Sudden joint pain can throw a monkey wrench into your fitness routine, work and other daily activities. Causes of acute joint pain differ from those that typically cause more gradually developing discomfort. The broad range of possible culprits include injuries, infections and crystals in the joint fluid, among others. Sudden joint pain may affect one or multiple joints and range from mild to severe.
Injuries
Injuries account for many cases of acute joint pain, usually affecting a single large joint such as the knee, ankle, shoulder or elbow. The small joints of the wrist and hand also prove vulnerable to joint-related injuries, which might include ligament and/or cartilage damage, bone fractures or joint dislocation. Pain typically occurs immediately and is characteristically moderate to severe. Swelling, bruising and joint deformity often accompany the pain. You also might feel or hear a pop in the joint. Treatment varies depending on the site and severity of your injury.
Infections
化脓性关节炎是指感染的关节空间，通常由细菌引起。这种情况引起严重的疼痛，在单个关节中以几小时内发展，并且通常伴有发烧和发红，肿胀和难以移动受影响的关节。膝盖最常涉及，但肩部，肘部，手腕，臀部和踝关节也可能被感染。细菌可以直接进入关节，例如在手术期间或涉及关节的程序，或通过血流从身体的其他地方旅行。化脓性关节炎需要用静脉内抗生素进行迫切治疗，以防止永久性接头损伤，从48小时内开始。
关节之外的某些感染也可能导致通常涉及几个关节的突然疼痛。实例包括流感，较少，较少，莱姆病。这些疾病伴随的特征症状通常使诊断相对简单。
Joint Crystals
Your joints contain a small amount of lubricating fluid. With certain medical conditions, crystals form in the joint fluid causing sudden severe inflammation with joint redness, tenderness and intense pain. Gout is the most common of these conditions, in which uric acid crystals form in the joint fluid. Common sites of gout include the base of the big toe, instep, ankle, knee, wrist and elbow. Other types of crystals, such as those that form with pseudogout or CPPD crystal deposition disease, can cause symptoms similar to gout. Anti-inflammatory medication is used to control joint pain during an attack, and other medications and/or dietary changes are sometimes recommended to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence.
Other Causes
Other less common medical conditions can sometimes cause sudden joint pain. People with hemophilia can experience bleeding into one or more joints, leading to sudden pain. This type of bleeding can occur spontaneously or develop after a relatively minor bump or fall. Sickle cell disease can also cause sudden, severe joint pain during a sickle cell crisis, also known as a vaso-occulsive crisis. During this type of attack, the sickle-shaped red blood cells block tiny blood vessels and deprive affected areas of oxygen, causing severe pain. The bones and joints are common sites of this type of pain. Conditions that usually cause more gradual ongoing joint pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, can occassionally cause more sudden flareups in one or more joints.
Next Steps, Warnings and Precautions
Contact your doctor as soon as possible if you develop sudden joint pain, especially if the pain is associated with an injury, redness or a fever. This is especially important if you have an ongoing medical condition, such as hemophilia, sickle cell disease, diabetes or HIV/AIDS, or are taking immune system suppressing medications.
审查和修订：Tina M. St. John，M.D.