Dr Tarandeep Singh Gill — MS Ortho, MCh Ortho
Director – Joint Replacement & Robotic Surgery · RoboLens FT3D Pioneer · Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mohali
Chronic bone and joint pain can worsen daily life in a number of ways. Walking, getting up the stairs, exercising, going to work, and sleeping can all become painful and difficult to manage when pain can linger for weeks or months. Pain that doesn’t resolve with a good night’s sleep or a weekend break can also be a symptom of a serious condition and should be checked by a doctor.
A doctor who specializes in bones is a good person to see to find out what is causing your pain. They are surgeons who can also help you with sports injuries, broken bones (fractures), and pain caused by gradual damage of the joints.
For those seeking a Bone Doctor Chandigarh, consulting an experienced orthopedic specialist can help identify the underlying cause and guide appropriate treatment.
Knowing About Chronic Bone and Joint Pain
There are a variety of causes for chronic pain affecting the bones and joints. Over the years, the body wears down, but so do the joints. Things like poor posture or repetitive movements, as well as injuries, obesity, and certain medical conditions, can affect the joints and cause chronic pain.
Some of the more common causes of chronic pain in the bones and joints are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Injuries from falls and other unknown causes
- Previous injuries to tendons and ligaments
- Damage to joint cartilage
- Osteoporosis
- Sports injuries
- Degenerative joint conditions
- Chronic pain in the back and neck
There are a variety of symptoms. Stiffness, swelling, muscle weakness, restricted movement, and inability to perform normal daily activities are some of the symptoms that can be a result of different chronic pain conditions. It is very important to identify the chronic pain condition in order to develop the appropriate treatment plan.
When Do Bone Consultations Become Necessary?
Joint Pain comes and goes for most people, but when there are flare-ups or pain that interferes with your ability to go to work, it is important to see a specialist.
You may want to talk to a Bone doctor Chandigarh if you have repeated joint pain that does not resolve with several days/weeks of rest. You may have developed arthritis from wearing down your joints. This can cause stiffness and difficulty moving. It can also lead to a deformity where the joint will become visibly displaced. You may notice swelling with these and constant pain, even at night.
If a joint is injured, and there is a significant amount of swelling, pain, numbness, or inability to move or place weight, then you need to get it checked.
If the injury is recent, then it is best to get it checked to see how conservative treatment will affect the injury.
The typical first step to assessing chronic pain
Your first approach may be to talk with a chronic pain specialist. The specialist will want to know the location and magnitude of the pain, date of the pain occurrences, previous injuries and activities the pain happens before or after, the medications, treatments, and medical history. The specialist will be able to determine if the pain is muscular or skeletal by the factors that cause pain to occur or subside. A physical exam will show the range of motion of the joints and any muscle weakness or swelling.
Other painful conditions may indicate the need for X-rays, CT scans, blood tests, MRI scans, or even other tests. Some painful conditions may cause inflammation, structural changes, fractures, or damage to the cartilage.
Treating chronic pain will allow the doctor to alleviate your symptoms and provide you with relief.
Non-Surgical Options
For many conditions that cause chronic pain, surgery will not be the only option. A non-surgical treatment route is preferred to relieve pain and improve daily activities.
Some options could include:
- Physiotherapy
- Strengthening and flexibility exercises
- Activity modification
- Weight management (when necessary)
- Medications
- Braces or supportive devices
- Lifestyle modifications
- Other recommended treatments by the specialist
Physiotherapy is strongly recommended to address muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and joint function. In these cases, patients are recommended to follow the exercise program as prescribed by their health care practitioner, as opposed to continuing activities that worsen the symptoms.
When Is Surgery Done?
When the conservative care approach does not give satisfactory pain relief and shows significant damage to the joint structure, surgery may be performed. The surgery to be performed will depend on the joint and the underlying condition.
Modern Orthopedic surgical or treatment options can include : arthroscopic surgery, surgery to reconstruct ligaments, surgery to fix fractures, surgery to partially replace a joint, or surgery to totally replace a joint.
For advanced arthritis of the knee and hip joints, surgery to totally replace a joint may be performed when the patient experiences severe pain and decreased mobility.
Personalized Treatment
Every patient’s bone and joint problem is unique. Two patients with similar symptoms can have dissimilar conditions. This is why personalized evaluation is important.
A good Bone Doctor Chandigarh will consider the individual’s age, lifestyle, occupation, activity level, previous injuries, medical condition, and treatment goal.
More comprehensive Orthopedic care is focused on addressing pain, but also improving joint function and mobility, and preventing or limiting further problems with the aim of increasing functional ability and returning patients to their normal daily activities.
Finding the Right Bone Specialist in Chandigarh
While searching for a bone specialist, patients should examine specialization, treatment, diagnostic, and rehabilitative services.
Some of the aspects patients need to analyze may include the following:
- The specialist’s qualification in orthopedics.
- Specialization in the treatment of the patient’s specific problem.
- Availability of required diagnostic techniques.
- Specialized care whether surgical or non-surgical.
- Availability of surgical services and hospital care.
- Availability of support services for rehabilitation including physiotherapy.
- Availability of different options for treatment with explanations.
Patients should be able to ask the physician about their diagnosis, the treatment recommended, alternatives to the recommended treatment, the expected recovery, and the risks involved.
The Importance of Rehabilitation
Doing the recommended rehabilitation exercises and improving your lifestyle are necessary after surgery.
If patients improve in pain and undergo surgery, it does not mean the treatment has been completed. A physiotherapy regime with increasing pain-free activities over time should be complemented with regular check-ups.
Recovery from surgery also involves specific exercises, the amount of weight you can bear, the medications you can take, and your daily activities.
Conclusion
Chronic joint pains should not be viewed as normal pains that come with age or due to an active lifestyle.
Consulting a Orthopedic doctor Chandigarh can change this belief and also eliminate the pain. From advanced joint replacements to simple lifestyle changes and physiotherapy, meeting with a qualified Bone Doctor will help you decide the best way to get rid of pain and improve joint health.
Pain that affects you daily should not be ignored; an orthopedic assessment can help answer all your joint and movement related health questions.
