You may suffer from joint pain for many reasons. It may be linked to underlying conditions such as arthritis or other chronic issues. In many cases, joint pain also results from car accidents, workplace injuries, or slips and falls.
According to the CDC, more than 50 million adults in the U.S. experience joint discomfort — a number expected to rise as the population ages. While some people may ignore joint pain, it’s important to take it seriously. Left untreated, it can lead to stiffness, swelling, and discomfort that lasts for weeks or even months, affecting your work, social life, and daily activities like playing with your children or completing household tasks.
But, here’s the good news. You don’t have to live with this pain. There are effective treatments available that can provide long-lasting relief and improve your quality of life. Let’s explore the different methods of joint pain relief, how they work, and what you can expect.
At Physicians Group, LLC, our team of medical doctors and chiropractors specializes in diagnosing and treating joint pain caused by auto accidents and related injuries. With over 25 years of experience, we are committed to providing compassionate care and creating personalized treatment plans to help you recover.
8 Effective Strategies for Lasting Joint Pain Relief
You can feel pain from different joints in your body. For example, you may experience facet joint discomfort because of an injury or accident. This condition can also happen if your facet joint, which connects the bones in your spine, starts degenerating.
Your SI joint or sacroiliac joint—a pelvis joint that connects the sacrum to the ilium—can be damaged by arthritis, injury, infection, and other reasons. Once this happens, you’ll feel persistent pain. Luckily, many effective strategies can give you long-term joint pain relief. Here are some of them.
1. Physical Therapy for Better Mobility and Strength
Physical therapy is an effective joint pain relief strategy that improves joint strength and flexibility. Specialists will give you exercises specifically tailored to your condition. These could include walking, swimming, yoga, and other low-impact activities. You can expect regular sessions when undergoing physical therapy until the stiffness disappears and your mobility is restored.
2. Joint Injections to Ease Your Pain
Sometimes, you’ll need joint pain surgery to ease the pain. But doctors will always start with non-invasive solutions. These include injection methods, such as SI joint injections and facet joint injections. Health professionals will deliver corticosteroids into the joint through an injection to reduce the swelling. You need to wait a few days before you start feeling better. Depending on your condition, injection sessions can last for weeks or months.
3. Weight Loss to Reduce Strain on Joints
Often, having a healthy lifestyle can help treat joint pain. If you’re overweight, your body can strain your joints. Losing weight can lessen the pressure on your joints. Aside from reducing the pain, you’ll also have better mobility and feel better.
4. Topical Treatments to Target Pain
Topical treatments are great joint pain relief options for localized discomfort, such as SI joint pain or facet joint pain. These include creams and patches, which are directly applied to painful areas. They usually contain NSAIDs or capsaicin to provide focused relief.
5. Surgeries for Severe Joint Pain Cases
If your joint pain doesn’t get better with non-invasive options, then you’ll need surgery. For example, if the facet joints are already worn because of aging, you’ll need to undergo facet joint surgery. Another case is when the SI joint is damaged during a car accident. Doctors will recommend SI joint surgery. In the sacroiliac joint surgery, your sacrum and ilium will be fused back together to prevent movements that can lead to further damage.
6. Change Your Diet to Reduce Joint Inflammation
Changing your diet can also help ease the discomfort. However, the changes should focus specifically on the reduction of inflammation. To do this, add omega-3-rich food and reduce sugar consumption. You should also start avoiding processed food, especially fast food. Doing this is an effective strategy you can include in your facet joint pain management or if you want to treat your sacroiliac joint pain and other joint conditions.
7. Heat and Cold Therapy to Reduce Swelling
Whether you’re suffering from sacroiliac joint pain or other joint discomforts, heat and cold therapy are great options. Heat can relax tense muscles, and cold can reduce joint swelling. Add these simple yet effective home remedies to SI joint pain management and other joint pain relief plans.
8. Acupuncture for Additional Relief
Acupuncture isn’t always considered in sacroiliac pain management and other joint pain relief efforts. However, this strategy can significantly reduce pain. Acupuncturists can target joints and relieve discomfort by inserting fine needles into particular areas. After a few sessions, you may notice long-term benefits in your body.
Need Help With Joint Pain? Physicians Group, LLC Is Here
Are you struggling with joint pain after an accident? At Physicians Group, LLC, our team of medical doctors and chiropractors specializes in diagnosing and treating accident-related injuries, including painful joint conditions.
Whether your joint pain was caused by a car crash, workplace injury, or slip and fall, we’ll take the time to listen to your needs and create a personalized treatment plan. From advanced imaging to interventional therapies and chiropractic care, our specialists are dedicated to helping you find relief and get back to living your life.
Don’t wait for your joint pain to worsen. Contact us today to book your appointment and connect with trusted accident injury experts.
