Why do I have severe joint pain at a Young Age?

Abstract

It is mostly believed that joint pain is only related to old age people and it does not affect young people. But it is important to know that joint pain is not only for the people who are old, which is totally a myth. It is seen nowadays that joint problems like arthritis are also commonly seen in young people. Arthritis is the form of illness which includes the group of other joint disorders which results in pain, inflammation as well as stiffness. However there are many other reasons that a young patient might be having some kind of pain in the joint. Here in this article we are going to discuss some of the reasons that young adults are suffering from joint pain.

What are the causes of Joint Pain at a Young age?

There are many other reasons for joint pain in young adults including different types :-

Patellofemoral Syndrome

It is one of the common types of disorder which causes pain in the knees of young adults. It results in an imbalance of the muscles that support the knee joint and causes pressure as well as strain on the knee. There could be some symptoms like irritation, pain and inflammation in the knee which affects daily activities like climbing stairs, kneeling and many more.

Degenerative Arthritis

Osteoarthritis, which is also called the wear and tear type of disease which is one of the common types of arthritis. In OA the cartilage surrounding it which acts as a cushion between the joints is wearing away and in turn the bones rub against each other resulting in pain as well as swelling.

What is responsible for causing Degenerative Arthritis in Young adults?

Obesity

It is proven that putting on extra weight can add pressure on the knee as well as hip joints. This pressure then causes the increased breakdown of the rate of joint cartilage.

Genetical Reasons

One genetic condition can increase the risk of developing OA as it leads to affecting the production of Collagen present in the body. This then affects the protein present in the cartilage and this defect can be seen at the early age of 20. One of the other potential abnormalities could be hereditary defects where the bones are not aligned within and are not connected to each other properly which causes the wearing of cartilage.

Inflammatory Arthritis

It is the type of arthritis which results in inflammation of joints and it is mainly caused due to an immune response. It is seen that the immune system of the body mistakenly starts to attack the joints not only that it might also affect the internal organs of the body. There are different types of Inflammatory arthritis including:-

• Rheumatoid Arthritis:- It is the type of rheumatoid arthritis where the immune system starts to attack the synovium which is the lining of the joint. This might result in the joint breaking down and damaging it permanently.
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis:- It is mostly seen in people below the ages of 16 year and mainly caused due to autoimmunity. It causes the joint to damage along with that there are also growth as well as eye problems.
• Psoriatic Arthritis:- In this disease the immune system starts to attack the skin resulting in psoriasis. Along with that connective tissue starts to get inflamed which is linked to the ligaments and tendons present in the bones.
• Reactive Arthritis:- In this type the infection caused in other parts of the body can trigger the swelling in the joint. Just like the previous one it is not present in the joint itself and it can be triggered by diseases like Rheumatic fever, Hepatitis, Measles and Mumps.

What are the common symptoms seen in knee pain in young adults?

Here are the common clinical features to look for in patients:-

• Pain that gradually increases during activity.
• Dull pain just behind the knee cap.
• Flaring up of pain with a grinding sensation during bending.
• Clicking, cracking and popping of the knee.
• Weakness
• Swelling and tenderness in the knee.
• Keeping the muscles flexible and doing exercise as well as yoga daily.

Some of the healthy ways to manage knee pain at a young age:-

Sometimes there is general pain which can be reduced through some options like:-

• Avoiding any kind of activity that could put strain on the knee.
• Applying ice on the knee. Icing and wrapping towels will help in relieving the swelling and inflammation. Do this for almost 15 to 20 minutes which will be very helpful.
• Using elastic bandages on the knee as prescribed by the physician is very effective in the pain.
• Losing weight if you are overweight because putting on extra weight can put extra strain on the knee.

Other Healthy tips include:-

If the patient is diagnosed with Arthritis at a very young age it might cause some painful symptoms which can be controlled through some lifestyle changes including:-

• Staying Active:- Exercising regularly is the fastest way to treat arthritis as it helps in strengthening the muscles present around the knee joint. It will naturally improve mobility and also reduce pain as well.
• Eating Healthy Diet:- Eating vegetables like spinach, kale, cabbage, broccoli etc is capable of making the bones healthy. Along with that add some dairy products, fish and nuts for better health.
• Exercise Daily:- It is important to move daily and exercise to maintain good health. It is also important to not use heavy weights that could easily affect the bones.

Conclusion

As above mentioned article describes everything about the knee pain in the young adults which could be very painful. Along with that one suffering from knee pain can easily manage it through the tips but it is also very important to know the diagnosis of the disease. It is also important to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to avoid any kind of joint pain.