JOINT PAIN NHS Xxxxxxxxxxxxpubhtml5

NHS Choices uses cookies to improve your on-site experience. Find out more about cookiesDesktop siteMENU Enter a search term SearchJoint painIntroductionJoint pain is a very common problem with many possible causes - but it's usually a result of injury or arthritis.The information and advice on this page should not be used to self-diagnose your condition, but it should give you a better ideaof what is causing your pain and what you should do.It covers: pain in just one joint pain in many jointsPain in just one jointOf all the joints, the knee joint is probably the most frequently damaged and the most susceptible to pain. But knee pain isn'talways a joint problem. Learn about the most common causes of knee pain and what you should do.The most common and more unusual causes of pain in a single joint are described below.Worsening of osteoarthritisIn older people, joint pain that gets steadily worse is usually a sign ofosteoarthritis, which is the most common type of arthritis inthe UK. It may affect just one joint, or many. Read more about the symptoms of osteoarthritis.Osteoarthritis causes pain and stiffness because it damages the protective surface of the bones and cause mild swelling of thetissues in and around the joint.It can sometimes affect younger people, especially those who are overweight or those who have had serious injuries to the jointin the past.You should see your GP if you think this is the cause of your joint pain.Inflammation of the joint liningIf you've injured the joint recently and it suddenly becomes painful again, the cause could be inflammation of the thin layer oftissue lining the joints and tendons - a condition called traumatic synovitis. It usually does not to cause any redness or heat.You should be able to manage injury-related swelling at home withanti-inflammatories, an icepack and rest.Gout or pseudogoutIf the skin over the joint is hot and red, and the pain comes in repeated attacks, the cause is likely to begout or pseudogout,which are types of arthritis.Gout is caused by a build-up of uric acid (a waste product) in the body. Uric acid builds up if the kidneys do not excrete itproperly or if too much is produced.If the level becomes very high, crystals form in the joints. The crystals cause the joints to become inflamed and severely painful.You will barely be able to move the joint and may have a slight fever.Gout usually affects the joint of the big toe first, before affecting other joints. It's important to correctly diagnose gout, astreatment will prevent future attacks of joint pain and disability.Pseudogout is a similar condition to gout, in that crystals of calcium are deposited in and around the joint. However, unlike gout,pseudogout can affect the knee joint first.You should see your GP if you think you have either condition.

Damage to the cartilage at the back of the kneecapKnee pain that feels worse when going up or down stairs could be a sign of a damaged kneecap– a conditioncalled chondromalacia patellae. This shouldn't cause any redness or heat around the knee.The cause is not really understood, but it can be linked to overuse of the knee.You can treat this problem yourself with anti-inflammatories, an icepack and rest.Bleeding into the joint spaceIf you have recently had an injury to the knee joint, such as a torn ligament or knee fracture, it may cause bleeding into the jointspaces. This is known as haemarthrosis.This is more likely to happen to people on anticoagulants, such as warfarin.Signs of haemarthrosis are swelling of the knee, warmth, stiffness and bruising, which occur soon after the injury.You should go to hospital immediately for treatment if you have a very swollen knee.Less common causesSudden pain in a joint is less commonly caused by: a fracture (read about a broken arm or wrist, broken leg, broken ankle or hip fracture) reactive arthritis – which usually develops after an infection and tends to affect young adults psoriatic arthritis – a type of arthritis that affects up to one in five people with psoriasis rheumatoid arthritis – which can start in just one joint, with the pain coming and going Osgood-Schlatter's disease (swelling and tenderness over the bony bump just below the kneecap)Rarely, the cause may be: septic arthritis – a serious condition that causes a painful, hot, swollen joint that you won't be able to move (sometimes with fever) – see your GP urgently or go to A&E haemophilia – an inherited condition that affects the blood's ability to clot a tropical infection cancer crumbling of the bone (avascular necrosis) – caused by a lack of blood supply Repeated dislocation of the jointPain in many jointsOsteoarthritisIn older people, the commonest cause of joint pain isosteoarthritis. This may affect just one joint, or many.Many people also have rheumatoid arthritis at the same time.Read about the symptoms of osteoarthritis.Rheumatoid arthritisRheumatoid arthritis is another type of arthritis that causes pain and swelling in the joints– most commonly the hands, feet andwrists.The pain may come and go in the early phases, with long periods between attacks.It can leave you feeling generally unwell and tired. Read more about thesymptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.Psoriatic arthritisPsoriatic arthritis affects up to one in five people withpsoriasis. This type of arthritis is unpredictable, but flare-ups can be usuallybe managed with treatment.Like other types of arthritis, it means that one or more of your joints are inflamed and become swollen, stiff, painful and difficult tomove.A viral infection that causes arthritisExamples are viral hepatitis (liver inflammation caused by a virus) and rubella (a viral infection that used to be common in

children), which can both cause pain in the joints and symptoms of a fever.The links will take you to more information on these conditions.A disease of the connective tissueWidespread joint pain is sometimes a sign of a disease that affects almost all the organs of the body, such as: lupus – where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, tissue and organs scleroderma – where the immune system attacks connective tissue underneath the skin, causing hard, thickened areas of skinLess common causesWidespread joint pain can less commonly be caused by: a rarer type of arthritis – such as anklyosing spondylitis, juvenile arthritis or reactive arthritis Behçet’s syndrome – a rare and poorly understood condition that causes inflammation of the blood vessels Henoch-Schönlein purpura – a rare condition, usually seen in children, that causes blood vessels to become inflamed cancer some treatments – including steroid therapy, isoniazid and hydralazine hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy – a rare disorder that causes clubbing of the fingers, seen in people with lung cancer sarcoidosis – a rare condition that causes small patches of tissue to develop in the organsThe above links will take you to more information on these conditions.The knee joint is particularly vulnerable to damage and pain because it takes the full weight of your bodyPage last reviewed: 21/05/2014Next review due: 21/05/2016 Show other content ► Share: Leave your comment Log in or Register Share your views and experiences with others. If you want a response from an NHS professional or the website team, pleasecontact us. Comments (1) ►NHS Choices information

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