Arthralgia, how to cope with joint pain

By Cristiano Antonino On Feb 10, 2023

The term arthralgia refers to any type of joint pain and, therefore, pain that affects a joint and the tissue surrounding it

It is a symptom, rather than a disease, and it is a very common condition: more than 50% of the adult population suffers from it, at least once in their lifetime.

And the percentage becomes higher after the age of 60.

If arthralgia is the primary symptom of arthrosis in the elderly population, it is usually caused in younger people by rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis or infectious arthritis or connective tissue disease.

The pain does not always come from the joint itself: it can also be caused by changes in ligaments, muscles, tendons.

It is therefore essential to consult a doctor, so that he can identify the pathology underlying the arthralgia symptom and develop the best therapy.

Arthralgia: what is it?

Arthralgia, joint pain, is a common symptom.

It can be caused by injuries but also by degenerative diseases such as arthrosis or metabolic diseases such as hypothyroidism, along with many other conditions.

The joints, structures that connect two or more bones, are affected.

These can be fibrous, cartilaginous or synovial.

Fibrous joints (or synarthroses) are not mobile: the typical example is the skull, whose bones are ‘welded’ together by fibrous tissue; cartilaginous joints (or anphyarthroses), such as those that connect the vertebrae to the spine, have greater mobility than fibrous joints and are characterised by a cartilaginous bond between the bones; synovial joints (or diarthroses), such as those of the shoulder and knee, have high mobility and are subdivided into further subtypes depending on the movement they allow.

When a joint aches, we speak of arthralgia

A pathology (or rather symptomatology) often confused with arthritis.

While arthritis is defined as an inflammatory disease affecting the joints, arthralgia is a generic term for joint pain that can be caused by an injury, a physical condition, or an inflammatory or non-inflammatory disease.

All joints can be affected by arthralgia: wrists, hands, elbows, spine, hips, knees, ankles, feet.

Arthralgia: the causes

There are several causes behind joint pain, and they can be either physiological or pathological.

Among the physiological causes are:

age: ageing causes degeneration of the joints that, when healthy, protect the bones (when the joint degenerates, the bones come to rub against each other, causing inflammation);
pregnancy and menopause: the weight gain and skeletal changes that occur in the last months of pregnancy can cause joint pain while, during menopause, it is the imbalance between oestrogen and progesterone that stiffens the soft tissues surrounding the joints;
stress: when one is stressed, the muscles become stiff due to the production of noradrenaline, which prevents the muscles from properly supporting the joint;
excessive weight: obesity is the main cause of arthrosis;
sedentariness: those who do not exercise weaken their muscles, which are thus unable to protect the joints;
premenstrual syndrome: according to the most recent studies, hormonal imbalances preceding the menstrual cycle cause joint pain;
sports injuries: a serious joint injury can cause painful symptoms even after a long time, when the person is older;
joint sprains and dislocations, which can cause long-term inflammatory states.

Pathological causes include:

arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, systemic lupus erythematosus, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis);
hypothyroidism;
influenza: flu-like illnesses cause joint and muscle pain due to inflammation caused by the imbalance in the body between water and mineral salts;
viral infections;
coeliac disease: in addition to gastrointestinal problems, symptoms of gluten intolerance include joint pain;
psoriasis: in addition to the skin manifestation, psoriasis can also give rise to a particular form of arthritis;
tendinitis;
other rheumatic diseases;
malignant bone tumours.