Arthralgia

• arthritis, including osteoarthritis pseudogout (characterized by sudden, painful swelling) psoriatic arthritis (which can accompany the skin condition psoriasis) reactive arthritis (swelling and pain triggered by an infection elsewhere in the body) septic arthritis (a painful infection that traveled to the joint through the bloodstream) or gonococcal arthritis (caused by gonorrhea)
• bone disease, including avascular necrosis or osteonecrosis (the death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply) osteomyelitis (bone infection) Paget’s disease of bone (affecting the pelvis, skull, spine or legs) facet joint disorders (affecting the cervical or lumbar spine)
• cancer (bone cancer or leukemia)
• complex regional pain syndrome
• dehydration, from illness or from excessive alcohol consumption

• diabetes
• food intolerances, such as gluten intolerance
• gout (a form of arthritis, common in the base of the big toe)
• hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
• infections, like Lyme disease (a tick-borne bacterial infection)
• inflammatory diseases like ankylosing spondylitis (fusion of the vertebrae) or polymyalgia rheumatica
• injury from overuse, like bursitis or tendinitis (sometimes caused by sports injuries) or from trauma, like a dislocation, fracture, sprain or strain
• immune disorders or autoimmune disease, like lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (adult or juvenile), scleroderma, Sjogren’s disease, sarcoidosis or mixed connective tissue disease
• insect bites, such as spider bites
• nerve compression (meralgia paresthetica)
• pregnancy and post-pregnancy (postpartum)
• sexually transmitted diseases, like gonorrhea or chlamydia
• viruses, like influenza or HIV