Understanding what causes joint pain is important as it helps you to be better able to prevent and lesson joint pains. Fortunately there are many joint pain relief treatments to enable you to lead a normal life and to enjoy everyday activities, and depending on the cause of the pain, relief can be either temporary or permanent.
Joint pain causes can vary, and can be related to many conditions other than Arthritis. Our joints are cushioned by cartilage and supported by muscles, tendons and ligaments. Everyday activity, aging, injury, obesity and repetitive motion all place stress on the joints and will ultimately cause the supporting structures to wear down over time. Common causes include unusual exertion or overuse of joints including strains or sprains, injury (including fracture), Gout (especially found in the big toe), Tendonitis, Bursitis and Lupus. Causes can also include infectious diseases such as Influenza, Measles, Rheumatic Fever, Hepatitis, German Measles and Chickenpox. When joint pains strike, sufferers are often thrown off balance and made to change their daily routine because of the nature of the pains. Adopting proper health and diet routines can also help delay the need to look for joint pain relief.
Let's look at joint pain causes as they directly relate to Arthritis.
Arthritis is an inflammation of one or more joints caused by wear and tear, injury or any infection. There are over 100 different types of Arthritis - all cause pain and swelling and limit movement in joints and connective tissue. This inflamed condition of the joints is mostly seen in the elderly people. It comes from two Greek words, athron meaning joints and itis meaning inflammation. It affects almost half of the population of the world and, in the United States alone, approximately 50 million people suffer from one type of arthritis. Arthritis is more common than cancer and heart problems although does not have the level of fatalities associated with these conditions.
Osteoarthritis, the most common joint disorder, results from the loss of bone tissue from the joints and is also known as "wear and tear" Arthritis. Osteoarthritis involves growth of bone spurs and degeneration of cartilage at a joint. The symptoms usually occur in middle age and it quite common in adults older than 50 years of age. Interestingly as the age of the sufferer increases the occurrence is more likely in women, and there are many studies on the association between Osteoarthritis and Menopause. It is mainly related to aging but other factors such as a person's metabolism and genetic history can all be an influence. Often patients who have a history of taking certain types of medication, such as cortisone, can also be more susceptible.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation of the joints resulting in stiffness and pain. Normally our bodies are very efficient at taking care of keeping viruses and the like at bay, but when the immune system malfunctions it confuses healthy tissue for foreign substances and the body attacks itself. Ligaments and tendons that join the bones and muscle become inflamed and the result is pain in the effected joint. Rheumatoid Arthritis can be quite effectively treated with medications, although some of the treatments can have side effects that are difficult to manage. This disease can occur at any age but is most likely to occur in women. The course and the severity of the illness can vary considerably, with some sufferer's being pain free for years while their medication is working efficiently. Infection, genes, and hormones may contribute to the disease.
Both Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis are major contributors to joint pain causes.
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