| Joint
Pain Management and Joint Pain Relief: |
| Alternative
Medicine Doctors and Therapies. |
Over
47 million Americans are "out of joint" with pain.
What's more 20% of them aren't doing a thing about it. They
just assume that joint pain is a natural part of growing
older and don't bother seeing a pain relief professional.
What
they don't realize is if detected early, they can receive
joint pain management and joint pain relief that'ill help
minimize permanent damage and disability.
Joint
pain is a leading adult disability, as is arthritis, which
is frequently thought to be synonymous with joint pain.
However, arthritis isn't the only cause of joint pain.
Bursitis
Joint Pain
One
example of non-arthritic joint pain is bursitis. Repetitive
movement and extreme pressure can produce bursitis joint
pain in elbows, knees, hips and shoulders.The prolonged
movements involved in manual labor or assembly line work
create the type of repetitive motions that inflame a joint's
bursa with pain.
The
excessive pressure on knee joints experienced by roofers,
carpet layers and gardeners are also occupational triggers
of bursitis joint pain.
The
inflammation associated with bursitis joint pain can also
be caused by an infection of the bursa with bacteria. This
is a serious condition that should receive immediate medical
attention since the infection can spread to the blood and
throughout the body.
Arthritis,
Another Name For Joint Pain
Though
arthritis is generally the culprit behind most joint pain,
the exact cause can be one of over 100 different types
arthritis. These include fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis to rare varieties of arthritis like
ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus and
scleroderma.
Joint
pain is generally a chronic condition. Unlike acute pain
which is temporary and strikes immediately, joint pain is
usually persistent and lingers for weeks and often years.
Osteoarthritis
Joint Pain
Osteoarthritis,
the most common type of arthritis, affects more than 20 million people. This type
of joint pain strikes finger joints, knees, hips and the spine. It can also affect
ankles, shoulders, elbows and wrists. Generally, the joints it attacks have experienced
an injury in the past which triggers a breakdown in cartilage and subsequent pain
and stiffness.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Joint Pain
It's
estimated that about 1% of the US population, 2.1 million people, have rheumatoid
arthritis. It's found two to three times more often in women than men. In this
form of arthritis, the lining of various joints becomes inflamed (the word "arthritis"
means join inflammation). Rheumatoid arthritis also affects the blood, lungs and
heart.
Besides
pain, the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis can produce
stiffness, swelling and redness. Over time, joints may become
so damaged that normal movement is impaired. This is a prolonged
form of arthritis which can go into remission for periods
of time and them suddenly flare up.
Joint
Pain Treatment
More
money is spent on unproven joint pain treatments in America than on basic research
into its cause. However, with an early diagnosis, treatments can be started that
not only provide pain relief and management, but help slow the progression of
arthritis. The most frequently used arthritis treatments are surgery, medicine
and alternative therapies.
Joint
Pain Surgery
If
medicine and physical therapy fail to bring relief, joint surgery, usually hip
and knee replacements, is often thought as a last resort for joint pain management.
However, even the most successful operations leave patients with some limited
mobility.
Another
thing to consider is the high failure rate of these surgeries and that fact that
they're not a permanent solution to joint pain. Typically large joint replacements
last 8 to 10 years before a repeat surgery is required.
The failure rate is even higher for smaller joints like This extremely high failure
rate makes it a less than favorable for smaller joints like wrists, fingers, toes
and ankles. For example, 95% of total ankle replacements fail within 5 years.
Joint fusion is often the preferred surgery for relief of joint pain in these
smaller joints. Unfortunately, it sacrifices movement in these joints.
Joint
Pain Management and Joint Pain Relief Medications
Pharmaceutical
treatments for joint pain range from over-the-counter medicines like aspirin to
prescription drugs. Pain relievers like acetaminophen may be helpful to osteoarthritis
sufferers since their condition involves little inflammation.
For
people with rheumatoid arthritis, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs),
which include ibuprofen, aspirin and newer drugs like are helpful. NSAIDs with
COX-2 specific inhibitors that block an enzyme known to cause an inflammatory
response are often prescribed by medical doctors for joint pain management and
relief. However these drugs carry with them the risk of side effects like heart
disease, digestive disorders, ulcers and liver damage.
Rheumatoid
arthritis sufferers who don't respond to NSAIDs are often given DMARDs, disease-modifying
antirheumatic drugs. These drugs are believed to correct immune system deficiencies
contributing to rheumatoid arthritis. They include Arava and methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine,
penicillamine, and gold injections, all of which may cause side effects if not
monitored closely..
Another, newer class of drugs known as biological response modifiers, reduce rheumatoid
arthritis joint pain by blocking an immune system protein involved in an inflammatory
immune system response.
Medical
doctors may also prescribe corticosteroids for joint pain. While these hormones
may temporarily treat the pain, they carry with them serious health risks and
may potentially be life threatening side effects. They may be taken orally or
through an injection directly into the affected joint. However, this therapy should
only be administered once or twice a year due to the risk of permanent cartilage
damage.
Another
disadvantage of using medications for joint pain relief
and management is the risk of addiction over an extended
period. Medications can't cure degenerative,
they're prescribed for the management of its inflammation
and pain.
Alternative Joint Pain Management and Pain Relief Therapies
Fortunately,
alternative medicine professionals offer joint pain sufferers the option of natural
pain management and relief therapies without the risks of surgical and pharmaceutical
approaches. Besides being more conservative than the medical establishment's methods
of back pain relief, they're often just as effective if not more so.
Pain
Relief Professionals connects you to natural, alternative medicine practitioners
of Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Massage Therapy and Naprapathy. The state licensed
status of each assures patients that their education and expertise in pain management
exceeds that of other unregulated alternative medicine healers.
For
natural, alternative joint pain management and joint pain
relief, click a button below to find Pain Relief Professionals
near you.
