Joint Pain
Palmetto Spine and Pain Care Consultants
Interventional Spine and Pain Physicians located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Joint pain comes from a number of health conditions, but strains, sprains, arthritis, and gout are among the most common causes. If you’re living with chronic joint pain, Dr. Stephen E. Boatwright and the experienced pain management team at Palmetto Spine and Pain Care Consultants in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina want you to know that there are many ways to get long-term joint pain relief without dependency on prescription medications. Call or schedule a consultation online today.
Joint Pain Q & A
Why do my joints ache?
Since your joints form the connections between your bones and support your body, any damage to them can cause a lot of pain. Many different diseases, injuries, or health conditions can contribute to both acute and chronic joint pain.
The most common causes of joint pain are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Injuries
- Bursitis
- Gout
- Infections
Joint pain can be mild to severe or even debilitating, making it painful to move. Joint pain becomes more common with age.
When should I seek medical care for joint pain?
Although joint pain is not usually an urgent situation, when it becomes too much to manage at home, or occurs frequently, it may be time to seek medical attention. The experienced pain management specialists at Palmetto Spine and Pain Care Consultants look for any signs of swelling, redness, or tenderness around your joints. Additionally, if you experience intense pain and are unable to move a joint, you should seek immediate medical care.
How is joint pain treated?
Before determining your best treatment options, Dr. Boatwright and the medical team conduct a clinical evaluation and assessment so they can give you an accurate diagnosis. Understanding the underlying cause of your joint pain is crucial to how Dr. Boatwright most effectively treats your specific pain. Additionally, the location of your joint pain – shoulders, knee, hips, sacroiliac joints – is a factor in selecting appropriate treatments and procedures.
Some of the treatment options Dr. Boatwright may recommend include:
- Steroid injections
- Viscosupplementation for knee joints
- Topical treatments
- Compound medications
How do steroid injections help joint pain?
Steroid injections containing synthetic drugs that closely resemble cortisol, a hormone your body naturally produces, are an effective method of pain relief. When oral or topical medications and treatments don’t produce the pain relief you need, Dr. Boatwright may prescribe a series of injections. Dr. Boatwright sometimes combines steroid medications with a local anesthetic which he injects into your joint every three to four months. Steroid injections commonly help relieve pain in men and women who have arthritis, joint disease, or tendinitis.
To learn more about joint injections and other pain relief options for your joint pain, call the Myrtle Beach office or schedule a consultation using the online booking feature.