Joint pain and swelling are the most common symptoms experienced by people worldwide. While it is mostly associated with old age, it can happen to even young and healthy people too.
Joints play a vital role in the skeletal system, they are junctions where muscles, nerves, and the skeletal system combine to enable human movements. Any problems with these joints can be painful and debilitating for the patients, bringing down their quality of life significantly. Everyone is bound to experience joint pain at least once in their lifetimes, and the best thing anyone can do is to improve their awareness of this condition and seek consultation as soon as possible.
With inputs from the best joint replacement surgeon in Mumbai, Dr. Chirag Patel, we have decided to identify the most common causes of joint pain, to improve awareness about these conditions. If you ever happen to experience joint pain, below are the four conditions that could be the causes. (Please note that we have exempted sports and trauma-related joint pains in this blog.):
4 Most Common Causes of Joint Pain
Osteoarthritis:
Osteoarthritis is the world’s most common cause of joint pain caused due to the degeneration of the cartilage-like tissues in the joints. It is characterized by joint pain and stiffness all over the body, swelling, loss of mobility, and chronic pain are often the symptoms of chronic pain. Because it is caused by age-related damage, there is no cure but only management and treatment for osteoarthritis. In severe cases, joint replacement can be performed to get rid of these symptoms, increase the mileage of the joints, and improve the patient’s condition.
Gout:
Gout is a type of arthritis caused by the accumulation of uric acid, which is usually excreted by the kidneys. In cases of Gout, uric acid accumulates, leading to uric acid crystals in the joints, which cause sharp and intense pain even for the slightest of movements. Gout often occurs in the big toe but can also affect the ankles, knees, wrists, and fingers. Gout reduces mobility, causes swollen joints, and limits the range of motion.
“Gout is more associated with lifestyle factors like diet and alcohol consumption, and surprisingly, women are more prone to Gout than men,” says the famous orthopaedic doctor in Mumbai, Chirag Patel.
Osteoporosis:
Serious conditions like arthritis and Gout need not be the only cause of joint pain. “As we age, the density of our bones slowly decreases, reducing the quality of our bone. In conditions such as osteoporosis, this happens at an alarmingly fast rate, leading to weak and thin bones that are susceptible to fracture,” says orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Chirag Patel. While osteoporosis may not directly cause joint pain, it can indirectly trigger joint pain by increasing the chance of fractures, putting excess stress on joints, changing posture, and causing uneven muscle strains.
Autoimmune Conditions:
When our immune system identifies some aspects of the body as foreign objects, it launches an immune attack to destroy them. In autoimmune conditions, the body mistakenly identifies healthy joints and tissues as foreign objects and begins to attack them, causing pain, inflammation, and swelling. In the long run, they can also lead to cartilage and bone damage, further exacerbating the pain. Autoimmune conditions can quickly spread to other parts of the body, causing systemic effects and leading to joint pain all over the body.
Rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome are some of the autoimmune conditions that can lead to joint pain and inflammation all over the body.
While there are many causes of joint pain and stiffness all over the body, the above four are the most common causes that impact most of our patients at our treatment facility in Mumbai. While all these conditions can cause serious complications, getting treated by a qualified orthopaedic surgeon gives a greater chance of managing and improving the overall situation quickly.
If you are in Mumbai and experiencing joint pain, an orthopaedic specialist and knee replacement surgeon in Mumbai, Dr. Chirag Patel, specializes in treating all types of joint pain caused by any medical condition or trauma for all age groups. You can contact him.