WHAT IS PAIN?
Pain is a general term that describes uncomfortable sensations throughout the body. The sensation it creates in the body can range from irritating to being powerless. It may feel like a sharp knife or a slight ache.
Pain can affect a specific part of the body or the entire body.
Pain is personal. Some people are pain resistant, while others have low tolerance.
The frequency, duration and form of pain vary.
Acute Pain: It develops in a short time. It occurs suddenly, usually as a result of a known injury, illness, or medical procedure. It is a sharp pain. It usually goes away within a few days, weeks, or months after the cause is treated. Almost everyone experiences acute pain at some point in their lives.
Chronic Pain: It lasts for several months or years or comes and goes. It can be caused by a variety of health conditions, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic migraine, or cancer. Some people may experience chronic pain following an injury, even after the initial injury has healed.
Nociceptive Pain: Caused by tissue damage such as cuts, burns, bruises, or fractures. It can also be caused by certain health conditions that cause tissue inflammation and damage, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). When nociceptive pain develops in your skin, muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints or bones, it is called somatic pain. When it develops in your internal organs, it is known as visceral pain. Nociceptive pain can be acute or chronic, depending on the underlying cause. It may feel painful, throbbing, or sharp. Nociceptive pain affects almost everyone at some point in their lives.
Neuropathic Pain: It is caused by nerve damage that can be caused by various injuries and diseases. For example, if one of the discs in your spine slips out of place and presses on a nerve, you may experience neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain can also develop as a result of certain diseases, such as shingles, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or cancer. It tends to be chronic, but acute pain can also occur.
Functional Pain: Pain that is not caused by significant injury or damage. It tends to be chronic. Examples of functional pain syndromes are fibromyalgia, which causes widespread pain throughout the body, or chronic cardiac chest pain, which causes chest pain.
Pain tells us that something is wrong with the body and gives some clues about the cause. Some pains are easy to diagnose and can be managed at home. Some types of pain are symptoms of serious health conditions that require medical attention to treat.
WHAT IS JOINT PAIN?
A joint is the part where two or more bones come together to enable body parts to move. Joints are surrounded by cartilage, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Although joint pain is more common in older people, it is a health problem that can be encountered in younger individuals as well. Joint pains that begin with advancing age are usually due to decreased joint fluid or loss of strength of the cartilage tissue. Sports activities, injuries, excess weight or some diseases, such as arthritis, can cause joint damage and joint pain. Pain in the joints makes it difficult to perform daily activities and affects the quality of life, so it should be treated as soon as possible.
WHY DOES JOINT PAIN OCCUR?
One of the most common causes of joint pain is arthritis. The two main forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Osteoarthritis (calcification) is a clinical syndrome resulting from low-level inflammation that causes pain in the joints, abnormal wear or destruction of the articular cartilage, or a decrease in the synovial fluid that lubricates these joints. It is most common in adults over the age of 40. It progresses slowly and tends to affect commonly used joints such as wrists, hands, hips, and knees. If left untreated, there is a risk of permanent loss of mobility.
Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by a disorder in the autoimmune system and occurs when an individual's immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues, especially joint tissues.
Other common causes of joint pain include:
Regarding bones, fractures and dislocations, infection, tissue death, cancer, Paget's disease
After the exact cause of the pain in the joints is determined, joint pain can be eliminated to a large extent with the treatment to be applied for the underlying disease.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF JOINT PAIN?
In diseases that cause pain in the joints, the following symptoms are commonly observed along with pain:
These symptoms may vary depending on the severity of the pain. Pain that occurs as a result of intense sports activity is usually relieved by rest and does not cause any serious consequences.
However, be sure to see your doctor if the following symptoms occur:
Diseases that cause pain in the joint can progress if not treated. For this reason, it is useful to give due importance and to be examined by a doctor.
PREVENTING JOINT PAINS
In order to prevent joint pain before it occurs, it is important to control weight and exercise regularly. Muscle and joint strain should be avoided by warming up before exercise. Exercise supports the joints by strengthening the muscles around the joints. You can try walking, cycling or swimming.
People who work at the desk can do various exercises standing up or sitting in their chair as often as possible, or they can get up and walk around every hour.
HOW TO HEAL JOINT PAINS?
The treatment method for joint pain varies according to the cause of the pain. A treatment method should be chosen for both relief of pain and treatment of disease if the main cause is a disease.
What You Can Apply At Home
1. Cold/Hot Treatment
You can apply cold or hot therapy to relieve pain.
As a warm treatment, you can take a long, warm shower or bath in the morning and use an electric blanket or butot (hot water bag) overnight to reduce discomfort.
As a cold treatment, wrap a gel ice pack or a bag of ice in a towel and apply to sore joints for quick relief. Never apply ice directly to the skin.
2. Try Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical treatment that involves inserting fine needles into specific points on your body. Practitioners note that it redirects energies and restores balance in the body. Get the treatment from a licensed and certified acupuncturist.
A Natural Supplement: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants’ Oils
Using herbal oils is one of the treatments you can apply at home. Essential and carrier oils with anti-inflammatory properties help reduce pain. Some of these oils are:
Massage: You can apply the carrier oils individually or in a mixture, and the essential oils individually or in a mixture by diluting them with fixed oils at the appropriate rate via massaging to the aching area.
Compress: You can also make cold or hot compresses with these essential and carrier oils. A cold compress is usually used to soothe inflammation, while a warm compress is usually used to relieve pain. Fill a large bowl with cold or hot water according to your needs. Add the carrier oil or diluted essential oil to the water. Let the towel sit until it is completely wet. Gently squeeze out excess water. Apply the towel to the aching area for about 15 minutes.
We recommended that you consult your doctor before using these herbal oils.
Consult Your Doctor
If you have joint pain that cannot be relieved with various treatments at home, consult your doctor to find out the underlying cause and get the necessary treatment.
