Symptom 7: Joint and Muscle Pain
Joint and muscle pain are common complaints across age groups. Whether due to an active lifestyle, age-related wear and tear, or just a strenuous day, we’ve all experienced our share of aches. But when these pains persist, grow in intensity, and don’t relate to any apparent injury, they could be signaling an underlying condition like celiac disease.
When someone with celiac disease ingests gluten, it’s not only the digestive system that’s affected. The body’s immune response can lead to widespread inflammation. This inflammatory state, in turn, can manifest in the joints and muscles, causing pain, stiffness, and discomfort.
While adults commonly report joint and muscle pain as a symptom, children with undiagnosed celiac disease can also experience similar symptoms. It’s especially concerning in younger populations, as it can be mistaken for growing pains or overlooked altogether.
Joint and muscle pain, due to their nonspecific nature, can lead individuals down a rabbit hole of potential conditions. From rheumatoid arthritis to fibromyalgia, the differential diagnosis is vast. However, when this pain is accompanied by other signs of celiac or doesn’t respond to typical treatments, it might be time to consider celiac as a potential root cause. (7)
