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Over 47
million Americans suffer from joint pain and more 20% of
them aren't doing a thing about it. They just assume that
joint pain is a natural part of growing older and don't
bother seeing a pain relief professional.
What they
don't realize is if detected early, they can receive joint
pain management and joint pain relief that will help
minimize permanent damage and disability.
Joint
pain is a leading adult disability, as is arthritis, which
is frequently thought to be synonymous with joint pain.
However, arthritis isn't the only cause of joint pain.
Bursitis Joint Pain
One
example of non-arthritic joint pain is bursitis. Repetitive
movement and extreme pressure can produce bursitis joint
pain in elbows, knees, hips and shoulders. The prolonged
movements involved in manual labor or assembly line work
create the type of repetitive motions that inflame a joint's
bursa with pain.
The
excessive pressure on knee joints experienced by roofers,
carpet layers and gardeners are also occupational triggers
of bursitis joint pain.
The
inflammation associated with bursitis joint pain can also be
caused by an infection of the bursa with bacteria. This is a
serious condition that should receive immediate medical
attention since the infection can spread to the blood and
throughout the body.
Arthritis, Another Name For Joint Pain
Though
arthritis is generally the culprit behind most joint pain,
the exact cause can be one of over 100 different types
arthritis. These include fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis to rare varieties of arthritis like
ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus and
scleroderma.
Joint
pain is generally a chronic condition. Unlike acute pain
which is temporary and strikes immediately, joint pain is
usually persistent and lingers for weeks and often years.
Osteoarthritis Joint Pain
Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, affects
more than 20 million people. This type of joint pain strikes
finger joints, knees, hips and the spine. It can also affect
ankles, shoulders, elbows and wrists. Generally, the joints
it attacks have experienced an injury in the past which
triggers a breakdown in cartilage and subsequent pain and
stiffness.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Joint Pain
It's
estimated that about 1% of the US population, 2.1 million
people, have rheumatoid arthritis. It's found two to three
times more often in women than men. In this form of
arthritis, the lining of various joints becomes inflamed
(the word "arthritis" means join inflammation). Rheumatoid
arthritis also affects the blood, lungs and heart.
Besides
pain, the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis can produce
stiffness, swelling and redness. Over time, joints may
become so damaged that normal movement is impaired. This is
a prolonged form of arthritis which can go into remission
for periods of time and them suddenly flare up.
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