Joint Pain
Alternate Names : Arthralgia, Pain in the Joints
Joint pain is a common symptom with many possible causes.
What is going on in the body?
A joint is the place where two bones come together. For example, the knee joint
is the place where the thigh bone and shin bone meet. Most people have one or
more sore joints at some point in their lives. The joints of the arms and legs
are most commonly affected.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
There are many possible causes of joint pain. The causes can be divided into
categories:
wear-and-tear, such as from overuse, injury, or
osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of
arthritis, or joint inflammation.
conditions that affect metabolism, such as gout and pseudogout.
These conditions result from materials being deposited into the joints.
infections of the joint, sometimes called septic arthritis.
Infections usually spread to the joint from other areas of the body. Gonorrhea and
syphilis, two sexually transmitted diseases, can
cause joint pain. Lyme disease, an infection that results from a tick bite,
and other infections can also cause arthritis.
autoimmune disorders, in which a person's body produces antibodies
against its own tissues. These disorders include rheumatoid
arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
reactive arthritis, which means joint pain and inflammation caused by
infections in other areas of the body. This type of joint pain can result from
infectious diarrhea or the sexually
transmitted disease
chlamydia.
bone diseases, such as Paget's disease, which causes
inflamed bones and bone tumors or cancer near joints.
medications, such as penicillin or procainamide
diseases, such as the flu
Other causes are also possible. In some cases, no cause can be found.
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