Joint pain can be a source of annoyance for causing discomfort with or without mobility, and it can be severe enough to limit movement. Usually it accompanies old-aged people due to their vulnerability to calcium deficiency in their bodies, but it can also affect many age groups.
 

Its causes are varied, and there are many ways for treating and controlling it and other for its prevention.
 

What is joint pain and how can it be relived?

This is what we will be discussing in today's article:

1. What is joint pain and its types?

2. Causes of joint pain.

3. How to treat joint pain?

4. Tips for relieving joint pain.

5. Vitamins and minerals needed for joint health.

6. The best nutritional supplement for the prevention of joint pain.

1. What is joint pain and its types?

The human body contains 360 joints, and joints are the places where the bones in the body meet, such as the hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle joints. The presence of joints allows for bone movement flexibility, as they are made up of a group of cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and fluid-filled sacs to cushion the joints and protect them against shock, and others to lubricate them.
 

These places may be exposed to inflammation that lead to discomfort and pain in one or more joint of the body and the pain is usually accompanied by swelling, redness and crackling sounds when moving.
 

The pain may be episodic for a short time as a result of exposure to some trauma, such as simple sprains of muscles or ligaments, or it may be chronic if it persists for more than 3 months, as is the case with arthritis and osteoarthritis.

2. Causes of joint pain

The causes vary between injuries, infections, inflammation, chronic and immune diseases:
 

Injuries

• Bruises
• Dislocated joint
• Joint separation
• Sprained ligaments
• Torn ligaments or cartilage
• Bone or cartilage fragments
• Repetitive motion
• Sports injuries
   

Infection

• Hepatitis
• Influenza
• Measles
• Rubella
• Bone infection
• Syphilis

Inflammation, chronic and immune diseases

• Arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Rheumatic fever
• Osteoporosis
• Rickets
• Gout
• Psoriasis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus 
• Parathyroid gland dysfunction
• Bone cancer
• Leukemia

3. How to treat joint pain?

As mentioned earlier, the causes of joint pain are many, so it is necessary to visit a specialist to conduct some clinical examinations and make sure of the cause to begin prescribing the appropriate treatment.

The initial treatment can be divided into several sections:
 

Medications

If the pain is tolerable and there is no swelling, the physician may prescribe a simple pain reliever appropriate for the age and the patient history.

If the pain is moderate to severe and there is swelling, the physician will prescribe one of the NSAIDs and a topical muscle relaxant to relieve the pain and treat the inflammation causing the swelling.

In the case of severe pain, opioid pain relievers are resorted to by physicians, but very carefully due to their many side effects.

Physical therapy

A therapist will use techniques such as ultrasound, heat or cold therapy, and electrical nerve stimulation to strengthen the muscles around the joint, stabilize it and improve their range of motion.

Home care

Short-term joint pain can be eased with a few simple methods at home:

• Joint protection by wrapping it with a compression band.

• Resting the joint and avoiding any pain-causing activities.
• Putting ice on the joint for 15 minutes, several times a day, to reduce pain and inflammation.
• Using a warm compress for 15 minutes, several times a day, to treat muscle spasms around the joint.
• Always raising the affected joint above the body level.

Depending on the cause of the pain, the physician may suffice with the aforementioned treatment, or he may prescribe different medications to treat the condition, depending on its progression.

4. Tips for relieving joint pain

Joint pain can make even the simplest activities difficult. Just one joint can negatively affect your entire body. For example, knee pain may cause you to walk in a way that affects the hips, back, and feet, resulting in episodes of pain or persistent pain.

Nevertheless, do not worry, there are many things you can do to relieve this pain. Here are some suggestions to help you relieve joint pain from head to toe:
 

• Neck

• Apply a warm compress on the neck for 15 minutes to relieve muscle strain.
• Sleep on a suitable cervical pillow or without a pillow at all.

• Do some simple exercises like moving the head up, down, and side-to-side.

• Jaw

• Eat soft food, and cut the food into small pieces to reduce chewing.
• Use hot or cold compresses for 15 minutes to relieve pain or release muscle cramps.
• Avoid holding the phone between the ear and the neck, or resting the chin on the hand.
• When yawning, please support the jaw by applying gentle pressure under the chin with the thumb and forefinger.

• Elbow

• Use warm compresses or take a warm bath to relax stiff muscles.
• Apply ice on the site of the swelling.
• Do exercises that help straighten the elbow, such as pushing light objects away or imagining objects and pushing them to the ceiling.

• Wrist
  • Use one hand to slowly and gently pull the other hand away from the thumb, keeping the count to 25, and repeating with the other hand.

Use the thumb of one hand to pull the thumb of the other hand away from the rest of the fingers slowly and gently, keeping the count to 25.

• Fingers

• When writing, please use large pens or pencils with soft rubber covers.
• Use a computer instead of handwriting, or use voice recognition software if using the keyboard is difficult.
• Use clay paste or a stress ball to strengthen the fingers.

• Hip

• Lie on your back with the knees bent and feet flat on the ground, and gently tighten the muscles of the abdomen and buttocks, lift the hips off the ground, while avoiding arching the back. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, and then slowly lower your hips to the floor. Repeat 10 times, two to four times daily.

• Lie on your back with both legs straight. Slowly pull one knee toward your chest with both hands until you feel a slight stretch in your buttocks. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Keep your stomach muscles tight and slowly lower your leg. Repeat with the other leg. Exercise two to four times daily.

• Knee

• Lie on your back with one leg bent and the other straight. Tighten the straight leg muscles and slowly bring your leg up to the level of your other knee. Do 10 reps, and then switch legs. Repeat twice and practice it at least once daily.

• Ankle

• A medical shoe pad can be placed to support the structure of the foot and to relieve pain when standing and walking.
• Do some stretching exercises:

• Sit on the floor with your legs spread out in front of you. Fold a towel lengthwise and wrap it around the soles of your feet. Gently bend your feet and toes up. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times.

• Foot
  • By placing a small cushion directly behind the ball of the foot to relieve pressure.
  • Wear low-heeled shoes with a wide face.

5. Vitamins and minerals needed for joint health

Whether you suffer from pain, or you just want to keep your joints healthy, several vitamins and minerals can help with that:

• Calcium

Calcium is a mineral that is extremely important for the growth of strong and healthy bones. If a deficiency occurs and is not treated in the long term, then most likely the situation will develop to lead to many bone and joint problems such as osteoporosis and rickets in children.

• Vitamin D

Vitamin D supports joint health, as it helps the body absorb calcium and make the most of it, and research has indicated that vitamin D may reduce the incidence of inflammation, so taking vitamin D supplements regularly may benefit those with inflammatory joint problems.

• Potassium

Potassium is important for maintaining fluid levels in the body. It also regulates the levels of calcium and phosphorous, which are two minerals important for bone and joint health.

For those who suffer from joint pain due to rheumatoid arthritis or potassium deficiency, it has been observed that taking potassium supplements showed significant improvement in pain and joint disease progression.

• Magnesium

Magnesium can easily be considered a wonderful mineral, due to the effect it has on the body. It can help improve mood, sleep and relieve muscle pain. Moreover, magnesium is especially good for joints, as it may help prevent osteoporosis and prevent inflammation leading to joint pain.

6. The best nutritional supplement for the prevention of joint pain

Matrix

Matrix is ​​the best supplement with an integrated formula for the treatment and prevention of bone and joint problems and complications:

• It strengthens the bones, and works to restore their mass and density.
• It works to prevent osteoporosis in adults.
• It maintains calcium levels during pregnancy, lactation, and menopause.
• It treats and protects against joint pain and muscle spasms.

Why is Matrix the best choice for treating calcium deficiency?

• It contains 11 of the best and most important vitamins and minerals that work together effectively to make full use of calcium.
• The absorption rate of calcium and the whole formula is up to 95%.
• The capsules is small and easy to swallow.
• It is palatable.
• It has no side effects.
• Safe during pregnancy and lactation.
• Safe during pregnancy and lactation.

This article was written by an integrated medical team affiliated with Devart Lab, the leading company in the field of Nutraceuticals in Egypt and the Middle East (Nutrigenomics and Food Fortification), by providing nutrients that are fortified with minerals and vitamins that the body needs on a daily basis to obtain effective results in the least possible time. By using the latest pharmaceutical technologies that ensure full absorption without any side effects.