Theory of Pain -- joint Pain
Joints are all over the body. These joints are a big part of the reason that people can move their arms and legs, but they can also be the source of great pain. When the joints contain sufficient cartilage that lubricates them adequately and allows them to move freely, people can do so without feeling anything. What can end up happening after the cartilage has been wearing down throughout a lifetime is that the bones do not have anything to protect them in between; therefore, they begin to rub against each other. This reaction causes the joints to become inflamed.
The name commonly given to the joint pain described above is arthritis and over 100 forms of arthritis and what are known as rheumatic diseases are known to exist. Rheumatic diseases are those illnesses that cause the symptoms of arthritis such as inflammation, joint pain and stiffness. The symptoms of arthritis do not just remain in the joints; they may also spread the pain, stiffness and swelling to the muscles and the bones. The tendons, the collagen that attaches bones to muscle, and the ligaments, the tissue between two bones, have the potential to become inflamed, stiff and painful. Depending upon the disorder, the body’s internal organs can also be affected by arthritis.
One of the most common forms of arthritis is what is known as osteoarthritis. This serious form of arthritis results from the disintegration of the joints’ cartilage as described above. This disintegration causes changes within the bone such as bone thickening. The joints begin to develop cysts where the cartilage used to be. The joints also may develop bone spurs, which are growths on the bone tissue.
Rheumatoid arthritis is also a form of arthritis that many people have and it affects the joints as has been described above with stiffness, pain and inflammation. A further symptom that differentiates rheumatoid arthritis from osteoarthritis is the deformation of the affected body parts. Rheumatoid arthritis results in the inability to move the body as the patient once had. They also suffer from weakness.
Some drugs have been helpful in relieving arthritis pain, but there are other things that people can do to encourage the easing of this pain. One is to rest when the arthritis symptoms begin to feel overwhelming, because the sensation of being tired means that the joints need to be rested. A doctor will be able to help put patients on the best course of treatment for them.