Pathophysiology of Joint Pain

The pathophysiology of a disease involves examining the physical, biochemical and mechanical changes that have occurred as the result of disease or syndrome.

Pathologic Processes

Examples of pathologic processes that may be contributing to joint pain, coexisting with other pain sources, include cartilage destruction and the deposition of crystals in the joints from osteoarthritis.

Features

Joint pain can be the result of referred pain from a distant site in your body or from structures that are adjacent to or within your joint. Pain can come from within the joint, which contains bone, ligaments, cartilage and other sources of pain.

Unremitting Pain

When an individual is suffering from chronic pain, this may be an indication of unremitting pathophysiology, which has been provoked by a nerve injury or inflammation, according to Medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com.

Chronic Versus Acute Pain

Chronic pain has no restorative or protective value whereas acute pain and transient pain can be beneficial. If you have touched a hot object you will immediately pull your hand away because the burn hurts your hand. This type of pain allows you to protect your body from further injury.

Identification

To determine the exact cause of joint pain, your doctor will consider all of the basic pathophysiologic types of joint disease to pinpoint which one may be causing your suffering. She will determine the cause through physical exams and patient history.

References

• Pain Balance: Pathophysiology
• Medical Dictionary: Joint Pain
• Emedicine.medscape: The Approach to the Painful Joint