Thursday, June 7, 2012

Why Am I Getting Joint Aches







Joints are places in the body where bones meet and can move relative to one another, such as the knees, ankles and elbows. A variety of underlying health conditions and physical stresses on the body can lead to joint aches.


Function








Joints are places where bones are joined with tough tissues called ligaments that are flexible, allowing the body to move and bend.


Causes


Joint aches are often caused by an inflammation of the tissue around the joint due to trauma or repetitive use; a breakdown of the connective tissues in joints due to conditions like arthritis increase the chances of joint aches.


Risk Factors


Certain risk factors increase the changes of joint aches including age, weight and physical-activity level; athletes may have problems with joint aches due to training too hard.


Treatment


The proper treatment for joint pain will depend on the exact cause, which should be diagnosed by a doctor. Aches caused by physical activity will often clear upon resting the affected joint and avoiding activity for a few weeks.


Prevention


It may be possible to prevent joint aches in some cases by wearing properly fitting shoes, using supportive equipment such as braces and doing physical-therapy exercises to strengthen the muscles and tendons surrounding joints.

Tags: joint aches, Joints places, where bones