Joints Prone to Pain: Ankle, Knee, Hip, Back, Neck, Elbow and Wrists

• Ankle Pain
• Knee Pain
• Hip Pain
• Back Pain
• Neck Pain
• Shoulder Pain
• Elbow Pain
• Wrist and Hand Pain
• Testing and Diagnosing Conditions

Ankle Joint Pain

The ankle is a complex weight-bearing joint where three bones come together.

• Tibia bone - larger bone of the lower leg
• Fibula bone - smaller bone on the outside of the lower leg
• Ttalus bone - anke bone around which the tibia and fibula wrap around to form the ankle joint

Ankle pain is often due to

• Ankle sprain - injury to the ligaments connecting the bones
  • Inner Ankle Sprain - more common
  • Outer Ankle Sprain
• Arthritis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Septic arthritis
  • Chronic gouty arthritis
• Gout - overproduction of uric acid (part of urine waste) that crystalizes in joints and causes abnormal development
• Pseudogout - extra calcium deposits in the joints causing pain, swelling and redness
• Infections

Care For Sprained Ankle

• Rest for several days and do not move or put too much pressure on the affected area
• If ankle is unstable, support it with crutches or a brace, and avoid stress
• If swollen, keep foot elevated above the level of the heart and ice the area for 10-15 minutes every hour.
• Reduce inflmmation with anti-inflammatory foods or medication

Care For Ankle With Arthritis

• Change lifestyle to include low-impact regular exercise like swimming and stretching and sometimes walking
• Weight loss is recommended because it will result in less stress on the ankle
• Anti-inflammatory foods and medications may help
• Special foot supports may be prescribed, and generally try to wear comfortable shoes that fit well and avoid high heels

Knee Joint Pain

There are two general kinds of knee problems:

• Mechanical knee problems
• Inflammation problems

Causes

• Injury - direct blows, sudden movements that strain the knee beyond its normal range of movement
• Arthritis - knee arthritis is most often osteoarthritis which often results from general wear and tear and gradual decrease of cartilage
• Rheumatoid arthritis - joint becomes inflamed and cartilage is destroyed
• Osteoarthritis - caused by excess stress on the joint from deformity, repeated injury, or excess weight

Symptoms of Arthritis

• Pain
• Swelling
• Decrease in join motion
• Morning joint stiffness
• Locking or clicking joints

Hip Joint Pain

The hip is a ball and socket joint and injury causes limited range of motion. Hip-related pain is not always felt directly over the hip and may be felt it in thighs or groin. Sometimes pain in the hip may reflect a problem in another part of the body like your back. Common hip problems:

• Arthritis - often felt in the front thigh or groin
• Fractures - common medical emmergencies common with increased age because falls are more likely and bones become less dense
• Osteoporosis - causes fractures from simple everyday activities due to bone brittleness
• Osteonecrosis
• Trochanteric bursitis
• Tendinitis
• Strain
• Sciatica
• Infection

Hip Care

• Avoid activities that aggravate or cause pain
• Try anti-inflammatory foods and medications
• Sleep on the side which does not hurt and put a pillow between your legs
• When pain decreases, gradually begin light exercise like swimming or therapy
• The last option is always hip replacement surgery

Back Pain

The back is a complex structure of bones, muscles and tissues. Back pain, one of the most common and painful ailments, can be hard to treat. Back pain is a common neurological ailment. It occurs most often between ages 30 and 50, due in part to the aging process but also as a result of sedentary life style. Causes

• Sport injuries
• Arthritis
• Disc disease
• Bulging, herniated or ruptured discs - cartilage pushed into the space containing the spinal cord or nerves
• Spinal Degeneration
• Strain
• Steoarthritis
• Osteoporosis - progressive bone disease
• Viral infections
• Irritation to joints and discs
• Congenital abnormalities in the spine
• Scar tissue
• Obesity/weight gain
• Smoking
• Stress
• Poor physical condition/posture
• Poor sleeping position
• Cauda equina syndrome - when disc material is pushed into the spinal canal and compresses the bundle of lumbar and sacral nerve roots causing permanent neurological damage
• Sciatica - herniated or ruptured disc pressing on the sciatic nerve
• Spinal degeneration - disc wear and tear can lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal
• Spinal stenosis
• Skeletal irregularities such as scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis, back extension and flexion
• Fibromyalgia - chronic disorder with musculoskeletal pain
• Ankylosing spondylitis - chronic spine arthritis
• Osteomyelitis - bone infection
• Sacroiliitis - inflamed sacroiliac joints

Symptoms

• Aching muscles
• Shooting or stabbing pain
• Decreased flexibility
• Decreased range of motion
• Inability to stand or sit
• Radiating pain

Treatment Most low back pain can be treated without surgery. Treatment often involves:

• Anti-inflammatory diet and medications
• Rest
• Hot and Cold Treatements
• Low-impact, muscle-building exercise: stretching, swimming, walking, yoga or pilates
• Topical counter-irritants applied to the skin
• Strong pain killers may be prescribed for severe pain: codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine
• Acupuncture
• Biofeedback

Back surgery for serious cases when the condition does not respond to other therapies:

• Discectomy
• Foraminotomy
• IntraDiscal Electrothermal Therapy (IDET)
• Nucleoplasty
• Radiofrequency Lesioning
• Spinal Fusion
• Spinal Laminectomy
• Rhizotomy
• Cordotomy
• DREZ - dorsal root entry zone operation

Prevention: combination of exercises that don't jolt or strain the back, maintaining correct posture, proper lifting techniques can help prevent injuries.

• Exercise to maintain strong core muscles
• Heavy lifting
• Repetitive motion
• Bad posture
• Ergonomics In The Home And Workplace

If back pain is accompanies by symptoms like fever, loss of bowel or bladder control, pain when coughing, progressive weakness or pain radiating into the legs should contact a doctor immediately as it can be a sign of digestive tract problems or urinary tract problems.

Neck Joint Pain

Neck pain may also come from regions near the neck, like the shoulder, jaw, head, and upper arms. Causes of neck pain

• Muscle strain or tension resulting from bad posture during daily activities
• Fibromyalgia
• Cervical arthritis or spondylosis
• Ruptured disk
• Small fractures to the spine from osteoporosis
• Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
• Infection of the spine (osteomyelitis, diskitis, abscess)
• Bone Cancer
• Vertebral fractures
• Whiplash
• Blood vessel injury
• Paralysis
• Meningitis

Care and Treatement for Neck Pain

• Heat or ice treatements
• Rest and improved posture
• Try to reduce inflammation
• Sleeping on a firm mattress
• Avoid high-impact exercise

Shoulder Joint Pain

There are many common causes of shoulder pain

• Arthritis - less common than knee and hip arthritis
• Bursitis - Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
• Rotator Cuff Tear - when the tendons of the rotator cuff separate from the bone
• Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsuliitis) - condition that leads to joint stiffness of the joint
• Calcific Tendonitis - condition of calcium deposits within a tendon
• Shoulder Instability - causes loose joint
• Shoulder Dislocation - top of the arm bone disconnects from the scapula
• Shoulder Separation (AC) - disruption of the acromioclavicular joint.
• Labral Tear - torn labrum
• SLAP Lesion - type of labral tear
• Biceps Tendon Rupture - when the tendon of the biceps muscle ruptures near the joint

Treatment of shoulder pain depends entirely on the cause of the problem. General treatements are

• Rest
• Ice and Heat treatements
• Stretching
• Physical Therapy
• Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Medication

Elbow Joint Pain

Elbow pain can be caused by the following problems

• Tendinitis - inflammation and injury to the tendons
• Tennis elbow
• Bursitis - inflammation of a fluid-filled cushion beneath the skin
• Arthritis - narrowing of the joint space and loss of cartilage in elbow
• Elbow strains
• Infection of the elbow

Following steps can help treat many cases of elbow pain

• Aapply ice and heat treatements
• Wrap the elbow with a bandage
• Keep the elbow elevated above your heart
• Rest the elbow joint
• Reduce inflammation with anti-inflammatory diet or over the counter medications
• Strengthen the muscles around the elbow through gentle flexibility exercises
• Reduce repetition of the activity that causes the pain

Wrist and Hand Joint Pain

When arthritic joints lose cartilage, joints no longer have a painless, mobile area of motion. Causes of pain in hands and wrists:

• Osteoarthritis - typical in older population
• Rheumatoid arthritis - genetic causes
• Trauma
• Fractures within the finger joints
• Thumb extension deformity
• Mucous cyst of the index finger

Treatment options for arthritis of the hand and wrist include medication, splinting, injections, and surgery.

Testing and Diagnosing Conditions

• Physical Exam
• X-ray
• Arthroscopy to see damage to cartilage, tendons, and ligaments
• Aspiration of synovial fluid (fluid from the joint space)
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
• Discography - injection of a contrast dye into a spinal disc thought to be causing low back pain
• Computerized Tomography (CT)
• Electrodiagnostic Procedures including electromyography (EMG)
• Thermography - infrared sensing devices to measure small temperature changes
• Synovial fluid analysis
• Ultrasound Imaging
• Blood tests