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen.
Higher doses of joint pain medication may require you to present a doctor’s prescription first for your safety. If you have other medical conditions, it is best to consult your doctor before taking any pain relief medicine.
3. Lose Weight
Joint specialists, in some cases, may advise losing weight to address your pain. Excess weight can be responsible for the damage to joints due to the pressure they have to bear.
One of the most common reasons for shoulder pain is the lack of space for the joint’s versatility of movement. The rotator cuff, or muscles and tendons protecting the joint, becomes trapped in a tiny area, resulting in injury.
Joint specialists may suggest weight loss exercises like simple walking, bicycling, swimming, and regular stretches. They help free up some space for the joints to move more freely. While it cannot reverse existing joint damage, it helps reduce the strain that can cause further damage.
4. Physical Therapy
For some types of joint pain, specialists may advise you to attend physical therapy. Your therapist will aim to:
- Restore your movement
- Address the pain you are experiencing
- Improve the function of the affected joint
Trusted Joint Specialists in Baltimore, MD
If you are looking for a trusted joint specialist for your condition, look no further. At Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder, we offer you only the best quality service through our trusted joint specialists. They will help you get relief from your pain and return to your daily life.
To know more about our services, call us today at (410) 296-6232. Alternatively, you can request your visit by filling in our convenient online appointment form. You do not have to let your pain limit you.
We look forward to helping you get back into the action pain-free!
