Joint Pain

Whether it is just one or multiple joints involved, we understand how debilitating joint pain can be. When you are finally willing to give in and seek professional help, the traditional medical approach typically involves more medications, harmful injections, and/or surgery. It is often a very stressful situation for most people.
Unfortunately, many people in Roanoke, Virginia who suffer with joint pain only get temporary relief because they never received a correct diagnosis in the first place. When the diagnosis is not accurate, it leads to ineffective treatment that either fails to provide relief or doesn’t address the cause of the problem. Meanwhile the costs continue to add up as the joint pain gets worse and the joint continues to degenerate.

Diagnosis of joint pain can be tricky because there are often many causes present. While acute injuries account for numerous cases, the most common cause of ongoing joint pain in adults is osteoarthritis. This is the slow wear and tear of the ligaments and cartilage in your joints until eventually there is no more space. Once the joint space is gone, patients typically experience significant pain and instability until there is no other treatment option available other than surgery. 

Osteoarthritis takes years to develop. Given the early stages of osteoarthritis is not typically painful, many patients generally do not start seeking treatment until the later stages of the disease. While most people eventually end up with some amount of osteoarthritis in their joints, we expect the damage to be worse in those with a history of previous injuries, prior surgeries and the obese.

Most of the major joints have a small fluid filled sac that helps cushion and protect the joint, called a bursa. Sometimes these bursae can become inflamed or irritated by injuries, overuse, or an over extension of the joint. Symptoms of bursitis include sharp pain with movement, tenderness over the area, swelling, and/or stiffness.

 If you have a true bursitis, expect it to be temporary. You should get relief with conservative treatment – including treatments to address inflammation and physical therapy to address the muscle imbalances that often contribute to bursitis. Please note that if the bursitis doesn’t resolve within a few months, this often suggests other underlying problems likely causing your pain. For every bursitis diagnosis, it is essential to rule out other possible causes of joint pain - including arthritis or neuritis from the spine.

Traditional medical treatment for joint pain usually begins with addressing the inflammation, often with NSAIDs. This is generally effective for short term relief. If the pain continues, eventually x-rays and/or MRI imaging help develop a diagnosis. Physical therapy is often needed after an injury or surgery. However, if all the potential causes of the joint pain are not addressed, the symptoms will likely continue to worsen over time.

Depending on the severity of the injury or condition, sometimes orthopedic surgery is unavoidable. Surgery should be a last resort whenever possible as the residual scar tissue is not nearly as flexible, functional, or strong as normal tissue. Scar tissue limits the mobility in a joint and that lack of movement is often the seed for degeneration of the joint.

The good news is there are many options in complementary medicine that are proving to be safer, less invasive, and much more effective. New ideas that include breakthrough products in regenerative medicine are now becoming the preferred treatment methods for joint pain sufferers in Roanoke, Virginia. Human tissue allografts combined with exosomes and growth factors are helping osteoarthritis patients with degenerative damage improve joint space, cushion the joint, and avoid surgery.