5 Joint Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

Does your body sound like a bowl of cereal in the morning? Snap, crackle, pop? Many of the noises you hear from your joints are normal, but everyday joint pain does not have to be a normal part of your routine. Musculoskeletal pains can interfere with daily activities, but with a proactive approach to joint care and paying attention to the signs your body gives you, you can continue moving towards optimal joint health.

1. Interference with Daily Activities

If you find yourself unable to do the activities you normally enjoy, you should see a physician to have your joints evaluated. Certain joint conditions can make even the simplest daily activities, like brushing your hair, showering, and opening doors, painful and difficult. When this happens, you need to reach out to your doctor.

It is not uncommon to wake up with stiff muscles and joints in the morning, but if this stiffness doesn’t go away or takes a long time to go away, there may be a more serious problem. Arthritis can interfere with daily function so you should visit your doctor to get a proper evaluation and treatment plan to restore mobility, flexibility, and quality of life.

2. Disrupted Sleep

Your immune system defends against both internal and external threats, but sometimes it acts erroneously and targets healthy cells and tissues, including the joints. This inflammation from autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can intensify at night, triggering higher levels of pain which disrupts sleep. It can also contribute to prolonged morning discomfort and joint stiffness.

Losing any sleep at night, even a few hours, can in turn prompt further inflammation and pain, creating a vicious cycle and serious joint degeneration. If certain autoimmune conditions are left untreated, healthy joint tissues can weaken, leading to long-term damage, reduced mobility, joint deformities and eventual disability. In fact, arthritis and other joint conditions are the leading causes of disability in American adults.

3. Catching or Popping

If it feels like your joints are catching or popping, this could mean that you have a meniscus tear, the cartilage in the joint has torn, or that bits of cartilage have broken off in the joint. Over time, the cartilage between your joints naturally wears down, creating a larger, rougher joint surface. Movement, then, causes the bones in the joint to rub together, causing a popping sound or catching.

Popping and catching associated with pain can be a symptom of early-stage degenerative or traumatic arthritis or a tendon issue. If you ignore these signs the cartilage may wear away completely, causing more serious and permanent mobility problems.

4. Numbness

Occasional tingling or numbness is typically nothing to worry about, but if it persists and there is no apparent cause, there could be a more serious problem. Numbness or tingling (also known as paresthesia) is most often caused by nerve compression or restricted blood flow, but can also occur when a swollen joint compresses or irritates a nearby nerve.

There can be a number of potential causes of numbness in the extremities, so proper diagnosis is important for effective treatment. It is possible that a serious underlying condition could be the cause, and if ignored, the risk for severe joint discomfort, permanent nerve damage, or disability increases.

5. Swelling

Inflammation appears as joint swelling, redness in the area, or a section of skin that’s unusually warm to the touch. If there has been no recent injury to the area, this swelling may be due to arthritis, infection or can also be a sign that the cartilage in the joint is breaking down. If left untreated, the cartilage may wear out completely.

Most joint conditions can be successfully treated when identified early, but if ignored, the risk of immobility increases, which can significantly impact your quality of life. Don’t let joint pain slow you down, and seek medical care if you experience any of these symptoms. The sooner the cause of your joint discomfort is identified, the better the chances are of successful treatment.

Natural Joint Support

In addition to bringing these symptoms to your doctor’s attention, proactive healthcare for your joints will keep you moving at your own speed. One of the best ways to do this is by ensuring your body gets the nutrients it needs to support healthy joint function. Powerful joint-targeted ingredients that can help promote joint function at any age include:

• AprèsFlex® Boswellia Serrata extract, a proprietary extract that has been clinically-researched to both support joint health and reduce joint pain.
• Zanthin® Natural Astaxanthin, which contains roughly 10–20 times more astaxanthin than standard krill oil, provides antioxidant support to reduce joint discomfort caused by oxidative stress and inflammation.

• Different types of collagens, such as I, V, and X collagen, which contain the same joint compounds and proteins that are essential for the maintenance of healthy joint and connective tissues, and type II Collagen, found naturally in cartilage and has been shown to help maintain healthy joints.
• Hyaluronic acid, which helps keep your joints properly lubricated by maintaining synovial fluid in the joints for pain-free movement.

Final Thoughts

Joint function can deteriorate over time, so it is important to pay attention to any signs of distress from your joints. Some joint ailments can be debilitating, but with the right approach, joint function can be maintained and even improved. This approach starts with balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and joint-healthy nutrients to protect your joints and keep you moving.