Unexplained Joint Pain

Unexplained joint pain has a number of causes, ranging from mild virus infections to chronic, degenerative conditions. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend seeking medical advice if the pain is accompanied by a fever; if you have lost more than 10 pounds; if the pain lasts longer than three days; or if the pain is sudden, severe, and accompanied by other unexplained symptoms. Your health care provider will ask questions about the nature of your symptoms in order to determine what tests, if any, are necessary to diagnose the cause of your pain.

Infectious Diseases

• Aches and stiffness are common symptoms of the flu, which begin one to seven days after exposure to the virus and begin to subside by the fourth day of illness. Millions of Americans develop flu symptoms each year, according to NIH. Other infectious diseases that might cause unexplained joint pain include mononucleosis, hepatitis, measles, mumps, rheumatic fever, rubella, and varicella.

Fibromyalgia

• Widespread pain, tenderness, and stiffness in the muscles and joints are symptoms of fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that also causes fatigue, sleep disturbances, and depression. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome of symptoms rather than a specific disease with a known cause. There is no cure, but effective treatments are available to relieve symptoms. Combined with lifestyle changes including mild exercise, adequate rest, and stress reduction, many fibromyalgia patients are restored to adequate daily functioning and improved quality of life.

Autoimmune Diseases

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects more women than men and can strike at any age. Joint pain usually appears within one to two years after other symptoms of RA. Those can include fatigue, weakness, muscle aches, decreased appetite, and morning stiffness. Early diagnosis of this chronic condition can help slow degeneration of the joints. Joint pain is a primary symptom of another autoimmune disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, which also affects the skin, kidneys and heart. There is no cure for lupus, but treatment can relieve the symptoms of the disease.

Arthritis

• NIH reports that one in seven people in the United States suffers from arthritis, an inflammation of the joints that creates pain and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is the most common of more than 100 forms of arthritis. If arthritis is diagnosed, your doctor will recommend lifestyle changes and exercises that reduce the severity of the condition and restore mobility. Treatment without medication is preferable in many cases.

Bursitis

• Overuse and injury are common causes of bursitis. The condition results when the fluid-filled sacs called bursae, which exist to prevent friction in the joints, become inflamed. The condition is often acute, but repeated injury or overexertion can lead to chronic bursitis. Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy are usually sufficient to reduce swelling and restore free movement. In some cases, it is necessary to remove the fluid in the bursae and inject corticosteroids to reduce inflammation.