Joint Pain
- Joint Pain Overview
- Joint Pain Causes
- Joint Pain Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Joint Pain Treatment
- Self-Care at Home
- Medical Treatment
- Medications
- Follow-up
- Prevention
- Outlook
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Author and Editor
Joint Pain Overview
Joint pain can be caused by injury or disease of the joint or adjacent tissues. A joint is the area at which two bone ends meet to provide motion to a body part. A typical joint is composed of bones that are separated by cartilage that serves as cushioning pad for the adjacent bones. Ligaments attach bone to bone around the joint. Bursae are fluid-filled sacs that provide a gliding surface for adjacent tendons. Tendons attach muscle to bone around the joint. Injury or disease to any of the structures of the joint can lead to pain in the joint. Joint pain is also referred to as arthralgia.
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Joint Pain
Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) »
Lupus Overview
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus, is an autoimmune disease in which a person's immune system attacks various organs or cells of the body, causing damage and dysfunction. Lupus is called a multisystem disease because it can affect many different tissues and organs in the body. Some patients with lupus have very mild disease, which can be treated with simple medications, whereas others can have serious, life-threatening complications. Lupus is more common in women than men, and for reasons that are not precisely understood, its peak incidence is after puberty.
While lupus is a chronic illness, it is characterized by periods when the disease activity is minimal or absent (remission) and when it is active (relapse or flare). The outlook for patients with lupus today is much better than years ago because of greater awareness and more accurate tests leading to earlier diagnosis and treatment as well as more effective...
