Common Joint Inflammation Treatments

Common Treatments for Joint Inflammation

There are many reasons why a joint can be inflamed. Symptoms appear as a result of many physical problems including physical trauma, damage, infection, nutrient deficiency, or unnecessary chemical deposits.

It is very important to properly diagnose the main reason for joint inflammation in order to prevent further damage that can extend to the muscles or tissues surrounding the joint area. Accurate diagnosis is critical in finding the right treatment that minimizes the uncomfortable symptoms or effects of the joint condition.

Basic Treatment for Joint Pain

The most basic treatment usually given for joint pain is hot or cold compresses, anti-inflammatory solutions or medications, and topical creams. The hot compress helps improve blood circulation to the joint and the surrounding area, which makes the inflammation subside. The cold compress, on rare occasions, is given to patients as an external pain reliever when the redness or heat increases in the joint area, which caused the pain.

Topical creams and anti-inflammatory solutions are administered to reduce inflammation, both externally and internally. Though these immediate treatments are available, it is still important to consult a doctor because joint pain can also be symptomatic of other problems.

On the other hand, joint degeneration or auto-immune conditions affecting joints are the most common reason for joint pain.

Degeneration gradually damages the cartilage and causes connecting bones to rub together. This produces unbearable pain to the patient and serious inflammation to the joints’ surrounding areas. The condition can even lead to complications such as infection if left untreated.

The auto-immune condition affecting joints is even more serious because it can totally immobilize the patient or make simple movements impossible. It is a condition where the immune system attacks the healthy and well functioning cells in the joint area and muscle groups in the surrounding area. The pain it can give to the patient is unbearable and in worst cases it can even be fatal.

Preventing the Development of Gout

Another type of joint condition causing inflammation to the joint is gout. Joint pain and inflammation are just two of the symptoms of gout, caused by high levels of uric acid deposits in the joint and surrounding area. Symptoms usually start in the big toe, but they also can appear in other lower body parts and can last for days or even weeks.

The best way to prevent gout is by avoiding foods high in uric acid as well frequent exercise. Anti-inflammatory drugs are usually given to lessen symptoms if the condition is already present. If symptoms do not subside after a series of medication and treatment, consult with a specialist to determine other treatments. Also consider further diagnostic procedures to determine if there is an underlying condition triggering symptoms.

Inflammation of the joint, as mentioned above, can be caused by other illnesses as well, so always seek medical attention immediately to get the right diagnosis and applicable treatments. When treating joint conditions, medicine follows a progression of treatments, beginning with lifestyle modification, medication, and surgical procedures for extreme or worse cases. Yet most of the time, medication and changes in lifestyle are enough to minimize the effects of joint conditions and delay their progression.

The Symptoms Of Joint Conditions

Two Principal Kinds of Joint Conditions

Joint problems encompass a complex field that branches out into over one hundred types. Yet the two most common forms, while notably different in their underlying processes, are types of joint problems that develop very slowly, over years. The first type is the most common of all and results when the protective cartilage around bones extremities break down over time. The second type is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks parts of the body (yes, the body it’s supposed to protect) resulting in painful inflammation and, sometimes, disfigurement of the joints, as well as possible wearing away of the bones.

As noted, generally the symptoms of both types develop undetected, causing medical technologists and medical practitioners to overlook the symptoms and misdiagnose the patient. As a result, these conditions are often diagnosed in later stages where prevention and management of the symptoms becomes difficult. Patients’ quality of life often suffers as a consequence, and they experience severe pain, immobility, and, for some, psychological degradation.

Because the symptoms usually go undetected, patients and their family members, or those who are interested in these kinds of maladies, must become aware of the symptoms. With knowledge regarding the symptoms, one can prevent the worst effects.

The Most Common Form

The condition in which the cartilage degenerates to the point that it causes pain and other symptoms, generally occurs in patients over 50 years of age. While the autoimmune type affects the joints directly, this type affects the cartilage at the joints causing them joints to deteriorate. When that happens, the patient experiences severe pain in the joint area since these cartilages protect the bones from rubbing against each other.

Similar to other types of joint conditions, patients with this problem may experience inflammation, difficulty moving the affected joints, stiffness and a sense that bones are grinding against each other. Physicians believe that there are various causes of this form of joint malady and that there are many treatment methods that can help prevent the worst effects.

The Autoimmune Form

This type of joint disorder can affect a wide range of organs and systems although it most commonly affects the joints, especially of the hands and feet. It causes pain when moving the affected joints, and the pain is often most noticeable in the morning. The pain is accompanied by stiffness in one or more joints of the body, but the severity of the pain decreases as the day goes. Those who experience this type of pain in the morning might simply think that they slept on the wrong the side of the bed.

Another symptom is the inflammation or swelling of the affected joint area often accompanied by redness in the area. The area also feels warm and uncomfortably stiff.

In latter stages of this type, joints of the patient become noticeably deformed or rough. And often, only at this stage, when the patient feels anxious and concerned with his condition, does he resort to seeking medical help. Though this stage is quite late, the symptoms can still be remedied but with difficulty.

If you ever experience pain in joint areas of your body, seek immediate medical assistance. Through this, doctors can detect early the signs of joint problems and work on preventing the poor quality of life that can be brought on as a result.

Just as with other maladies, early detection is the best defense against joint conditions. Seeking medical assistance is of great help. Remember that while that we have focused on the two most prevalent types, the symptoms could be related to other forms of the condition. Thus discussing the symptoms with a medical professional provides better detection and diagnosis of which form you are experiencing.

The Causes Of Joint Problems

What Causes Joint Problems?

Joint problems affect a lot of people, especially the elderly, but some types of joint conditions affect young people as well. Joint problems can develop from aging, an unhealthy lifestyle, genetics, or injury. Some people do not know they have this condition until it has worsened, because they have ignored the early signs and symptoms. It is a sad fact that most people think that only the elderly develop these conditions. Ultimately, they don’t care about gender and age and can affect anyone.

There are Different Types of Joint Conditions

Medicine has identified at least a hundred types of variants of joint conditions; some may still be unidentified at this time. Even for the most common types there is currently no cure, and science has not clearly defined the core reason why they can develop or what definitively causes them to develop.

Joint problems can develop due to genetics where parents of the patient have the problem-carrying genes. Symptoms then appear as the person ages or even during the younger years. HLA-DR4 is the gene that triggers one of the more serious variants.

That is why if a family member suffered from a joint condition the probability of a person developing it increases as well. Nevertheless, age is still the major factor in the development of joint issues. According to studies a person may start feeling the effects of joint problems around the age of 50. As the body ages, the production of hormones and all other natural chemicals becomes unstable as it may increase or decrease causing the damage in the joints.

On the other hand, those who may have escaped the said natural changes in the body may still develop joint problems if they have had some physical injury to the joints that remained untreated through the years.

Infection including bacterial, viral or even an STD, can also cause the development of joint damage. The body’s own defense against attack — the immune system — can cause the development of a joint condition. The autoimmune condition damages the joints by destroying the healthy joint cells until every part of it breaks down beyond repair.

Do Not Ignore The Symptoms

The scary part about joint issues is that the signs and symptoms only manifest if the problem is already somewhat advanced, making it hard to avoid. Some people ignore the symptoms thinking that the uncomfortable sensation or pain in the joint is something else entirely.

Keep in mind that these are just few of the reasons for a person to experience joint problems that causes the painful and uncomfortable symptoms that may cause changes to the patient’s way of living. Joint problems can definitely make daily tasks like moving around hard or even impossible to do because of the joint pain, hardening, and stiffening. While it is true that there is no cure for the more severe joint conditions, the good news is that the chances of contracting them can be avoided by keeping a healthy and active lifestyle. But if a problem already exists, the best way to minimize the damage and the symptoms is to consult to a doctor or specialist as early as possible.

Joint Pain: Knowing The The Possible Causes

What Causes Joint Pain?

Pain in the joints is not just uncomfortable, but also can be unbearably painful, and can even alter your way of living. The pain and other conditions, such as hardening or stiffening of the joints, can cause difficulty with even simple movements. The joint’s condition not only affects the patient physically, but can also cause some psychological stress as well. Contrary to popular belief, joint pain is not only caused by joint degeneration. Other physical conditions or maladies may also trigger symptoms.

The most common joint disorders damage the joints and even the surrounding areas. They can develop from aging, malnutrition, untreated physical trauma or even genetics. Although common they are often irreversible with symptoms ranging from mild to moderate to severe. In worst cases they can even contribute to the death of the patient due to complications involving major organs.

Other Causes of Joint Pain

On the other hand, an infection followed by swelling or inflammation, can also cause joint pain. Having joint pain does not automatically mean that the person is suffering from a joint disorder. Consider that humans have upwards of 250 joints and it is only normal to experience some joint pain, especially after physically stressful activity. In fact, a simple pain reliever or anti-inflammatory drugs available over the counter in any pharmacy can resolve most of these joint complaints.

Physical trauma such as “wear and tear” to the joints can also cause joint-problem symptoms. Pressure on the joints can cause damage, which normally swells or gets inflamed. Athletes or those involved in physical work such as construction can routinely experience this type of joint trauma.

The inflammation or swelling of the joints causes pain, too. Any joints that continuously receive pressure from excessive weight or from constant movement and activities, can cause “wear and tear” or injury to the joints that can lead to infection.

Treating the inflammation usually reduces the pain as well since that is the usual reason for the pain. Many types of anti-inflammatory medications in the market or pharmacy are available over the counter.

Joint pain can also appear when people use their muscles or joints all the time, without rest. For example, gym goers usually experience these symptoms after undergoing serious workout or exercises. This is due to the pressure applied to the muscles and the joints. Warm bath or steaming can relax the muscles and reduce the pain in the joint area. In some cases, a cold compress resolves the joint pain problem, especially when caused by an injury.

As mentioned above, pain in the joints can be very uncomfortable and it can immobilize a person from doing even the simplest daily activities; this usually causes mental or psychological stress to the patient, and even can cause the pain to worsen.

Dealing and Finding Solutions

Since there is no cure for the most common joint conditions, the next best solution is to deal with the symptoms. With a degenerative joint condition, patients often joint pain during the first part of the day but it subsides with movement during the day. Simple exercises can help alleviate joint pain and prevent joint hardening. This improves both the range and motion of the joints when a joint disorder is already present.

There are times when pain in the joints comes from lack of movement. That is why it is important for patients with joint pain, even for those without a diagnosis of one of the common joint conditions, to engage their joints in some gentle stretching, achieved by walking or jogging. Even the simplest exercises help improve elasticity and increase the lubrication of the joints and the muscles that support that area, as well as promote the healing process if there is damage in the joints.

For those who feel frequent joint pain, this may be a sign that a doctor’s intervention is already necessary. Recurrent joint pain can be a sign of a condition triggering it. Early detection is important in order to effectively delay the progression of many joint conditions, enabling doctors to offer a better range of treatments and medications to minimize the symptoms.

The Types Of Common Joint Conditions

The Most Common Types of Joint Disorders

Many conditions affect the joints. A common misconception about joint problems is that it only affects people in their senior years. Yet this is not always the case. They can also affect young people. In the United Kingdom alone, at least nine million people suffer from one form or another of this malady. The medical field recognizes many variants of this condition, more than a hundred of them, with two types occurring most common. Below we discuss these two types.

The Most Prevalent: Degenerative Cartilage

The most common joint condition is a progressive disorder in which the cartilage protecting bones and joints breaks down. It is non-reversible and can only be delayed if it is already present. When struck with this condition the cartilage is no longer capable of keeping adjacent bones from rubbing together. The cartilage thins and degerates.

When the cartilage no longer functions well, the friction of the two connecting bones creates pain, at levels that vary from uncomfortable to unbearable and that can extend to the extremities.

This malady is common in men and women over the age of 50. Most people regard this physical condition as a senior’s issue but other factors may affect its development, including past physical trauma or genetic predisposition.

The following are some of the indications that it is already present:

Pain in the joint area
Swelling in the joint area
Stiffness
Limited movement

Common symptoms appear in the morning or at night or during the cold season, but these symptoms often decrease as the day progresses. This is the reason why most people don’t really give it much thought, until the condition worsens.

The Runner-Up: An Autoimmune Betrayal

The second most common joint condition is another progressive / degenerative type, but this type can affect any age group and can damage the entire joint and the surrounding area. It is an auto-immune defect where the body’s immune system attacks the joints and tissues, most often of the hands and feet.

The symptoms of this disorder are similar to the degenerative type discussed above, but symptoms occur and recur anytime of the day. The latter stages of the disorder cause deformity of the joints affected.

The Effects of Joint Conditions

Joint maladies can greatly affect the life of the people affected by them making simple daily tasks difficult and, for some, impossible. The subsequent frustration can trigger psychological effects in the victim, including a sense of depression.

Although these conditions are very rarely fatal, a person suffering from them needs support to minimize the stress that the physical changes can bring. Friends and family members of the patient need to help the victim feel that everyone understands his or her condition, acknowledging that it is a real and debilitating issue. This can at least contribute to relieving the psychological pressure. Support groups are also available in some areas or even over the Internet.

Treatments

There are ways to minimize the symptoms of joint conditions including physical therapy, anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, diet and exercise. Most often, treatments that are available on the market take care of the symptoms. More severe cases may require surgical procedures such as joint replacement and joint fusion.

Currently, science is still not able to offer any medication that can eliminate joint disorders but only suggestions that help in minimizing the risks of developing them. One such example is maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle. It is best to get a check-up to see if you suspect you have symptoms of a joint condition.