How To Get Rid Of Joint Pain In South Africa

How To Get Rid Of Joint Pain In South Africa

What is Joint Pain?

Joint pain refers to discomfort, aches, and soreness in any of the body’s joints. Joint pain is a common complaint. It doesn’t typically require a hospital visit.

Sometimes, joint pain is the result of an illness or injury. Arthritis is also a common cause of joint pain. However, it can also be due to other conditions or factors.

How To Get Rid Of Joint Pain In South Africa

Treatment options for joint pain

If you’re experiencing joint pain and don’t know why, make an appointment to see a doctor to determine the cause.

Sometimes what may feel like joint pain is actually due to a condition unrelated to joints, such as a muscle strain or bone fracture.

It’s important that you get a diagnosis before trying to self-treat. An early diagnosis of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, can help you better manage the condition.

Once you have a diagnosis, you can learn about treatment options for your specific type of joint pain. This may include:

  • oral, injectable, or topical medications
  • diet changes
  • exercise
  • home remedies
  • nutritional supplements
  • physical therapy
  • surgery

Medications for joint pain

Your doctor may first suggest that you treat the joint pain caused by arthritis with anti-inflammatory and pain medications. Here are some examples:

Oral medications

What your doctor prescribes will depend on the underlying cause of your joint pain. For OA — the most common type of arthritis — oral medications include:

  • Over-the-counter (OTC) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Aleve), reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. However, taking ibuprofen for a long period of time isn’t recommended due to the risk of stomach ulcers. Shop for OTC NSAIDs.
  • Prescription NSAIDs include diclofenac (Voltaren) and celecoxib (Celebrex).
  • Salicylates, such as aspirin, can thin the blood and should be used very cautiously if you take other blood-thinning medications. Shop for aspirin.
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol), which in high doses for a long time can lead to liver damage or liver failure. Shop for acetaminophen.
  • Opioid pain medications include hydrocodone (Vicodin) or codeine.
  • Oral steroids include as prednisone or cortisone.
  • Duloxetine (Cymbalta), which is an antidepressant sometimes prescribed off-label for OA.

If you receive a diagnosis with a systemic disease or an autoimmune condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), medications known as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can help slow down RA’s progression and also slow joint damage.

Newer drugs called biologics provide a more targeted response to inflammation for people with RA, and may help those who don’t respond to treatment with traditional DMARDs.

Injections

Injections can provide pain relief and reduce inflammation. Examples of injections for treating joint pain include:

  • steroid joint injections
  • hyaluronic acid injections

Steroid injections are useful to reduce swelling in the joint, but they wear off over time. There’s also a limit to how many a doctor can give you per year.

Topicals

OTC topical analgesics may help to numb the joint area. Shop for OTC topical analgesics.

Your doctor may prescribe topical medication containing diclofenac sodium. You can also look for OTC creams, gels, or patches containing the following ingredients:

  • capsaicin
  • menthol
  • salicylate
  • lidocaine

Surgery

Surgery is considered a last resort for relieving joint pain. It’s usually reserved for people with knee or hip osteoarthritis that hasn’t responded to other measures.

Severe cases may require a total joint replacement. For less severe cases, a doctor may want to try osteotomy — a surgery that entails cutting and re-shaping bones to ease pressure on the joint.

An osteotomy is sometimes used to delay the need for total joint replacement for several years, but not everyone with joint pain will be a candidate for this procedure.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy is a great way to treat joint pain because it helps improve your range of motion and strengthens the muscles surrounding the joint. This in turn helps minimize overall stiffness and pain.

During physical therapy, you’ll be given a series of customized strengthening and stretching exercises to do on a regular basis. Stretching helps with mobility and overall range of motion.

A physical therapist may also recommend that you wear a brace, especially for knee pain, to assist with stability and function.

Home remedies

Many causes of joint pain can be managed at home with a few lifestyle changes.

Hot and cold therapy

To reduce stiffness in the joints, try alternating cold with hot treatments. Warm showers or baths may help lessen stiffness in your joints in the morning. At night, you can try sleeping with an electric heated blanket or a heating pad.

Cold treatment is also helpful for relieving inflammation in the joints. Wrap a gel ice pack in a towel and apply it to painful joints for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.

Diet changes

Eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables might reduce the symptoms of arthritis.

Research suggests that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants can help prevent inflammation. These foods include:

  • omega-3-rich foods, such as walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed, and fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel
  • antioxidant-rich foods, such as colorful fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, red wine, and dark chocolate

On top of including more of these foods in your diet, be sure to also cut out processed carbohydrates and saturated or trans fats.

Exercise

Physical activity, such as walking or swimming, can not only decrease pain, but also improve your mood and quality of life. The CDC suggests that people with arthritis should try to get at least 150 minutesTrusted Source of physical activity each week.

Make sure to avoid activities that are more likely to cause joint injuries, such as high-impact exercises like tennis or running.

Tai chi and yoga are excellent activities for people with joint pain. One published studyTrusted Source found that tai chi had a positive impact on pain, physical function, depression, and quality of life for people with OA of the knee.

If you’re overweight, you can reduce joint pain and arthritis symptoms by maintaining a healthy weight. Added weight puts more pressure on your joints, particularly your knees, hips, and feet.

If you’re having trouble losing weight, a doctor can refer you to a dietitian to get you started on your weight loss journey.

Supplements

Dietary supplements may help to relieve symptoms such as inflammation and joint pain. No dietary supplement has shown clear-cut benefits for joint pain, but there’s some evidence a few supplements might help.

Examples include:

  • fish oil, which has been shown to help to relieve tender joints and morning stiffness in people with RA
  • ginger, which has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect in laboratory studies and to reduce pain and disability in people with OA
  • glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate could be helpful for people with moderate-to-severe knee pain

Keep in mind that if your joint pain is being caused by another condition, such as RA, home remedies like supplements should never replace medical treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the most common reason for joint pain?

Arthritis. One of the most common causes of joint pain is arthritis. The two main forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). According to the American College of Rheumatology, OA is most common in adults over age 40.

When should I worry about joint pain?

Make an appointment with your doctor if your joint pain is accompanied by: Swelling. Redness. Tenderness and warmth around the joint.

Why have my joints suddenly started hurting?

Sudden joint pain that occurs all over the body may signal the onset of a chronic condition, such as osteoarthritis, lupus or fibromyalgia, or even an infectious disease such as influenza or the mumps

Why do all my joints hurt at once?

Acute pain in multiple joints is most often due to inflammation, gout, or the beginning or flare up of a chronic joint disorder. Chronic pain in multiple joints is usually due to osteoarthritis or an inflammatory disorder (such as rheumatoid arthritis) or, in children, juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

How can I relieve joint pain?

Home Care

  1. Protect the joint with a brace or wrap.
  2. Rest the joint, avoiding any activities that cause you pain.
  3. Ice the joint for about 15 minutes, several times each day.
  4. Compress the joint using an elastic wrap.
  5. Elevate the joint above the level of your heart.

What vitamin is good for joint pain?

Vitamin D is important for keeping bones strong and preventing injuries from falls. Research shows that people with low levels of vitamin D may have more joint pain.

Is walking good for joint pain?

Walking is the best way to begin the transition from inactivity to activity—even if you have arthritis in a weight-bearing joint like your knee or hip. Walking is a low-impact activity that can help relieve arthritis pain, stiffness, and swelling, but that’s not the only reason walking can be a great form of exercise.

What’s the best medication for joint pain?

For swelling, the best solutions are general pain relievers that reduce inflammation and don’t contain steroids. These pain medications are extremely common and include ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), naproxen (Aleve®) and aspirin. OTC pain medications can help reduce pain, aches and/or inflammation.

Can dehydration cause joint pain?

Lack of hydration has also been noted as a contributor of joint pain. About 70-80% of your joint cartilage is made of water, so it comes as no wonder why the lack of hydration is associated with joint pain

Why do my joints ache at night?

The answer is likely due to a few different factors. It could be that levels of the anti-inflammatory hormone cortisol are naturally lower at night; plus, staying still in one position might cause joints to stiffen up. Another explanation: The way you experience the same pain may actually change in the wee hours.

What vitamin Am I lacking if my joints hurt?

People who have low levels of vitamin D often have joint pain. Vitamin D supplements may treat joint pain in some people who have a vitamin D deficiency.

What is the best natural supplement for joint pain?

Here are 9 vitamins and supplements, backed by science, that help relieve arthritis pain.

  • Turmeric/Curcumin or Curcuma longa.
  • Avocado-soybean Unsaponifiables or ASU.
  • Cat’s Claw or Uncaria tomentosa.
  • Fish Oil or Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
  • Gamma Linolenic Acid or GLA.
  • Ginger or Zingiber officinale.

What foods should you avoid for joint pain?

  • Added sugars. You should limit your sugar intake no matter what, but especially if you have arthritis.
  • Processed and red meats.
  • Gluten-containing foods
  • Highly processed foods.
  • Alcohol.
  • Certain vegetable oils.
  • Foods high in salt.
  • Foods high in AGEs.