Joint pain - Hormone Health Center

What is Joint Pain?

Joint pain refers to discomfort, aches, and soreness in any of the body's joints. A joint is where two bones meet, such as the knees, hips, shoulders, and wrists. Joints allow flexibility and mobility of the skeleton.

Some common causes leading to painful joints include:

• Arthritis - This is inflammation of the joints. The two most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis causes cartilage breakdown and bone spurs. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition causing painful swelling.
• Injuries - Sprains, fractures, and dislocations can damage the ligaments, tendons, and bones around joints.
• Overuse - Repeated movements or heavy lifting strains the joints over time.

What Are the Symptoms of Joint Pain?

Common joint pain symptoms include:

• Soreness and stiffness, especially when getting out of bed or after staying in one position too long
• Swelling around joints
• Redness and warmth around joints
• Limited flexibility and range of motion
• Popping, cracking, or grinding noises when moving joints

The specific symptoms can vary depending on the underlying cause and which joints are affected. The pain may come and go or be constant.

What Helps Relieve Joint Pain?

Some self-care measures to manage painful joints involve:

• Applying hot/cold compresses to ease swelling and discomfort
• Gentle stretching and exercise to preserve mobility
• Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen
• Topical pain-relieving gels containing menthol or capsaicin
• Losing weight to reduce pressure on weight-bearing joints
• Wrist or knee braces to support weakened joints

Additionally, consulting a physiotherapist helps create an individualized treatment plan involving stretching, strengthening exercises, modalities like ultrasound/TENS therapy, and joint mobilization techniques. In some cases, surgery or injections may provide pain relief if conservative treatment fails.

Learning about joint protection strategies is also beneficial, like using assistive devices, switching to low-impact activities, and maintaining proper posture/body mechanics. Pacing daily tasks helps prevent overexertion.

I hope this overview gives you a better understanding of joint pain - what it is, what causes it, and how to manage it! Let me know if you have any other questions.