When one is considering joint pain treatment, a decision has to be made on whether joint pain is the main problem or it is a symptom of an underlying condition. In case it is a symptom of an underlying condition, focus should be made on this root cause rather than the symptoms that manifest themselves merely as pain.
Drug Medications for Joint Pain
Whenever pain relief medications are offered, they are meant to suppress the symptom rather than deal with the main problem. A long-term solution to the disease that results in the pain should be sought. A big challenge so far among medical experts is coming up with medications for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. These two diseases are often the main causes of joint for many people and they have no known joint pain treatment today.
Most of the drugs that are prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are meant to facilitate proper mobility in joints and improve the quality of life that the patient lives by removing. Care is always taken, or ought to be taken in order to ensure that the toxic side effects of this medication are dealt with. Functional impairment should also be prevented through medication. Since medication does not always lead to long-term solution of pain, many patients with these diseases are often forced to rely on pain relief medication all their lives.
Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs are very commonly used joint pain treatment options today. They are ideal for reduction of both pain and inflammation. They are considered to be rather safe when they are not used for a long time. Examples include aspirin, ibuprofen, and piroxicam. A rather new class of anti-inflammatory drugs is COX 2 inhibitors. They work by blocking the COX-2 enzyme. This leads to blocking of prostaglandins chemical messengers which are always responsible for swelling and pain among arthritis sufferers.
There are many other types of joint pain treatment drugs that are meant to control symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. They include penicillamine, sulfasalazine and azathioprine. They often work hand in hand with non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The deal with pain very rapidly as well as dealing with inflammation in areas that surround the joints.
Treatment through Glucosamine and Physical Therapy
Patients with arthritis are often put on Glucosamine and sometimes chodroitin sulphate. These dietary joint pain treatment supplements are very efficient since they don't have any side effects and have been proven to be efficacious for people with who are suffering from medium to extreme pain.
According to recent studies, these supplements have been proven to work very well when it comes to restoration of cartilage that might have been destroyed by disease. Sometimes pain might be specific to a certain area in which case a specific type of therapy is needed. Any connective tissue that has been damaged should be replenished using both proper diet and treatment using supplements.
People with joint pain should also use physical therapy in dealing with pain. They should walk and exercise on a daily basis. They should stretch their muscles from time to time. They should do this under supervision so as to avoid hurting affected areas. Traction exercises are a very important joint pain treatment option.
