Common Joint Disorders
June 21, 2021
Are you noticing pain or stiffness in your joints? There may be a few reasons you’re experiencing pain. It’s important you don’t let these issues go untreated, as joints control a majority of your movements and they play an important role in your overall physicality. Left untreated, you may experience far worse problems than pain and stiffness. Joints are comprised of cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and other tissues that allow for mobility. There are a number of joint disorders that arise when the tissues begin to wear down.
Arthritis
Arthritis is an overarching term for joint paint and tenderness or joint inflammation. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, but among the most common are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. The body’s immune system attacks healthy cells. As a result, there is pain and inflammation in the affected joints. This comes with several unfortunate symptoms besides pain, including balance issues, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever, and deformities in the joints. Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, occurs when cartilage wears down between joints. When joints rub together, you’ll experience stiffness and pain. Osteoarthritis is sometimes called degenerative joint disease.
Bursitis
The joints are not simply comprised of tissues like cartilage and ligaments. There is also fluid to increase mobility. The bursa is a small sac that cushions the space between bones and parts of the body like muscles, skin, and joints. The small sac is filled with fluid. When an individual has bursitis, there is an increase in fluid. Bursitis is characterized by painful swelling. Several issues may lead to bursitis, including rheumatoid arthritis.
A few other common types of arthritis include gout, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and spondylitis. Lupus, an autoimmune condition, can trigger arthritis in the joints. If you notice pain in your joints, talk to your doctor right away to prevent further issues from developing.