Ann-OH
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2020
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All Lyme disease patients have joint pain and for some it persists for years. I thought this article was great for describing joints and practical ways to ease pain.
Anyone want to contact Dr. Reicherter and get her to include Lyme disease in her treatment list? Ann-OH
http://tinyurl.com/36d3by3 Arthritis Pain, Symptoms and Treatment By Tina Pavane There are more than 200 beautifully constructed joints in the human body. They are charged with helping bones move back and forth and side to side, swing, pivot, bend and glide. So when arthritis strikes, it puts a hitch in the hinge, making ordinary everyday activities -- even the simplest ones -- painful.
Dr. Elizabeth Reicherter, a physical therapist with the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, says the quality of pain is as varied as the joint it affects.
"While pain in big joints such as the hip can limit a person's ability to walk, pain in small joints can also be disabling," Reicherter said.
Pain or tenderness can come from swelling around the joints, the wearing down or softening of cartilage, invasion by bacteria or when the body mistakenly attacks the joint, as is the case with an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. It can affect one joint at a time or many joints at once. It can be temporary, permanent, a minor annoyance or completely disabling.
To help gain an understanding about joint pain and how to treat it, it helps to know how joints work.
"Knowing the joint structure and the various arthritis pathologies can help patients be mindful of the motions or activities to avoid, particularly when symptoms are severe," said Reicherter.
Here is a joint-by-joint primer to help you understand the various types of pain experienced by each type of joint and how to treat it.
Ball-and-Socket Joints
The joint's anatomy: This type of joint allows for movement in almost any direction and is the most mobile of all the joints. The head of one bone, or the ball, sits inside the depressed cup of another bone, referred to as the socket.
Where are they located: in the hip and shoulder
What the pain limits: lifting or swinging of arms or legs in different directions. Pain is usually aggravated by continued activity and progressively worsens over time.
Pain relief tips: Since this joint moves in many directions, pain relief comes from resting the joint in a neutral position.
Ellipsoidal Joints
The joint's anatomy: Ellipsoid joints, or condyloid joints, are similar to the ball-and-socket joint, but their movements are limited to only two planes, 180 degrees in one direction.
Where are they located: the wrist, finger and toes
What the pain limits: bending, extending, circular movements and rocking from side to side
Pain relief tips: Similar to the ball and socket joint, pain relief comes from resting the joint in a neutral position.
Gliding Joints
The joint's anatomy: A gliding joint, or plane joint, allows bones to slide past one another. The surfaces of the two bones are flat or slightly rounded and are held together tightly by ligaments with little synovial space between them.
Where are they located: the shoulder, wrist, ankle and spine vertebrae
What the pain limits: turning feet and wrists from side to side and bending or leaning the spine to the side
Pain relief tips: Brace or stabilize the joint in a neutral position for a few days.
Hinge Joints
The joint's anatomy: A hinge joint allows a movement in a single plane back and forth in only two opposing directions, like a door hinge, allowing bones become perpendicular to each other.
Where are they located: the elbow, knee and ankle
What the pain limits: extension and retraction
Pain relief tips: Limit movement to bending and straightening only and avoid twisting into awkward positions
Pivot Joints
The joint's anatomy: A pivot joint allows bone to rotate and spin in a semicircle around an axis.
Where are they located: the forearm (connecting the radius and ulna), wrist and neck (between the first and second cervical vertebrae)
What the pain limits: turning your head and forearm from side to side
Pain relief tips: Avoid repetitive twisting
Saddle Joints
The joint's anatomy: A saddle joint allows movement back and forth and up and down with limited rotation (one bone is shaped like a saddle and the other like a horse's back). They rock back and forth and from side to side, but they have limited rotation.
Where are they located: the base of thumb
What the pain limits: flexing, extending flexion, extension, back and forth and in a circle
Pain relief tips: Avoid pushing or grasping items tightly or with strong effort.
Other tips to avoid joint pain: * Physical therapy can improve range of motion and strength, reducing the need for pain medicine * Use proper body mechanics when bending, lifting, reaching and moving * Lead with the strongest joint * Share the weight by distributing the load across stronger joints * Find alternatives and shortcuts to accomplishing a task * Avoid joint overuse * Perform regular exercise to keep joints limber
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