Joint Pain Specialist

Pain Care Boise

Pain Medicine located in Boise, ID

Joint pain affects around 33% of American adults at any given time. If knee, hip, or shoulder pain frequently affects your life and you’re ready to change that, Pain Care Boise in downtown Boise, Idaho, is here to help. Board-certified pain specialists Christopher Vaughan, MD, diagnose and treat joint pain using state-of-the-art, minimally invasive procedures. Learn how you can conquer joint pain by calling Pain Care Boise today or scheduling an appointment through the online booking tool now.

FAQ’s

Joint Pain Q&A

What are the most common areas that joint pain strikes?

The most common areas for joint pain are the bigger joints in the body — the knees, hips, and shoulders. Of these, the knees are hit most often by joint pain.

In all of these areas, joint pain incidence rises with age, with the average age of pain onset ranging in the 30-60 age group.

What causes joint pain?

Joint pain happens for many reasons, including:

Osteoarthritis

The most common cause of joint pain is osteoarthritis, in which the cartilage that covers the ends of your bones thins over time. The joint bones then rub together, causing severe pain.

Bursitis

Bursitis is a condition in which tiny joint cushioning sacs (bursae) become irritated and painful. The most common areas for bursitis are the knee, lateral hip, hamstring area, lateral shoulder, and medial shoulder.

Tendon problems

Tendons on either side of your joints connect to muscles. These tendons help with joint motions, but many different tendon issues, like tears and tendinitis, disrupt normal movement, causing pain. The most common tendon issues leading to joint pain happen in the knee, hip, and shoulder joints.

Some joint pain starts after joint replacement surgery, and there are many other possible causes. No matter what caused your joint pain, Pain Care Boise can find the source of the problem and prescribe a pain relief plan that works.

How is joint pain treated?

How your joint pain is treated will depend on what caused it and how severe the underlying disease or damage is. Some of the most common solutions include:

Steroid injections

Steroid injections are a common way to treat joint pain caused by osteoarthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis. These injections effectively reduce inflammation, which means they offer excellent pain relief. But steroid injections aren’t a long-term solution because they can potentially cause your cartilage to wear down faster.

Hyaluronic acid injections

Hyaluronic acid injections (Orthovisc®, Synvisc®, Supartz®) add a gellike natural substance to lubricate your joint while reducing inflammation. These injections help you produce more synovial fluid, improving your natural joint cushioning. Usually, you need three injections for the best results, with repeat treatments once or twice a year.

Radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is a treatment to stop nerve signals in a specific area. It works best on patients with persistent joint pain caused by end-stage arthritis, avascular necrosis (bone death related to an insufficient blood supply), and pain after surgery.

Radiofrequency ablation is particularly effective in the main nerves supplying sensation in your knee joint.

Nerve stimulation

Nerve stimulation procedures, including peripheral nerve stimulation and dorsal root ganglion stimulation, can be the proper treatment if you have severe joint pain. This is most common in cases of complex regional pain syndrome affecting your joint after an injury or surgery.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

PRP injections can be an effective treatment for several kinds of joint pain, particularly knee sprains, knee meniscus tears, and labral tears in the hip or shoulder. PRP can also treat partial, but not complete, tendon tears. It’s usually most effective in small and medium joints.

Stem cell therapy

Stem cell therapy can help with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis in your hips, knees, and/or shoulders. While PRP can’t help with complete tendon tears, stem cell therapy can potentially do so. You could have stem cell injections first, followed by a PRP “booster” 1-2 months later.

One or more of these treatments can ease joint pain and might allow you to delay or avoid joint replacement surgery.

Joint pain can vary quite a lot, so Pain Care Boise believes in personalized solutions. Call the office today or use the online booking tool to arrange your appointment now.