What Are the Causes of Joint Pain Without Arthritis?

Arthritis is prolonged inflammation of the joints causing damage to the area over time and eventually bone damage. There are many different types of arthritis as there are non-arthritis related joint pains. Understanding that you do not have arthritis is the first step in identifying the type of joint pain you really have.

Types

There are over 600 types of causes related to joint pain without arthritis. The two most common factors are sports related injuries and infections of the body. Sports related injuries can be anything from twisting an ankle to falling on your shoulder. Infections can range from the common flu to syphilis.

Features

Swelling of the joints and feeling of tenderness are the most prominent characteristics of a joint pain. The cause, however, is dependent on either its caused by injury or by infection. When it is injured, a physical force must have caused a sudden impact on a specific area, or an over exertion of muscles which are attached to all joints. An infection involves viruses or bacteria traveling through either your circulatory system, skin, or open wounds, reaching to all parts of the body including joints. When they reach a joint, inflammation occurs in that area that causes pain.

Time Frame

Joint pain can be instantaneous, occurring frequently in sports injuries. Others can be gradual, such as the case of infections or moderate exercise such as walking or hiking. The body has the capacity to heal injuries and combat infections, so recovery time will depend on the type of injury sustained or sickness received, ranging from a full 24-hour period to 14 days. Joint pain can become be prolonged if the condition persists for more than 2 weeks.

Considerations

When you have a joint pain, ambulating the joint area will be limited. Do not overexert the joint or else you will aggravate the current condition, which could impede its healing process. Avoid lifting or doing any strenuous activity that will put pressure on the joint. Do not consume acidic foods such as eggs or beef because they make the surrounding joint acidic, which increases inflammation.

Prevention/Solution

Wear protective sports gear and braces when playing sports to prevent sport injuries leading to joint pain. For preventative measures regarding infection leading to joint pain, stretching exercises, especially yoga, give the best results, keeping your immune system at its peak. If you receive either a sports injury or sickness, both of which lead to joint pain, consult your doctor, who may prescribe medication to help with the pain.