Home > Health A to Z > Pain In The Joints: 8 Possible Causes & What To Do About Them

Pain In The Joints: 8 Possible Causes & What To Do About Them

Ms. Smitakshi Guha

5 Min Read

Every time you’re able to move freely without any issues—you have your joints to thank. They form an integral connection between your bones and support your movements. When any kind of damage happens to your joints as a result of some disease or injury, it can meddle with your movement and also cause a lot of pain.

In case you’re experiencing pain in the joints, here are 8 possible causes and what you should ideally be doing about them—

Gout

Gout is a very complex type of arthritis that can happen to anyone. The pain may come and go at times and the joint that pains usually swells up and feels extremely tender. The symptoms most often show up in the middle of the night wherein your big toe may get all red and you may experience sudden bouts of pain.

What to do: If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s essential that you take a full-body health check that includes tests like kidney function tests, complete blood count, as well as uric acid level test. This will help in identifying your risk of gout. Please remember, if left unattended, gout can worsen over time and cause further health complications.

pain in the joints gout feet mfine

Hypothyroidism

Most often people believe that only symptoms like weight loss/weight gain, hair fall, etc. are associated with thyroid disorders. That’s not true! Muscle stiffness, tenderness, and joint pain are other symptoms associated with a thyroid disorder, especially hypothyroidism.

What to do: If you’ve been experiencing a sudden change in your weight and pain in your joints, it’s advised that you take a thyroid test to know if you’re suffering from a thyroid disorder.

thyroid disorder pain in joints mfine

Osteoporosis

This one’s a bone disease wherein your body either loses too much bone or makes very little than required or both. It makes you extremely prone to fractures and you might not even know you have this condition until you’ve suffered a fracture. Joint ache is one of the primary symptoms associated with this condition.

What to do: It is essential to make sure your bones are fine and for that, you need to take tests like calcium test, vitamin D test, as well as a complete blood count. A timely diagnosis is key to the right treatment.

What is osteoporosis pain in the joints mfine

Rickets

This is a condition that occurs mostly in children. It’s associated with weakening of bones and is caused due to prolonged vitamin D deficiency and in some cases, some rare inherited diseases can also cause rickets. It results in delayed motor skills, muscle weakness, as well as pain in the pelvis, legs, and spine.

What to do: If any of these symptoms are noticed in the kids, tests like Vitamin D Test, Calcium Test, and Liver Function Test including alkaline phosphatase are a must for early diagnosis.

rickets in knee joint pain children mfine

Dengue

Some of the most common symptoms associated with dengue fever include high fever, chills, headaches, pain in the back of the eyes, as well as pain in the joints and legs.

What to do: In case you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, consulting a doctor online is the first thing to do followed by taking a dengue test that shows your platelet counts and other parameters that can help with the right diagnosis.

malaria dengue mosquito mfine

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disorder, which can affect more than just your joints. This type of arthritis affects the lining of your joints, causing painful inflammation, which can affect and damage other parts of the body, like, eyes, lungs, blood vessels, skin, as well as the heart. Early signs are mainly experienced in the smaller joints of your body, primarily in the joints that connect to your fingers, usually affecting both sides equally and more so in the morning hours. Gradually, the symptoms begin to spread to the knees, wrists, elbows, hips, as well as shoulders. Along with these symptoms, one may also experience loss of appetite, fatigue, warm and swollen joints in rheumatoid arthritis.

What to do: Speaking to an orthopedician is a must if you feel even the slightest of the symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Tests like RA Factor Test, Vitamin D Test, Calcium Test, CBC with ESR, and C-reactive protein can help with arriving at the right diagnosis.

rheumatoid arthritis mfine

Osteomyelitis

This is a condition wherein there’s inflammation in the bones, caused by an infection. It generally affects the legs, arms, or spine. The common symptoms include joint pain, fever, chills, inflammation of the joints and surrounding areas.

What to do: In case you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, speaking to an orthopedician first is a must followed by undergoing tests like CBC and c-reactive protein for a proper diagnosis.

Talk to a doctor mfine

Reactive arthritis

This condition refers to joint pain or swelling that is a result of an infection that has occurred in some other part of your body, like your intestines, genitals, or the urinary tract. Reactive arthritis usually affects the joints in your knees, ankles, and feet, however, it can also target your skin, eyes, and urethra.

brain tumour joint weakness mfine

What to do: Timely health checks are a must to stay one step ahead of any health issue that can knock your doorstep unannounced. A complete blood count and HLA B27 marker are important tests for the right diagnosis, in this case.

When it comes to health, surprises are never fun. So, if you experience any symptoms related to your joints or bones, you can consult India’s top orthopedicians online on MFine. Ab #HarGharMeinDoctor