Common Causes of Joint Pain

The most frequent cause of debilitating joint pain is arthritis. The term “arthritis” literally means inflammation of a joint, but is generally used to describe any condition in which there is damage to the cartilage. Out of over 100 types of arthritis, two are the most common: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a disease which involves the wearing away of the normal, smooth joint surfaces. This results in bone-on-bone contact producing pain and stiffness.

Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis causes severe inflammation. The body’s immune system attacks and destroys the joint surface, causing pain, swelling, joint damage, and loss of mobility.