Joint Pain Specialist

What is joint pain?

Your joints, spread throughout your body, are points at which two or more bones meet. Many of your joints are mobile and allow you to move without restriction. 

Sometimes, these joints become painful, stiff, or swollen. Joint pain can feel like mild discomfort and achiness, or it can feel severe and persistent. There are many possibilities for what causes joint pain, some of which are mild and manageable at home.

If your joint pain is mild and goes away with some rest and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, a visit to Peak Spine & Sports Medicine may not be necessary. However, joint pain that doesn’t go away with home care, joint pain that occurs in many joints at once, or debilitating joint pain requires a diagnosis and professional treatment. 

What causes joint pain?

The Peak Spine & Sports Medicine team has the ability to treat joint pain of many different levels and from almost any cause. They perform a physical exam and may use imaging or blood tests to diagnose the following joint pain causes:

Arthritis

Arthritis is a disease category with over 100 different types. All of them result in joint pain, and they tend to progress slowly with time. Two of the most common types are osteoarthritis, which breaks down joint cartilage, and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease affecting the joint lining. Other systemic diseases that may cause joint pain include fibromyalgia and lupus. 

Injuries

Injuries are often the underlying cause of pain in a joint. Sometimes, injuries happen due to overuse of the joint. In other cases, they come from specific acute events. Common injuries leading to joint pain are sprains and strains, dislocation, and torn cartilage. 

How can I manage my joint pain?

After confirming your diagnosis, the team at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine tailors your treatment to be appropriate for your particular kind of joint pain.

Arthritis, overuse, and autoimmune diseases are more likely to cause long-term joint pain. Even mismanaged acute injuries can soon lead to chronic pain in the joints they affect. To manage your joint pain, Peak Spine & Sports Medicine may use one or more of these strategies:

• Immobilization with a cast or splint
• Anti-inflammatory oral medications
• Steroid joint injections
• Physical therapy
• Nutritional counseling
• Regenerative medicine

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine primarily uses noninvasive and minimally invasive treatments for joint pain that can help you avoid unnecessary and invasive surgery. 

To schedule an in-depth evaluation and review different treatments for your joint pain, call Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, or book an appointment online today.