Waking up a little sore can happen to anyone. Maybe you overdid it at the gym or worked a little too hard in the yard. But, what’s the difference between tight joints and chronic, severe pain that limits your life and activities? Ongoing symptoms could indicate you need to see an orthopedic doctor.

Ask yourself these simple questions about your joint pain to help you decide if it’s time to see an ortho doctor:

• Is your pain interrupting your sleep?
• Is it more difficult (or painful) to do everyday tasks, like go up and down steps, bend over to change the laundry or move around the kitchen while making dinner?
• Do you opt to stay home instead of going out with friends because you’re worried your pain will keep you from getting to your favorite places?
• Are you skipping workouts or resting more because movement causes joint pain?
• Do you need a hand taking care of yourself - anything from putting on shoes and socks to getting in and out of the car?

If you said yes to any of the above questions, it may be time to see a specialist. We can help you get to the bottom of what’s causing your pain.

Joint pain can happen anywhere in the body. The most common places to experience joint pain include:

• Hip
• Knee
• Shoulder
• Ankle

There are many different conditions that can cause pain, stiffness and aching in these joints. The most common include:

• Arthritis - This can cause pain, swelling and stiffness and can stem from an immune system response (rheumatoid arthritis) or gradual cartilage deterioration (osteoarthritis).
• Fracture - Age can cause bones to be weak and brittle.
• Tendinitis -Tendons help connect your bones to muscles and can become inflamed from injury or overuse.
• Muscle strain - Tight or pulled muscles can cause significant pain around the joint.
• Bursitis - Small sacs of fluid (bursae) help cushion joints and soft tissues throughout the body. These can become inflamed - often caused by overuse - and create swelling and pain around your joint.
• Instability (Dislocation) - Joints can sometimes be pushed out of position from a sudden force.

Take our quiz to assess your risk on knee and hip pain.

There are many conservative treatments and therapies that can help relieve joint pain. Your orthopedist will work closely with you to better understand what’s causing your symptoms and get you a clear diagnosis. From there, you can map out a treatment plan that’s right for you. Most treatments will start with a conservative, non-surgical approach. That may include:

• Physical therapy to strengthen muscles and improve range of motion
• Medication to help reduce inflammation and relieve pain
• Injections including corticosteroids, platelet rich therapy (PRT), hyaluronic acid, to help reduce inflammation and swelling at the joint
• Integrative care such as yoga, massage or acupuncture to help relieve and manage joint pain

We understand how frustrating it can be to live with chronic joint pain - especially after you’ve tried conservative treatment methods. When you need surgery to address your joint conditions, you can be confident you are in good hands with the orthopedic surgeons at Covenant Health.

Our team is experienced in many different joint replacement surgeries, including:

• Hip replacement surgery
• Knee replacement
• Partial knee replacement
• Knee revision surgery

One reason many people may put off surgery is because they’re worried about the pain they may experience or a lengthy recovery. Today, advances in joint replacement surgery mean less pain and downtime. At the heart of that recovery is our dedicated rehabilitation program for joint replacement surgery.

At Covenant Health, you can have peace of mind that we are here to help reduce your pain in the most efficient and effective way to get you back in action. In fact, the first step happens before your surgery at Joint Ranch. This dedicated rehabilitation program helps prepare you and your caregiver for the road to recovery that lies ahead.

Learn more about our rehabilitation program.

Then, after your surgery, we invite you to return for three to five days to give yourself (and your caregiver) the confidence you need to prepare for a safe return home.