Joint Pain Causes

More than half of people over 40 experience joint pain on a regular basis. The pain may be caused by mechanical trauma, prolonged hypothermia, age-related changes in bone tissues, excessive physical exertion, viral / infectious diseases, genetic predisposition, bad habits, etc. Also, the appearance of pain in joints is facilitated by work in wet conditions, in the cold, etc.

Diseases that cause joint pain

Joint pain that occurs without an objective reason is called “arthralgia”. It can appear due to rheumatic, infectious, autoimmune, neurological diseases and a number of other causes. Many pathologies can manifest themselves as pain:

• reactive arthritis is an inflammatory disease with joint damage that develops after the transfer of certain infections (genitourinary, gastrointestinal tract). It occurs most often in people 20-40 years old. It is manifested by acute pain when bending, reddening of the skin over the affected joint, swelling of tissues, and increased body temperature. Reactive arthritis, which includes the following symptoms: arthritis, conjunctivitis, urethritis or cervicitis, colitis, and characteristic skin lesions, is called Reiter’s syndrome;
• rheumatoid arthritis – refers to an autoimmune disease that affects the knee and elbow joints, feet and hands. It differs in constant soreness in the affected area. The joints are deformed, swollen, rheumatoid nodules appear on the skin. The patient often has a decrease in weight, damage to the eyes, skin, spleen;
• psoriatic arthritis – is considered a genetically determined pathology. The disease most often spreads to the feet and fingers, and the right and left joints are affected asymmetrically. Characterized by the presence of plaques, a purple-cyanotic hue in the affected areas;
• osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases of non-inflammatory origin. It affects the hip, knee, wrist joints. The main manifestations are: aching pain, crunching and stiffness, which becomes more noticeable with exertion. Tissues swell over the affected area, an increase in body temperature is noted;
• gout is an inherited disease. At the bottom of its occurrence lies a metabolic disorder, leading to the deposition of salts. Most often, pathological changes are diagnosed in the ankle joints, on the elbows and on the big toes. The skin over the sore joints becomes hot, reddens, swells and flakes. Gout in most cases is accompanied by damage to the kidneys and heart;
• ankylosing spondylitis – refers to inflammatory diseases and is characterized by gradual damage to the joints of various parts of the spine. With this pathology, over time, scar tissue forms in the joints with salts deposited on it, which significantly limits mobility. A person has a fever, posture suffers greatly, pain in the sacrum and lower back is more pronounced at night. The dorsal muscles become stiff at rest, and chest soreness is noted, especially when inhaling deeply. The reasons are not completely clear. This disease is more common in men 20-40 years old. In the absence of treatment, the mobility of the spine is significantly impaired, up to its complete immobility;
• post-traumatic arthritis – can affect any joints: shoulder, ankle, hip, knee, etc. It is a consequence of dislocations, fractures and sprains, tendon damage, severe bruises. In the absence of timely treatment, it becomes chronic. Signs of post-traumatic arthritis: pain syndrome, crunching in joints, aching bones, swelling in the area of injury, stiffness of movements;
• osteoarthritis – occurs mainly in people over 50, as it is caused by constant stress on the joints. The disease is manifested by pain, redness of the skin and edema.

Separately, it should be said about drug arthralgia, which refers to temporary painful conditions. It, like the pathologies described above, manifests itself in severe pain in the joints, but its cause is the intake of certain medications: antibiotics, tranquilizers and some other groups. Especially often, such a complication is noted with a high dosage of drugs.