Arthralgia

Arthralgia

Arthralgia literally means painful joints.

Arthralgia of hands

Arthritis and arthralgia

According to MeSH, the term "arthralgia" should be used when the condition is non-inflammatory, and the term "arthritis" should be used when the condition is inflammatory.

Causes

The causes of arthralgia are varied and range, from a joints perspective, from degenerative and destructive processes such as osteoarthritis and sports injuries to inflammation of tissues surrounding the joints, such as bursitis.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis involves interviewing the patient and performing physical exams. When attempting to establish the cause of the arthralgia, the emphasis is on the interview. The patient is asked questions intended to narrow the number of potential causes. Given the varied nature of these possible causes, some questions may seem irrelevant.

Joint injection

Treatment

Treatment depends on a specific underlying cause. The underlying cause will be treated first and foremost. The treatments may include joint replacement surgery for severely damaged joints, immunosuppressants for immune system dysfunction, antibiotics when an infection is the cause, and discontinuing medication when an allergic reaction is the cause. When treating the primary cause, pain management may still play a role in treatment.

• Over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (e.g., Advil® or Motrin®) and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
• Physical activity/exercise or community-based physical activity programs.
• Exercise therapy, including physical therapy.
• Self-management education workshops.
• Weight loss, if overweight or obese.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy—a psychological, goal-directed approach in which patients learn how to modify physical, behavioral, and emotional triggers of pain and stress.

Prescription Opioids

• Prescription opioids are medications that can be used to treat moderate to severe pain. Many adults with arthritis are prescribed opioids, but there is a lack of evidence of their long-term effectiveness when used for chronic conditions such as arthritis.
• Safer options exist to help manage arthritis pain.
• Over-the-Counter Medications
• Emerging evidence suggests that these are safer and more effective treatments for managing long-term arthritis pain than opioids.
• A recent study of individuals with knee and hip osteoarthritis, the most common types of arthritis, found that after one year, people who took over-the-counter medications had greater reductions in pain severity than people who took opioids.4

Severity of pain

Severe joint pain: When an individual rates his or her pain as 7 or higher out of 10 on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (as bad as it can be). Persistent pain: When an individual reports having pain (of any severity) on most or all days in the past 3 months. Severe Joint Pain Among Adults With Arthritis

See also

• Myalgia

Arthralgia Resources
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