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Your joints are places where two or more bones come together. Your shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and knuckles are all joints. Your spine has joints, too.

But joints are more than bones. They include the soft tissues around them, such as cartilage, tendons and ligaments. Cartilage is the hard slippery flexible tissue that covers the ends of your bones at a joint. Tendons are tough, flexible bands that connect your muscles to your bones so you can move your joints. Ligaments connect the bones of the joint to each other to keep them stable when you move.

Joint disorders are diseases or injuries that affect your joints. Injuries can happen because of overuse of a joint. Or you could have a sudden injury, such as an accident or a sports injury.

Many diseases can affect the joints. They often cause joint pain and make your joints stiff, red, or swollen. Most of them are chronic. That means they last a long time. Some may never go away completely. Some of the diseases that affect the joints include:

• Arthritis. Arthritis may cause joint pain and swelling. There are many types of this disease. Osteoarthritis is the most common type. Over time, arthritis can cause severe joint damage. It can affect people of all ages. A joint injury when you're young may cause osteoarthritis later in life.
• Lupus. This autoimmune disease affects many parts of the body and can cause joint and muscle pain. Some types of lupus often cause arthritis.
• Sjögren's Syndrome. This autoimmune disease affects glands that make moisture in many parts of the body. The main symptoms are dry eyes and mouth, but it often causes joint pain, too.

Treatments are different depending on the disease. But most treatments include medicines and therapies to relieve pain and other symptoms.

Joint disorders from sudden injuries include:

• Sprains and strains. Sprains are stretched or torn ligaments. Acute strains are stretched or torn muscles or tendons that happen from a sudden injury or movement, such as lifting a heavy object.
• Dislocated joints. A joint is dislocated when the bones are pushed or pulled out of position. A joint dislocation is a medical emergency.

Treatment depends on the type of injury. You can treat many sports injuries at home. But you should call your health care provider if you:

• Have a lot of joint pain, swelling or numbness
• Can't put weight on the joint
• Have pain from an old injury with more swelling, an unstable joint, or a joint that isn't normal in another way

Overuse injuries usually damage the soft tissues of the joint. They can happen when you work a joint too hard by doing the same movements over and over. For example, you could get an overuse injury from playing a musical instrument, playing sports, or doing certain jobs, such as carpentry or painting.

Joint overuse injuries include:

• Bursitis. The bursa is a small fluid-filled sac. It works as a pad between the bones of a joint and the moving parts around it, such as muscles, tendons and skin. With bursitis, the bursa becomes irritated and swollen with extra fluid. Overuse is the most common cause, but injuries, infections and other conditions, such as arthritis, can cause bursitis.
• Tendinitis. This condition happens when you overuse a tendon. It swells and makes the joint painful to move.
• Chronic strain. A strain becomes chronic when your muscles or tendons stretch or tear slowly over time from repeating the same movements.

The treatments for bursitis, tendinitis, and chronic strain are often the same. They usually include rest, keeping the injured joint higher than your heart, and taking medicine to reduce swelling. Your provider may recommend gentle exercise and other treatment. In some cases, your provider may suggest an injection (a shot) of medicine into the joint. If these do not help, you may need surgery.

Getting enough physical activity is one of the most important things you can do to prevent or slow joint disorders. Activity strengthens the muscles around your joints and helps them work better.

When you play sports, wear the right equipment to protect your joints, such as knee pads. If you already have joint problems, ask your provider what type of activities are best for you.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Osteoarthritis, sometimes called OA, is a type of arthritis that only affects the joints, usually in the hands, knees, hips, neck, and lower back. It's the most common type of arthritis.

In a healthy joint, the ends of the bones are covered with a smooth, slippery tissue called cartilage. The cartilage pads the bones and helps them glide easily when you move the joint. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down and becomes rough. Sometimes, all the cartilage wears away and the bones rub together. Bumps of extra bone called bone spurs may grow in the joint area.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis. It usually gets worse slowly. But there's a lot you can do to manage the symptoms.

Osteoarthritis affects people in different ways, and not everyone has pain. The most common symptoms are:

• Pain when you move, which often gets better with rest
• Stiffness, especially for the first 30 minutes after you get up from resting
• Swollen joints, especially after using the joint a lot
• Less movement in the joint than normal
• A joint that feels loose or unstable

Researchers aren't sure what causes osteoarthritis. They think that it could be caused by a combination of factors in the body and the environment. Your chance of developing osteoarthritis increases with age. They also know that some people are more likely to develop it than others.

Things that make you more likely to develop osteoarthritis include:

• Aging. Osteoarthritis can happen at any age, but the chance of getting it increases in middle-aged adults and older. After age 50, it is more common in women than in men.
• Being overweight. Extra weight puts more stress on your joints.
• Having a past injury or surgery on a joint. This is often the cause of osteoarthritis in younger adults.
• Doing a lot of activities that overuse the joint. This includes sports with a lot of jumping, twisting, running, or throwing.
• Having a joint that doesn't line up correctly.
• A family history of osteoarthritis. Some people inherit genetic changes that increase their chance of developing osteoarthritis.

There is no specific test for osteoarthritis. To find out if you have osteoarthritis, your provider:

• Will ask about your symptoms and medical history
• Will do a physical exam
• May use x-rays or other imaging tests to look at your joints
• May order lab tests to make sure that a different problem isn't causing your symptoms

The goal of treating osteoarthritis is to ease your pain, help you move better, and stop it from getting worse.

Treatment usually begins with:

• Exercises to improve strength, flexibility and balance
• Weight loss, if needed, to improve pain, especially in your hips or knees
• Braces or shoe inserts (orthotics) that a health care provider fits for you

You can buy some pain relievers and arthritis creams without a prescription. They can be helpful, but it's best to talk to your provider about using them. If they don't help enough, your provider may prescribe injections (shots) into the joint or prescription pain relievers.

Complementary therapies may help some people. Massage can increase blood flow and bring warmth to the area. Some research shows that acupuncture may help relieve osteoarthritis pain. Simple things like heat and ice can help, too.

If none of these treatments help enough, surgery may be an option. You and your provider can decide if it's right for you.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw to the side of your head. When it works well, it enables you to talk, chew, and yawn. For people with TMJ dysfunction, problems with the joint and muscles around it may cause :

• Pain that travels through the face, jaw, or neck
• Stiff jaw muscles
• Limited movement or locking of the jaw
• Painful clicking or popping in the jaw
• A change in the way the upper and lower teeth fit together

Jaw pain may go away with little or no treatment. Treatment may include simple things you can do yourself, such as eating soft foods or applying ice packs. It may also include pain medicines or devices to insert in your mouth. In very rare cases, you might need surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

If you feel pain and stiffness in your body or have trouble moving around, you might have arthritis. Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Over time, a swollen joint can become severely damaged. Some kinds of arthritis can also cause problems in your organs, such as your eyes or skin.

Types of arthritis include:

• Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It's often related to aging or to an injury.
• Autoimmune arthritis happens when your body's immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of this kind of arthritis.
• Juvenile arthritis is a type of arthritis that happens in children.
• Infectious arthritis is an infection that has spread from another part of the body to the joint.
• Psoriatic arthritis affects people with psoriasis.
• Gout is a painful type of arthritis that happens when too much uric acid builds up in the body. It often starts in the big toe.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Gout is a common type of inflammatory arthritis. It causes pain, swelling, and redness in one or more joints. It usually happens as a flare, which can last for a week or two and then gets better. The flares often begin in your big toe or a lower limb.

Gout happens when too much uric acid (urate) builds up in your body over a long time. Uric acid is a waste product your body makes when it breaks down purines. Purines are substances that are in your body's tissues and in many foods.

When your body breaks down old cells or digests foods that contain purine, most of the uric acid that's made dissolves in your blood. Your kidneys filter the uric acid out of your blood, and it leaves your body in your urine (pee).

However, sometimes your body can make too much uric acid or does not remove enough of it. Then the uric acid levels build up in your body, including in your blood. Having too much uric acid in the blood is called hyperuricemia. It does not cause health problems for everyone. But in some people, uric acid forms needle-like crystals. They can form in your joints, which causes gout. The crystals can also cause kidney stones.

Calcium pyrophosphate arthritis, sometimes called pseudogout, is a related disease. It causes similar symptoms and is sometimes confused with gout. But it is caused by a buildup of calcium phosphate, not uric acid.

Many people develop gout. You are more likely to get it if you:

• Are male.
• Are older; it usually develops in middle age.
• Have obesity.
• Have certain health conditions, such as:
  • Heart failure
  • High blood pressure
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Conditions that cause your cells to break down more quickly, such as psoriasis or some cancers
  • Rare genetic conditions that lead to increased uric acid
• Have a family history of gout.
• Have an unhealthy diet and eat foods that are rich in purines, such as red meat, organ meats, certain seafoods.
• Drink alcohol.
• Eat and drink lots of foods and beverages that contain fructose (a type of sugar).
• Take certain medicines, such as diuretics (water pills), low-dose aspirin, and some medicines that weaken your immune system.
• Take high amounts of niacin (vitamin B-3).

Gout usually happens in only one joint at a time. It is often found in the big toe, but can also affect other joints, including your other toes, ankle, and knee.

Gout flares often start suddenly at night, and the symptoms in the affected joint often include:

• Intense pain, which may be bad enough to wake you up
• Swelling
• Redness
• Warmth

The flares typically get better within a week or two. In between flares, you usually don't have symptoms. Some people may have flares often, while others may not have another flare for years. But over time, if left untreated, your flares may happen more often and last longer.

And if gout is untreated over long periods of time, you can develop tophi. Tophi are hard, uric acid deposits under the skin. They start out as painless, but over time, they can become painful. They can also cause bone and soft tissue damage and misshapen joints.

To find out if you have gout, your health care provider:

• Will take your medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms.
• Will do a physical exam, including examining the affected joint(s).
• May order various tests, such as:
  • A test of a sample of fluid from one of your painful joints. The fluid is examined under a microscope and is checked for uric acid crystals.
  • A uric acid blood or urine test.
  • An ultrasound or special CT scan to look for uric acid crystal buildup in the affected joint and check for other conditions that may be causing the symptoms.

There are effective treatments for gout. Which treatment you get will depend on your symptoms and the cause of your gout. The goals of your treatment will be to:

• Reduce the pain from gout flares, by using medicines such as:
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen.
  • Acetaminophen and the anti-inflammatory drug colchicine.
  • Oral or injected corticosteroids.
• Prevent future flares, for example by:
  • Making lifestyle changes such as losing weight, limiting alcohol, and avoiding foods high in purines. If you are taking medicines that can cause high uric acid in the blood, your provider may suggest stopping or changing those medicines.
  • If needed, taking medicines to lower uric acid in the blood.
• Prevent tophi and kidney stones, for example with medicines that lower uric acid in the blood.

With early diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle changes, gout is one of the most controllable forms of arthritis. Treatment and lifestyle changes may help people avoid gout flares, lessen their symptoms, and sometimes even become gout free.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Infectious arthritis is an infection in the joint. The infection comes from a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection that spreads from another part of the body. Symptoms of infectious arthritis include:

• Intense pain in the joint
• Joint redness and swelling
• Chills and fever
• Inability to move the area with the infected joint

One type of infectious arthritis is reactive arthritis. The reaction is to an infection somewhere else in your body. The joint is usually the knee, ankle, or toe. Sometimes, reactive arthritis is set off by an infection in the bladder, or in the urethra, which carries urine out of the body. In women, an infection in the vagina can cause the reaction. For both men and women, it can start with bacteria passed on during sex. Another form of reactive arthritis starts with eating food or handling something that has bacteria on it.

To diagnose infectious arthritis, your health care provider may do tests of your blood, urine, and joint fluid. Treatment includes medicines and sometimes surgery.

A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between a bone and other moving parts, such as muscles, tendons, or skin. Bursitis occurs when a bursa becomes inflamed. People get bursitis by overusing a joint. It can also be caused by an injury. It usually occurs at the knee or elbow. Kneeling or leaning your elbows on a hard surface for a long time can make bursitis start. Doing the same kinds of movements every day or putting stress on joints increases your risk.

Symptoms of bursitis include pain and swelling. Your doctor will diagnose bursitis with a physical exam and tests such as x-rays and MRIs. He or she may also take fluid from the swollen area to be sure the problem isn't an infection.

Treatment of bursitis includes rest, pain medicines, or ice. If there is no improvement, your doctor may inject a drug into the area around the swollen bursa. If the joint still does not improve after 6 to 12 months, you may need surgery to repair damage and relieve pressure on the bursa.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Dislocations are joint injuries that force the ends of your bones out of position. The cause is often a fall or a blow, sometimes from playing a contact sport. You can dislocate your ankles, knees, shoulders, hips, elbows and jaw. You can also dislocate your finger and toe joints. Dislocated joints often are swollen, very painful and visibly out of place. You may not be able to move it.

A dislocated joint is an emergency. If you have one, seek medical attention. Treatment depends on which joint you dislocate and the severity of the injury. It might include manipulations to reposition your bones, medicine, a splint or sling, and rehabilitation. When properly repositioned, a joint will usually function and move normally again in a few weeks. Once you dislocate a shoulder or kneecap, you are more likely to dislocate it again. Wearing protective gear during sports may help prevent dislocations.

Hip replacement is surgery for people with severe hip damage. The most common cause of damage is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis causes pain, swelling, and reduced motion in your joints. It can interfere with your daily activities. If other treatments such as physical therapy, pain medicines, and exercise haven't helped, hip replacement surgery might be an option for you.

During a hip replacement operation, the surgeon removes damaged cartilage and bone from your hip joint and replaces them with new, man-made parts.

A hip replacement can:

• Relieve pain
• Help your hip joint work better
• Improve walking and other movements

The most common problem after surgery is hip dislocation. Because a man-made hip is smaller than the original joint, the ball can come out of its socket. The surgery can also cause blood clots and infections. With a hip replacement, you might need to avoid certain activities, such as jogging and high-impact sports.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Knee replacement surgery is a surgery to replace parts of your knee joint with new, artificial parts. You may need a knee replacement if you have knee damage that causes severe pain and difficulty doing daily activities, such as walking and climbing stairs. It is usually done when other treatments for knee pain haven't helped enough. The goal of a knee replacement is to relieve pain and help you move better.

People of all ages may have knee replacement surgery. But it is more common in older people. The decision whether to have surgery is based on your overall health and how much your knee bothers you.

Knee replacement surgery treats conditions that cause the cartilage of the knee joint to wear away. These include:

• Knee osteoarthritis. This is the most common reason for knee replacement surgery. It usually develops over time after an injury or with aging.
• Knee damage from other types of arthritis.
• Problems from knee joints that aren't formed correctly.

During the surgery, a surgeon removes damaged cartilage and some bone from the surfaces of your knee joint. Cartilage is tissue that covers your bones where they meet. Healthy cartilage is smooth and helps the bones glide over each other when you move. When cartilage becomes rough and wears away, the bones rub against each other, causing pain.

After removing the damaged knee cartilage and bone, the surgeon attaches the artificial parts to your bones. The artificial parts are made of metal and plastic. They will give your knee new, smooth surfaces.

Knee replacement surgery may replace all the damaged parts of your knee (total knee replacement) or just part of your knee (partial knee replacement). In a total knee replacement, the surgeon replaces 3 surfaces:

• The end of the shinbone
• The end of the thighbone
• The back of the kneecap

Some people go home the same day they have surgery. Other people will stay in the hospital a few days. To help prevent blood clots, you'll most likely take blood thinners and wear special socks or coverings on your legs for a short time after surgery.

The success of your surgery depends a lot on what you do at home to help yourself recover. A physical therapist will teach you exercises to make your knee stronger and help it bend. It is important to do these exercises regularly. You may need to use a cane or walker for several weeks after the surgery. It will probably also be several weeks before you can drive. Your doctor will tell you when you can start driving again.

Most people who follow their recovery instructions can get back to nearly all of their normal daily activities within 3 to 6 weeks after surgery.

After recovering from surgery, most people can move better with less pain than before surgery. But having an artificial knee is not the same as having a normal, healthy knee.

You need to protect your new knee by:

• Staying at a healthy weight.
• Getting regular physical activity.
• Not doing any high-impact activities, such as jogging, running, and jumping. Instead, you can try low-impact activities that are good for your knee, such as walking, biking, and swimming

The chance of having problems after knee replacement surgery is low. But there are risks after any surgery. Possible problems after knee replacement surgery include:

• Infection
• Blood clots
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Nerve damage
• Scarring that limits how far you can bend your knee

Your age, general health, and how active you are can all affect your risk of having a problem after knee replacement surgery.

A knee replacement doesn't last forever. After 15 to 20 years, the artificial knee parts may become loose or worn. If that happens, you may need another surgery on the same knee.

If you're thinking about having knee replacement surgery, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits. Together you can decide if a knee replacement is right for you.