Joint Pain - Ambhos

JOINT PAIN

 206 bones, 78 organs, around 300 joints, and 100,000 miles of blood vessels; the human body is beautifully engineered. With all organs all tissues dependent on each other, our bodies are perfect examples of working in harmony. But with this amount of complexity, errors come complimentary.

A slight change in the functioning of one organ can cause serious illness and can even prove to be fatal. But it's not just the organs or muscles or other squishy matter, our bones too, are prone to malfunctioning.

Apart from accidents, injuries, or other conditions, joint pain is also a huge contributor to human discomfort. A joint is where bones meet and link up to complete into a functional whole. Wherever you notice folding, moving, or rotation in the human body, it is possible only because of joints. Elbow, knees, neck, spine, and even fingers; they’re all joints and where there are joints, there are possibilities of pain.

Some joints are almost frictionless, like our elbows and knees, and allow smooth and precise movements and others like our skull have very little or no movement supported.

As a child we learn to control and master the movements of these joints hence allowing us to sit, stand, run and perform other everyday actions but as we grow old, these joints begin to wear out.

CAUSES

Joint pain is usually very common in the elderly due to their age but in this never-sleeping industrial world, adults have started to complain too. Be it sitting on the same chair for 8 hours a day or heavy physical work, we all struggle to feed ourselves and our family, and where there is work, there is wear. The causes of this unwanted discomfort can range from Arthritis, Bone Cancer, and fractures to the mere factor of age. 

The diagnosis includes a physical examination of the joint by your doctor along with an X-ray in most cases and even a blood test in some.

VISIT A DOCTOR IF...

If you experienced persistent pain in your joints for over 3 days or the joint seems to be swollen, red, and/or warm to touch, please consult a doctor about it. If severe joint pain and/or complete immobility of the joint occurs, the patient needs to be rushed to the emergency room.

Adults over 40 happen to have Arthritis as the main cause of their pain. While Osteoarthritis(OA) results from the breakdown of cartilage present between the bones, Rheumatoid Arthritis is known to deform and debilitate joints. Wrists, hands, hips, and knees are affected easily due to their regular use. Infectious diseases like Mumps, Influenza, Hepatitis, and Gout have also proved to be reasons for joint pain. In the elderly, the struggle is to get up from bed or sit down in the loo or even grab a cup of tea but for adults who have to get out of their homes, commute, work, and earn, joint pain is a real struggle.

TREATMENT AND PHYSIOTHERAPY

With hundreds of products in the market claiming to work effectively and some even claiming to completely eradicate the pain, there is too much to experiment with. However no permanent cure is yet available to counter the pain caused by arthritis and other ailments; physiotherapy, prolonged usage of anti-inflammatory gels and oils and painkillers can provide great relief.

Massaging the affected areas with anti-inflammatory gels and oils causes the components of the gel to get absorbed by the skin and hence work at the muscular level to fight the pain. No matter the amount of pain, one should never completely stop physical activity as it will only make the situation worse. According to physiotherapists, stretching, walking, yoga, cycling, and even gardening have proven to be effective in reducing joint pain caused by Arthritis. While some patients have claimed to get permanent relief from daily exercise and massage, most of them feel the relief is temporary yet soothing.

HOMEOPATHY 

Apart from allopathy and physiotherapy, homeopathy too has remedies for joint pain. Colchicum has been of great relief to patients suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis. Belladonna, Bryonia, Pulsatilla, and Causticum make up for other homeopathic remedies which act against inflammation and pain and give much sought-after relief to the patient. 

OVERVIEW 

Be it the elderly or an adult, joint pain has got hold of a large fraction of the population. Only the patients who fight a daily battle with the pain know the actual suffering.

Joint pain does not necessarily mean Arthritis. Early consultation with the doctor can help to distinguish the cause and even allow for effective treatment of the discomfort.