Achy Joints

There exist hundreds of causes of achy joints. As two different bones are connected at the joints, a simple bone injury can lead to joint pain. Pain in joints is experienced by all the people sometime or the other in their lifetime. Joint pain can last for any time duration, depending upon the cause. The ligaments and tendons which provide stability to the joints, are also important parts of joints. Swelling or inflammation of the affected area, stiffness and muscle pain are the first symptoms of joint pain and sore muscles. Here is an overview of the main causes of joint pain.

Causes of Joint Pain

• Arthritis: Arthritis, a chronic disease that affects the function of discs and bones, is the main cause of achy joints. Arthritis damages body joints causing redness, swelling, heat, stiffness, and pain in the affected area. There are over hundred types of arthritis. Arthritis is more common in older people, but these days, it is also noticed in younger people. The inflammation of the lining of a joint leads to excruciating pain in the joint. Damaged joints cannot be completely cured, but there are various ways to relieve the pain.
• Bursitis: There are small sacks called bursae which contain synovial fluid, responsible for the smooth, frictionless gliding action of joints during any activity. Inflammation of these sacs is called bursitis. Excessive or repetitive pressure on a joint may lead to bursitis. Age plays an important role in bursitis.
• Wear and Tear: Playing various games like tennis, skiing, cricket etc., or activities like gardening, carpentry are responsible for the wear and tear of the tendons over the years. This results in reduced elasticity of joints. Damaged tendons cannot take much stress and become prone to tearing.
• Diseases: Various diseases leading to dysfunction of any of the body system lead to joint ache. Anemia, cancer or tumors, thyroid problems, fever during any illness, diabetes lead to achy joints, as most of the diseases result in weakness and muscle fatigue.
• Genetics: If you have a medical history of poor joint function, you should keep it in mind that you are likely to suffer from joint pain. You can prevent it by taking precautionary measures. You should consult your doctor to know simple joint pain remedies.
• Exercise: Strain or overexertion is one of the main causes of constant joint pain. A pulled or over strained muscle during exercise, wrong ways of weightlifting, fatigue due to excessive exercise, not following the warm-up routine, not performing stretching or cooling down exercises before and after the workouts can lead to pain in body joints.
• Lack of Exercise: If you follow a sedentary lifestyle, you should perform exercises regularly. A complete lack of exercise eventually leads to joint pain. All joints should be moved properly during the workouts as this helps them keep healthy and active.
• Lack of Balanced Diet: Lack of balanced diet will create deficiency of the essential nutrients and can lead to sore joints and fatigue.
• Dehydration: Nearly 70% of our body weight is the weight of the water present in our body. Lack of sufficient fluid in the body can result in health complications. Dehydration leads to severe pain in joints and fatigue too.
• Weight Gain: Excessive weight gain due to accumulation of fat or due to hormonal imbalance, can lead to achy joints.
• Stress: Along with physical stress, mental stress also plays an important role in determining the health of the joints. Stress causes hormone imbalance and affects the health of joints in the body.
• Specific Problems: Hormonal changes during pregnancy, fatigue during childbirth, extra weight during pregnancy, menstruation are the common causes of joint pain in women.
• Weight Loss: Excessive or quick weight loss while following fad diets may result in achy joints.
• Infections: Bacterial infections, fungal infections or viral infections can lead to pain in joints and muscles.
• Injuries: Bone or muscle injuries can cause pain in joints.
• Wrong Posture: Wrong posture of your body during daytime or even while sleeping can result in excessive pressure on joints, leading to pain and discomfort.

I hope, you found the article helpful. Now that you know achy joints causes, I am sure, you would take general precautionary measures to avoid debilitating joint pain. Since joints offer you the mobility, it is necessary to have healthy joints if you want to lead a healthy and active life.