Severe Joint Pain Causes

Severe joint pain can limit your ability to engage in physical activities, perform simple functions like opening a jar or tying shoestrings. If not properly treated, the illness can begin to impact your emotional well being as well. The Arthritis Foundation reports that more than 27 million American adults and approximately 300,000 children live with joint pain. The causes of severe joint pain differ from person to person but generally fall into several categories.

Symptoms

Just as there are multiple causes for severe joint pain, there are also a variety of symptoms that manifest with the condition such as tiredness, diminished appetite and muscle stiffness during certain times of the day or during cold or wet weather. When conditions exist that cause severe joint pain, also referred to as a flare-up, the joints can become tender, sensitive, red, swollen and extremely painful.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a severe joint pain disease that causes the joints to swell or inflame. Once the disease has been triggered it begins to attack the immune system and the body's tissues and joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can attack and damage the lungs and eyes as well. Scientists and physicians continue to search for what causes rheumatoid arthritis. However, it is suspected that bacteria, viruses and other infectious chemicals and stimuli play a role in the creation of the disease. Other indicators point toward genetics as a cause for the disease.

Swelling of the Joints

The build up of fluid or uric acid in soft tissue that encircles the joint is another reason that joints swell. Athletes, people genetically disposed to arthritis and people who have trauma to their joints, may experience this condition. One of the treatments used to relieve the pain is to have the fluid build up drained from the joint. Chronic conditions like gouty arthritis, Ludwig's angina, Reiter's syndrome or Hermarthrosis are other causes for joint inflammation. If left untreated, the condition can lead to other joint related diseases like Pseudo Gout.

Pseudo Gout

Pseudo Gout is caused by Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate (CPPD) disease. The disease begins after calcium deposits collect in the joints and tissue. Left untreated the condition can not only cause severe joint pain, it can also break down and weaken joint cartilage which can make it painful and structurally difficult to place significant amounts of weight on a joint through activities such as walking or running.

Avascular Necrosis

When bones and joints do not receive enough blood, Avascular Necrosis can set in. The disease is generally triggered by an injury that dislocates the joint. The use of steroids as well as genetic blood related disorders or alcoholism can also initiate the start of the severe joint pain causing disease. As pressure is applied to the impacted joint, blood vessels around the joint narrow and send decreased amounts of blood to the cells which exacerbates the condition and triggers painful flare-ups.

Lupus

The Lupus Foundation of America reports that Lupus impacts the muscular skeletal system. The disease causes severe joint pain when muscle groups become inflamed, a condition referred to as myositis. The Foundation notes that approximately 90 percent of the people who have lupus experience joint or muscle pain. Lupus arthritis can cause stiffness, swelling and a warm sensation in the joints. Stiffness or ache is typically experienced in the morning but can flare-up later in the day as well. The disease generally causes pain in the upper and lower joints such as the wrists, fingers, knees, ankles and toes.

Obesity

Carrying excessive weight places a strain on the joints particularly the knees, hips and back. Prolonged obesity can cause osteoarthritis, a common joint disorder that can also impact the hands and neck. Chronic joint strain can lead to cartilage break down. According to the John Hopkins Arthritis Center, carrying only ten extra pounds above your recommended body weight can increase the force you place on your knee by as much as 30 to 60 pounds each time you take a step forward when you walk or run. Women who are overweight increase their chances of contracting knee joint pain four times over women who maintain a healthy body weight. Men who are overweight increase their chances of contracting knee joint pain by as much as five times over men who maintain a healthy body weight.