Osteoarthritis, lupus erythematosus, sprains, and poor posture can cause bone and joint pain and need to be detected and treated promptly.
MSc.BSc.CKI Nguyen Van Tu, Center for Orthopedics, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said everyone experiences full-body bone and joint pain at least once in their life. The pain may only last a few days and then go away on its own or last for weeks with gradually increasing severity. Some patients also have other symptoms such as swelling, redness, heat, muscle tension and joint stiffness.
There are many causes of bone and joint pain throughout the body, divided into two groups: pathological and non-pathological.
Group of causes due to pathology
Osteoarthritis is a chronic disorder that causes damage to the cartilage and soft tissue surrounding joints. Common symptoms are pain, swelling, and limited movement. If not treated promptly, the symptoms become increasingly severe, making it difficult for the patient to carry out daily activities.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune arthritis disease, caused by damage to the synovial membrane of the joints. The disease causes bursitis, making the joints swollen, hot, red and painful. As the disease progresses, the patient is at risk of disability and damage to the eyes, heart, lungs, skin, blood vessels…
Doctor Tu explains the health condition to the patient. Image: Tam Anh General Hospital
Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that can manifest in any organ in the body. Most patients feel tired, have skin lesions such as a butterfly-shaped rash, swollen joints, pain, and fever.
Ankylosing spondylitis Characterized by damage to the sacroiliac joint, spine, peripheral joints, and even tendon attachment points. If left untreated, over time, the disease can cause joints and vertebrae to fuse, leading to limited mobility and disability.
Psoriatic arthritis is arthritis that occurs in some people with psoriasis. Joint pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints are typical symptoms. The disease can affect any organ in the body from the fingers, spine to the digestive system, the level of impact ranges from mild to severe.
Gout is a common arthritis. Patients often have to endure sudden, intense pain in the joints of the toes, fingers, and knees, accompanied by redness and swelling, and limited movement.
Tendonitis causes pain and sometimes swelling at the inflammation site. This condition can occur in any tendon, but is common in positions that often require repetitive movements such as the shoulder, wrist, fingers…
The cause is not due to pathology
Injury In daily life, play and exercise, such as dislocations, sprains… also cause pain in bones and joints, accompanied by symptoms of swelling, limiting the patient’s movement. The level of pain depends on whether the injury is severe or mild and decreases with the recovery process.
Excessive exercise. Bones and joints also have limits of tolerance. If you force your body to overexert yourself, such as lifting, running, jumping, exercising, playing sports, sitting or standing for long periods of time, it can cause pain and fatigue, potentially causing premature degeneration.
Living and working in the wrong posture can cause joint pain and injury. Avoid sitting with your back hunched, knees bent, head tilted to one side, sitting cross-legged, lying on your arms… for long periods of time.
Age causes bones and joints to gradually lose their toughness, elasticity and flexibility over time. As people get older, they feel more frequent bone and joint pain.
Joint pain can be caused by disease or lifestyle habits. Image: Tam Anh General Hospital
Doctor Tu said that diseases that cause bone and joint pain, if not treated early and properly, can lead to many serious complications such as muscle atrophy, joint deformity… Regardless of whether the pain is severe or mild, Patients should see a doctor if this condition lasts more than a week. Patients need to be examined immediately when the pain is accompanied by symptoms such as swollen joints, redness, difficulty moving, rash, chest pain, difficulty breathing, cough, abdominal pain, weight loss, chills, eye pain, Intestinal problems.