Gout: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Gout is one of the most common forms of arthritis, associated with intense joint pain that suddenly strikes, most commonly affecting the big toe, knees, fingers, elbows, thumbs, or ankles. These attacks are painful and unexpected, usually accompanied with redness and swelling. Prompt treatment can help to curb the condition, even though it usually recurs within a short span. One in 70 people in the United States are affected with gout, with men being thrice as likely to be affected with the disorder as women. 

Causes:

• Gout is usually caused by an excess of uric acid in the body. Uric acid is a waste product that is ideally excreted by the kidneys, but can accumulate in the body if the kidney does not function properly, or the body produces excessive uric acid. 
  
• The swelling and pain associated with gout are caused by the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints.
• These crystals are usually formed in the colder extremities of the body, which is why the fingers and toes are most commonly affected. 
• Risk factors for the disease include- excessive alcohol consumption, certain medications, a family history of gout, overweight, purine-rich diet, dehydration caused by low fluid intake. 

Symptoms:

• Severe pain in the affected joint
• Swelling around the joint
• Warmth in the affected region
• Red and shiny skin around the joint
• Mild fever
• Firm, white lumps known as tophi underneath the skin- this is a symptom of chronic gout that recurs over many years. This can be accompanied by the leaking of a white, paste-like substance if the tophi break down.

Treatment:

• Orthopedic doctors in Killeen can prescribe medicines to ease the pain and swelling associated with gout. These usually include Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), colchicines, or steroids. 
• You can also adopt several self-care steps such as elevating the joint and avoiding physical activity, keeping the joint cool, and drinking sufficient water. 
• If you are looking for treatment options in Killeen TX, an orthopedic doctor is the best place to start. Your doctor will be able to diagnose any complications associated with your condition, such as progressive joint damage. Dietary modifications and certain medications can help to stop these complications by lowering uric acid levels. 
• Other complications that require immediate medical attention include polyarticular gout (gout affecting multiple joints), kidney stones, and kidney damage. 

Therapeutic Injections For Pain Management

Therapeutic Injection procedures are performed for treatment of acute and chronic pain in spine and joints. These procedures have become quite popular over the years and have been adopted by many orthopedic doctors in Killeen TX to relieve and control pain from degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis and various spinal disorders.

Different types of Therapeutic Injections used by orthopedic doctors for pain management are:

• Nerve Block: Many patients find Nerve Block injections very effective in controlling acute pain. The medications injected through Nerve Blocks prevent the pain impulses from reaching the brain causing the pain sensation to stop. The injected medication may include local anesthetic, steroid or narcotic. There are different types of nerve blocks required for treating various pain areas. For example, Ophthalmic nerve block is required for treating pain in the area of eyelids and scalp where as for treating forehead pain, Maxillary nerve block is required.
• Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI): ESI procedures are performed by many orthopedic doctors for treating neck related arm pain or lower back related leg pain. Corticosteroids, Lidocaine and anesthetic are three common medications that are injected through ESI to relieve pain by reducing inflammation and swelling. 
• Sacroiliac Joint Injection (SI): SI procedures are performed for diagnosing or treating pain in lower back, hips, and legs caused due to Sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The medications that are included in the injection for the proper diagnosis of pain is local anesthetic e.g. lidocaine or numbing medication e.g. Bupivicaine. For providing relief from pain, and reducing the inflammation, anti-inflammatory medication corticosteroid is used.

How are Therapeutic Injections Procedures performed?

First of all, the area where injection is to be inserted is carefully cleaned followed by injecting skin numbing medication. The fluoroscopy C-arm is then used by orthopedic doctors in Killeen to insert the needle to the specific area while watching that needle live on an x-ray screen.

How long does the procedure last?

The time required by the procedure to achieve pain relief depends upon the type of injection used. Effects of nerve Block injections usually last for one or two weeks where SI procedures are known for alleviating the pain for a long period of time, typically for months or even up to a year in some cases.