Oh, My Aching Joints! What Can I Do?

It used to happen only after a long day on your feet, but now you wake up every morning with achy joints.

Your joints work hard day in and day out throughout your life. All of that movement and stress takes a toll, and the cushiony cartilage in between your joints may not provide as much cushion as it used to. What can you do about your aching joints? 

At Orthopedic & Wellness in Frederick, Waldorf, and Germantown, Maryland, our orthopedic surgeon and pain management experts, Dr. Ojedapo Ojeyemi and Dr. Matthew Roh, help many people find solutions for their achy joints.

Here’s how we help our patients manage their joint pain. 

What causes joint pain?

In order to know how to relieve your achy joints, we first need to find the cause of your pain. Joint pain is common and occurs from injuries and conditions such as:

• Sprains and strains
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Gout

Your symptoms, daily routine, and medical history can help us determine the cause of your joint pain. Knowing when your pain started and how it’s changed over time also helps us understand why your joints hurt.

Many people with achy joints have osteoarthritis. This wear-and-tear arthritis is a progressive pain condition that occurs from the gradual wearing away of the cartilage that separates and cushions the bones that make up a joint. The pain condition usually affects the joints you rely on the most — knees, hips, spine, and hands — making everyday tasks a struggle.

No matter the cause, an early diagnosis and treatment plan may prevent your pain from getting worse. If your joints ache and it’s affecting your quality of life, now is the time to get help.

At-home treatment for joint pain

You can manage joint pain at home. Heat and ice therapy is a good place to start. Ice packs reduce pain and swelling, while heat eases aches and improves circulation. You can also try over-the-counter pain or anti-inflammatory medication.

Exercise is also good for achy joints. Movement increases blood flow, strengthens supportive muscles, and prevents joint stiffness. We recommend low-impact workouts like walking, bike riding, and swimming. Gentle stretching and yoga are also good forms of exercise for people with joint pain.

Modifying your usual activities to reduce stress on the joint also helps, as does weight loss if you’re overweight or obese. 

Medical interventions for joint pain

Many of the at-home treatments for joint pain aim to slow down progression of your discomfort. But if your joints continue to ache, you may need medical interventions.

Some of the treatments we offer for joint pain include:

• Prescription anti-inflammatory drugs
• Referral to physical therapy for a personalized exercise plan
• Corticosteroid joint injections
• Nerve blocks
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

For people with severe joint pain and damage, we may recommend surgery. Joint replacement procedures help many people get back to their active lifestyle.  

Aching joints are a common problem, but they’re not a symptom you should ignore. Many causes of joint pain worsen over time, and getting treatment early may prevent complications.

Let us help you manage your joint pain. Call the office nearest you today or book an appointment online.