Joint pain in young adults: causes, prevention, and everything you need to know

People believe that joint pain is a disease of old age and will not affect them when they are young. Joint pain is not just a disease of the elderly. Such disbelief may be due to the fact that the most common reason for joint pain is some type of arthritis i.e. osteoarthritis, and it usually affects the older age group.

So what causes joint pain in young adults?

The term “arthritis” has been used to refer to joint pain. Arthritis is not a single disease, but a group of joint diseases and conditions associated with signs and symptoms including joint pain, joint inflammation and joint stiffness resulting in decreased mobility.

The causes of joint pain in young adults can be of different types-


1. Degenerative arthritis


Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as “wear and tear disease”, is the most common type of arthritis.

In osteoarthritis, the surrounding cartilage that cushions the joints wears out. As a result, the bones in the joints rub against each other, causing swelling, pain and stiffness.

What Are the Causes of Degenerative Arthritis in Young People?


Genoa

A genetic disease that increases the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis affects the body’s production of collagen, the protein that makes up joint cartilage. This defect can cause the onset of osteoarthritis from the age of 20 years. Another potential inherited defect is a defect in which the bones are not aligned and properly connected, resulting in faster wear and tear of the cartilage.

Obesity

Additional weight can put additional pressure on the hip and knee joints, thereby increasing the rate of degradation of joint cartilage.

Repetitive movements and injuries

Repetitive movements and joint injuries like torn ligaments and fractures can cause osteoarthritis. Athletes, for example, can injure their joints, ligaments, and tendons repeatedly and accelerate the breakdown of cartilage. Work and activities that involve prolonged standing, heavy lifting, and repetitive flexing can also lead to faster damage to the cartilage.

3. Inflammatory arthritis

This type of arthritis is characterized by inflamed joints. Some of them include; Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Our immune system normally responds to infections and other illnesses by producing antibodies. However, there are cases where it can mistakenly attack the joints. When this happens, the joints and even some internal organs are damaged.

Rheumatoid arthritis: In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system targets the joint lining called the synovium. Persistent inflammation can break the joint and permanently damage it.

Psoriatic arthritis: In psoriatic arthritis, the immune system attacks the skin causing psoriasis and inflammation of the connective tissue connecting tendons or ligaments to bones.


Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis occurs in children under the age of 16. It is also caused by autoimmunity and can lead to joint damage, growth problems, and eye damage.

Infectious arthritis or septic arthritis: These are forms of arthritis caused by an infection in the joint. The majority of infectious arthritis is bacterial. The most common organism is Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that lives on healthy skin. Infectious arthritis can also be viral or fungal. In most cases, this happens when an infection from another part of the body comes into contact with the joint through the bloodstream. Less common infections can also enter the joint through injuries on or near the joint.

4. Reactive arthritis

In reactive arthritis, an infection in another part of the body triggers inflammation in the joint. Unlike the previous type, the infection is not present in the joint itself.

Systemic infections that can trigger arthritis:

•Mumps

•Acute articular rhumatism

•Measles

•Hepatitis


5. Arthritis

Metabolic arthritis like gout results from dysfunctional metabolism.

Gout occurs due to fluctuating uric acid levels. It usually happens in the big toe joint, but can also show up in other joints.

Arthritis Care in Young Adults

Getting diagnosed with a chronic disease like arthritis at a young age can be confusing for the patient. Early diagnosis can lead to complete control of symptoms, and the disease shouldn’t prevent you from living a normal life. With the right advice and lifestyle changes, there’s no reason you can’t lead a fulfilling life.

1. Stay active: Regular exercise is one of the most effective treatments for arthritis because it helps strengthen the muscles around affected joints, improve mobility, and reduce fatigue and pain.

2. Eat healthy: Eat lots of vegetables, they are great for your bones. Add dairy products, nuts, seeds, fish.

3. Exercise: Keep your weight under control to avoid having additional stress from being overweight.

4. Consultation: Consult your doctor as soon as possible and avoid self-treatment.

– By Dr Rajeev Verma, HOD and consultant – Joint replacement and orthopedics, Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka, New Delhi