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What is the Reason for Joint Pain?

There are multiple reasons for joint pain. And generally, according to those reasons, your symptoms, treatment and outcomes vary.

In most cases, people do not suffer much because of joint pain and can resolve it fast. However, in other cases, joint pain can be a severe problem requiring long-term treatment.

Arthritis

The biggest reason for joint pain is arthritis. And the two main categories of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

According to the study carried by the American College of Rheumatology, osteoarthritis generally occurs in an adult who has crossed 40. Moreover, it begins slowly and mainly affects joints that are used frequently like:

• Hand
• Wrist
• Knees
• Hips

Now talking about the second form of arthritis, according to the Arthritis Foundation, women are three times more likely to develop RA than men. RA can debilitate and deform the joints if not cured for a long time. It results in pain, fluid buildup, and inflammation in the joints.

Other reason

Reasons other than arthritis include:

• Gout
• Lupus
• Tendinitis
• Cancer
• Bursitis
• Osteoporosis
• Cancer
• Injury

It would help if you immediately look for a doctor’s assistance when the following conditions are accompanied by:

• Sudden swelling
• Intense pain
• You cannot use the joint at all
• Joint deformity

To check the condition of your joint pain, doctors mainly perform a physical test. They will also ask you a couple of questions relating to your joint pain. It helps the doctor know the root cause of the problem.

Apart from this, the doctor may recommend an X-ray of the joint pain if there are signs of arthritis related to the cause of joint pain.

However, if the doctor suspects any other cause of joint pain, he may also carry out a blood test to analyze certain autoimmune diseases. He may also suggest a sedimentation rate test to record the inflammation level present in the body or an in-depth blood count.

Following are the ways how you can stop joint pain:

• With a doctor’s consultation, you can take over-the-counter medicine to release pain, like ibuprofen or paracetamol. You can also consider non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) available in a cream or gel form. 

You can rub this cream on the area of pain. They work very well in cases of minor injuries, strains, sprains, or overuse injuries. However, they are not very useful in long-standing joint pain conditions but give relief to a few people suffering from OA.

• Ice Pack provides a lot of relief in joint pain, mainly on the first day after an injury. However, it would be best to be careful about using the ice pack because it does more harm than good in most cases. So make sure you are using it right. 
• Try to move your joint as little as possible as it can help to prevent the condition from getting worse. For this, it is better to avoid walking, driving, or trying sports. However, it is also essential to stay active as the knee’s muscles do not get weak. 

Have queries or concern ?

In some cases, joint pain conditions are severe and may require long-term treatment. In such cases, you need the assistance of a joint specialist. They can either suggest surgery to replace the joint or non-surgical treatment like physiotherapy.

Joint pain can be the result of the continuous damage caused by wear and tear. On the other hand, it can also be a symptom of an infection or debilitating RA. You must visit the doctor on time if you start experiencing sudden joint pain without any specific reason. Also, consult a doctor if the joint pain is for a long time and causing severe pain.