Did you break a bone near the joint when you were hoarding around as a kid? Have you taken a blow to the knee while at work on a job site? Did you dislocate your shoulder in the past? Are you prone to weak ankles and frequent sprains?
If you answered yes to any of the above or other old joint injuries, you might now be suffering from chronic joint pain. It doesn’t matter how old an injury is. It can start causing chronic joint pain much later in life. There are a few different reasons that this might happen, and there are some home remedies and medical interventions that could be helpful in treatment.
Post traumatic arthritis
When arthritis is caused by an old joint injury, it is usually referred to as post traumatic arthritis. This disease progresses in much the same way as osteoarthritis, which is the most common type in the United States. The joint becomes damaged so that bone is rubbing against bone or tissues have thinned so that the bone and cartilage of the joint begin to wear away.
Most often, post traumatic arthritis is diagnosed in younger patients, while osteoarthritis is typically due to the aging process and nothing more. There are a few ways your doctor can tell if an old injury is causing your arthritis. They may run imaging tests such as x-rays or MRIs to aid in diagnosis. If just one joint is affected, it points to post traumatic arthritis rather than osteoarthritis.
How to prevent or slow down the progression of post-traumatic arthritis at home
Not everyone with an old joint injury develops arthritis. To prevent arthritis from settling into a joint or becoming worse, you should focus on living a healthy lifestyle. Healthy dietary habits will allow you to manage your weight, which can take pressure and inflammation off of the joint. Exercise and routine movement is also very important for maintaining what joint health you have left.
New therapies to slow or stop progression of chronic joint pain
We offer several innovative therapies that can be tried when less invasive measures have failed. Before you jump to joint replacement surgery to relieve your chronic joint pain, you should come to our office for a full examination, second opinion diagnosis, and treatment options that other orthopedic doctors don’t offer.
Stem cell and PRP therapies have been found to be effective for patients in reducing joint inflammation, swelling, and chronic pain. While the damage already done to the joint usually cannot be reversed, these treatments can slow down or stop the progression of arthritis to relieve joint pain.
If you are interested in trying this innovative treatment to manage your chronic joint pain, contact us today to schedule an appointment.