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Joint pain and inflammation can be common symptoms in people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. In people with celiac disease, gluten can cause damage to the lining of the small intestine. Gluten sensitivity can cause celiac disease-like symptoms, but it affects less or not at all the small intestine. When a person with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity eats gluten, the immune system causes inflammation. Inflammation can affect the organs and soft tissues of the body. Joint pain can be constant and chronic or intermittent.
The diagnosis of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity is made with a blood test to see the antibodies against gluten. In general, higher levels of certain antibodies indicate that a person has celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. In some cases, a biopsy to the small intestine may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. It is necessary to consume gluten before the biopsy, to avoid obtaining a false-negative result.
The only treatment for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity is the gluten-free diet. For some people who have joint pain due to gluten, the symptoms may improve within a few weeks after eliminating gluten from the diet. For others, it may take a little longer, and for many, the problem may not be due to gluten at all.
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