Joint pain is something that you never want to deal with. Unfortunately, with time and wear and tear, it’s likely inevitable at some point. The good news is, there are a number of treatment options that can help you ease your joint pain, including several types of joint injections.
At Delmarva Pain and Spine Center, our team is ready to get you back to your busy life when joint pain strikes. Dr. Shachi Patel is our in-house pain management specialist, who offers specialized care and therapy for a number of different issues, including joint problems.
Have you ever got out of bed and realized your knees were aching? Or do you come home after work with pain in your hips or shoulders? These are types of joint pain, which when chronic, can really affect your daily activities.
Joint pain can be acute or chronic, and varies in severity. Mild joint pain may just be a nuisance, whereas severe joint pain has the ability to affect your mobility and other aspects of your life. There are many conditions that can lead to joint pain, including:
Osteoarthritis is another common culprit behind joint pain. This condition causes degeneration in the cartilage in the joints throughout your body. Your cartilage is what protects your joints and gives them cushioning. When osteoarthritis hits, your joints can become very painful, and your mobility impaired.
No matter what’s causing your joint pain, it’s important that you seek treatment when it doesn’t go away on its own. This not only keeps the condition from getting worse, but gets you the relief you need.
Joint pain can be treated in a number of different ways. While medications can help, long-term use can harbor unwanted side effects and diminished relief over time. Surgery is an invasive option that’s usually reserved for the worst-case scenario.
Luckily, joint injections are a good in-between treatment that can give you months to years of relief at a time. These injections use different types of medications or cells to decrease the overall inflammation in your joint, which helps get rid of your pain.
In the case of regenerative medicine injections, your body’s healing response is triggered by the cells within the injection. This helps to heal the tissues in your joint, often by using your own body’s cells and growth factors.
There are many different types of joint injections, and Dr. Patel helps you to determine which one is right for your specific condition.
Dr. Patel is an expert in pain management, and she offers several types of joint injections when you’re suffering from pain in your joints. Each of the injections works differently in your joint to relieve your pain and repair damage within your joint. The four types of injections Dr. Patel offers are:
PRP, or platelet rich plasma is a type of regenerative medicine injection. It uses your own body’s platelets, which contain essential growth factors. These growth factors target the damage in your joint and begin to repair the tissues immediately.
Stem cell injections work similarly to PRP, except they use stem cells, which are basically your body’s blank cells. These cells can transform into any cell that your body needs, including cartilage and ligaments in your joint.
Steroid injections are a widely used joint injection that can be applied to just about any joint in your body. The steroid is often paired with an anesthetic medication to immediately ease your discomfort. The steroid works to significantly decrease inflammation within your joint.
This type of injection helps to mimic a substance in your joint that provides cushioning and support. When this substance isn’t readily available in your body, a hyaluronic acid injection can restore functionality in your joint.
If your joint is swollen and painful, Dr. Patel recommends a joint aspiration. For this procedure, she uses a small needle to remove excess fluid inside your joint that’s causing inflammation and pain. After she aspirates the fluid, Dr. Patel may inject a steroid with anesthetic medications to further decrease the inflammation.
If you’re in need of a joint injection, don’t hesitate to call our office at 302-355-0900 today. You can also book an appointment with us online today.
