Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Chiropractic and Naprapathy Natural, Alternative Medicine Joint Pain Doctors & HealersJoint  Pain Management and Relief by Natural, Alternative Medicine Doctors
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.

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