11/06/2025
മാസങ്ങളോളം വേദന? കാരണം ഇതാ! | Dr Vineetha G Gopal
https://youtu.be/sfV4J0VVgpQ?si=lXPmVFjE4_4lHmy5
Is Swelling the Cause of Your Joint Pain? | Inflammatory vs Mechanical Pain Explained
One of the most frequently asked questions doctors hear from patients with chronic joint pain is:
"Doctor, is my pain due to swelling? Do I have fluid in my joint?"
Chronic pain—pain that persists for months or even years—can have many causes. When it comes to joint pain (arthritis), such as knee pain, shoulder pain, or hip pain, it's generally categorised into two broad types:
1. Inflammatory Pain (Due to Joint Swelling)
This type of pain is typically associated with autoimmune or inflammatory arthritis, for example, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). It is common in conditions like seropositive or seronegative inflammatory arthritis.
Key features of inflammatory joint pain include:
Morning stiffness in the affected joints that lasts for a long time (sometimes over an hour).
Pain is typically worse at rest, especially after prolonged periods of sitting or sleeping.
Swelling or fluid accumulation ("effusion") is often visible, particularly in large joints like the knee or shoulder.
2. Mechanical Pain (Due to Degeneration or Injury)
This occurs in conditions like osteoarthritis or due to ligament injuries.
Key features of mechanical pain:
Pain worsens with activity like walking, standing, or lifting.
Pain improves with rest.
There may not be visible swelling, or if present, it's mild.
How to Differentiate Between the Two?
Doctors use a combination of clinical signs, blood tests, and imaging:
✅ Blood Tests (for Inflammatory Arthritis)
ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate)
CRP (C-Reactive Protein)
Rheumatoid Factor (RF)
Anti-CCP Antibodies
✅ Imaging Tests
X-rays
MRI
Ultrasound
These help determine the nature and extent of inflammation or degeneration.
Importance in Treatment
Identifying whether your pain is inflammatory or mechanical is crucial, as the treatment approaches are entirely different.
🔹 For Inflammatory Pain:
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are prescribed to reduce inflammation.
Steroid injections into the swollen joint can offer quick relief, especially when joint effusion is significant.
In some cases, aspiration (removal of joint fluid) is done before steroid injection.
🔹 For Mechanical Pain:
Steroids are not typically effective.
Treatment includes pain management, physiotherapy, and exercise.
If these don’t help, joint replacement surgeries (e.g., knee or shoulder replacement) are considered.
Newer treatments, such as PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) or Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), may offer benefits in selected cases.
Whether you're suffering from joint pain or back pain, identifying the underlying cause—whether inflammatory or mechanical—is key to receiving the right treatment.
🎯 Ask your doctor the right questions. Understand your pain. Choose the right path to recovery.
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Gandhi Bhavan Road, Near Ammathottil,
Thycaud PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695014
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Is Swelling the Cause of Your Joint Pain? | Inflammatory vs Mechanical Pain ExplainedOne of the most frequently asked questions doctors hear from patients wi...
