Unilateral Joint Pain

Unilateral joint pain is joint pain on one side of the body, such as in an arm and leg on the same side of the body. Joint pain can be associated with a number of medical conditions including arthritis, gout, bursitis and tendinitis.

Causes

• Joint pain can be caused by injury to the joint area, normal wear and tear and medical conditions. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that results in joint stiffness and pain. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that wears down cartilage in your joints over time, and may promote growth of bone spurs, both of which cause pain to the joint.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of unilateral joint pain include swelling, tenderness, pain and stiffness in joints on the same side of the body. The pain is normally aggravated by motion or pressure to the joints.

Diagnosis

• Your doctor will perform a physical exam feeling your joints where pain and tenderness are located. He may ask you questions on what you are doing when pain occurs. X rays or an MRI of the affected area may show joint damage.
  Blood tests may be given to see if rheumatoid arthritis is causing the joint pain.

Treatment

• When joint pain is caused by an illness such as osteoarthritis or bursitis, treating the condition will normally help with joint pain. Corticosteroid treatment may be used to reduce inflammation that surrounds the joint causing pain. Joint pain caused by injury will typically need the patient to rest, along with applying ice applications for the first few days. Ice may be applied for five-to-ten minutes up to three times a day to reduce swelling. Heat may also be applied for short periods to reduce stiffness. Over-the-counter medications such as Advil or Motrin can help alleviate pain.

Surgery

• Surgery is recommended when other treatments fail and pain is severe. Joint-replacement surgery involves the surgeon removing damaged areas of the joint and replacing them with metal and plastic devices. A surgeon can also fuse bones in the joint to reduce pain.

Solution

• You may not be able to prevent joint damage when caused by disease, but you can take efforts to keep the damage from worsening. Being overweight adds extra stress to knee joints, so it is best to lose and maintain a healthy weight. A physical therapist can prepare an exercise plan that can strengthen muscles surrounding the painful joint. Shoe inserts or braces recommended by your doctor may reduce joint pain.