Experience Pain-Free Living with Lake Physical Medicine

Joint Pain Q & A

What causes joint pain?

Joints are the connective tissues between bones. Because joints facilitate movement and provide support, pain in the joint can be extremely uncomfortable. Knees, shoulders, and hips are the most common joints that cause prolonged pain and discomfort.

Sometimes, joint pain is caused by a direct injury, while others can experience joint pain because of disease or genetic factors. Joint pain has varied causes and sometimes arises due to another illness or condition. 

Some common causes of joint pain are:

• Direct injury
• Arthritis (rheumatoid and osteoarthritis)
• Bursitis
• Gout
• Strains and sprains
• Medication side effects
• Obesity

Dr. Boylan works with you to determine the correct source of your joint pain and help you manage it for the long term using interventional pain management techniques. Joint pain, no matter the cause, doesn’t have to be permanent.

What are the treatment options for joint pain?

Dr. Boylan usually treats joint pain with a combination of medical interventions and physical therapies. Comprehensive joint pain treatments usually include:

• Physical therapy
• Diet and exercise changes
• Medications (anti-inflammatories, steroids, or painkillers, for example)
• Topical creams
• Injections
• Applying heat and cold

Dr. Boylan specializes in providing the highest level of joint care for his patients, employing a range of treatments to reduce and eliminate pain.

Are injection treatments available for joint pain?

Dr. Boylan uses injection treatments to relieve severe joint pain. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are a form of regenerative medicine which uses your own blood cells to help your body heal itself. The platelet-rich plasma is injected into the joint to help promote healing directly at the site of the pain. The treatment may help regrow new tissue and increase natural lubricant fluids in the joint, thus reducing joint pain.

Dr. Boylan may also choose to use steroid injections to treat your joint pain, as they help reduce inflammation in the joint, which relieves any pain caused by the inflammation.

To receive the highest quality joint pain care, schedule an appointment online or call Dr. Boylan at Lake Physical Medicine.