Bone pain

From ArticleWorld

Bone pain has multiple origins and occurs whenever a particular condition involves the bone or is near to the bone. Treatment of bone pain depends upon the underlying illness.

Bony Causes

The bone can become painful if it is injured, such as in a fracture or bruise to the bony tissue. Paget’s disease is an abnormal breakdown and formation of bone that forms a dense, brittle bone. Cancer of the bone or cancers that metastasize to the bone (such as prostate cancer) can be severely painful to bony areas. Osteoporosis (thinning of the bone) can cause minute fractures in several supportive bones and results in generalized bony pain.

Joint Causes

Any type of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, can lead to bone pain. Many of those with osteoarthritis develop bony spurs near joints under stress which are areas of increased pain. If the arthritis degenerates the cartilaginous covering over the articular surface of a bone, the articular surface of the bone is often painful with movement. Fibromyalgia doesn’t affect the joint surfaces but instead inflames the tendons that insert muscles into bone, usually very near the joints. The inflamed tendons give the individual with fibromyalgia a sense of total body pain, although specific tender points at the insertions of tendons is often found.

Other Causes

Occasionally, a viral illness will give an individual a sensation of “hurting all over”, including their joints and bones. Leukemia, a disease of the bone marrow, can result in bone marrow packed with cancerous leukemia cells and the bones can become painful. In addition, any kind of blood infection can result in a rush of infection fighting cells being made and put forth by the bone marrow, resulting in bone pain.