What is joint pain?
Your joints consist of muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and cartilage. Examples of joints include your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and joints within your spine. You also have joints in your fingers and toes. Tissue damage and inflammation can develop at your joints and cause mild, moderate, or severe discomfort.
What are the risk factors of joint pain?
While anyone could experience joint pain, some factors may increase your risk. Examples include:
- Overweight or obesity
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Sports injuries
- Work-related injuries
- Automobile accidents
- Older age
Seeking treatment for joint pain can accelerate healing after an injury and reduce the joint deterioration caused by arthritis.
How does my doctor diagnose the cause of joint pain?
To find the root cause of joint pain, Dr. Racz discusses your symptoms and reviews your medical history. He evaluates your joints to look for signs of swelling, warmth, redness, or bruising. He may recommend you undergo blood tests, X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, or ultrasounds to make a final diagnosis and develop an effective treatment plan.
What are common joint pain treatments?
Common joint pain treatments include:
Home remedies
Home remedies for pain relief include ice and heat packs, resting your joints, elevation, compression, and wearing a brace.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy can strengthen tissues surrounding your joints to enhance healing and reduce the risk of future joint problems.
Injections
Common joint injections include nerve blocks, hyaluronic acid injections, and steroid injections to reduce inflammation and pain associated with joint damage. Dr. Racz can first numb the treatment area so you don’t feel any discomfort.
Regenerative medicine
Stem cell and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections stimulate cell regeneration and enhance your body’s natural healing ability. PRP uses plasma from your own blood. Dr. Racz spins the blood in a centrifuge to isolate platelet-rich plasma from the other components in your blood. He can source stem cells from a donor lab or your own bone marrow.
Surgery
In severe joint damage cases, Dr. Racz might recommend a surgical procedure to repair joints, remove diseased tissue, or replace joints.
Don’t live with joint pain that prevents you from enjoying life to its fullest. Call the Racz Pain Centers office nearest you to schedule an appointment or book online today.
