The Do’s and Don’ts of Joint Pain Management
Your joints help you make even the smallest movements, which means that they get plenty of use on a daily basis. This also means that you can feel a significant amount of pain and discomfort when your joints develop inflammation (which can happen due to overuse, aging, and many other factors). Fortunately, there are many modern solutions that can help you manage joint pain. One of these is to explore non-operative therapies such as ultrasound guided injections and radiofrequency ablation, which can lower your pain levels and speed up the healing process. Through these procedures, you can experience less pain and improve your mobility without being exposed to the health complications that surgical treatments can bring.
Aside from exploring non-surgical therapies, you can also properly manage your joint pain by keeping these do’s and don’ts in mind:
DO’S:
It can be tempting to stop moving when your joints ache. However, it’s actually important to stay active since it lets you maintain the ideal weight, strengthen your muscles, and improve your range of motion — all of which can help in managing pain.
Pain can make you tense up, so you can explore activities that will help you relax and feel better. Start by doing yoga and deep breathing exercises and getting a massage from a licensed therapist. You can also apply ice packs or heating pads to the affected joins to temporarily relieve pain.
DON’TS:
While it’s important to be active, you shouldn’t push yourself too far. Stay away from exercises that have a high impact on your joints (like running) and require you to do repetitive motions (such as tennis). You should also avoid taking too much over-the-counter pain relievers, which can lead to dependency and even damage your kidney and liver.
Use this guide to manage your joint pain and experience less discomfort! If you’d like to get more tips on pain management, or if you’re ready to give ultrasound guided injections and other therapies a try, reach out to 417 Sports Medicine and Orthopedics: Eric M Gifford, MD. We specialize in non-operative procedures for pain and injury management, and we can provide you with modern treatments that can reduce your pain levels and improve your overall mobility. Call us now at (417) 771-3147 or visit our clinic in Springfield, MO!