Joint Pain and Fatigue: The Connection

A lot of things cause fatigue. People get fatigued for a number of reasons. Chronic conditions such as, arthritis, nutrition, thyroid problems, anemia, lack of sleep, and nutrition are just a few issues that may cause fatigue. Treating these issues properly may lead to the elimination or reduction of fatigue.

The common causes of joint pain and fatigue are rheumatoid arthritis, and the other chronic conditions that come with it. Joint swelling, stiffness and abnormalities can increase the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Positive rheumatoid factor, and increased levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide can also add to joint pain.

Another cause of joint pain and fatigue is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). This chronic illness affects nearly seven hundred thousand American adults, ninety percent being women. This is often either wrongly diagnosed or not diagnosed at all. Statistics show that a large number of these individuals suffer from SLE without even knowing it. Lupus is the abnormal creation of autoantibodies in one’s blood, these can cause havoc with tissues within the body. SLE is an autoimmune disease.

Aside from the fatigue and joint pain, patients of SLE may get rashes, low-grade fevers, an abnormal blood count, mouth sores, and muscle pain. In serious cases, people with lupus experience severe damage to the brain, lungs, heart, and kidneys.

Diagnosis of such conditions can be determined by clinical studies that result from microscopic laboratory tests. These tests often show high levels of autoantibodies in the blood serum of SLE related patients.

There is no permanent cure for lupus, but there are treatments that can catch the signs and symptoms. This is important in preventing the advanced organ deterioration that so often affects lupus patients.

Treatment of joint pain may include:

• The use of Corticosteroids that will relieve joint and muscle inflammation. This, however, can have serious side effects on patients over time – osteoporosis, diabetes, and glaucoma are just a few.

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provide relief from swelling, but people with lupus are prone to developing gastro esophageal relux disease (GERD) after taking such medications.

• Disease-modifying ant rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or slow-acting ant rheumatic drugs (SAARDs) are also utilized to treat such conditions. They can be prescribed on their own or in combination with another drug to control due to autoimmune disease caused joint and muscle pain.

• Biologic therapies. Cytokines are targeted by these drugs. They are specific and cellular messengers.

An under active thyroid gland can cause hypothyroidism. This condition does not only cause aches and pains but also leads to fatigue. Dryness of mouth and eyes, memory loss, and other disturbing problems can result. It may be fatal if not diagnosed.

Fibromyalgia is another condition that causes joint pain and fatigue. It may also come with dryness of the eyes and mouth. This disease arises due to a disorder of central neurotransmitter functioning. Joint pain is not the only problem patients experience with this condition. They can experience fatigue, dryness of mouth and eyes, abnormal bowel movement or irritable bladder, chest pain, headaches, and difficulty in breathing.

Diagnosing Joint Pain And Fatigue

There are a lot of things that can be associated with joint pain and fatigue such as flu, thyroid disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies and lupus. Of course, the flu will run it’s course and you will return to normal health in about a week, but the others require a doctors care.

One of the most common complaints of fatigue and joint pain come from people who suffer from arthritis. This painful disease is characterized by an inflammation of the joints most usually causing back pain, shoulder pain and hand swelling but can really manifest itself in any joint in the body.

There are indeed a lot of warning signs that would let you know if it is arthritis or some other type of musculoskeletal problem. As soon as you find out that you are experiencing pain in your joints, then you should consult the nearest doctor or specialist to get a complete diagnosis. Knowing exactly what you have is the only way you will be able to try to treat joint pain and fatigue so that you can return to your normal activities.

Once you have your diagnosis, you want to be sure to stick to taking the medications your doctor has prescribed. These will usually be some sort of anti inflammatory and may consist of other prescriptions such as Corticosteroids as well. The medications will help to control your symptoms, but there are other things you can do to help relive your suffering as well.

One way to help relieve the joint pain as well as get rid of the fatigue you are feeling is to make sure you eat right and get plenty of exercise. I know you may not feel like exercising if you are fatigued, but try to get a little bit in each day even if it is only a short walk – believe it or not, exercise actually gives you more energy!

Be sure to eat a healthy diet which includes fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats. Also, try to have salmon at least twice a week and take an Omega 3 fish oil supplement. In addition, be sure to avoid sugar and processed and packaged foods as these can actually increase the inflammation in your joints.