Common causes
- Wear of the joints and spine
- Cartilage thins and discs lose height with age. This is the basis of osteoarthritis and spondylosis, though how much pain it causes varies a great deal between people.
- Disc problems
- A disc in the spine can bulge or slip and press on a nearby nerve root. In the lower back this is the most common cause of sciatica.
- Load and weight
- Extra body weight increases the load on the knees, hips and lower back. Heavy lifting and jobs with a lot of standing or bending also add strain.
- Posture and desk work
- Long hours at a desk or on a phone, with the head bent forward, are linked with neck and upper back pain.
- Past injury
- An old fracture, ligament tear or sports injury can lead to arthritis in that joint years later.
- Other health conditions
- Diabetes, low vitamin B12, thyroid problems and some medicines can cause nerve pain and tingling. Shingles can leave nerve pain behind after the rash heals.
Who is at higher risk
- Adults over about 45, as joint and disc wear increases with age
- Women after menopause, who have a higher rate of knee and hand osteoarthritis
- People who are overweight or not physically active
- People in desk jobs, driving jobs or work that involves heavy lifting
- People with diabetes, especially when blood sugar has been high for years
- People with a family history of arthritis
What we ask about
- When the pain started, and any fall, injury or strain before it
- Where it is, whether it spreads, and what it feels like
- What makes it worse or better: movement, rest, heat, cold, weather or time of day
- Your work, posture, exercise and weight
- Blood sugar, thyroid, vitamin levels and other conditions you have
- Medicines, painkillers and physiotherapy you have tried so far