Joint Pain
Joint pain not only limits how well you can move; it can also affect your mood and your general overall well-being. While some joint pain is common, especially in athletes or in people over 35, more severe joint pain should be looked at by a specialist, particularly if it follows a car accident, workers comp accident, or sports injury. La Clínica’s injury specialists can help.
Providing Pain Treatment in Chicago and Surrounding Areas
It is fairly common for people to complain about back, head, or neck pain immediately after an accident or injury. But the pain in joints such as the elbow, hip, wrist, shoulder, ankle, and knee are just as common. They need just as much treatment in order to heal.
Our physical therapy and rehabilitation services help injuries to heal, with the goal of returning you to normal activity. Our musculoskeletal specialists will treat your case with the attention and respect you deserve, starting with an honest physical evaluation. This can include tests to look for an underlying disease or condition, as well as other injuries that might also be present.
We will then device in individualized course of treatment designed to get you back to feeling yourself again. This may include a mix of pain management consults, physical therapy, and if necessary and orthopedic surgeon’s consultation.
There are many things that can cause joint pain. Obviously, damage to the muscle, ligaments, or bone around a joint due to an accident or injury is a major cause of joint pain. But some diseases and disorders can cause joint pain over time, too.
The most common causes of joint pain that our pain management specialists see (and are verified by the Mayo Clinic) include:
- Muscle strain/muscle sprain
- Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Bursitis
- Stress fracture or other breaks in the bone
- Bone cancer
- Gout
- Lyme disease
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Tendonitis
- Fibromyalgia
- Dislocation
Link to muscle strain/sprain page
In short, no—though there are common causes of joint pain, the treatment recommendation for any one person will be as unique as the individual. This is why we encourage members of our community to come and work with one of our pain management specialists. They have the training and experience to devise a course of therapy that will work best for you, and that will address the underlying cause of your joint pain.
As the premier joint pain treatment Clinic in Chicago and the surrounding areas, we understand that joint pain is not just a symptom of another condition or injury. It can affect your mood, sleep quality, general well-being, and mobility. Failure to address your joint pain may result in physical impairment and stress. Our highly trained team at La Clínica has access to various tools and expertise to diagnose the cause of the pain and create a personalized team to alleviate pain and enhance the quality of life.
Our experienced physical therapists and doctors will work with you to understand your lifestyle and create an individualized treatment plan to speed up healing and restore functionality. Here is what to expect:
Our pain management physicians at La Clínica use a comprehensive approach to treat joint pain. Whether you are suffering from severe joint pain or minor pain, our Chicago joint pain specialists will work together to find the most suitable solution for your individual needs.
We will start by conducting an honest physical evaluation, including tests to investigate underlying diseases and injuries that might be causing joint pain. After that, we will consider your lifestyle and create an individualized treatment plan to help you get back to your everyday life as soon as possible.
We find that most people are not sure if they need to talk to a doctor about their joint pain. Whether your joint pain was sudden or caused by an injury, it is advisable to contact our specialists today for a free consultation if the joint pain is persistent and interferes with your everyday life.
- Joint pain is hindering your everyday day life activities
- Swelling
- Deformed joint
- Your joint hurts when you place weight on it
- Stiffness
Joint Pain Is a Nationwide Problem That Is All-Too-Common in the Chicago Area
Joint pain is an extremely common symptom in the United States. According to the U.S. National Health Interview Survey, roughly 46% of disabled adults cited severe joint pain as a leading cause; that number rises to 52% of adults who are unable to work because of their symptoms.
Chicago and its suburbs, like any other major metropolitan area, has its fair share of adults suffering from joint pain due either to accident, injury, or disease. The variable weather and stresses of city living can sometimes make joint pain worse.
For this reason, La Clínica looks to hire the best doctors and joint pain physical therapist in Chicago for managing joint pain (and its underlying causes).
Joint pain stats:
- About 30% of adults report some form of joint pain to their doctors.
- Knee pain is the most commonly reported joint pain, appearing in 40% of cases where someone reports joint pain.
- Studies are beginning to show that sports injuries earlier in life, particularly injury to the joints, can contribute to chronic pain and osteoarthritis later in life, especially if the athlete attempts to play while injured instead of getting proper treatment.
What are the Different Types of Knee Pain?
Knee pain manifests itself in several ways depending on the location and the underlying cause.
Here is a detailed breakdown of common types of knee pain.
As the name suggests, anterior knee pain is typically felt at the front of the knees. You may also experience this pain behind or around the kneecap. This type of knee pain occurs due to several factors, such as injury, underlying medical condition, or overuse.
There are different types of anterior knee pain, including:
- Chondromalacia Patella: Occurs when the cartilage on the underside of the knee becomes worn due to injury or overuse, causing pain and discomfort.
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS): This condition occurs when the patella fails to track back over the femur. It is characterized by discomfort and pain in the front of the knee. In most cases, this condition is caused by poor knee alignment, weak thigh muscles, or overuse.
- Quadriceps Tendinitis: As the name suggests, quadriceps tendinitis occurs when the quadriceps tendon becomes inflamed. Your quadriceps tendon attaches the muscles in your quadriceps to the kneecap. It also straightens your knee to help you walk, climb stairs, and jump. This condition often occurs due to repetitive movements like kneeling and jumping.
- Patella Tendinitis: The patella tendon connects your kneecap to the tibia. If it becomes inflamed, it’s called patella tendinitis. It is often caused by overuse and results in pain and swelling in the front of the knee.
Medial knee pain is often felt on the inside of the knee. Several factors, such as underlying medical condition, overuse, or a sudden injury, causes it. It manifests itself in various ways, including:
- Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injury: The medial collateral ligament helps to stabilize your joint. An MCL injury can weaken it and cause immense pain and tenderness inside your knee. It can also cause swelling and make bending or straightening your knee hard.
- Osteoarthritis: is a degenerative condition resulting in pain, swelling, and stiffness in the knee joint. In most cases, the pain worsens after activity and is often accompanied by a clicking and grinding sensation in the knee.
- Medial Meniscus Tear: The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee responsible for protecting the knee joint. It can tear due to forceful twisting or sudden rotation of the knee. It is characterized by pain, difficulty straightening or bending your knee, stiffness, and swelling.
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: While this type of pain is often categorized as anterior knee pain, it also falls in this category if it is felt inside the knee. Patellofemoral pain syndrome also causes a popping sensation in the knee.
- Pes Anserine Bursitis: The bursa is a fluid-filled sack that cushions the knee joint. It can be found on the inside of the knee, just below the joint. In most cases, the sac becomes inflamed due to friction or overuse from repetitive movements.
Lateral knee pain is felt on the outside of the knee. Common types of lateral knee pain include:
- Lateral Meniscus Tear: A tear in the lateral meniscus results in pain and swelling on the outside of your knee.
- Iliotibial Band (IT Band Syndrome): The iliotibial band is a thick band of tissues that runs from the outside of the thigh to the outside of the knee. It can become swollen or irritated due to friction, causing pain and inflammation on the outside of your knee.
- Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) Injury: This ligament helps to stabilize the knee joint. LCL injuries are often caused by sudden twisting motions or a direct blow to the inside of the knee.
- Biceps Femoris Tendonitis: The bicep femoris is a muscle behind the thigh. It is attached to the outside of the knee by the femoris tendon. Unfortunately, the tendon can become inflamed, causing pain on the outside of your knee.
As the name suggests, posterior knee pain is felt at the back of the knee. It can occur due to different factors, such as overuse, underlying conditions, or injuries. Common causes of posterior knee pain include:
- Hamstring Injuries: The hamstring refers to the muscles on the back of your thigh. Unfortunately, these muscles and tendons can tear or strain during sudden and powerful movements like jumping, sprinting, or lunging. When this happens, you will likely experience pain in the back of your knee.
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury: The PCL is a ligament at the back of your knee responsible for stabilizing the joint. An injury to this ligament causes pain at the back of your knee.
- Popliteus Injury: The popliteus is a muscle that helps to stabilize the joint. These injuries are either chronic or acute. Acute injuries may result from sudden twisting of the knee or collision. On the other hand, chronic injuries occur over time due to repetitive motions. Common symptoms include pain at the back of the knee joint.
- Baker’s Cyst: The Baker’s Cyst is a fluid-filled sac behind the knee joint. It helps cushion the knee against friction. It can become inflamed, causing pain and inflammation at the back of the knee.
Arthritic knee pain is caused by different types of arthritis, including post-traumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritic knee pain. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition that causes the cartilage in the knee joint to wear out with time. It’s often characterized by reduced mobility, stiffness, and pain. The knee may also be swollen, especially after prolonged periods of activity.
How Do You Know What Type of Knee Pain You Have?
Self-diagnosing the type of knee pain you have is difficult because the symptoms of different kinds of knee pain can be similar. Even so, there are many considerations to help you identify the type of knee pain you may be experiencing. These include:
- The symptoms you are experiencing
- Your history of injury or medical conditions
- The location of the pain
It is vital to consult your healthcare provider if you are experiencing any type of knee pain. You can also consider doing one of these arm pain exercises for any of the symptoms above or even an over extended elbow.
Do you have further questions? Call (773) 763-2800 or use the form on this page to book your appointment today.
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