The areas of your body where your bones connect are called joints. Your skeleton’s joints give your bones mobility. Joints consist of:
- Knees
- Elbows
- Hips
- Shoulders
Any discomfort, pains, or soreness in any joint of the body is referred to as joint pain. One typical complaint is joint discomfort however, typically, no hospital stay is necessary.
Joint discomfort can occasionally be brought on by a disease or trauma. Joint pain is also frequently caused by arthritis. But it might also be the result of other circumstances or elements.
What are the causes of joint pain?
Arthritis
Arthritis is one of the most typical causes of joint discomfort. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) are the two primary types of arthritis.
The American College of Rheumatology states that persons over 40 are most likely to have OA. It usually affects frequently used joints such as the following and advances slowly:
- wrists
- hands
- hips
- knees
The degeneration of the cartilage that cushions and absorbs shocks in the joints is the cause of joint discomfort associated with osteoarthritis (OA).
RA is the second type of arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation estimates that 1.5 million Americans suffer with RA. Women are more likely than men to be affected.
Over time, it can weaken and distort the joints. The immune system of the body targets the membrane lining the joints in RA, resulting in discomfort, inflammation, and fluid accumulation in the joints.
Other causes
Joint pain can be caused by:
- bursitis, or inflammation of the cushioning pads around joints
- lupus
- gout
- certain infectious diseases, such as mumps, influenza, and hepatitis
- chondromalacia of the patella, or a breakdown of the cartilage in the kneecap
- an injury
- tendinitis, or inflammation of the tendon
- an infection of the bone or joint
- overuse of a joint
- cancer
- fibromyalgia
- osteoporosis
- sarcoidosis
- rickets
What are the symptoms of joint pain?
You might need to consult a doctor for your joint discomfort in certain situations. If you have any inexplicable symptoms in addition to joint pain and you are unsure of the cause, you should schedule an appointment.
You ought to visit a physician if the pain lasts for three days or longer; the area surrounding the joint is swollen, red, sensitive, or warm to the touch or you have a fever but no other flu-like symptoms.
Visit the emergency department if any of the following take place:
- You’ve sustained a significant injury
- The joint seems to be twisted
- Joint swelling happens all of a sudden
- The joint has no movement at all
- You’re experiencing excruciating joint aches
How to diagnose joint pain?
To attempt diagnosis, your doctor will do a physical examination. They’ll also quiz you on a number of topics regarding your joint discomfort such as intensity, location, when it occurs and more. This could assist in reducing the number of possible causes.
To determine whether joint deterioration is caused by arthritis, a joint X-ray can be required.
Your doctor might prescribe a blood test to check for certain autoimmune conditions if they think there might be another reason. They might also ask for a complete blood count or a sedimentation rate test to gauge the body’s degree of inflammation.
How to treat joint pain?
At home:
Physicians view RA and OA as chronic illnesses. As of right now, there is no medication that can totally relieve arthritis-related joint pain or prevent it from coming back. But there are methods to control the pain:
- To lessen pain, swelling, and inflammation, applying topical painkillers or taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications may be helpful.
- Continue your physical activity and stick to a fitness regimen that emphasises moderate exercise.
- To keep your joints in a healthy range of motion, stretch before working out.
- Remain within a healthy weight range. Joint strain will be reduced as a result.
- Try taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, getting a massage, having a warm bath, stretching periodically, getting enough sleep, and getting a massage if your pain isn’t coming from arthritis.
Medically:
The source of the discomfort will determine your available therapy options. To check for infections, gout, or other potential reasons of your joint discomfort, your doctor may occasionally need to drain fluid that has accumulated in the joint area. They may also advise replacing the joint surgically.
A change in lifestyle or medicine that may put your RA into remission are two more nonsurgical treatment options. Your doctor will start by treating inflammation if you have RA. Following RA remission, your doctor’s care will be centred on managing your illness closely to prevent flare-ups.
Preventive health assessments
Normal wear and tear can cause injury, which can lead to joint pain. On the other hand, it might also indicate an infection or possibly crippling RA.
If you experience any inexplicable joint discomfort, especially if it persists after a few days, you should consult your doctor. The underlying cause of your discomfort may be effectively treated with early detection and diagnosis.
We are committed to providing the most comprehensive health assessment possible using our extensive medical skills and the best imaging technologies available in the UK.
Our Platinum Assessment is one of the most comprehensive out there. It can detect up to 92% and 95% of the causes of early death in men and women, respectively, using the most advanced imaging technologies. We also have more details about why having a health check over the age of 40 is important too.
We believe that only by using the correct imaging technology for the correct body part you will be able to get the best results, as such we utilise CT, MRI and ultrasound scans where appropriate to get the most detailed images and results about your health. The following components make up our Platinum assessment:
- Blood Tests
- ECG
- CT Aorta
- CT Heart
- CT Coronary Angiogram
- CT Chest
- CT Abdomen
- CT Pelvis
- CT Virtual Colonoscopy
- CT Bone Density
- MRI Brain
- MRI Cerebral Artery Angiogram
- MRI Carotid Artery Angiogram
- MRI Prostate
- Ultrasound Thyroid
- Ultrasound Testes/Ovaries
- Digital Mammogram
- Full Body Mole Screen
If you would like to find out more about Echelon Health and the assessments we provide, do not hesitate to contact us! Our team would be delighted to help.
