Common Causes of Joint Pain in Young Adults | 12 Reasons

26 Feb Common Causes of Joint Pain in Young Adults | 12 Reasons

Young adults usually have quite a few things on their plate and have to deal with a lot to establish a comfortable and successful life. Sadly, joint pain doesn’t make anything easier.

Joint pain is no longer confined as an older person’s issue. It is now common among young adults as well. 

In fact, in a national survey, it was clearly found that around 30% of US adults are struggling with some form of joint pain. 

Joint pain can be typically described as discomfort around the joints. 

So, what do you think could be the possible causes of joint pain in young adults?

In most cases, sudden joint pain causes in young adults could be something very common and can be easily treated. 

However, in rare cases, the causes of joint pain in 20s could also be something serious. 

Here is a discussion on some of the common causes of joint pain in young adults.

12 Causes Of Joint Pain In Young Adults 

Joint pain in 20s is a common scenario these days. 

Young people thriving to make a stable life often overlook their health, leading to a lot of issues, and joint pain and stiffness all over body is one of them.

Joint pain is a sign of an unusual happening in your body and is not something you should ignore. 

Here are some of the reasons for joint pain in young adults that is not arthritis:

#1. Obesity

#2. Sedentary Lifestyle

#3. Calcium Deficiency

#4. Lack Of Vitamin D

#5. Dehydration

#6. Depression

#7. Poor Footwear Choices

#8. Poor Posture

#9. Too Much/Lack of Exercise

#10. Smoking

#11. Underlying Health Issues

#12. Heavy Backpacks

Now, let’s discuss these sudden joint pain causes in detail.

#1. Obesity

Sugary diet soda, 2-minute noodles, and lack of sleep have become usual for young adults. These are also the prominent reasons behind obesity. 

According to a survey, around 71% of the US adults above 20 are overweight, and widespread weight-induced joint pains are also no more a surprise. 

Being extra weight puts a lot of pressure on the joints of the lower body. Hence, pain is obvious. 

Moreover, according to a review, obesity and chronic pain are severe public health concerns and also have reciprocal negative effects.

Although the relationship between being overweight and pain is not direct, it is certainly stimulated by various factors. For instance, lifestyle and body posture. 

#2. Sedentary Lifestyle

Being young and busy is a blessing. However, a dynamic schedule tires your soul and not only your body. 

If you have been sitting at your desk all through the day, the sight of the couch at night makes you wanna jump over it. 

But if you are living a couch potato life, it is certainly going to affect your joint health and hence, pain is inevitable.

A sedentary lifestyle is not a healthy choice. 

If you spend most part of the day relaxing or sitting, the lack of mobility creates stress and induces joint pain. 

According to a study, there was a positive relationship between sedentary behavior and knee Osteoarthritis among adults. 

In the end, the study recommended that adults dealing with knee OA should do something about their sedentary lifestyles.

#3. Dehydration

Only muscle soreness and excessive thirst are not the signs of dehydration. Joint pain is another notable indication of dehydration. 

To inform you, around 75% of total America lacks proper hydration. 

Yes, you read that right!

Moreover, if you are young and not properly hydrated, it can cause a lack of lubrication in your joints and result in joint pain. 

Around 80% of the joint cartilage is the composition of water. Hence, lack of it can create friction and possibly give rise to chronic joint pain in young adults.

#4. Poor Footwear Choices

Footwear adds to the personality and high heels top the list among most women when it comes to looking smart. 

However, wearing high heels puts a lot of pressure on the toes, stresses the joints, and misaligns the posture. 

Those who wear high heels regularly complain of foot pain, chronic knee pain, strained backs, and neck. 

Adding to it, wearing ill-fitted and unsupportive shoes also doesn’t help. If you are an athlete, picking the right shoe for the right sport becomes critical to avoid any kind of pain. 

Therefore, it is now evident that making poor footwear choices can cause joint pain and stiffness all over body. 

#5. Heavy Backpacks

Mobile working style makes the backpacks of the people heavy. 

They tend to carry laptops, chargers, and other electronics for smooth working. 

While people often ignore it, it works like a slow poison. Overloaded backpacks affect the posture and also influence the walking style.

Furthermore, continually carrying something weighty on the back puts unusual strain on the neck and spine. It can also result in shoulder joint pain. 

#6. Depression

Depression is spreading like a wildfire among young adults. So many dreams, sleepless nights, and a competitive environment create pressure. 

Prolonged stress sucks the person, immaterial of age, into the black hole of depression and anxiety. 

Moreover, you must know joint pain is one of the physical symptoms of depression. 

Even in a study, it was well concluded that depression and physical pain which includes joint pain have biological connections. 

So, if you are a young adult who is fighting with joint pain on a daily basis, there are chances it might be because of depression. 

To elaborate, depression drags you to a sedentary lifestyle, lack of nutrition, and poor sleep, giving rise to painful joints. This also contributes to the leading causes of joint pain in young adults.

#7. Poor Posture

Poor body posture creates stress on the joints, and your whole body suffers. 

Sitting for hours, working on laptops and PCs, using uncomfortable furniture, working or the habit of sitting in a bad posture for a longer duration can make your joints suffer. 

Undoubtedly, poor posture leads to bad alignment of your shoulder, spine, back, and even feet joints. 

#8. Too Much/Lack of Exercise

A muscular body, lean muscles, and a well-developed physique are what the young generation is quite attracted to. 

This is absolutely great!

However, it must not be ignored that this kind of fitness requires lifting weights and performing intense workouts. 

Notably, if you are into working out and complain about joint pains, it might be because you are doing it wrong. Also, in the beginning, people work out for more than the required hours.  

On the contrary, if you are not moving enough, and, on top of that, avoid exercising, it takes away the flexibility and lubrication of the joint.

This even makes normal movements painful. Both lack and excess exercise can contribute to knee joint pain in young adults.

RELATED: Can Weightlifting Cause Arthritis Joint Pain

#9. Smoking

Smoking is not only detrimental to your lungs and throat but also to your joints.

Consumption of nicotine can play with your joint health. It can not only sabotage the discs of your vertebrae but also confines the blood flow to the bones. 

Additionally, after the age of 30, women’s bone density naturally declines. Smoking cigarettes only expedites the process and restricts the formation of new bones. 

This puts a lot of pressure on the bones and weakens the immunity, recasting even the small inconvenience into something big. 

Young women may experience severe joint pain if they are into smoking.

#10. Calcium Deficiency

What do you think of first when you hear joint pain?

Calcium deficiency maybe, right?

It is because calcium is what bones primarily consist of, and its deficiency will certainly lead to joint pain. 

Hypocalcemia or deficiency of calcium causes bones to become brittle. This makes the bones more prone to injury. 

Adding to it, brittle bones along with bad posture can be one of the causes of arthritis in young adults. 

#11. Lack Of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is not made by the body itself. It’s synthesized in the presence of sunlight. 

However, vitamin D is vital for maintaining the calcium and phosphorus level in blood and keeping the bones healthy and strong. 

Lack or inadequate levels of calcium and phosphate can lead to softening of bones, and this can develop into joint pains. 

Young adults with a poor lifestyle and eating habits can get prone to joint pain and may not be aware of its causes. 

#12. Underlying Health Issues

Apart from a sedentary lifestyle, lack of nutrients, bad posture, and poor footwear, there are other causes of joint pain in young adults. 

It could be your rudimentary health issues that you have ignored for a long time. 

To begin with, if you have had an injury in the past but have ignored it or left the medication in between, your joint pain could be the result of that. 

Also, if you have gout or thyroid, there are chances that the joint pain you have been feeling lately is a sign of that. 

Well, now these were some of the common causes of joint pain in young adults. 

However, there is one more serious cause that is often associated with joint pain, i.e. arthritis. 

Additionally, it seldom happens that people don’t confuse their joint pain with arthritis. 

But is it always true?

Before you jump to the conclusion, let’s find out the truth first.

Is Joint Pain Always Arthritis?

Arthritis is a combination of numerous diseases the primary symptom of which is joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation. 

Surprisingly, it is no longer an old person’s disease. Today, even young adults of 30-40 years get diagnosed with arthritis.

And this is the reason why people conclude their joint pain as arthritis as soon as they reach their 30s and 40s.

It is true that arthritis can happen to people of any age. 

In fact, in a survey, it was evident that around 7% of the people in the US diagnosed with arthritis were of the age group 18-44 years.

Moreover, there are 5 different types of arthritis and the reasons for arthritis in young adults are so common that there’s no surprise if they get ignored. 

#1. Degenerative Arthritis

Degenerative or osteoarthritis causes the wear and tear of bones. This creates friction among the joints and gives rise to pain. Some of the reasons behind it are:

• Hereditary Abnormality
• Excess Weight
• Injured Bones And Ligaments

#2. Metabolic Arthritis

Metabolic arthritis is the result of metabolic dysfunction. 

It happens because of high uric acid that damages the crystal around the bones and makes the movement difficult. 

It may be because of:

• High secretion of uric acid 
• Insufficient uric acid excretion from the body

#3. Reactive Arthritis

Reactive arthritis is the result of joint pain triggered by an infection in the body. 

Young adults dealing with infections like:

• Hepatitis
• Rheumatic Fever
• Mumps

…can experience joint pain. 

#4. Septic Arthritis

When your joint pain gets infected, the first sign is the pain. These infections could be bacterial, viral, and even fungal. 

If you have a wound near your joints and that gets infected, there are chances of septic arthritis. This can happen to even young adults. 

So, joint pain in the 20s is not something alien. 

#5. Inflammatory Arthritis

If you have an autoimmune disorder, inflamed joints come in handy. 

Autoimmune disorder can happen to people of any age. 

In the same context, it can give rise to rheumatoid arthritis that can create permanent damage to the bones. 

Considering the reasons behind the different types of arthritis, it won’t be wrong to say that, immaterial of what your age is, you can get infected. 

Nonetheless, that doesn’t warrant the extra worry of thinking every joint pain to be arthritis. 

If you are not in the age where joint pain is common and obvious, it’s better to get it diagnosed than to make any hasty conclusions.

Joint Pain Diagnosis At The Doctor’s Office

Just like the diagnosis of any other disease, joint pain diagnosis also starts with a simple inquiry. This helps you find the reason behind your joint pain in time.

At the doctor’s, you might get asked about medical history, your family history of joint pains, and if you have suffered an injury in the past. 

After that, a physical examination can take place to identify the intensity of pain and smoothness of the movement. 

Not to mention, joint pain is also the result of nutritional deficiency and other health issues like bacterial infections and high uric acid. Therefore, its diagnosis may also include several tests. 

These tests may include:

• Bone density test
• Uric acid test
• X-Ray
• MRI
• CT Scan

A proper diagnosis can help find the root cause of the joint pain in adults and lead to better treatment. 

How To Treat Joint Pain?

Joint pain treatment solely depends on its causes.

To explain, the causes of knee joint pain in young adults could vary from lack of vitamin D to lifting heavy weight without proper guidance. Both of these require different treatments. 

If the joint pain is at its beginning stage and the reasons are not something medical, making some minor lifestyle changes may help treat it. 

Here are some of the ways to treat joint pain naturally:

• Don’t skip your daily exercise.
• Stick to a healthy diet and include calcium-rich foods.
• Avoid sitting for long hours. 
• Develop the habit of stretching in between your work. 
• Maintain a proper body posture. 
• Keep yourself well hydrated.
• Choose comfortable footwear rather than fashionable ones.
• Avoid carrying heavy backpacks on only one side of the shoulder. 
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Get rid of fatigue and keep yourself as physically active as possible.
• Maintain a good distance from smoking.
• In case of minor injury, try an ice pack.
• Use hot bags to reduce joint pain and swelling.

 These are some of the general joint pain treatments. 

However, if your joint pain is because of some nutritional deficiency like lack of calcium and vitamin D, it’s better to take the proper supplements after consulting the physician.

Adding to it, in case of infections, autoimmune disorders, injury, and fractures, you may need antibiotics. In some cases, go may also need surgery.

Do not forget, physiotherapies also work. In some patients, physiotherapy is recommended after surgery for smooth movement. 

Joint pain in young adults is increasing at an alarming rate.

Nevertheless, with proper diagnosis and treatments, it can be prevented and even cured. 

Final Verdict

Causes of joint pain in young adults may vary depending upon their lifestyle, diet, genes, and medical history. 

The joint pain that a young adult is suffering from might be because of an infection, an injury, underlying health issues, or simply a sedentary lifestyle.

However, people still think of any joint pain as arthritis. This is not always true.

Moreover, with proper care and attention, mild joint pains can be treated. Whereas, severe painful joints might require some special attention. 

If you are a young adult trying to win over life but with joint pain, it’s time to get rid of the painful baggage and glide your way to success painlessly.

In case you resonate with the blog, don’t forget to like it. 

Also, if you know any young souls crippling with joint pain, help them find the right answers by sharing this blog. 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Causes of Bursitis: Is It Serious?