What are the Most Common Reasons for Joint Pain?

The most common reasons for joint pain are arthritis, joint injury, and bursitis. There are more than 100 different kinds of arthritis, and these conditions are the most common reasons for joint pain. Joint pain can also be caused by injuries to the joint when a person sprains, dislocates, or breaks a bone in the body. Lastly, bursitis is a condition caused by repetitive movement of a body part or traumatic injury, usually leading to joint pain and stiffness. In many cases of disease, treating joint pain is a matter of managing the pain and keeping the disease from worsening, because there is no cure.

Joint pain is usually the primary complaint from people who are suffering from a form of arthritis. Arthritis tends to cause joint pain by inflaming the area around the joint and damaging the joint over time. Some of the most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which affect the body in different ways. Osteoarthritis, which cannot be cured, is basically acquired through normal wear and tear of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis, which also cannot be cured, is a disorder in which the immune system attacks the body, eventually deforming limbs when not treated.

Fortunately, the reasons for joint pain are not limited to incurable diseases with the capability of causing severe pain and deformities. The pain may be caused by an injury, such as a broken arm, sprained ankle, or dislocated shoulder. When a person breaks a bone, fractures a wrist, or sprains an ankle, the joints in that area are likely to become damaged too. Dislocations happen when the joint pops out of its proper location, though this is not exactly a joint injury because it is usually immediately fixable by popping it back in. In all cases of suspected joint injury or dislocation, a doctor should be sought to evaluate the injury and pop the joint back in, if necessary.

A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac that cushions the muscles of a joint, and it normally slides across bones with ease. Due to traumatic injury or repetitive movement combined with excessive pressure, these sacs can become inflamed and make movement painful. When this happens, the joints feel painful and stiff, and the person affected may experience burning sensations in the area around the joints. The possible reasons for joint pain also include infection, because sometimes the bursae become infected and must be treated with antibiotics. In worst-case scenarios, surgery may be necessary to relieve pain by removing the sacs entirely and letting them grow back.