Joint Pain

Pain directly over a joint like an elbow or a knee is a common complaint for kids after minor injuries. If there is obvious swelling or the joint looks out of sorts after the injury, it should be inspected by the pediatrician. If there is no obvious swelling and the pain is either distractible or managed with an ice pack, kiss on the boo-boo, and/or Tylenol/acetaminophen, then we can most likely monitor it as the pain resolves over the day at home. Now if there is swelling at a joint with no history of injury, this often requires a bigger workup and inspection from the pediatrician to figure out where the fluid is coming from and why. We need to make sure there is no infection in the joint, which usually presents as a swollen, red, and painful joint, sometimes with fevers. If there is a strong family history of rheumatologic or autoimmune conditions, we can run screening tests for kids if they have repeated joint swelling with no obvious trauma.