“My elbows are paining, it’s the winter I guess!” As I listened to a 60year old sharing her agony on a call with someone I realized, how harsh are winters on people with joint pains. This is the season when the lost pains come back to haunt you and hurting your knee at the corner of the bed hurts a thousand times more.  

Winters are harsh for people suffering from joint pain since the pain receptors in your body become more sensitive and the drop in the atmospheric pressure create more muscle spasms, worsening the pain and stiffening the joint. But how do you manage pain in weather designed to increase your pain? Is your pain becoming unbearable and turning into a chronic condition? Know more about effective pain management! 

What can be the possible reason for chronic pain?

Some of the leading reasons, causing pain includes: – 

Arthritis: One of the prime causes of joint pain is arthritis including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. As per the American College of Rheumatology osteoarthritis becomes common among people over 40. The most affected joints in case of osteoarthritis are wrists, hands, hips, and knees. Joint pain due to osteoarthritis results from a breakdown of the cartilage that serves as a cushion and shock absorber for the joints.

Surgeries: If you have underwent any surgery, conventional treatment to help you recover and for effective pain management will include medicine intake, physiotherapy (if needed) and application of ointments. But many times, your tissues never really recover, and this tenderness of the tissue might be one of the reasons causing pain in the joint. 

Sports Injuries: For a person living a super-active lifestyle, their body is in a continuous tear and ware mode. Some injuries take time to heal and sports injuries when severe can damage the tissue completely. While the intensity of the damage matters while planning an effective pain management plan, many times, the tissue in these injured joints even after years of getting treatment the same injury starts aching if you exert the joint. 

Nerve Damage: There are more than 100 different types of nerve damage. Autoimmune diseases, Diabetes, Trauma, Antibiotic Resistance, Nutritional deficiencies, and even infectious diseases all can lead to chronic joint pain. In many instances, nerve damage cannot be cured entirely but there are various treatments that can help in effective pain management. 

Fibromyalgia: Fibromyalgia syndrome affects the muscles and soft tissue. Symptoms include chronic muscle pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and painful tender points or trigger points, which can be relieved through, lifestyle changes, pain and stress management.

As mentioned earlier, when it comes to conventional medicine over the counter gels might help you get some temporary relief and even if it is a grade 3 osteoarthritis, surgeries are not something each one of us would like to opt for due to the post-surgery side effects. In many cases, complementary and alternative approaches may help you heal joint pain. 

We at Metabalance Healthcare can help you lead a pain-free life with the help of available treatments like– 

Regenerative Cell Therapy 

Referred as PROC (Protein Rich Optimized Cells), regenerative therapy is an autologous Protein Rich Plasma. It is an innovative and promising approach with enriched platelet concentration, fibrin and growth factors for maximum benefits.  PROC of Optimal Purity is injected into the affected joint for stimulating growth factors in treating medical disorders with limited treatments like- 

• Osteoarthritis Knee (up to grade 3)
• Ankle Arthritis
• Shoulder Pain 
• Hip Pain 
• Sports Injury 

Acupuncture : This traditional Chinese medicine curbs the pain by boosting the amount of natural pain killers called endorphins. Acupuncture may be part of treatment for chronic pain such as arthritis, post-surgery pain, low back, neck or muscle pain, headaches, facial pain, and migraine. While there is limited research, this thousand-year-old medicine has been effective in treatment for Dental pain, and Fibromyalgia.

Ondamed: This biofeedback device is used as an electro-magnetic field. Ondamed is a non-invasive diagnostic and treatment device can help one address the root cause and underlying dysfunction in the body. Ondamed is customized for each patient and the treatment can help minimize inflammation relieve pain & discomfort, support bone re-growth, support healing from sports injuries and effective pain management. 

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy : Body’s tissues need an adequate supply of oxygen to function. When a joint tissue is injured or inflamed, your body requires even more oxygen to survive. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the amount of oxygen the blood can carry temporarily restoring normal levels of blood gases and tissue function to promote healing and fight infection. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for wound healing is widely used as a safe way for tissue repair. Breathing oxygen increases oxygenation to the body’s tissues, heal wounds, reduce tissue hypoxia, reduce swelling and pain.

Pain is not something anyone of us would like to live with. With the proactive approach to functional medicine surgeries can be avoided and for anyone, who is thinking of the surgery as the only way to end their pain, please feel free to get in touch with our team for an expert consultation. 

Disclaimer: The tips and suggestions mentioned in the article have been written for general awareness and should not be considered as professional medical advice. We strongly recommend you consult your doctor or an expert before starting any fitness regime, diet changes, or making any lifestyle changes that affect your physical or emotional health.