Do you have joint pain? Is it increasing? It may be time to visit your physician to see what the cause is. Only when they know the cause can they truly treat the pain. Giving pain medication is just one part of the treatment plan. If you have an infection, arthritis, joint degeneration, or an injury, each condition will include other treatments as well.

There are other things like fibromyalgia that cause joint pain. In this instance there is no cure, so the symptoms are treated through pain management and physical therapy. Arthritis can be caused by heredity and aging, again you treat the symptoms with an anti-inflammatory medication and pain management, and also sometimes physical therapy. You will need to do range of motion exercises as well, to keep your joints from getting stiff.

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.

The important thing is that if you have joint pain that starts and does not go away within a week or two to contact your doctor. If there is a high fever or swelling accompanied with the pain you should contact your doctor within 48 hours as it could be an infection which may require IV antibiotics or a hospitalization to get the infection under control.

If it is found that you have a virus or infection causing the joint pain, it will depend on the type of infection as to how you are treated. If it is a bacterial infection you will be treated with antibiotics and medications for pain until the infection is gone. If there has been any damage you might require physical therapy. The point is that if you can find the cause, you can treat the pain.