Joint Pain and pain while movement are among the most common problems for which a patient consults
a doctor. There are several conditions that affect the normal functioning of the joints leading to
the manifestations of different diseases. Injury due to trauma is one of the issues, leading to
impaired joint function but the main issues that cause dysfunction in joints are inflammation and
degeneration.
Cause of Joint Problems
Degeneration
Wear and tear. With age, the cartilages lining the bones tend to get worn out leading to reduction in
the space between the bones and produces grating when the joint is moved. The bones can also get weak
due to several factors like age, lack of exercises, deficiency of Calcium or Vitamin D and after menopause
in women. This can also lead to chances of fracture and can cause joint pain and other problems in the joints.
Inflammation
Inflammation is a process, wherein the body secretes several chemicals to breakdown substances that are not
functional or are foreign to the body, to disintegrate the unwanted materials and remove them. This is a
protective function meant to protect the healthy tissues from invading organisms like bacteria and viruses
and from being affected by the damaged tissues. Inflammation may be triggered by damages to the tissue as
in the case of injury, or by infection or by a process called auto-immunity. However inflammation that gets
out of control can badly damage the tissues leading to impaired functioning. Auto-immunity is one such condition
where the immune system mistakes parts of the body for invading organisms and start attacking the body’s own
tissues leading to damage to the structures involved.
Damage due to Injury
Injury can cause structural damage to any of the tissues of a joint like the bones, the menisci, tendons and
ligaments that can affect the functioning of the joints and lead to diseases.
