Joints are the meeting points of our bones

The joints allow for a smooth movement of our fingers, wrists, shoulders, knees, hips and elbows.

Joint pain usually shows up as discomfort, aches, and soreness in any of the body’s joints.

Joint pains can be the result of illness or injury, however there are also other causes.

Osteoarthritis: the most common form of arthritis

Osteoarthritis progresses slowly and affects mainly the wrists, knees, hips and hands but can be found all throughout the body. It results from a breakdown of the cartilage that the body is using as a cushion to absorb the shocks from everyday activities.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

• Joint Pain: warmth, redness, tenderness, swelling
• Joint Stiffness: increased in the mornings or after being inactive
• Tenderness: Your joint might feel tender when you apply light pressure to or near it.
• Loss of flexibility: the joint no longer moves through its full range of motion.
• Grating sensation
• Bone spurs: Extra bits of bone, which feel like hard lumps, can form around the affected joint.
• Swelling

Rheumatoid Arthritis can deform and debilitate the joints

The 2nd most common form of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is more common among women than men. It attacks the membrane that lines the joints and causes pain, inflammation, and fluid buildup in the joints.

Symptoms of RA include:

• Joint Pain: warmth, redness, tenderness, swelling
• Joint Stiffness: increased in the mornings
• Fatigue throughout the body
• Fever
• Weight Loss
• Rheumatoid Nodules: small lumps of tissue felt under the skin
• Symmetrical Patterns of affected joints
• Most common joints: wrist, hand, fingers, cervical spine, shoulder, elbow, knee, hip, foot, and ankle
• Prolong symptoms
• Anemia
• Neck Pain
• Dry Eyes
• Dry Mouth

Other contributing causes for joint pain are: bruises or inflammation of the cushioning pads around the joints, lupus, gout, breakdown of cartilage, injuries, overuse of a joint, cancer and more.

Joint pain can be a result of damage that occurs due to regular use of our joint and growing age. But, it can also be a sign of an infection or RA.

The Self-perpetuating Cycle of Joint Pain

 

To improve your ability to move freely, reduce weight and reverse the self-perpetuating cycle of pain we use exercise rehabilitation.

If you’re suffering from joint pain, don’t wait for it to be too much to bear.