There are a lot of reasons as to why someone may have joint pain, and there are a lot of body parts that can be affected by it. These include the tendons, the bursae, and the ligaments. It is also possible that the joint's bones, cartilage, or ligaments were affected by some injury. Furthermore, this type of pain can be related to inflammation, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, or it can be caused by an infection. In very rare cases, joint pain symptoms and signs can even point to cancer. Last but not least, joint pain can be caused by sexually transmitted diseases, in particular gonorrhea and chlamydia. This kind of pain can affect any joint, including the knee, ankle, shoulder, and wrist. It is medically termed as "arthralgia".
Understanding the Various Joint Pain Symptoms and Signs:
Because there are so many potential causes and body parts involved, the list of joint pain symptoms and signs is also nearly endless. That being said, there are some commonalities across all forms of this type of pain. These include:
– Redness
– Swelling
– Tenderness
– Warmth
– Locking of the joint
– Limping
– Loss of range of motion in the affected area
– Weakness
– Stiffness
Joint Stiffness:
When the joint is stiff, it is difficult to move it, and the range of movement is also reduced. This often comes together with pain and/or swelling in the affected area. Depending on what has caused it, there may also be redness, warmth, tenderness, numbness (sometimes beyond the joint), and tingling. The causes of joint stiffness are vast and include disease or injury. It is also very common in all arthritic conditions. In some cases, there can be inflammation or injury to an area near the joint, including the bursae. This pain can make it more difficult to move the joint, which means it can be perceived as stiffness of the joint, but is actually bursitis.
Joint Swelling:
When the join is swollen, it is enlarged. This is often due to inflammation or injury to the joint, or to its surrounding tissues. Other symptoms often accompany this, including pain, stiffness, warmth, redness, and a loss of range of movement. Depending on the cause of the swelling, it can happen in a single joint or in multiple joints at the same time. Swollen joints are often caused by various arthritic conditions.
Joint Redness:
When there is redness to the joint, it is the skin that is affected. Often, people also experience swelling of the joints, warmth, joint stiffness, a limited range of movement, and/or joint pain. It is common for people with active arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, to develop joint redness. That said, it can also be caused by an injury, either to the joint or to its surrounding structures. Depending on what the cause of the redness is, it can be found in a single joint or in multiple joints. All forms of arthritis can cause joint redness, but they can also be indicative of a tumor to the synovium (joint lining), or the bone, although this is very rare.