How to Get Relief from Painful Joints: 10 Causes & Symptoms

July 09, 2024

How to Get Relief from Painful Joints: 10 Causes & Symptoms

Are you facing challenges to complete your everyday tasks for painful joints? This pain can make it hard to move around and enjoy your life. So it is important to find out the reasons behind your knee, hip, or shoulder pain and get relief.

It is very tough to identify the exact causes of joint pain. There are many reasons, such as tendinitis, bursitis, gout, rash, fever, and arthritis. Also, there are more than 100 types of arthritis (1) .

Don't worry, In this blog, you will find causes, symptoms, and ways to get relief from joint pain. Also, we will share our experience with home remedies and when to seek a doctor. So without further delay, let's explore what you can do to get pain-free and healthy joints.

What are Painful Joints?

Painful joints are soreness, dull aches, stabbing sensations, or discomforts in the body's joints. This uncomfortable pain can be the result of illness or injury or even everyday wear and tear. Moreover, arthritis is one of the common causes of joint pain.

Joints help us to move and bend our body by connecting two or more joints. When joints get injured or hurt, it becomes hard to do everyday tasks. Painful joints might also swell, feel stiff, and turn red. Early diagnosis can reduce joint health problems and help you to have healthy joints.

10 Common Causes of Joint Pain

There are many possible causes for your painful joints. If you can identify the reason behind the pain, it will be easier to get relief from the pain. Here are the 10 most common reasons behind your painful joints:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. The flexible connective tissue called cartilage can decay over time. If so, this can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in your joints (2) .

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

RA is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the lining of your joints. You might have symptoms like pain, stiffness, swelling, and redness in your joints for this (3) . RA can also affect other sensitive parts of your body, such as your heart, lungs, and eyes.

Sprains and Strains

Sprains are ligament injuries, Ligaments are tough tissues that connect bones at a joint. Another one is strains, which mean injuries to muscles or tendons (4) . Muscles, or tendons, are tissues that connect muscle to bone. You may have a painful joint because of your sprains and strains.

Bursitis

Bursitis (bur-SY-tis) is inflammation of the bursa. Do you know what a bursa is? Bursae (bur-SEE) are fluid-filled sacs that are like gliding surfaces or cushions near joints (5) . These help to reduce friction between bones, tendons, and muscles. So bursitis can cause pain, swelling, and tenderness in the affected area.

Viral Infections

There are a few viruses, such as influenza (flu), hepatitis, and rubella, that can cause painful joints. Generally, these types of pain go away once the infection clears up.

Tendinitis

The tendons are tissues that connect muscle to bone. Tendinitis is the inflammation of a tendon. It occurs when your daily activities overuse any particular muscle or tendon. You might have tendinitis in the elbow, shoulders, arms, foot, or knee joints .

Gout

Gout is another type of arthritis that is often seen in the big toe. Because it builds up uric acid crystals in the joints, it can happen quickly and painfully. You may need to seek a doctor to get relief from these painful joints in your toes. 

Psoriatic Arthritis

Do you have red skin with silvery-white scales that itch or burn on the knees, elbows, scalp, palms, trunk, and soles of the feet? These are symptoms of psoriasis, a type of arthritis called psoriatic (6) . It can also affect the nails and be a reason for your painful joints.

Fibromyalgia

If you have joint pain without any swelling or redness, then it might be fibromyalgia. This is a condition of the patient with widespread muscle pain and tenderness. Also, they may have sleep problems, mood problems, and fatigue. So, when you have these symptoms along with your joint pain, it might cause fibromyalgia.

Lupus

Lupus is a condition of your body where the immune system attacks your organs and tissues. It can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, and redness in the joints. Lupus can also cause fatigue, fever, skin problems, and painful joints (7) .

An Infographic Image of Causes of Joint Pain

10 Symptoms of Painful Joints

There are many symptoms of joint pain like persistent aching, swelling, stiffness, and redness around the affected area (8) . You may also experience loss of motion, and face challenges to do your daily tasks. Let's have a look at the list of symptoms of painful joints (9) .

Stiffness  

Do you struggle to bend your legs, hands, or other joints in the morning or after periods of inactivity? This is the most common sign of joint pain, it might happen for Lupus or other reasons.

Swelling

Swelling is also one of the most common signs of joint pain. Pregnant women and patients with Blood clots or liver often get into these symptoms.

Tenderness

When you have any affected or sensitive joints in your body, then you may feel pain while touching (10) . This sensitivity often indicates inflammation or underlying conditions like arthritis

Loss of Motion

Loss of motion can restrict normal movement and make it difficult to bend your joints. Often this symptom happens due to swelling, injuries, arthritis, stiffness, or pain. 

Warmth

If you feel warmth in a joint that means there is inflammation or infection. This symptom can be the result of swelling, redness, arthritis, or bursitis. 

Redness

Sometimes you may see inflamed skin or redness around the joint, which can be a symptom of joint pain.

Weakness

You may feel a weakness in the muscles around joints while you're running, cycling, or even walking. This weakness for a minimum workout can be a symptom of joint pain.

Cracking or Popping Sounds

Can you hear cracking sounds when you bend or move your joints of the body? Be careful, because this can be a symptom of your joint pain.

Rash in Joints

If you have a rash on your joint skin, it will affect your joint movement. So you will feel pain in your joints from the joint rash you have.

Fatigue

Do you feel tired and haven't enough energy and attention to your work? Often this problem starts from the lack of sleep and can lead to joint pain (11) .

An Infographic Image of Symptoms of Painful Joints

Diagnosis of Joint Pain

Ouch! Are you feeling pain in your joints? However, finding the exact disease behind the painful joints in feet, knees, fingers, and other joints isn't easy. A registered doctor uses several steps to diagnose the problem.

First, the doctor will ask you several questions like where it hurts, how bad the pain is, and how long it’s lasted. Also, they can ask if you’ve had any injuries or illnesses to narrow down finding the root cause of the pain.

Then, the doctor will physically examine your joint(s) to check for swelling, redness, and movements. Also, they might suggest further tests like blood tests, X-rays, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, etc (12) .

Now you have an idea about the diagnosis of joint pain. A doctor uses several steps, such as asking questions, examining you, and doing physical tests. Doctors can diagnose joint pain by following these processes.

How to Get Relief from Painful Joints

It is very difficult to live with your painful joints, and it impacts your daily life activities. You might need help from an authorized doctor. However, a few home remedies and best practices can reduce the pain in your joints.

Home Remedies (Heat or Ice Packs)

Heat or ice packs can provide immediate comfort by reducing your joint pain (13) . Also, you can soak the affected joints in a warm bath with Epsom salts to relax your muscles. Though this is a temporary solution, it works to reduce the pain.

Exercise & Movements

We all know that exercise is very helpful for a healthy life. There are many exercises for improving joint flexibility and muscle strength. Low-impact activities like walking, swimming, or yoga can be very effective. But remember that high-energy consuming exercise can increase your pain.

Maintain an Ideal Lifestyle

Food or eating habit directly impacts our health. So you may get relief from joint pain by maintaining an ideal lifestyle. Consider incorporating anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, and fish into your diet (14) .

Moreover, you can consider the Karkuma Joint Guard to improve your joint health and get relief from this pain. Besides the eating habits, you should ensure enough sleep for your body.

Seek a Doctor

Remember that we have provided all the information in this blog as just general recommendations. You will get a proper solution in the meeting with an experienced doctor. Your doctor may suggest prescription medications or injections like cortisone shots (14 ). 

In a few cases, surgery can be the only option to get relief from the pain. Overall, it is always better to get an early diagnosis and get treatment from a doctor. 

Final Thoughts

So, you are now at the end of the blog, and we believe this has helped you. Here we have discussed the causes of joint pain, symptoms, diagnosis, and more. Also, you have home remedies and how to get relief from painful joints.

Joint pain is a common problem for many people, but most of them take it lightly. You should pay attention to your pain because it can disrupt your daily work. However, you can reduce joint pain by using an ice pack or heat soaking and exercise.

Additionally, you can add anti-inflammatory foods to your diet to reduce the pain. Remember, getting medical help is always better before leading to a serious disease. Finally, we are ending up wishing you good health for your joint.

FAQs

What is the Most Common Joint Pain?

Osteoarthritis (type of Arthritis) is the most common type of joint pain (source) . It happens when the cartilage (strong and flexible connective tissue) breaks down over time. Stiffness, swelling, and pain are common symptoms of this type of joint pain.

What Causes Painful Joints?

Arthritis like osteoarthritis, RA, injuries, infections, bursitis, tendinitis, and more things can cause painful joints. Also, lupus, fibromyalgia, and even some medications can cause joint pain.

What Foods Strengthen Joints?

No food directly strengthens joints, but you can eat anti-inflammation foods. Because anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, fatty fish, nuts and seeds, and vegetables can reduce your pain.

What are the Worst 5 Foods for Joint Pain?

You have to avoid inflammatory foods to get relief from joint pain. Here are 5 foods that you should avoid for your pain.

  • Red meat and processed meats.
  • Refined carbohydrates like sugary drinks, white bread, and pastries.
  • Candy, desserts, and processed foods can contribute to inflammation.
  • Fried foods are often high in unhealthy fats, that promote inflammation.
  • Dairy products contain casein protein that increases inflammation in the joint.

Remember that there can be many inflammatory foods without these five in your diet. So we suggest consulting a doctor for personalized advice. 

References:

  • https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17752-joint-pain
  • https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoarthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351925
  • https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/types/rheumatoid-arthritis.html
  • https://www.healthline.com/health/sprain-vs-strain
  • https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bursitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20353242
  • https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/psoriasis
  • https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lupus/symptoms-causes/syc-20365789
  • https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17752-joint-pain
  • https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/joint-pain#symptoms
  • https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/732291/all/tenderness
  • https://www.healthline.com/health/fatigue#causes
  • https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350777
  • https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/29108
  • https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323164#breakfast-recipes
  • https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/cortisone-shots-steroid-injections

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