The human body contains joints, where two or more bones come together, to hold the body together and provide flexibility and movement. Joints consist of muscles, bones and cartilage all lined with soft tissue known as synovium. Joint pain can occur due to an injury or as a result of inflammation caused by disease. Treating joint pain requires doctors to determine the underlying cause of the pain.
Analgesics
Analgesics, also known as pain relievers, block the pain signals from traveling to the brain or change the way the brain interprets the signals. Acetaminophen, a non-narcotic pain reliever, is available over the counter and can relieve mild to moderate joint pain. Stronger analgesics, classified as narcotics, include medications such as codeine and morphine. Doctors often prescribe analgesic medications in conjunction with other treatments to reduce joint pain, while other medications treat the underlying disease.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications
Many diseases, such as lupus, cause joint inflammation that leads to joint pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, reduce inflammation by preventing the production of prostaglandins—hormone-like substances that cause inflammation and pain. Older types of NSAIDs, including ibuprofen and naproxen, act on maintenance prostaglandins, which are produced by the enzyme COX-1, and inflammatory prostaglandins, which are produced by the enzyme COX-2. These NSAIDs therefore cause many side effects, including stomach irritation that produces belching and a burning sensation that can lead to the formation of bleeding ulcers, according to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. The Lupus Foundation of America reports that newer NSAIDs, called COX-2 inhibitors, only affect the inflammatory prostaglandins, therefore causing fewer side effects.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids, a class of drugs that include prednisone, cortisone and methylprednisolone, also work to reduce inflammation. Patients receive corticosteroids either orally or by injection directly into the affected joint. Doctors prescribe corticosteroids to reduce inflammation while waiting for other medications, such as disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, known as DMARDs, to take effect, according to doctors at the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. Although effective at reducing inflammation and joint pain, when taken for long periods of time, corticosteroids can cause serious side effects, including weight gain, the accumulation of fat in the face and neck, increased blood pressure, and increased blood sugar. Corticosteroids also increase the loss of calcium from the bones, leading to or enhancing the effects of osteoporosis, according to MayoClinic.com
Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs
DMARDs treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease, affects 1.3 million Americans, causing joint pain and deformity that leads to limited movement of joints, according to the Arthritis Foundation. DMARDs effectively slow the progression of joint diseases.
Methotrexate, a first-line DMARD agent, effectively reduces the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, including joint pain, as reported by the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. Doctors use methotrexate to treat other autoimmune diseases, including other types of arthritis, such as psoriatic arthritis. Methotrexate can trigger serious side effects, such as oral ulcers, hair loss and liver problems, but taking a folic acid supplement helps to reduce the incidence of side effects, according to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.
