www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 11 That aching knee, sore shoulder or painful elbow can be the result of a variety of different issues, and there are many ways to treat both the cause and the discomfort that can keep you up at night, limit your physical activities and affect your quality of life. Arthritis, often an affliction of the elderly, might be the culprit. Osteoarthritis causes cartilage to break down where bones meet to form a joint, while rheumatoid arthritis is an immune disease that causes inflammation in the lining of a joint. However, an injury suffered recently or even a decade or more ago – whether while participating in sports, through a significant fall or in an automobile accident – also can be the source of your misery. “It can be a fall 10 years ago or a broken ankle as a kid,” explained Dr. Michael Sims, a surgeon with Bon Secours Piedmont Orthopaedics in Greenville. Dr. Sims said a good place to start when a patient visits with joint pain is to take X-rays, which can indicate if there has been any structural change in the bones. “X-rays don’t show ligaments, tendons or cartilage, but you can see evidence that these things have been damaged,” he said. “You can’t see everything, but you can infer things.” “An X-ray is a good place to start because it’s inexpensive and safe,” Dr. Brett Young, an orthopedic surgery specialist with Roper St. Francis Physician Partners in Charleston and Summerville, added. “It gives us a big-picture view of the joint. That would be the first move before an MRI.” Dr. Young went on to explain that, in many cases, he would use an MRI only to help confirm or rule out a suspected diagnosis.
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