Which joints commonly develop chronic pain?
All the joints in your body are vulnerable to injuries due to the stress of continuously performing the same movement. The joints that most often develop joint pain, however, are your weight-bearing joints.
Your ankles, knees, and hips, including the sacroiliac joint connecting the hip with the spine, are the primary weight-bearing joints as they support and stabilize your body while also creating movement. The joints in your feet and lower back also help support your weight.
What causes joint pain?
Conditions that frequently cause orthopedic joint pain include:
- Sprains and strains
- Overuse injuries
- Fractures
- Dislocation
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
- Meniscus injuries
- Rheumatoid arthritis
When your joint pain persists despite conventional medical treatment, Advanced Pain Solutions offers a variety of treatment options to alleviate the pain.
What type of injection may treat my joint pain?
Your Advanced Pain Solutions specialist may recommend a joint injection to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and improve movement. They often perform joint injections using fluoroscopy, a real-time X-ray that allows them to view your joint and guide the needle, so they precisely place the injection at the damaged tissues.
There are two primary types of joint injections. Corticosteroid injections contain inflammation-reducing steroids and an anesthetic. Viscosupplementation, a common treatment option for arthritis in the knees, is an injection containing hyaluronic acid to restore lubrication and smooth movement. Some individuals may elect to try regenerative medicine techniques using injections containing platelet-rich plasma, the relatives of stem cells.
How do interventional therapies treat joint pain?
Most interventional treatments relieve joint pain by blocking nerve signals carrying pain messages to your brain. When the nerve is blocked, your brain doesn’t receive the signal, which in turn diminishes your pain. Advanced Pain Solutions frequently uses treatments such as:
Nerve blocks
Nerve blocks contain an anesthetic to stop nerve signals and may include a steroid to reduce inflammation. A nerve block targets nerves in your spinal cord or specific peripheral nerves. For example, a medial branch block targets nerves that serve the facet joints in your spine, while a genicular block targets branches of nerves serving your knee.
Radiofrequency neurotomy (ablation)
Your provider uses radiofrequency energy to make a small wound on the nerve responsible for transmitting pain signals. The wound blocks nerve transmission for 9-12 months or possibly up to two years, depending on nerve regeneration.
To get effective relief from joint pain, call Advanced Pain Solutions, or schedule an appointment online.
