Effective Solutions for Managing Joint Pain: A Comprehensive Guide

Pain in any form is something we all strive to eliminate. Joint pain specifically can be more annoying and bothersome than others. Whether it be achy knees, a stiff back, or any other joint in the body giving you grief, there is likely a diagnosable cause and a treatment that can help you move forward to eliminate or at least mitigate your pain.

The Most Common Culprit is Osteoarthritis (OA)

One of the most common causes of pain in our joints is arthritis. Arthritis comes in multiple forms but the type we’ll be talking about is by far the most common is osteoarthritis (OA). This type of arthritis is characterized by pain or stiffness often first thing in the morning and stiffness after being still for a long period of time.

The cause of OA is multifactorial with a number of risk factors that can contribute to the problem. This problem is characterized by a breakdown of the articular cartilage in the joint. This cartilage is supposed to provide a smooth surface for the bones to glide across one another as we move, but when there is some sort of disruption in that cartilage from either trauma, inflammation, or both, that smooth surface can begin to break down. This process can happen in any joint in the body but is most commonly seen in the hands, knees, hips, and spine. These risk factors for OA often help guide the treatment for it as well.

The risk factors include, but are not limited to:

• Inactivity
• Genetics
• Obesity
• Age (OA is generally more common as we age)
• Gender (women are often affected by OA more than men)
• Diet
• Certain diseases
• Injury

Other Causes of Joint Pain

One of the other most common causes of joint pain is the soft tissues in and around your joints. If your pain is in your shoulder, this could be coming from your rotator cuff, labrum, or some other muscle that attaches near the shoulder. It is a similar story for your hip which can also have labrum tears or issues with the muscles surrounding it. The knee has slightly more options in where the pain can be coming from since it could be your meniscus, certain ligaments, or once again, muscles attaching near or around your knee. This type of pain will usually be much more noticeable than osteoarthritis and much sharper usually. Pain like this will also likely come on much more suddenly than OA-type pain. With any new pain, especially sharp pain with activity, you will want to seek care from your primary care physician, physical therapist, or chiropractor to address whether or not it is something of concern or if it something that needs to be medically managed.

Seeking Help for Joint Pain

When it comes to any type of joint pain, it is best to seek care from your local healthcare provider as they can come up with a plan which can help you on your path forward and out of pain. Each person is unique, and every cause of joint pain can be unique, so it is important to find a provider who will work with you to find what solution works for you.