Causes of Pain

Joint pain is often the result of one of four causes:

Osteoarthritis (OA) - Osteoarthritis is the degeneration of the cartilage surrounding joints. After the cartilage wears, bone wears against other bones, leading to pain and stiffness. The pain flares when you're active and gets better when you rest. Osteoarthritis commonly occurs in people over the age of 50 and frequently in individuals with a family history of OA. About 30 million Americans have osteoarthritis. You're also at risk if you are elderly, obese or have an injury that puts stress on your cartilage. You can get osteoarthritis even if you don't have any risk factors.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) - Rheumatoid Arthritis is a condition caused by thickening and inflammation of the synovium. This causes the synovial fluid to destroy the cartilage. Often, RA is chronic and affects every joint.

Post-traumatic Arthritis - This condition can result after an injury where the bone and cartilage do not heal properly. The usually smooth joint now contains irregularities, leading to further cartilage wear.

Avascular Necrosis - This condition can result if the blood supply to a bone is deprived. The bone structure weakens and may collapse, damaging the cartilage. Avascular Necrosis can result from a fracture, dislocation or after long-term anti-inflammatory treatment.