Joint pain causes are many and varied, and choosing the right remedy for your joint pain means first discovering the exact cause.
First, we are not doctors, so, for our purposes here, we will not attempt to discuss joint pain causes that are the result of a serious medical condition, although you need to be aware of these causes. These would include, but not be limited to, bone cancer (and other advanced cancers that have spread to your bones), lupus, lyme disease, and broken bones. Any of these conditions will require the diagnosis of, and treatment from, a medical professional.
We can, however, discuss some of the less serious (medically speaking), and more common joint pain causes. Of course, “less serious” doesn’t mean less painful. If you have taken the time to search out this article then you must be suffering some discomfort. So, let’s get to it…
• Sprains are among the most common causes of joint pain. A sprain is the result of over-stretching or tearing of ligaments, the fibrous tissue that connects your bones together at the joints.
Sprains can range in severity from mild to severe, but, at all levels, will cause rapid swelling and pain. As you may guess, swelling and pain increase with the severity of the strain. In extreme cases, the sprain my be mistaken for a broken bone, and you may require a medical professional to tell the difference.
For mild to moderate sprains, apply an ice pack as soon as possible after the injury. This will help to reduce inflammation and swelling. To aid in healing, the joint should be immobilized with an ace bandage or other wrapping until the swelling subsides. For pain, over-the-counter pain relievers (ibuprofen, naproxin sodium, etc.) is recommended. Ibuprofen is suggested because it is also a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.
• Gout appears high on our list of joint pain causes. It’s a form of arthritis that is known to produce sudden, and often severe, attacks of redness, swelling, and pain in your joint. It occurs when urate crystals accumulate around your joint. This is what causes the redness, swelling, and pain. The crystals form because of improper levels of uric acid in your blood.
If you experience an attack of gout, elevate the affected joint, if possible, and treat the pain with ibuprofen (best) or naproxin sodium. Do not use aspirin as it may abruptly change uric acid levels and make your symptoms worse. It is also important to rest the joint for 24 hours after the attack subsides.
• Osteomalacia, or rickets, is the softening of your bones. This is not the same as osteoporosis, which is the actual loss of bone mass, and would require medical treatment.
This cause of joint pain is normally diagnosed by a doctor, but, is normally caused by a vitamin D deficiency and is treated with vitamin D and calcium supplements. It is important that your doctor look for possible medical conditions that are causing the deficiency and correct those causes, if any are found.
And, of course, no discussion of joint pain would be complete without at least a mention of the King of all joint pain causes…arthritis. Unfortunately, an in-depth discussion of this disease is impossible in this short venue, as “arthritis” is a catch-all word that includes a number of different diseases (Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc). A proper diagnosis for the exact type of arthritis that ails you will require the services of a Doctor.
Need More Info? Search Google...
