Top 6 diseases that can trigger joint pain

Suffering from chronic join pain? On time treatment and prevention from those diseases may provide you to get relief.

Joint pain has become a very common problem in recent times afflicting most adults who are middle aged or older. Most of them tend to ignore such aches and pains, thinking of them as an age related problem. When the pain becomes severe, they try to get some relief by taking pills, using ointments or by massaging with oils. Experts have suggested that once you start experiencing such symptoms, you should visit your physician without delay as it may be a consequence of some serious ailments too. Here are some diseases that may lead to joint pain:

1. Arthritis:

This is a very common joint disorder that involves inflammation of the joints. There are different forms of arthritis, the most common form of which is osteoarthritis. Others are rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, septic arthritis and gout that are most prevalent.

Osteoarthritis is also called the wear-and-tear arthritis. It occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears down over time. It can affect any joint in your body, but predominantly it is the joints in the hands, neck, lower back, knees and hips that are more deteriorated. To make matters worse, no cure is available for osteoarthritis till date, but the progression of the disease can be controlled with proper treatment.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory disorder that typically affects the small joints of your hands and feet. The symptoms generally surface after 40 years of age and are mostly prevalent among women. Rheumatoid arthritis can also affect children as young as 16 years of age (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis). Generally it affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling that can ultimately result in bone erosion and joint deformity. No proper treatment exists at present and hence physicians usually focus on controlling the symptoms and joint damage.

Septic arthritis is caused by an extremely painful infection in the joint. The joints become infected with microorganisms that spread through the circulatory system from another part of your body. Septic arthritis can also occur when an incisive injury carries germs directly into the joint (knees and hip joints). Both adults and infants can be a victim of this disease. The joints get damaged very rapidly; which is why timely treatment is of the utmost importance.

Psoriatic arthritis is another form of arthritis that affects some people who develop psoriasis a condition that features red patches of skin with silvery scales. Most people develop psoriasis first and are later diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, but the joint problems can sometimes begin before skin lesions appear. As yet, there is no cure for psoriatic arthritis, so experts try to control the symptoms and aim to prevent further damage to your joints.

Gout is characterised by sudden, severe attacks of pain along with redness and tenderness in joints (joint at the base of the big toe). It can affect anyone. Men are more affected with gout, but women may also become increasingly susceptible to gout after menopause. Fortunately, gout is treatable, and there are ways to reduce the risk of recurrence of gout.

Read more about the different diagnostic tests that you should do to check arthritis.

2. Sprains and strains:

Sprains and strains are the common injuries that share similar signs and symptoms, but involve different parts of your body. It is common to see people use the word 'sprain' to describe what actually is a 'strain' or muscle tear. A sprain usually refers to an injury of ligaments that join the bones to the muscles. When these ligaments are stretched beyond their normal capacity (but do not rupture), they tear causing a sprain. Sprains are very painful and also cause swelling at the place where the ligament is injured. It can be devastating as they are often neglected and are not visible on X-rays too. The most common location for a sprain is in your ankle.

Strain refers to muscle injury. Strains occur commonly among sports persons, where the muscle is stretched beyond its elastic limit. A few fibers give way and the situation gets pretty painful. The hamstring muscle is the most commonly strained structure in the body.

3. Tendonitis or inflammation of tendons:

Tendons are bunch of tissue fibres that connect your bones to your muscles. Excessive use of these tendons makes them susceptible to inflammation or irritation that leads to tendinitis. This condition causes pain and tenderness just outside joint. While tendinitis may hit any of your body's tendons, shoulders, elbows, wrists and heels are mostly affected. Some common names for various tendinitis problems are: Tennis elbow, Golfer's elbow, Pitcher's shoulder, Swimmer's shoulder and Jumper's knee. If tendinitis is severe and leads to the rupture of a tendon, you may need to undergo surgical procedures. Most cases of tendinitis however, can be successfully treated with rest, physical therapy and medications to reduce pain.

4. Lupus:

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease. It occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs and causes inflammation. Lupus can affect many different body systems including your joints, that may cause severe pain. It is difficult to diagnose lupus since its signs and symptoms are often similiar to other ailments. The most prominent sign of lupus is a facial rash that resembles the wings of a butterfly unfolding across both cheeks. Some people have a tendency to develop lupus since birth, which may occur if triggered by infections, certain drugs or even exposure to sunlight. While there's no cure for lupus, treatments can help control symptoms.

Read more about lupus: its cause, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

5. Hypothyroidism:

Hypothyroidism (decreased thyroid function) is a condition in which your thyroid gland is not able to produce enough hormones required for proper functioning and thus it upsets the whole system. It does not shows any symptoms in the early stages, but, over time, untreated hypothyroidism can cause a number of health troubles and joint pain is one such problem. Older women are more likely to have hypothyroidism. But with the help of proper diagnosis, tests and treatment, this disease can be treated quite effectively.

6. Fibromyalgia:

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that is characterized by extensive musculoskeletal pain accompanied along with other symptoms like fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Experts say that fibromyalgia intensifies painful sensations by affecting the pain signaling pathways of the brain. Symptoms of fibromyalgia either surfaces after physical pain, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. Symptoms may also gradually build up over time with no triggering incident. Women are more prone to develop fibromyalgia than men. Unfortunately, there is no cure for fibromyalgia, but a combination of medications can help to control the symptoms. Exercise, relaxation and stress-reduction measures also may be of great help.

Apart from these diseases, broken bones and/or bone dislocation may also lead to joint pain. Additionally, some serious ailments like bone cancer and leukemia too may be a cause for joint pain.

References:

• Joint pain (www.mayoclinic.org)
• Joint pain (www.webmd.com)

You may also like to read:

• Have knee pain? Try eating grapes
• Are you suffering from the 'office knee' too?
• 6 warning signs differentiating arthritis from usual joint pain
• Beat arthritis with these 6 diet tips (Gallery)
• 6 yoga asanas to beat arthritis

For more articles on arthritis, check out our arthritis section, respectively. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.