Joint Pain

Joint pain — whether in the knee, hip, ankle, wrist, or foot — can make even the simplest movements feel difficult and can profoundly affect your independence and quality of life. At Global Pain Management, we evaluate joint pain comprehensively and offer a range of interventional options designed to reduce inflammation, restore function, and delay or avoid surgical intervention.

What is joint pain?

Joints are the points where two or more bones meet, held together by ligaments and surrounded by a synovial capsule that produces lubricating fluid. Joint pain can arise from multiple overlapping mechanisms: mechanical wear and cartilage degradation (osteoarthritis), inflammatory disease (rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis), acute injury (ligament tears, meniscal damage), bursitis, tendinopathy, gout or pseudogout, or referred pain from adjacent spinal levels. The knee is the most frequently affected joint in pain management practice, followed by the hip, shoulder, ankle, and smaller joints of the hand and foot. Obesity, prior injury, occupational demands, and genetic predisposition all raise the risk of developing chronic joint pain. Joint pain is often compounded by surrounding muscle weakness and guarding, which further limits range of motion and accelerates joint deterioration. A thorough evaluation is essential to differentiate the primary cause and identify any correctable contributing factors.

Common symptoms

• Aching or throbbing pain localized to a specific joint
• Swelling, warmth, or redness over the joint
• Stiffness that is worst in the morning or after prolonged rest
• Reduced range of motion and difficulty with weight-bearing
• Locking, catching, or giving way of the joint
• Pain that disrupts sleep or limits walking

How we treat joint pain

Our treatment approach to joint pain is guided by the specific joint affected, the underlying cause, and the patient's functional goals. Intra-articular corticosteroid injections are a first-line interventional option for inflamed joints throughout the body, providing targeted anti-inflammatory relief. For the knee, viscosupplementation (hyaluronic acid injections) can improve joint lubrication and reduce pain in osteoarthritic joints with cartilage loss. Genicular nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation offer a longer-lasting option for knee pain by interrupting the sensory nerves supplying the knee joint capsule, with research showing pain relief lasting twelve months or more in appropriate candidates. Hip joint injections and greater trochanteric bursa injections address hip-region pain. Ankle and foot joint injections, guided by ultrasound or fluoroscopy, provide targeted relief for subtalar, tibiotalar, and metatarsophalangeal joint pain. All interventional procedures are coordinated with physical therapy to maximize functional recovery.

Treatment options we may use