When Is a Headache Serious?
Most people get a headache occasionally, but ongoing problems with head pain — or debilitating head pain — can benefit from medical intervention. Here’s when you should consider seeking help for your headache.
Is There a Difference Between Joint Pain and Arthritis?
Joint pain in the form of arthritis affects more than 92 million adults in the United States, with symptoms that range from mild to those that pose serious limitations. While arthritis is, far and away, the leading cause of joint pain, it isn’t the only cause.
Our team of musculoskeletal experts here at Summit Pain Alliance understands the extensive impact that joint pain has on our patients, and we’re here to help. Whether your joint pain stems from arthritis or another issue, we have the tools and services you need to regain pain-free movement.
Here’s a look at the difference between arthritis and joint pain to help you better understand the problem.
Differentiating joint pain from arthritis
It’s important to understand that joint pain and arthritis are often intertwined.
Technically, arthritis describes any condition that causes inflammation and pain in your joints. In fact, the hallmark inflammation of arthritis is often what causes the pain.
With joint pain, you may experience an achy or painful joint without the inflammation. That often precedes arthritis and is a sign of a brewing problem that ends with inflammation.
The many faces of arthritis
Making matters a little more complicated is that there are more than 100 different types of arthritis. To make things easier, we’ve narrowed the conditions that qualify as arthritis into four categories:
Degenerative arthritis
This form of arthritis occurs when the soft tissues inside your joints begin to break down. The most common form of degenerative arthritis is osteoarthritis, a condition in which the cartilage inside your joint wears away.
Inflammatory arthritis
This type of arthritis develops because of a faulty immune system that creates inflammation inside your joints. The most common forms of this type of arthritis include rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis.
Infectious arthritis
As the name implies, these types of arthritis are caused by an infection in your body that leads to inflammation and pain in your joints.
Metabolic arthritis
This type of arthritis stems from a problem with your metabolic system, as is the case with gout, which is the most common form of metabolic arthritis.
Joint pain that is not arthritis
While most joint pain is caused by one of the many forms of arthritis, it can also develop because of:
- Injury (dislocations, fractures, soft-tissue tears)
- Bone cancer
- Lyme disease
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
Again, many of these conditions lead to joint pain and inflammation, but we consider them slightly different from arthritis.
Treating your joint pain
No matter the source of your joint pain, our goal is to help you find relief. We offer a wide range of treatment options, depending upon the exact nature of your problem, which include:
- Acupuncture
- Cortisone injections
- Facet joint injections
- Stem cell therapy
- Bursa injections
- Medial branch blocks
- Sacroiliac joint injections
- Peripheral nerve blocks
- Peripheral nerve stimulation
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Joint bracing
- Viscosupplementation
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
To determine the best approach for your joint pain or arthritis, the first step is to contact one of our two locations in Santa Rosa or Petaluma, California, to set up an appointment.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Consider These Many Interventions for Arthritis
Maybe you’re struggling with joint pain that’s preventing you from enjoying life to the fullest. The good news is that there are several effective treatment options for arthritis. We briefly review them here.
6 Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
When it comes to identifying fibromyalgia, there's no single test. That means symptomology plays an essential diagnostic role. While fibromyalgia can affect people differently, here are some of the most common signs.
Pain-Relieving Benefits of Massage
There’s little question that a good massage can do wonders for making you feel better, but can it play a role in managing your pain? The answer is a resounding yes. Read on to learn more about how massage can manage your pain.
Can Acupuncture Help Chronic Pain?
You’re tired of dealing with pain, but the potential risks that come with surgery or medications seem high. Why not explore a technique that has been helping people overcome pain for millennia — acupuncture.
4 Common Types of Arthritis
New estimates place the numbers of Americans who are affected by arthritis at more than 92 million. Included in this incredibly high statistic are different types of arthritis. We outline them here.