Bone and Joint Pain

Bone and joint disorders involve a group of conditions that cause damage to the joints of the body. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in people older than fifty-five years; however, there are many different forms of joint pain that cause debilitation in people of all ages.

The most common form of joint pain is caused by osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease), which is a result of trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, or age. Emerging evidence suggests that abnormal anatomy might contribute to the early development of osteoarthritis. Other arthritis forms are rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, which are autoimmune diseases where the body attacks itself. Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection. Gouty arthritis is caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint, causing inflammation. There is also an uncommon form of gout caused by the formation of rhomboid crystals of calcium pyrophosphate. This gout is known as pseudogout.

History and Physical Examination

Pain patterns may differ depending on the type of joint pain and the location of the pain. Rheumatoid arthritis is generally worse in the morning and is associated with stiffness; in the early stages, patients often have no symptoms following a morning shower. In the aged and children, pain might not be the main feature; the aged patient simply moves less, the infantile patient refuses to use the affected limb.

Elements of the history of the disorder guide diagnosis. Important features that help determine the type of joint pain, include time of onset, pattern of joint involvement, symmetry of symptoms, early morning stiffness, tenderness, gelling or locking with inactivity, aggravating and relieving factors, and other systemic symptoms. Physical examination may confirm the diagnosis, or may indicate systemic disease. Radiographs are often used to follow progression or assess severity in a more quantitative manner.

Types of Joint Pain

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Septic Arthritis
• Gout and Pseudogout
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
• Still's Disease
• Ankylosing Spondylitis

Secondary to Other Diseases:

Lupus erythematosus, Henoch-Sch nlein purpura, Psoriatic arthritis, Reactive arthritis, Haemochromatosis, Hepatitis, Wegener's granulomatosis (and many other vasculitis syndromes), Lyme disease, Familial Mediterranean fever, Hyperimmunoglobulinemia D with recurrent fever, TNF receptor associated periodic syndrome, Inflammatory bowel disease (Including Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis)

Diseases That Mimic Arthritis

• Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy
• Multiple Myeloma
• Osteoporosis
• Fifth disease

Treatments

Treatment options vary depending on the type of joint pain and include physical and occupational therapy, lifestyle changes (including exercise and weight control), medications and dietary supplements (symptomatic or targeted at the disease process causing the pain). Arthroplasty (joint replacement surgery) may be required in eroding forms.

In general, studies have shown that physical exercising of the affected joint can have noticeable improvement in terms of long-term pain relief. Furthermore, exercising of the joint is encouraged to maintain the health of the particular joint and the overall body of the person.

Another form of non-drug treatment that does have a body of proper research to support its efficacy is marine oil, from both fish and the New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus). Diets high in marine oils from cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna have been shown to reduce inflammation and joint pain. Massage on joints with neem oil has reported improvement in chronic and acute cases.

The only way to resolve bone and joint disorders is to first determine what the actual problem is. Diagnosing this type of problem takes a full evaluation by an alternative health practitioner.