Chronic Joint Pain

What is chronic joint pain?

Your joints are the areas of your body where two bones meet. They enable movement and also help support your body. When your joints become damaged or are subject to disease, significant pain can result.

Acute joint pain often accompanies an injury such as a sprain or strain. Chronic joint pain is different and lasts for multiple weeks or even months. Chronic joint pain can make it difficult to get through the course of an average day.

There are numerous causes of chronic joint pain, some of which include:

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Bursitis
• Gout
• Lupus
• Osteoarthritis
• Tendinitis
• Sarcoidosis
• Lyme disease

The first step in finding a useful treatment option for chronic joint pain is identifying the source of discomfort.

What is the least invasive option for addressing joint pain?

For those who want to avoid the use of, or reliance on, opioid medications and who don’t wish to undergo invasive surgical procedures, bracing is the first line of defense against chronic joint pain.

Using custom fitted, medical-grade braces to support your joints can help relieve pressure that may be causing pain. It's essential to use braces suggested by Dr. Kline because they offer far more support and better construction than commonly available over-the-counter options.

Many people find relief from chronic joint pain through bracing, especially those who suffer from certain types of arthritis.

What are more aggressive treatment options for chronic joint pain?

Some patients require a more aggressive pain relief approach. Steroid injections are one option that can provide immediate pain relief for aching joints.

A solution created from an anti-inflammatory steroid and a local anesthetic such as lidocaine is delivered directly into the painful joint. Relief is usually immediate, although the duration of relief varies from one person to the next.

Steroid injections are often used to diagnose the source of chronic joint pain and to provide short-term relief. Longer-term solutions, including physical therapy and radiofrequency ablation, are pursued shortly after steroid injections.

Radiofrequency ablation is a treatment option that offers lasting relief from chronic joint pain. The procedure involves the targeted use of electrical current to create heat lesions on the nerves that are transmitting pain.

Those little injuries stop the nerves from transmitting pain signals to your brain. That effectively eliminates pain without limiting the function of your joint.

To learn more about treatment options for chronic joint pain, reach out to Atlantic Coast Spine & Pain Center today and schedule a consultation.