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 1. Health
 2. 10 Possible Reasons Your Joints Hurt All the Time, According to Doctors


10 POSSIBLE REASONS YOUR JOINTS HURT ALL THE TIME, ACCORDING TO DOCTORS

From autoimmune conditions to infections, here’s why you may be feeling achy.

by Stephanie Booth and Korin MillerUpdated: Oct 9, 2020
Save Article
Peter Dazeley//Getty Images

Whether you overdid it on the tennis courts or have been typing way too much,
there are many reasons why one or more of your joints might be achy.

If you suffer from joint pain, you’re not alone. It’s hard to get exact numbers
on how many people struggle with the issue, given that it can be caused by a
slew of different things, but one national survey found that up to 30% of adults
in the U.S. reported having some form of joint pain in the last 30 days.

Joint pain is defined as experiencing discomfort around one or more of your
joints, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. While general pain
is a common signal, you may also have swelling, warmth, tenderness, redness, and
pain with movement around the area.



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When the cause of your discomfort is obvious, there’s usually no reason to panic
(though you should still see a doctor if it doesn’t go away). But what if your
joints hurt and you have no idea why? Or you also have other weird symptoms you
can’t explain?

In rare instances, your joint pain might be a signal that something pretty
serious is going on, such as a sexually transmitted disease or an autoimmune
disorder. But in many cases, it’s likely your joints are hurting due to a more
common issue. Here’s a look at some of the conditions that could be making you
sore, ranging from the more common to rare.

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1. YOU’RE SIMPLY GETTING OLDER.

Your joints have been supporting you your entire life, and that can be hard on
them over time—especially when it comes to weight-bearing joints like your knees
and hips, says Michael B. Gerhardt, M.D., a sports medicine specialist and
orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles.
Cartilage, a gel-like substance that helps cushion your joints, also wears down
with time, he says.

“Joint pain is extremely common as you age,” Dr. Gerhardt says. “Most of us, if
we are fortunate enough to live long enough, will develop some sort of joint
pain.”

In addition to your knees and hips, you can also develop joint pain in your
shoulders over time. “The source is often repetitive lifting and reaching
activities,” says Gregory Gasbarro, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at The Shoulder,
Elbow, Wrist and Hand Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

seb_ra//Getty Images


2. AN OLDER INJURY IS STIRRING UP PROBLEMS AGAIN.

Having an injury earlier in your life—whether it was treated or untreated—can
increase your risk of having joint pain later, Dr. Gasbarro says.

There are a few different ways this can happen, but problems like a ligament
tear, tendon issues, or a bone fracture can lead to inflammation over time, Dr.
Gerhardt says. Even though a doctor can help you manage symptoms, they can’t go
back in time and erase the injury. “So, if you had a ligament tear in your knee
in your 20s, for example, it sets you up for arthritis 10, 20, or 30 years
later,” he says.


3. YOU’RE DEALING WITH BURSITIS.

Bursitis is the swelling of the bursa, a small, fluid-filled sac that acts like
a cushion between a bone and other moving body parts, like your muscles,
tendons, or skin, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).

Bursitis can cause swelling and pain around your muscles, bones, and joints.
Bursa are found in many parts of your body, but bursitis happens the most often
in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, “In the bursa, there
are a high concentration of nerves that create pain when there is swelling and
inflammation due to a traumatic or overuse injury,” Dr. Gasbarro says.

You can also develop bursitis from an unrelated injury, like limping after you
have low back pain—that can lead to bursitis in your knee or hip, Dr. Gerhardt
says.


4. A THYROID ISSUE COULD BE THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM.

Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck, and
it makes hormones that control the way your body uses energy. Those hormones
impact many different functions in your body, and it “allows your joints and
muscles to be lubricated and stay healthy,” Dr. Gerhardt says.

If you have hypothyroidism, your thyroid gland doesn’t make enough of the
thyroid hormones that your body needs. “That can adversely affect your joints
and make you vulnerable to joint discomfort or injury,” Dr. Gerhardt says.

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5. IT COULD BE A SIGN OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is different than the wear-and-tear kind
(osteoarthritis) that commonly develops with age.

RA is an autoimmune disorder, and it disproportionally targets women: Of the
more than 1.3 million people who have it, 75% are female. “It’s worrisome to see
in young patients,” says Orrin Troum, M.D., a rheumatologist at Providence Saint
John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. He explains that he’s seen new
mothers with such bad inflammation in their hands that they struggle to care for
their babies.

Tender, swollen joints and feeling stiff in the morning are classic RA symptoms.
You might also have fatigue, fever, or weight loss you can’t explain.

Although not all these causes of joint pain can be cured, they can be treated.
Some will require a course of antibiotics or other prescription meds. Others may
improve on their own with time and rest. But any lingering pain in your joints
should be reason enough to check in with your primary care doctor. They’ll
likely refer you to a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in arthritis, to
make sure you get the right diagnosis and treatment you (and your aching joints)
need.


6. OR, IT COULD BE INFECTIOUS (SEPTIC) ARTHRITIS.

If you get a cut or puncture wound and don’t clean it well with soap and water,
“a nearby joint can get infected with common bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus
or Streptococcus,” says Dr. Troum. You’ll notice intense swelling and pain in
the area, and fever and chills could follow.

Knees are the most commonly affected joint, but hips, ankles, and wrists are
also likely targets. You might need IV antibiotics, and your doctor might need
to drain fluid from the infected joint. Left untreated, septic arthritis can
lead to full-body sepsis, which can be fatal.


7. YOU MAY HAVE GOUT.

stockdevil//Getty Images

Protein is an incredibly important nutrient that helps you stay satiated, build
muscle, and feel energized—but you can have too much of a good thing.

“If you eat too much protein, your body produces a lot of uric acid and can’t
excrete all of it from your body,” explains Luga Podesta, M.D., a sports
medicine physician and regenerative orthopedic specialist in Florida. “This
causes an intense inflammatory reaction.”

It’s called gout, and it’s one of the most painful types of arthritis you can
experience. Symptoms of gout like heat, swelling, redness, and hard-to-ignore
pain commonly appear first in your big toe, then spread to other joints.

Protein overload isn’t the only risk factor. Drinking too much alcohol or sugary
drinks, getting dehydrated, or taking certain types of medicines (like
beta-blockers) can also bring on a bout of gout. Carrying too much weight puts
you at risk as well.


8. LYME DISEASE COULD BE LURKING.

Every year, a reported 30,000 people are bitten by a tick carrying the

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Borrelia burgdorferi or Borrelia mayonii bacteria that cause Lyme disease. But
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes that true number is much
higher—up to 300,000.

RELATED STORY

 * A Deeper Dive Into Lyme Disease Symptoms



“The tick latches onto your skin to suck blood out of your body, but its head
has an infection that gets into your bloodstream,” Dr. Podesta explains. Early
symptoms of Lyme include fatigue, fever, headache, and in many cases, a
bullseye-shaped rash. “Still, it can be difficult to diagnose if you’re not in
an area endemic to ticks,” says Dr. Podesta.

If you don’t figure out that you have Lyme disease so you can treat it, the
bacteria can spread to your joints, especially your knees. You might also
develop neck stiffness and sore hands and feet. Over time, your heart and
nervous system may be affected as well.


9. IT COULD BE A SYMPTOMS OF LUPUS.



Lupus is an autoimmune disorder “can wreck all your joints if left untreated,”
says Dr. Troum. People with lupus have an overactive immune system that can
mistakenly target joints, as well as skin, blood, kidneys, and other organs.

Along with swollen, painful joints, you may develop a butterfly-shaped rash
across your cheeks, but symptoms are different for everyone. Hair loss, trouble
breathing, memory problems, mouth sores, and dry eyes and mouth can also be
signs of lupus.




10. GONORRHEA COULD BE TO BLAME.

This sexually transmitted disease (STD) doesn’t just affect your genitals; it
can also wreak havoc on your joints, as it causes a painful condition called
gonococcal arthritis. It affects women more than men and, surprisingly, is most
common among sexually active teen girls.

If you have it, you may develop one hot, red, swollen joint (though some people
end up with several painful large joints), along with other STD symptoms, says
Dr. Troum. Those might include a burning sensation when you urinate, as well as
penis discharge or increased vaginal discharge.


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