What is joint pain?
Joints are the parts of your body where one or more bones connect. Joints provide you with the ability to move in various ways, which leaves them vulnerable to a host of ailments that can cause pain.
Dr. Ben-Meir evaluates and treats all types of joint pain, including shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, wrist, and ankle pain. Your spine also contains joints between each vertebra, which can lead to neck pain or back pain.
What causes joint pain?
Arthritis is one of the most prevalent types of joint pain. There are more than 100 forms of arthritis, but the common symptoms among them include pain and stiffness in one or more joints. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Other causes of joint pain include:
- Sports injuries, including sprains and strains
- Bursitis, which is inflammation of fluid-filled sacs in the joint
- Tendinitis, which is inflammation of a tendon
- Cartilage injuries, such as a meniscus tear in the knee
- Rotator cuff injuries in the shoulder
- Medical conditions like cancer, fibromyalgia, or osteoporosis
- Infection in the bone or joint
Joint pain may result from an acute injury, such as a sprained ankle that occurs immediately after you roll your foot. Other times pain develops gradually from repetitive motions, like elbow pain from pitching a baseball.
How is joint pain diagnosed?
To diagnose joint pain, Dr. Ben-Meir reviews your symptoms and medical history and carefully examines the joint. He may ask you to move in various ways or press on a limb to evaluate your strength and range of motion.
If needed, he may take some in-office diagnostic tests, such as a musculoskeletal ultrasound, electromyogram (EMG), or a nerve conduction study. These tests provide Dr. Ben-Meir with information about the inner structures of your joint.
What nonsurgical treatments for joint pain are available?
After he confirms a diagnosis, Dr. Ben-Meir creates an individualized treatment plan. He specializes in the most advanced treatments for joint pain, including:
- Fluoroscopy-guided hip and knee injections
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
- Corticosteroid injections
- Facet joint injections
- Epidural steroid injections
- TenJet treatment for chronic tendon pain
- Sacroiliac (SI) joint injections
- Prolotherapy
Depending on your needs, your personalized pain management plan may also include physical therapy, medications, and alternative healing modalities like acupuncture and chiropractic care.
To learn more about noninvasive treatments for joint pain, call Downtown Pain Management or schedule an appointment online today.
