There are several things that can cause joint pain. Most people believe that it is part of the aging process, to an extent that may be true in some cases, but not in all. There is always an underlying cause for the joint pain, and you need to find out what that cause is.

If you have joint pain and you also have a high fever and swelling, you should contact your doctor as this could be signs of an infection. In this case you would receive antibiotics and mild pain medications and some possible physical therapy to treat this. Once the infection is gone and there is no permanent damage, you can usually continue your life as normal.

If you have persistent joint pain that lasts over a week you should contact your doctor. If there is swelling or a high fever associated with the pain do not wait more than 24 hours. If it is due to an injury, you should see that doctor right away to make sure that there is no damage that could become permanent without treatment.

Once the joint is replaced, often you will have no more pain. Sometimes it is an improvement for you, but does not totally take away the pain. Mobility is the most important factor when treating joint pain. Keeping you mobile and independent and as pain free as possible is the goal of the treating physician.

Degeneration of the joint is where the ligaments stretch out and bone runs bone, in this case, a joint replacement is called for. These have been done for years, and the procedures are much more advanced. You will require physical therapy, and pain management for the first few weeks or so. These procedures highly improve your life by increasing your mobility and by decreasing the pain. This is the goal of your doctor, to keep you mobile and independent.

If you have had an injury and you know that is the cause of the joint pain, you should contact the doctor and get in to have x-rays done and other tests to make sure there is no possible permanent damage or that the injury is getting worse. Joint pain can be something simple to treat, or something that requires more advanced treatments, but unless you contact your doctor to find the cause, you may live with pain that you do not have to.