Joint pain
Primary Care – Pediatrics – Cardiology
Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
OB/Gyn – Surgical Specialists
(620) 343-2376
Joint Pain: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment at Newman Regional Health
At Newman Regional Health in Emporia, KS, we understand how joint pain can impact your daily life. Whether it’s due to arthritis, injury, or other conditions, our providers work as a team to provide you with comprehensive care, from diagnosis to advanced treatments, to get you back to moving comfortably.
Understanding Joint Pain
Joint pain can range from mild discomfort to severe, debilitating aches that affect mobility. It may occur in one joint or multiple areas and can be constant or intermittent. Common symptoms include swelling, stiffness, redness, and reduced range of motion. If you’re experiencing joint pain, seeking professional medical advice is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective management.
Causes of Joint Pain
Joint pain can stem from various underlying issues. Some of the most common causes include:
- Arthritis: Including osteoarthritis (wear and tear of joint cartilage), rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disorder), psoriatic arthritis, and gout (crystal deposits in joints).
- Injuries: Such as sprains, strains, broken bones, bursitis (inflammation of fluid-filled sacs near joints), or tendinitis (inflammation of tendons).
- Infections: Like septic arthritis, Lyme disease, or viral infections such as hepatitis B or C.
- Other Conditions: Fibromyalgia, lupus, hypothyroidism, bone cancer, leukemia, or avascular necrosis (death of bone tissue due to lack of blood supply).
At Newman Regional Health, we frequently treat joint pain related to arthritis, joint degeneration, sports injuries, and overuse, helping patients identify the root cause through personalized evaluations.
Diagnosis of Joint Pain
Diagnosing joint pain involves a thorough assessment to pinpoint the cause. Our specialists at Newman Regional Health Medical Partners use a combination of methods to ensure accurate results:
- Physical Examination: Checking for swelling, redness, warmth, and evaluating range of motion in the affected joints.
- Laboratory Tests: Analyzing blood, urine, or joint fluid (obtained via aspiration) to detect inflammation, infection, or specific markers like those for rheumatoid arthritis.
- Imaging Tests:
- X-rays to visualize bone damage, cartilage loss, or spurs.
- CT scans for detailed cross-sectional views of bones and soft tissues.
- MRI for in-depth images of cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.
- Ultrasound to assess soft tissues and guide procedures like fluid removal.
Our diagnostic approach is tailored to your symptoms, ensuring we address conditions like arthritis or injuries effectively.
Treatment Options for Joint Pain
Treatment for joint pain aims to reduce pain, improve function, and prevent further damage. Options vary based on the cause and severity, and may include:
- Medications: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain and inflammation, steroids for quick relief, or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
- Physical Therapy: Exercises to strengthen muscles around joints, improve flexibility, and enhance range of motion. We may recommend splints or braces for support.
- Lifestyle Changes: Weight loss to reduce stress on joints, low-impact exercises like swimming, heat/cold therapy, and assistive devices such as canes or shoe inserts.
- Non-Surgical Interventions: Corticosteroid injections, Viscosupplementation Treatment for Knee Arthritis, Hyaluronic acid injections and others interventions.
- Surgical Interventions: For severe cases, options include joint repair (arthroscopy), joint replacement (e.g., hip, knee, or shoulder), or joint fusion.
At Newman Regional Health, we emphasize conservative treatments first, such as medications and therapy for knee pain. For advanced cases, we offer cutting-edge procedures like Mako Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement, which provides precise surgery with less pain and faster recovery. Our surgeons also perform total hip, knee, and shoulder replacements, ACL repairs, rotator cuff repairs, and fracture fixes.
Our Partners in join pain treatment
Primary Care
Benefits of establishing a primary care provider:
- A Partner in Your Care – Someone who knows your health care goals and history
- Health Care Captain – Someone who coordinates your care in one location
- Illness Prevention – Someone who provides regular screening and catches diseases early
- Fewer Emergency Trips Someone who keeps you healthy by offering treatment options based upon your history
- Comfort and Familiarity – Someone who you feel comfortable asking questions and sharing private information
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Services
Newman Regional Health Medical Partners Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, in collaboration with OrthoKansas, provides comprehensive care for joint pain. We treat a wide range of conditions affecting bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. Services include:
- Diagnostic evaluations and imaging.
- Non-surgical treatments like medications, injections, and physical therapy.
- Surgical options for hip and knee pain, shoulder injuries, hand/wrist issues, and some foot/ankle problems.
- Sports medicine for injury prevention, concussions, and exercise prescriptions to help athletes and active individuals return to their activities.
Pain Management Treatment and Services
Our Board Certified Pain Management Physician has undergone specialized training in pain management.
- Neuromodulation – Spinal Cord Stimulation
- Epidural Steroid Injection
- Facet Joint Injection
- Trigger Point Injection
- Radiofrequency Nerve Ablation
- Vertebral Augmentation – Vertebroplasty
Newman Therapy Services
It is our goal to provide quality care with an emphasis towards individual, personalized service. Rest assured, our highly-trained staff is constantly learning, applying, and practicing the most modern and successful methods in the physical therapy field.
- Manual Therapy
- Joint Mobilization
- Joint Strengthening
- Custom foot orthotics
- SpineCare
- Kinesio® taping
- ASTYM®
- Chronic pain
- Body mechanics and ergonomic protection techniques
Newman Regional Health Radiology & Imaging Department
Fully equipped with state-of-the-art imaging technology. Our advanced medical imaging services assist our providers in diagnosing medical problems quickly and formulating effective treatment plans.
- X-Rays
- CT Scan
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
- Ultrasounds
Newman Medical Equipment
Newman Medical Equipment sells the durable medical equipment and supplies you need in the home and community. Our medical equipment specialists will obtain the items you need and make special orders, if necessary.
Orthopedic Supplies and equipment
- Knee braces up to 4XL
- Lumbar support up to XXL
- Wrist braces
- Shoulder immobilizers
- Elbow braces
- Walking boots
- Back braces
- Rib belts