Top Causes of Joint Pain

Joint pain is a general term for discomfort occurring where two or more bones meet. This sensation is most common in areas where the cartilage protecting your bones from each other is most likely to break down. As such, you are more likely to experience joint pain in places like your knees, hips, and spine. Let’s look at the top causes of joint pain.

Top Causes of Joint Pain

Run-of-the-mill joint pain is typically related to damage to your cartilage and other forms of cushion between the bones. However, there are a number of different conditions that can cause joint pain. These are some of the most common.

Bone Cancer

Bone cancer is relatively rare in comparison to other cancers, but it can cause joint pain by degrading the bone and surrounding tissue. While it is highly unlikely that your joint pain is caused by bone cancer, it is something that your doctor will keep in mind if other diagnoses fail to match up to your symptoms.

Bursitis

Bursitis is the medical term used to describe inflammation in a joint affecting the bursa. The bursa are fluid-filled sacs that act as a cushion for the joint. As a result, the condition can be quite painful. The good news is that a little rest and physical therapy is usually all you need, but joint injections in Orange County may help if the condition persists.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is relatively uncommon, but it is the most common form of arthritis found in children under the age of 16. It’s an autoimmune condition that can attack a single joint or several at once.

Lupus

Lupus is another autoimmune condition. These conditions are characterized by your body’s defenses attacking your own healthy cells. While lupus has a large variety of symptoms, which can make it difficult to identify, one of them is joint pain.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is better controlled today than it has been in the past. But there exist still infected ticks who spread this disease. Lyme disease is associated with a variety of symptoms. Joint pain is one of them, and it is usually accompanied by swelling. The knees are the most commonly affected.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is largely associated with aging, and it affects a large percentage of the elderly population. This condition develops as a result of cartilage that has been damaged and broken down by decades of use. All joints can technically be affected, but you may notice that it is worse in joints that you used more heavily in your life.

Tendinitis

Tendinitis is another very common and relatively innocuous cause of joint pain. It occurs when a tendon supporting a joint has been overworked. The stress causes an inflammatory response which makes the joint feel painful and swollen. Tendinitis is most commonly associated with repetitive actions and can usually be treated with rest.

Addressing Joint Pain

The most common causes of joint pain you are likely to encounter are going to be the result of repetitive movements over the years and the associated swelling. In the absence of other symptoms, taking it easy for a few days and using over-the-counter anti-inflammatories is usually all that you need to get back to feeling like yourself.

With that said, there are serious conditions that can cause joint pain. If you have additional symptoms or the pain persists after a few days of rest, then you should see your doctor. It may take a little time, but they can help you diagnose the problem and refer you to the pain clinic in Orange County if needed.