Joint Pain

What Is Joint Pain?

Joint pain is a chronic pain occurring through the joints. This can happen in your hands, feet, knees, elbows, anywhere that the joint cartilage has worn down over time. When the cartilage wears down, usually through overuse, wear and tear, or disease, it exposes the bone ends and the result in painful bone-to-bone contact. Arthritis is one of the most common forms of joint pain.

Who Is at Risk?

The risk factors that increase your likelihood of developing joint pain will depend upon your age, weight, diet, genetics, and hormone levels. Older people are more susceptible to the development of joint pain due to the onset of osteoarthritis increasing with age. Being overweight can cause strain and pain in the knee joint due to the excess pressure placed on those joints. Nutrition also plays an important role in maintaining healthy joints. A lack of vitamin D often leads to joint discomfort. Periods of hormonal imbalance may significantly increase occurrences of joint pain as estrogen deficiency is known to cause calcium loss, diminish bone density, and increase inflammation.

How is Joint Pain Treated?

The treatment of chronic pain depends on the specific type and cause of the pain and the health status of the individual experiencing the pain. Understanding the underlying health status of the patient is critical to effective pain management. Internal inflammation, depression, stress, nutrition and physical activity all impact the severity and treatment approaches for chronic pain. There is strong evidence that acupuncture, herbs, meditation, exercise, yoga, and nutrition can be very effective. Dr. Lin’s integrative approach uses a combination of these treatments to help patients manage and overcome their pain. These natural treatments are not habit-forming and don’t require invasive procedures. Overall, these treatments have proven to be highly effective.