Joint Pain and Swelling – Understanding the Symptoms
Did you make a point of going all out during the volleyball game at the last family picnic? Or did you recently miss the last step on the basements stairs, only to land pretty solidly on your knee? If so, it’s likely that you will experience joint pain and swelling in the days to come. Although your knee or other joint normally feels taunt and sturdy, an unexpected injury or illness can leave it feeling soft and tender. Joint pain and swelling is just one of the ways that your body tells you that it has been injured or that the immune system has been comprised in some way. If you have noticed pain and swelling but can’t think of what might be causing it, there are some precautions you should keep in mind.
If there was an injury in your recent past, it’s common to experience joint pain and swelling because of small amounts of internal bleeding around the joint area. This internal bleeding can stretch the skin and cause the tissues surrounding the joint to become swollen as well. If you have not been injured recently, it’s important to remember that other things can cause the joint pain and swelling. Old injuries can be aggravated over again, causing new joint pain and swelling even though the joint has been healed for quite some time. It’s also possible that an infection can take root in damaged areas and cause joint pain and swelling as well.
The important thing to remember is that joint pain and swelling that is the result of either a new or old injury will usually return to normal within a few days. If you have been dealing with joint pain and swelling for more than seven days, it’s important to seek medical attention from your doctor immediately. If you notice that the joint pain and swelling is accompanied by redness or by a fever and/or chills, it’s also possible that a more serious condition is developing and you should make sure you tell your doctor as soon as possible.
One of the best ways to alleviate the discomfort of joint pain and swelling is to cool it down with some ice or a chill pack from the freezer. Don’t put the ice directly on the skin where joint pain and swelling is occurring, but make sure there is a towel or some plastic between the two surfaces. Another thing that you should do for joint pain and swelling is to isolate the area so that it can’t be aggravated further.
