Symptoms and Diagnosis

Symptoms

In some cases, your joint pain will require you to see a doctor. You should make an appointment if you dont know the cause of your joint pain and are experiencing other unexplained symptoms.

You should also see a doctor if:

• the area around the joint is swollen, red, tender, or warm to the touch
• the pain persists for three days or more
• you have a fever but no other signs of the flu

Go to the emergency room if any of the following occurs:

• You have experienced a serious injury
• The joint appears deformed
• Swelling of the joint occurs suddenly
• The joint is completely immobile
• You have severe joint pain

Diagnosis

Your doctor will probably perform a physical exam. They will also ask you a series of questions about your joint pain. This may help to narrow down the potential causes. A joint X-ray may be necessary to identify arthritis-related joint damage.

If your doctor suspects there is another cause, they may order a blood test to screen for certain autoimmune disorders. They may also request a sedimentation rate test to measure the level of inflammation in the body or a complete blood count.

Causes and Prevention

Knee pain 

The knee joint is probably the most frequently damaged joint and is particularly vulnerable as it takes the full weight of your body.  But knee pain is not always a joint problem. 

Inflammation of the joint lining 

If you have injured the joint recently and it suddenly becomes painful again, the thin layer of tissue lining the joints and tendons may be inflamed, a condition called traumatic synovitis.  It usually does not cause any redness or heat. 

You should be able to manage injury-related swelling at home with anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen, an icepack and rest. 

Gout or pseudogout 

If the skin over the joint is hot and red, and the pain comes in repeated attacks, the cause is likely to be either gout or pseudogout. Both of these are types of arthritis. Gout usually affects the joint of the big toe first before affecting other joints. It is important to correctly diagnose gout, as treatment will prevent future attacks of joint pain and disability. 

Pseudogout is similar to gout, but usually affects the knee joint first. See your doctor if you think you have gout or pseudogout.

Damage to the cartilage at the back of the kneecap 

Knee pain that feels worse when you go up or down stairs could be a sign of a damaged kneecap, called chondromalacia patellae. This should not cause any redness or heat around the knee. The cause is not understood, but it can be linked to overuse of the knee. 

You can treat this problem yourself with anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen, an icepack, and rest. 

Bleeding into the joint space 

If you have recently had an injury to the knee joint, such as a torn ligament or knee fracture, it may cause bleeding into the joint spaces. This is known as haemarthrosis. This is more likely to happen if you take anticoagulants, such as warfarin. 

Signs of hemarthrosis are: swelling of the knee, warmth, and stiffness and bruising, which occur soon after the injury.

Go to A&E immediately for treatment if you have a very swollen knee following an injury. 

Less common causes 

Sudden 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 1 in 5 people with psoriasis 
• rheumatoid arthritis – which can start in just 1 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 health condition that causes a painful, hot, swollen joint that you will not be able to move (sometimes with a high temperature); see your doctor urgently or go to A&E 
• haemophilia – an inherited illness 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 joint 

Pain in many joints 

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 

Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of arthritis that causes pain and swelling in the joints, usually the hands, feet, and wrists. The pain may come and go in the early stages, with long periods between attacks. It can make you feel generally unwell and tired. 

Psoriatic arthritis 

Psoriatic arthritis affects up to 1 in 5 people with psoriasis. This type of arthritis is unpredictable, but flare-ups can usually be controlled with treatment.  Like other types of arthritis, it means that 1 or more of your joints are inflamed and become swollen, stiff, painful and difficult to move. 

A viral infection that causes arthritis 

Examples of viral infections that can cause pain in the joints and symptoms of a fever include: 

• viral hepatitis – liver inflammation caused by a virus 
• rubella – a viral infection that used to be common in children 

Typical Treatment

Home treatment

Doctors consider both OA (Osteoarthritis) and RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) to be chronic conditions. There is no treatment currently available that will completely eliminate the joint pain associated with arthritis or keep it from returning. However, there are ways to manage the pain:

• use topical pain relievers or take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation.
• Stay physically active and follow a fitness program focusing on moderate exercise.
• Stretch before exercising to maintain a good range of motion in your joints.
• Keep your body weight within a healthy range. This will reduce stress on the joints.
• If your pain is not due to arthritis, you can try taking a nonprescription, anti-inflammatory drug, getting a massage, taking a warm bath, stretching frequently, and getting adequate rest.

Medical treatment

Your treatment options will depend on the cause of the pain. In some cases, your doctor will need to draw out accumulated fluid in the joint area to test for infection or gout or other causes of the joint pain. They might also recommend surgery to replace the joint.

Other nonsurgical treatment methods could include lifestyle changes or medications that can potentially cause your RA to go into remission. In the case of RA, your doctor will first address inflammation. Once the RA goes into remission, your medical treatment will focus on keeping a tight rein on your condition so that you avoid flare-ups

Conclusion and Prognosis

Joint pain is often a result of the damage that occurs through normal wear and tear. However, it can also be a sign of an infection or potentially debilitating RA. See your doctor if you have persistent symptoms of osteoarthritis.