Patients experiencing joint pain can implement a number of lifestyle changes to help reduce pain. In some cases, these changes may also prevent joint pain. Patients are always advised to check with their physician to see which are right for them.  These recommendations may include:

• Getting regular exercise. Exercising can improve overall health and fitness. It also keeps joints moving and strengthens the muscles and bones around them.
  
  
• Using good body mechanics, posture and ergonomics. Joints can be protected by using proper techniques for movements such as bending and lifting. They can also be protected by avoiding activities that put excessive stress on the joints.
  
  
• Losing excess weight. Carrying extra pounds stresses the knees and other joints and can lead to early degeneration.
  
  
• Using heat, cold and water treatments. Thermotherapy, cryotherapy and hydrotherapy can often reduce joint pain. Cold packs numb the affected area, and heat relaxes the muscles and stimulates blood circulation.
  
  
• Getting enough sleep. Sleeping restores energy so pain can be better managed. It also rests joints to reduce pain and swelling.
  
  
• Relaxing. Relaxation can help reverse the effects of stress on the body, reducing pain.

In addition to these healthy lifestyle measures, a physician may recommend other steps:

• Physical therapy and manipulation therapy. These treatments can be helpful in treating joint pain, such as that caused by arthritis. For example, muscles in the thigh can become weak with chronic knee arthritis and may need to be strengthened.
  
  
• Walking aids including canes or walkers. A physician may prescribe these to relieve stress on certain joints, including knees.
  
  
• Occupational therapy. The many techniques used by occupational therapists include task simplification, energy conservation and instruction in adaptive equipment, for conditions ranging from acute trauma to chronic fatigue syndrome.
  
  
• Braces and splints.  There are many types of braces available that are helpful in unloading weights to certain joints, including knees. They can be bulky and difficult to wear long-term.  Sometimes, shoe wedges can also be inserted for certain types of arthritis to help with alignment and support. Splints may relieve wrist pain, such as that caused by carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy. This treatment has patients replace negative thought patterns with positive ones. It may used with chronic sources of  pain ranging from arthritis to fibromyalgia.

Some types of joint pain may be treated effectively with analgesics or anti-inflammatory medications that help relieve pain and swelling. These are available without a prescription. Physicians should be consulted before these medications are administered to children.

Patients experiencing joint pain caused by an underlying disease or condition may receive treatment for the disease or condition. If a patient’s joint pain is caused by a bacterial infection, the patient may be given antibiotics to treat the infection. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics, but many diseases caused by viruses are treated with antiviral medications.

If joint pain is caused by arthritis, there are several medications that patients may take to relieve the pain. These medications are sometimes prescribed for joint pain not caused by arthritis. They include:

• Analgesics.  Acetaminophen has been suggested to be the "first-line" treatment for arthritic pain, especially in the elderly.  Chronic daily intake should be limited to 2,000 milligrams (mg) a day.  Dosing greater than 4,000 mg/day may lead to toxicity and liver failure.
  
  
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Medications that help reduce stiffness and swelling. NSAIDs reduce production of prostaglandins (a group of lipid compounds derived from fatty acids), which help promote inflammation. These medications must be used with caution in patients with gastric ulcers and in the elderly.  Some of the newer NSAIDs called COX-2 inhibitors, which had been very effective for arthritis, have been taken off the market because of concerns about possible cardiovascular and other side effects.
  

• Corticosteroids. These medications may help alleviate pain by reducing swelling and inflammation.  These can be taken orally as tablets or injected directly into the affected joints. Risks of long-term use at high doses include diabetes and osteoporosis.
  
  
• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis and related diseases. They reduce inflammation, slow the underlying disease process down and prevent joint damage.
  
  
• Biologic response modifiers (BRMs). Also called biologic agents, they are used to suppress inflammation due to arthritis.
  
  
• Antidepressants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the antidepressant duloxetine (Cymbalta) to treat nerve pain caused by diabetes. Some physicians also prescribe other antidepressants for chronic pain. The FDA has cautioned that antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children, adolescents and adults, and that people being treated with these drugs should be closely monitored for unusual changes in behavior.
  
  
• Topical pain relievers. Creams, rubs and sprays may be applied on the skin over joints.
  
  
• Opioids.  These strong analgesic medications can reduce pain by blocking pain signals traveling to the brain. These are typically used short–term or are reserved for severe pain that has failed other conservative treatment.
  
  
• Muscle relaxants. These medications alleviate pain by reducing muscle spasms that trigger pain signals.
  
  
• Anticonvulsants. Originally designed to treat seizures, they can also be used to treat some types of pain.
  
  
• Injection therapy. Injections of anesthetic, corticosteroid or other medications into joints or nerves surrounding joints of a painful area can be safely done. They can help reduce inflammation and pain at the source.  Injecting these medications can be an effective method to treat localized arthritic flares of joints occasionally.  A physician may use an x-ray-guided system, called fluoroscopy, when injection involves the spine or hip joints.

The FDA has approved injections of hyaluronic acid  to treat osteoarthritic knee pain, and recent research indicates this treatment can also relieve shoulder pain due to osteoarthritis. 

Joint pain that cannot be treated effectively with conservative treatments may require surgery. Common types of joint surgery include:

• Arthroscopy. A thin, flexible fiberoptic scope (arthroscope) is placed in a small opening of the skin. It allows the surgeon to view and remove loose particles of cartilage or bony spurs offering temporary relief from joint pain.
  
  
• Joint replacement (arthroplasty). Damaged joints are replaced with artificial joints. Joint replacement often alleviates pain and may restore joint motion and function. This may be a good choice when all treatment options have failed. Joint replacement has the potential to provide excellent functional outcome for many years.

• Synovectomy (removal of the synovium, the lining of the joint). This may reduce pain and swelling.
  
  
• Osteotomy. This surgical procedure is designed to correct alignment of certain joints, especially the knee.
  
  
• Spinal surgery. Several types of operations can ease some cases of back or neck pain. Vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty may be recommend in some cases for compression fractures caused by osteoporosis.
  
  
• Carpal tunnel release surgery. This procedure can relieve carpal tunnel syndrome.

Alternative treatments are available to alleviate joint pain. They include:

• Biofeedback. This technique trains people to improve their health by using signals from their own bodies. Practicing relaxation using biofeedback can help patients learn to control the body’s response to pain.
  
  
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Type of electrical therapy using a small device that directs mild electric pulses to nerves in the painful area. TENS works by blocking pain impulses through stimulation of large nerves.
  
  
• Therapeutic ultrasound. High-energy sound waves can bring comfort to painful joints and muscles. Modalities such as biofeedback, TENS and ultrasound therapy may be part of physical or occupational therapy.
  
  
• Glucosamine and chondroitin. Recent research has found these over-the-counter supplements may relieve pain in some people suffering from osteoarthritis.
  
  
• Acupuncture. This ancient Chinese practice involves inserting small, thin needles into specific spots on the skin. The needles may stimulate nerves to block pain signals. Acupressure is based on similar theories but avoids the use of needles.