Common Causes of Hand Pain

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Maybe you’re one of the lucky people who haven’t had to deal with hand pain. But even so, you can easily imagine what your day would be like — all the things you would struggle to do — if you couldn’t use your hand.

The team at our Chandler Pain Management Clinic understands how important it is to regain full, pain-free function in your hands. They use advanced diagnostic tools to determine the source of your pain. Then they create customized treatment plans that draw from an array of medical specialties to overcome hand problems as quickly as possible.

This list gives you some of the top culprits of hand pain. If you suspect you have any of these conditions, or you have hand pain that doesn’t get better, don’t wait to seek treatment. If you keep using your hand, the underlying problem only gets worse.

Overuse injuries

Overuse injuries begin when you repeat the same hand movements. The ongoing stress of using the same parts of your hand leads to small tears and inflammation, usually in a tendon.

At first, you may only have mild pain that comes and goes. But without treatment, the small injury gets worse and causes more pain. In severe cases, inflammation weakens the tendon, and it ruptures.

Sports like tennis, golf, and baseball frequently cause overuse injuries. But many types of everyday activities contribute to the problem, such as typing, using tools, playing an instrument, and sewing.

Two of the most common overuse injuries are:

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis develops when the tendons that move your thumbs become irritated, inflamed, and swollen. If you feel pain when you grasp something, form a fist, or turn your wrist, chances are you have this condition. You may also have mild swelling, redness, and tenderness in your wrist near the thumb.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is an overuse injury that occurs when inflamed tendons in your wrist pinch the median nerve. Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause pain and tingling in your thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers. The same symptoms may travel through your arm.

Traumatic injuries

By definition, traumatic injuries are sudden and usually severe. The most common traumatic injuries in your hands include broken bones and sprained or torn ligaments. These injuries most often occur during athletic activities and when you fall onto an outstretched hand.

You can also have a traumatic nerve injury following a cut or crush injury. Though it’s common for severe nerve injuries to be related to work or a car accident, they can happen under many circumstances.

Degenerative disease

The two most common degenerative diseases responsible for hand pain include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Though they have different causes, both types cause joint pain, stiffness, and limited movement.

Osteoarthritis can affect any joint, but the base of your thumb is one of the top sites. You develop osteoarthritis when cartilage in the joint breaks down and wears away, gradually causing inflammation and deterioration in the underlying bone.

Rheumatoid arthritis begins in the small finger joints when the tissues lining the joint become inflamed. The ongoing inflammation eventually damages cartilage, erodes bones, and causes deformities.

Other common causes of hand pain

Your hand pain may also be caused by:

Ganglion cyst

Ganglion cysts consist of sacs that contain synovial fluid. The cysts develop over a joint or tendon, and they range in size, but they cause a noticeable lump on the top or bottom of your wrist or at the base of a finger on the palm-side of your hand. As the cyst enlarges, it becomes quite painful and affects your ability to use your hand.

Trigger finger

If you have a finger or thumb that stays in the bent position, or it seems to snap rather than move smoothly, you may have a condition called trigger finger. This condition occurs when a sheath surrounding the flexor tendon is inflamed. The inflammation stops normal movement and causes pain, especially when you try to move your finger.

Don’t wait to get relief from hand pain. Call Apex Pain Specialists today, or connect online to request an appointment.

The Difference Between Arthritis and Bursitis

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At first glance, arthritis and bursitis seem similar. They’re two of the most common joint problems. They both involve inflammation, cause joint pain, and affect your ability to use the joint.

Despite these similarities, arthritis and bursitis are more different than alike. They each have a distinct cause. Additionally, the nature of your pain and the impact on your long-term health differ.

Whether you have arthritis or bursitis, the team at our Chandler Pain Management Clinic offer advanced interventional treatments customized to ease your pain and support your optimal health. Here’s a rundown on the differences between arthritis and bursitis.

Body structures affected

Two of the biggest differences are found in how the diseases develop and the body structures affected by each condition:

Arthritis

The two major types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, damage cartilage, bones, and other structures inside the joints.

Osteoarthritis begins when cartilage breaks down. Cartilage normally protects the bones, allowing them to glide past one another as you use the joint. However, cartilage gradually wears away because of daily stress and movement.

Over the years, more cartilage slowly wears away, inflammation develops, and the inflammation erodes the bone under the cartilage.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis starts when your immune system attacks the synovial tissues lining the joint. As a result, the tissues become inflamed. The inflammation gradually erodes the bones and causes joint deformities.

Bursitis

Bursitis affects tiny, fluid-filled sacs (bursa) located around the joint. Bursa are wedged between bones and soft tissues. The little sacs reduce friction between bones as they move and rub against your skin, ligaments, and tendons. When the bursa becomes inflamed, you have bursitis.

Inflammation develops because of:

  • Repetitive use
  • Prolonged pressure on the joint
  • Bone spurs in the joint
  • Trauma to the joint
  • Infections

More than 150 bursae are in your body. Any of them can develop bursitis, but the problem most often affects your knees, shoulders, elbows, and hips.

Symptom differences

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis gradually damage the joint. As a result, you experience a slow but steady increase in pain and joint stiffness over the years. What begins as a slight twinge of discomfort turns into unbearable pain that stops you from using the joint.

Osteoarthritis doesn’t cause visible swelling. By comparison, rheumatoid arthritis often leads to noticeable redness and swelling around the joint.

Bursitis may develop slowly or flare up quickly. Once inflammation takes over the bursa, the condition immediately causes severe pain and limited joint movement. You may also have a noticeable swollen bump, depending on how close the bursa is to the surface.

Sometimes bursitis becomes infected. If that happens, the skin above the bursa looks red and feels warm, and you will probably have a fever.

Osteoarthritis always stays within the joint. Bursitis is always limited to the bursa. Rheumatoid arthritis is different because the inflammation can spread. As a result, you can develop inflammation and symptoms in your skin, eyes, blood vessels, lungs, and throughout their body.

Disease duration

Arthritis is a progressive disease that causes permanent joint damage. Though each person’s osteoarthritis progresses at a different pace, the degeneration can ultimately cause such extensive joint damage that your only treatment option is a joint replacement.

Though rheumatoid arthritis also progresses and causes irreversible damage, we have medications that can keep it in remission. With early treatment, medications can slow down or prevent bone erosion caused by rheumatoid arthritis.

Bursitis is a short-term condition. It doesn’t get progressively worse or last until you need a joint replacement. Instead, bursitis responds well to rest and steroid injections that reduce the inflammation.

In most cases, your bursitis improves in a few days or weeks. However, it can recur if you keep stressing the joint with the same activities.

When you need relief from joint pain and supportive care that restores joint mobility, call Apex Pain Specialists, or book an appointment online today.

Injuries to Look For After a Car Accident

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You may wonder why you need to “look for” injuries. After a car accident, injuries are obvious, right? Not always.

You can walk away from an accident thinking you’re fine and then start feeling worse over the next few days or weeks because some injuries may have delayed symptoms.

No matter when your pain appears, you can turn to the expert team at Chandler Pain Management. They have years of experience treating auto injuries, providing comprehensive care that includes advanced pain medicine, regenerative medicine, and medication management.

Here are the top three injuries to watch for after a car accident:

Concussions

Concussions are notorious for causing delayed symptoms. By the time your symptoms arise, you may not connect them to the car accident or consider the possibility that you have a concussion.

Delayed symptoms are especially dangerous for concussions because you may go back to your normal activities, and that’s the worst thing you can do. Even if you have minor symptoms, a concussion is still a brain injury that causes biochemical changes and cell damage in your brain.

The initial treatment for a concussion is physical and mental rest. If you stay active, you put yourself at a high risk of having a second concussion or developing post-concussion syndrome. People with post-concussion syndrome have symptoms lasting well beyond the normal healing period, possibly a year or longer.

Watch for concussion symptoms such as:

  • Headache
  • Memory loss
  • Confusion
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Loss of balance
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Blurry vision
  • Ringing in your ears
  • Sensitivity to light and sound
  • Sleep disturbance
  • New depression or anxiety

Few people lose consciousness after a concussion. Don’t rule out a concussion just because you were awake and alert after your car accident.

Whiplash and neck pain

Whiplash commonly occurs during car accidents when the impact causes your neck to snap back and forth or side to side. The sudden, severe movement forces vertebrae to move way beyond their normal range of motion. The extreme movement may damage muscles, ligaments, nerves, and vertebrae.

You may immediately feel pain, or you may not have symptoms for days after your car accident. As symptoms appear, you experience one or more of the following:

  • Neck pain
  • Neck stiffness
  • Headaches
  • Upper back pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Dizziness or vertigo
  • Ringing in your ears
  • Pain or tingling in your arm or hand
  • Numbness in your arm or hand

Depending on the severity of the trauma, you might have trouble sleeping or experience memory problems.

Low back pain

Many people pull their lower back during a car accident, but they don’t feel the pain right away. After an injury, your brain sends a surge of adrenaline and endorphins. Adrenaline helps you tolerate pain (more than usual), and endorphins are your body’s natural pain relievers.

This initial response prevents pain at first. Then your symptoms get progressively worse over a few days.

You can also have delayed low back pain because it takes time for bruising, inflammation, and muscle stiffness to reach their maximum level.

The primary symptom to watch for is gradually increasing lower back pain and muscle spasms. If you also have pinched nerves, you may develop pain, tingling, or numbness in one or both legs.

When symptoms appear, don’t wait to call the team at Apex Pain Management or connect online to schedule a thorough evaluation. Getting treatment as soon as possible helps prevent an acute injury from turning into a chronic pain problem.

Why Does My Hip Hurt?

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The pain you feel in your hip could come from any part of the joint, or the cause of your pain may not even be in your hip. You can experience hip pain as a result of conditions in other parts of your body.

Apex Pain Specialists specializes in getting to the source of your pain. They accurately diagnose the problem and create a customized treatment plan that eases your hip pain and gets you back to the activities you enjoy — no matter where the problem lies.

Referred hip pain

Referred hip pain occurs when the condition causing your discomfort originates elsewhere in your body. This is a common problem that occurs as a result of conditions that cause low back pain, including:

  • Herniated or bulging disc
  • Sciatica (pinched sciatic nerve)
  • Sprained facet joint
  • Degenerative disc disease

You may also experience referred hip pain if you injure your core muscles or have a problem in the sacroiliac joint (the joint connecting hip bones to the lower spine). You can even feel pain in your hip because of pelvic organ disease.

Problems in the hip joint

Four of the most common causes of hip pain include:

Osteoarthritis

After your knees, your hips are the most common site of osteoarthritis. Years of carrying your body weight combined with the stress of repeated hip movements makes cartilage inside the joint break down. Eventually, bone rubs against bone, inflammation and bone spurs develop, and you experience progressive hip pain.

Hip strains and sprains

Hip strains occur when the muscles and tendons are pulled beyond their limit, while sprains refer to stretched ligaments. Strains and sprains can be severe enough to tear the affected tissue. Though anyone can develop a hip strain or sprain from daily activities, these problems usually occur during sports injuries.

Bursitis

Bursa are small, fluid-filled sacs between the bones and soft tissues. The sacs create a cushion that reduces friction when you move your hip. If a bursa becomes inflamed, you have bursitis. The pain from bursitis may radiate into your upper thigh.

Labral tear

The labrum is a ring of cartilage that goes around the joint, helping to secure your upper leg bone in the joint. The cartilage frequently becomes torn as a result of an acute sports or gradual overuse injury. Labral tears may also cause groin pain.

Treating hip pain

Your treatment begins with limiting activities that stress the hip joint, taking anti-inflammatory medications, getting steroid injections, and engaging in physical therapy. Many hip problems heal with these conservative steps, but if your pain persists, you need the options available through interventional treatments.

Interventional procedures uniquely target the nerves sending pain messages from your hip to your brain. Using real-time imaging such as ultrasound and fluoroscopy (a special X-ray technique), we can deliver treatments to one or more precisely targeted nerves.

Our treatments target any problem causing hip pain, whether the source originates in your hip, lower back, or pelvic area. Here are three examples:

Nerve block

When performing a nerve block, we first locate the sensory nerves carrying pain signals, whether in your hip or spine. Then we inject a local anesthetic at the nerve, stopping the pain signals and easing your pain. We may also inject anti-inflammatory medications at the same time.

Radiofrequency ablation

After a nerve block positively verifies the specific nerve responsible for your pain, you can get long-lasting relief with radiofrequency ablation. We guide a needle-like device to the nerve and send out a brief burst of radiofrequency energy.

The energy wounds the targeted nerve, and the wound blocks pain signals. Radiofrequency ablation typically relieves your pain for six to nine months or longer.

Spinal cord stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation targets the pain-carrying nerves as they go through the spinal cord, allowing us to relieve pain from any part of your hip, back, and pelvic region.

We implant a device that sends mild electrical pulses into a specific group of spinal nerves. The pulses block the pain messages from traveling to your brain, providing pain relief as long as you have the implant.

If you need expert care for ongoing hip pain, call Apex Pain Specialists, or book an appointment online today.

Who Can Benefit from a Nerve Block?

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Anyone suffering from pain can get much-needed relief from a nerve block. Nerve blocks can target any nerve in your body, precisely treating the root cause of your pain.

The experienced team at Apex Pain Specialists offers many types of nerve blocks, allowing them to alleviate pain caused by a vast range of health problems. Here’s the information you need to help you decide if you might benefit from a nerve block.

Nerve blocks serve two roles

A nerve block is an injection that targets a single nerve or cluster of nerves, like a spinal nerve root. When performing a nerve block, we use real-time imaging such as fluoroscopy (a type of X-ray) to guide the needle to the nerve. Then we inject a local anesthetic, with or without a steroid medication, depending on the purpose of the injection.

Nerve blocks serve two purposes:

Diagnostic nerve block

If the anesthetic quickly relieves your pain, the nerve block verifies that the treated nerve is the source of your pain. Then we can recommend other procedures, such as radiofrequency ablation, that target the same nerve and produce long-term results.

Therapeutic nerve block

The purpose of a therapeutic nerve block is to relieve your pain. The anesthetic immediately eases your pain by blocking nerve signals, while the steroid reduces painful inflammation.

When to consider a nerve block

Your treatment should always begin with conservative therapies that fit your diagnosis. For most people that means medication management, exercise or physical therapy, steroid injections, or regenerative medicine such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections.

If your symptoms don’t improve with conservative treatment, it’s time to consider a nerve block. You may also need a nerve block as part of your conservative treatment. For example, if pain prevents you from participating in physical therapy, a nerve block helps you get the treatment you need.

Conditions treated with nerve blocks

We can use nerve blocks to manage acute and chronic pain, cancer pain, and pain after surgery. Nerve blocks can target any nerve in your body, allowing them to stop pain caused by nearly every underlying condition.

There are many different nerve blocks and each one is named according to the body area or type of nerve it targets. Here are a few examples:

Peripheral nerve blocks

Peripheral nerves carry pain messages from all areas of your body to your brain. These are a few examples of peripheral nerves blocks and the conditions they treat:

  • Occipital nerve block: Migraines, cluster headaches, and occipital neuralgia
  • Intercostal nerve block: Pain originating in your back, chest, or upper abdomen
  • Trigeminal nerve block: Pain in your face, nostrils, lips, and jaw
  • Genicular nerve block: Pain originating in your knees, such as arthritis and ligament injuries

The anesthetic in your nerve block stops the nerve from sending pain signals. As a result, your brain doesn’t get the message, and you don’t feel the pain.

Sympathetic nerve blocks

Your sympathetic nerves control essential functions like circulation, digestion, and sweat production. These nerves run along both sides of your side, branching off as needed to reach the appropriate organ.

Sympathetic nerve blocks include a stellate ganglion block, lumbar sympathetic block, hypogastric plexus block, and celiac plexus block. They treat conditions such as:

  • Complex regional pain syndrome
  • Nerve pain in your chest, neck, and arms
  • Lower back and leg pain
  • Peripheral artery disease
  • Pelvic pain
  • Shingles
  • Angina

You may also need a sympathetic nerve block to relieve pain caused by pancreatic, stomach, and liver cancers.

Medial branch blocks

The medial nerves carry pain messages from the facet joints connecting spinal vertebrae to your brain. We perform medial branch blocks in any part of your spine to relieve the pain of arthritis.

Nerve root blocks

This type of block targets the nerve roots in your spine. A nerve root block eases neck, back, arm, and leg pain that occurs when herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease lead to inflamed and pinched spinal nerves.

Nerve blocks are one of our most versatile interventional procedures. If you need pain relief, call Apex Pain Specialists, or book an appointment online today.

Trigger Point Injections: How Can They Help With Fibromyalgia

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What Are Trigger Points?

Trigger points are involuntary tight tender spots in a contracted muscle. This creates pain and dysfunction within the muscle. They are in parts of the muscle where there is decreased circulation, increased muscle contraction, spasm and increased nerve sensitivity causing a sharp pain or a constant ache. They also can cause referred pain, or pain felt in other parts of the body.

What Causes Trigger Points

Trigger points develop from either stress, repetitive or overuse of a muscle. When a muscle is overused or injured a contraction develops and knots occur. These annoying knots develop when individual muscle fibers are over-stimulated and unable to release their contracted state. This contraction reduces blood flow resulting in a diminished supply of oxygen and a build up of metabolic waste. The trigger point then reacts by sending out signals of pain.

What are Trigger Point Injections?

A trigger point injection can help soothe muscle pain, especially in your arms, legs, lower back and neck. It also can be used to treat fibromyalgia, tension headaches and myofascial pain.

Trigger point therapy commonly involves injecting small amounts of anesthetic (lidocaine) and steroid into the trigger point can help alleviate the pain.

Can Trigger Point Injections Help With Fibromyalgia?

Trigger point injections are a safe and effective way to release trigger point knots, loosen the overlying fascia, and restore unrestricted movement to the affected muscle.

The quick treatment starts with a thorough exam to determine the location and severity of your trigger points. After finding a specific trigger point, an APEX doctor cleanses the injection site, gently pulls your skin taut, and injects an anesthetic mixture directly into the trigger point, causing it to relax immediately.

While most trigger points loosen and subside after just one injection, The doctor may have to administer one or two additional injections from slightly different angles to take care of large or overly persistent trigger points.

Most people experience instant pain relief following trigger point injection therapy. To keep your muscles relaxed and pain free as the weeks and months go on, it’s important to stay active and perform any prescribed stretches or exercises as recommended.

Pain relieving benefits of Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens)

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Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) Native to southern Africa, gets its name from the tiny hooks that cover its fruit. Historically, devil’s claw has been used to treat pain, liver and kidney problems, fever, and malaria. It has also been used in ointments to heal sores, boils, and other skin problems around the world.

Devil’s claw was introduced to Europe in the early 1900s, where the dried roots have been used to restore appetite, relieve heartburn, and reduce pain and inflammation.

Today, devil’s claw is used widely in Germany and France to fight inflammation or relieve arthritis pain, headache, and low back pain.

Medicinal Uses and Indications

Osteoarthritis

Several studies show that taking devil’s claw for 8 to 12 weeks can reduce pain and improve physical functioning in people with osteoarthritis. One 4-month study of 122 people with knee and hip osteoarthritis compared devil’s claw and a leading European medication for pain relief. The people who took devil’s claw had as much pain relief as the people who took the medication. Those who took devil’s claw had fewer side effects and needed fewer pain relievers throughout the study.

An analysis of 14 studies using devil’s claw to treat arthritis found that higher quality studies showed devil’s claw may relieve joint pain. And a review of 12 studies using devil’s claw for treating arthritis or low back pain found that devil’s claw was at least moderately effective for arthritis of the spine, hip, and knee.

 

Back and neck pain

Preliminary evidence suggests that devil’s claw may help relieve neck and low back pain. In a small study of 63 people with mild-to-moderate back, neck, or shoulder pain, taking a standardized extract of devil’s claw for 4 weeks provided moderate relief from muscle pain. In a larger study of 197 men and women with chronic low back pain, those who took devil’s claw every day for a month said they had less pain and needed fewer painkillers than those who took placebo.

A 54-week study compared 38 people who took devil’s claw with 35 people who took the pain reliever rofecoxib (Vioxx). For these people, devil’s claw worked as well as Vioxx to relieve pain. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took Vioxx off the market because it increases the risk of heart problems.

 

Other uses

Many professional herbalists suggest that devil’s claw can help treat upset stomach, loss of appetite, headaches, allergies, and fever. Topical preparations of devil’s claw are also applied to the skin to heal sores, ulcers, boils, and skin lesions. However, there are not any definitive scientific studies that show using devil’s claw to treat these conditions is effective.

Precautions

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach for strengthening the body and treating disease. However, herbs can have side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs under the supervision of a health care provider qualified in the field of botanical medicine.

If taken at the recommended dose for a short time, health practitioners consider devil’s claw non-toxic and safe, with few side effects. High doses can cause mild stomach problems in some people. Researchers do not know if it would be safe to take devil’s claw for a long time.

People with stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, or gallstones should not take devil’s claw. Studies show taking devil’s claw may vause gastrointestinal side effects.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not take devil’s claw since studies in these populations are lacking.

People with heart disease, high blood pressure, or low blood pressure should ask their doctors before taking devil’s claw.

 

*The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only — they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2020 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

5 natural alternatives to painkillers

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When you experience chronic pain, you may try just about any remedy that will lessen the debilitating physical pain. Multiple trips to the health store will fill your cupboards with bottles of supplements thinking that you will avoid more trips to your pain management doctor. 

Did you know that more than 1 in 10 adults suffer from some form of  chronic pain. To get through the day, many resort to taking painkillers – some of which are powerful drugs that interfere with the nerve signals responsible for perceiving pain. Surprisingly, in 2015, more adults used prescription painkillers than tobacco, cigars and cigarettes combined.

Painkillers powerful strength

Painkillers vary in strength for different levels of pain. For example the prescription fentanyl – an opioid – is up to 100 times more powerful than morphine. In addition, drug morphine is up to 360 times more powerful than aspirin (acetaminophen ).

Opioid overdoses accounted for more than 42,000 U.S. deaths in 2016, more than any previous year on record. An estimated 40% of opioid overdose deaths involved a prescription opioid. In most recent years, opioid addiction has resulted in a deadly drug epidemic in both Canada and the U.S. Currently, Canada ranks as the world’s second largest consumer of prescription opioids.

Drug overdose deaths in the United States rose 4.6% in 2019 to 70,980, including 50,042 involving opioids, according to preliminary data released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released preliminary data last week that suggests U.S. drug overdose deaths have fallen for the first time in 20 years. There were an estimated 68,557 deaths from overdoses in the U.S. in 2018 copared to a preliminary figure of 72,224 in 2017. The 5.6% decline marks the first drop in overdose deaths since 1999.

 

Trump Signs Executive Orders On Drug Prices : NPR

www.npr.org › 2020/07/24 › trump-signs-executive-orde…

5 pain management options

Many pain sufferers use painkillers shows an urgent need for effective and safe alternatives for managing chronic pain. Fortunately, several natural alternatives exist and may help control daily pain. Below are some pain management options that can be incorporated into your lifestyle:

  1. Acupuncture. Acupuncture is an integrative health modality that applies Traditional Chinese Medicine. Licensed practitioners insert very thin needles into the skin to stimulate specific points on the body. Acupuncture has been found to be effective in reducing chronic pain for many health conditions.
  2. Change your diet. It may sound questionable, but what you eat has a significant influence on your pain levels. Inflammatory foods high in arachidonic acid such as red meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal fats should be on your radar. – These foods release of a variety of  substances in the body that produce pain or inflammation – Try to eat foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids into your diet, like avocados, nuts and seeds, chia, and green leafy vegetables, all of which have been found to help lower inflammation.
  3. Exercises. Studies have found that people who exercise daily are able to better manage their pain than those who don’t. And, keeping the weight off by regularly exercising can relieve pressure on the joints.
  4. Get symptomatic relief. The root of Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) contains powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and has traditionally been used for joint and muscle pain of all types.
  5. De-stress. Chronic stress leads to inflammation in the body, which can contribute to pain, and vice versa. Relaxation exercises such as meditation, tai-chi, and breathing exercises may help reduce stress and pain.

If you suffer from chronic pain or find yourself taking painkillers, it is important to work with your primary healthcare provider to find a treatment plan that works best for your pain.

References

https://nccih.nih.gov/news/press/08112015
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/fentany
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FFR2-2015/NSDUH-FFR2-2015.htm
https://www.nhms.org/sites/default/files/Pdfs/Opioid-Comparison-Chart-Prescriber-Letter-2012.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22965186
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16805330
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/exercise-relief#1

A Runner’s Guide To Hip Pain: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

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What causes hip pain?

One of the most common causes of hip pain is overuse. This is especially common in runners, Kostyukovsky explains, since it’s a repetitive, high-impact movement.

Mechanics (aka how you’re running) can also play a role in hip pain, as can external factors like footwear or your running surface, says Cass. If you’re wearing shoes that are too old, or not suited for your feet, it could have an impact.

“Some great running surfaces are wood chip trails or groomed grass, as they will absorb more of the load and take strain off of the body,” Cass says. “Concrete is the hardest, most dense surface to run on.” If you live in a more urban area, she recommends running on asphalt or over concrete sidewalks when safe.

The body itself also plays a significant role in potential hip pain, says Cass. Some things are out of your control, like the height and arch of your feel. “Flat feet or pronation with running can lead to the hip muscles having to work harder to support the body,” she explains.

Other factors can be addressed, like your hip strength, flexibility, and balance.

What are hip pain symptoms?

Common areas you may experience hip pain include the front of the hip, the sit bones (where your bottom hits the seat), or on the outside of the hip where the iliotibial (IT) band runs, says physical therapist Meghan Cass, P.T., DPT.

The symptoms can vary depending on the tissue or structure involved, Sarah Kostyukovsky, PT, DPT, OCS, explains. For example, some hip problems may cause sharp pain inside the hip joint, while others can lead to dull, achy pains.

“Even if you’re feeling pain in the hip, it might not necessarily be caused by the hip,” Cass says. “It might be because your calves or your core aren’t quite as strong.”

How can you treat hip pain?

There are several specific injuries that may lead to hip pain (hip strain, stress fractures, tendinitis, etc.), and it can be difficult to identify which one you’re suffering from. In order to do so, Cass recommends reaching out to a medical professional—especially if the pain is interfering with daily activities.

If you find it difficult to reach down and pick up your young kids, a basket of laundry, or sleep well, you should probably seek help from a primary care doctor, Cass says. If your pain is minor, however, there are a few ways you could try treating it at home.

For starters, it’s important to rest and limit the amount of pressure on your injured hip. If your hips feel tight but not injured, you may benefit from yoga practices or hip opening stretches.

Stretching, strengthening, and building a routine is important for runners, Cass says. “Dynamic stretching is what we recommend before running. That’s where you’re moving your muscles. It helps promote blood flow and a little bit more elasticity and flexibility to the muscles,” she says. Dynamic stretches may include a walking hamstring stretch or a walking lunge.

After running, Cass recommends static stretching. “That’s where you’re holding a stretch for a long time—it’s usually what you picture when you think of stretching.”

Working with a personal trainer or physical therapist can also help you figure out the best way to manage your hip pain.

How can you prevent hip pain?

When it comes to preventing hip pain, Cass refers back to the three main causes: overuse, mechanics, and external factors.

“If you have mechanical difficulties, problems with footwear, and a weak core, you have to address all of it,” Cass says, “but prioritize what’s going to make the most impact.”

If overuse is your biggest concern, cross-training in addition to running can reduce the impact. “The biggest way to prevent hip pain is to stay strong throughout the hips, core, and ankles,” she says. Some great options include supplemental yoga or Pilates workouts to increase strength in areas where you’re noticing deficits.

If the soles of your shoes are run down and lacking support, it may be time to buy a new pair. Generally, you should swap them out after 300 to 400 miles of wear. Since everyone’s feet are different, it’s nearly impossible to recommend a “best” running shoe. Instead, Cass suggests finding a small, local running store to find the best shoe for your needs.

Overall, listening to your body by stretching, resting, or cross-training when necessary can help prevent injury.

Is it OK to run if you have hip pain?

“Muscle soreness or a slight strain is OK to run through,” Kostyukovsky says. “This type of pain will typically get better with a light jog.” If the pain continues for days or weeks and is sharper and more significant, you should stop.

Running coach Elizabeth Corkum primarily recommends rest and medical assistance if your hip pain persists. “Sometimes hip pain could be corrected with the help of a physical therapist.”

–Chandler Pain Management 

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