4 Common Causes of Joint Pain

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Joints are the part of your body that connects your bones and allows them to move. The risk of injuring a specific joint depends on its function. Joints that move more have a greater chance of trauma. Your body has more than 200 joints, and you can get trauma at any of them. There are several types of joints, including immovable, slightly movable, and freely movable. Joint pain is a widespread problem. It can affect anyone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 15 million American citizens report experiencing severe joint pain annually.

Keep reading to learn what can cause severe joint pain.

1. Arthritis

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joint. It can affect one or several joints. This inflammation causes severe pain and stiffness. With age, the symptoms of arthritis typically worsen. There are several types of arthritis, but the most common are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. In most cases, arthritis occurs in people aged 65 and older, but this inflammation can affect anyone. Arthritis symptoms include:

- Severe pain

- Stiffness

- Swelling

- Skin redness

- Decreased range of motion

Being a woman, being diagnosed with obesity, and having a family arthritis history are risk factors for this disease. Arthritis can be treated with medication, physical therapy, or surgery. However, it can’t be cured. The treatment helps reduce symptoms and slow down joint destruction.

2. Bursitis

Bursitis is an inflammation of fluid-filled sacs (bursae). These sacs cushion bones and reduce the friction between them. This condition typically occurs at the joints that move frequently. The most common locations of bursitis are shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, heels, etc. This inflammation is a common problem among people aged 40 and more.  Bursitis symptoms include:

- Stiffness

- Swelling

- Redness

- Fever

- Decreased range of motion

If you think that you have this inflammation, contact a joint pain doctor in NJ. If left untreated, bursitis leads to chronic pain and muscle atrophy. This condition requires a proper treatment plan that mostly involves rest, medication, and icing the joint. Some specialists may recommend taking antibiotics, performing at-home exercises, and taking corticosteroids.

3. Lupus

Lupus is a long-term autoimmune disease. It may attack your organs and tissues. There are different kinds of lupus, like systemic lupus erythematosus, discoid, drug-induced, and neonatal lupus. Scientists don’t have enough information about what exactly causes this condition. Risk factors for lupus include hormones, medications, infections, genes, and the environment. Lupus can lead to the following symptoms

- Fatigue

- Fever

- Headaches

- Arthritis

- Muscle pain

- Rashes

- Chest pain

- Stomach pain

- Depression

Lupus is an incurable condition. Nowadays, we have different types of treatment methods to manage the symptoms. Treatment usually involves eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, taking medicine, quitting smoking, and avoiding excess sun exposure.

4. Gout

This is one of the arthritis forms that can affect anyone. Gout affects the joint at the base of the big toe. Mostly, the inflammation affects only one joint, but severe gout can affect two or more. This inflammation is caused by the excess amount of uric acid in the bloodstream and the accumulation of urate crystals in the body tissues. People with this medical condition may experience:

- Intense joint pain

- Lingering discomfort

- Inflammation

- Redness

- Decreased range of motion

Risk factors for gout include obesity, poor diet, different medical conditions, certain medications, family history of this inflammation type, being a man, being aged 30, and more. If left untreated, you may develop recurrent gout, advanced gout, or even kidney stones. If you have gout, you should immediately contact your healthcare provider. A doctor will create a personalized treatment plan. 

The bottom line

Joint pain can be caused by different factors. If you have prolonged pain, seek help immediately. You may have a serious medical condition that will affect your routine if left untreated.