Joint Pain in Simple Language

Joint pain in simple language

Joint pain is characterized by a painful joint that can originate from within or can sometimes come from structures outside the joints, such as ligaments, tendons, or muscles. It could also be a manifestation of systemic disease, like lupus.

Joint pain could be caused by:

1. Inflammatory diseases
2. Gout (crystal-induced) arthritis
3. Rheumatoid arthritis, which most commonly begins between the ages of 30 and 40. This can be a progressive and disabling autoimmune disease
4. Degenerative arthritis, like osteoarthritis. This is by far the most common cause of arthritis in older people.
5. Ankylosing spondylitis, which mostly involves cervical spine, lower back, sacrum, pain and stiffness, that is worst in the morning. 
6. Traumatic arthritis, which is associated with a history of injuries
7. Infectious arthritis, bacterial or viral infectious
8. Acute rheumatic fever, which is due to prior to streptococcal infections
9. Disseminated gonococcal arthritis
10. Arthralgia in Lyme disease, which is secondary to a tick bite
11. Systemic lupus that's associated with arthralgia, rash, and low-grade fever. This is also common among women.
12. Synovitius, which is inflammation of the thin membrane covering the joint

Diagnoses and tests

Joint pain can be diagnosed by:

• CBC
• ESR, C-reactive protein, and arthritic profile with dsDNA
• urinalysis, chemistry profile
• x-ray,
• MRI, or CT if needed
• Arthrocentesis

Treatment is symptomatic

1. Ansaid, immunosuppressants, and antibiotics, if infectious.
2. Hyaluronic acid injection
3. Surgical intervention, if necessary
4. Stem cell surgery, which is replacing knee surgery