joint pain

Joint pain, or arthralgia, appears in many diseases and until now its mechanism is not completely clear.Articular elements (ligaments, cartilage, capsules, bones) contain pain receptors and react to inflammatory processes and mechanical irritation.During movement, joint receptors are irritated, signals from them enter the brain and the person feels pain.During inflammation, the receptors become more sensitive to any irritation, as cells of the immune system release substances that conduct pain.

Typically, joint pain is not accompanied by swelling, contour distortion, or redness of the surrounding soft tissues.Pain on palpation of the joints is moderate.In some cases, there are no obvious signs of inflammation on X-ray.There are also no complaints about the obvious reduction in mobility of the large joints.

Arthralgia often accompanies rheumatic diseases.In such a situation, there is pain and ache in the joints due to change in weather.Severe discomfort in the knee and hip joints is more common.Due to stiffness and pain in the joints in the morning, the patient becomes unable to get up and walk immediately.

If the pain in the joints is throbbing, appears unexpectedly, becomes stronger within a day, lasts for several days, and hurts only in one joint, we can assume the presence of arthritis due to gout.Uric acid crystals get deposited in the joint tissues and irritate the tissues, causing pain.

If arthralgia appears in large joints (knees, hips), gradually increases, becomes stronger during physical work, and is joined with stiffness in the morning, then degenerative-dystrophic changes can be diagnosed - osteoarthritis.

Reason

There are various causes of joint pain.One of the most common causes of arthralgia is acute infection.Joint pain may appear before the first symptoms of the disease or in the early stages.Often, during an infectious process, it breaks down joints throughout the body.Also, the amplitude of motion does not change in them.

Severe post-infectious arthralgia appears during urogenital and intestinal infections.

Joints suffer from secondary syphilis, endocarditis, tuberculosis.If there are foci of chronic infection in the body, for example, in the kidneys, bile ducts, pelvic organs, parasitic diseases, then the joints also hurt.

Common causes of joint pain are:

• thyroid disease.
• Poisoning with salts of heavy metals.
• Physical injuries.
• Long-term use of certain medicines.

I am suffering from joint pain due to various diseases.These are divided into 2 large groups:

• Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints caused by infection, autoimmune processes, dysfunction of endocrine glands and metabolism.
• Arthrosis is a disease associated with the destruction of articular cartilage and the underlying articular surfaces of the bones.Over time, the cartilage becomes rough, loses elasticity and cracks.

The division of joint diseases into arthritis and arthrosis is conditional.Without treatment, arthritis eventually turns into arthrosis, as inflammatory processes disrupt the metabolism in the cartilage.They do not get adequate nutrition and they quickly become thin and gradually die.

With arthrosis, which is initially associated with physical overload of the joint, inflammation develops over time.This is due to the accumulation of fragments of cartilage and bone tissue in the articular cavity and triggering of inflammatory reactions.

The risk group of developing this pathology includes:

• Women during menopause.
• There are obvious age-related changes in the body of elderly people.
• Obese patients.
• Patients with a history of joint trauma.
• Athlete.
• People with certain professions.For example, people who spend many hours on their feet (teachers, surgeons, hairdressers, etc.) often have pain in their knee joint.Pain in hand joints is a common symptom among musicians, cashiers and loaders who perform monotonous movements with their hands.

species

There are different classifications of joint pain.According to the location of arthralgia, they are distinguished:

• Mono arthralgia (pain in 1 joint).
• Oligo arthralgia (affecting 2-5 joints).
• Polyarthralgia (pain in more than 5 joints).

Depending on the location of the joints, arthralgia is divided into general and localized.

The nature of arthralgia is:

1. Sharp and dull.
2. momentary and permanent.
3. Weak, moderate and severe.

Features and conditions of occurrence of arthralgia depend on the diagnosis.The most common symptoms of joint pain are:

• start.Arthralgia first occurs when walking, then disappears as you walk.It is associated with friction of the articular surfaces of the bones, which are covered with destroyed cartilage tissue.After a few steps, this mass accumulates in the inversion of the articular capsule and the arthralgia disappears.
• it's hurting.They appear after physical activity of the joints and go away with rest.
• Night.They confirm severe damage to the joint and congestion, caused by blood pressure on the bone tissue beneath the cartilage.After a night's sleep, joints feel stiff and the discomfort goes away as you move.
• Permanent.Occurs when the joint capsule becomes inflamed.
• Sudden (combined blockade).It is caused by a piece of bone or cartilage getting stuck between two articular surfaces.
• exodus.First there is pain in one joint, then the pain spreads to the other joint.
• reflect.They are not felt in the affected joint, but in a nearby joint.For example, if you have hip joint disease, you have knee pain.

diagnosis

If you have joint pain, you should not self-treat.If you have joint pain, be sure to consult your doctor to determine the diagnosis.After the main examination, he will send you for consultation to an orthopedist-traumatologist or rheumatologist.If a previously injured joint becomes ill, consultation with a surgeon is indicated.

It is important to discuss the following points when visiting a doctor:

• When pain appears.
• Due to which the pain becomes less and less.
• How often do painful attacks occur?
• Arthralgia appears for the first time or has existed before.
• Is there hyperemia, swelling or deformity of the joint.
• Have you suffered any stress, acute respiratory illness or heavy physical activity in recent days?

This information will help the specialist make a diagnosis and draw conclusions about the condition of the patient's joints.

After determining the nature of joint pain, the doctor will prescribe an examination and give a referral for:

• General blood and urine analysis.
• Biochemical blood test.
• Immunodiagnostics.
• X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound of joints.
• If necessary, biopsy of the damaged tissue.

X-ray of joints.This method allows you to examine the joint in two projections, and it is possible to perform radiopaque arthrography.

Using MRI and CT, you can evaluate the condition of osteochondral structures and soft tissues in detail.

Ultrasound of joints.Helps to identify effusions in the joint cavity, erosion of the articular surfaces of bones, changes in the synovial membrane, and assess the width of the joint spaces.

Invasive testing methods.If indicated, joint puncture and synovial biopsy are performed.In difficult cases, arthroscopy is performed (examination of the joint cavity from the inside).

Laboratory tests help to identify inflammation and signs of rheumatic pathology.In peripheral blood, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the level of C-reactive protein, uric acid, antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor and ACCP are determined.Microbiological and cytological analysis of synovial fluid is performed.

treatment

Treatment for joint pain should be comprehensive.The strategy includes reducing the mechanical load on the joint, eliminating inflammation, and stopping the progression of the underlying disease.This is the only way to slow down cartilage degeneration, maintain joint mobility and improve the quality of life of a patient suffering from arthritis.

The following measures have been suggested to reduce joint pain:

• Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Physiotherapy (shock wave therapy, ozone therapy, myostimulation, phonophoresis).
• therapeutic exercise.
• Massage.
• Acupuncture.
• Orthopedic or surgical correction.

Conservative therapy is carried out with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, they relieve pain and have an anti-inflammatory effect.Chondroprotectors slow the development of osteoarthritis.These medicines reduce inflammation and prevent further degeneration of the cartilage in the joints.They include cartilage components – chondroitin, glucosamine.Chondroprotectors promote restoration processes in cartilage tissue.

To eliminate skeletal muscle spasms, muscle relaxants are prescribed.

If arthritis is associated with infection, antibiotics are indicated.

For good joint function and recovery processes, complexes of vitamins and mineral elements are also prescribed.Vitamins A, C, E, group B and the mineral elements calcium and selenium are especially important.

In case of severe inflammation and no effect of treatment, glucocorticosteroids are prescribed according to the scheme.

Drug treatment is complemented with ointments that warm, relieve pain and have anti-inflammatory effects.

If the arthralgia is very severe, a block of nerve endings is performed.To do this, they use powerful drugs that will allow you to forget about joint pain for a long time.

To reduce joint pain, joints are protected from overload.Standing for long periods of time, carrying and carrying heavy objects puts pressure on the joints that far exceeds the permissible load and contributes to cartilage damage.

Follow these rules to prevent arthralgia:

• Normalize your body weight.
• Wear comfortable shoes with low heels;If you have flat feet, use orthopedic insoles.
• Avoid psycho-emotional and physical overload.
• During work, change your body position more often, take five minutes to move and relieve muscle tension.
• Choose moderate exercise to maintain physical activity.Alternate mobility with periods of rest.
• Regularly engage in exercises that relieve stress on your joints.For example, you can bend and straighten your legs, and do the "bicycle" exercise while sitting or lying down for 20-30 minutes.After this, rest for 7-10 minutes to improve blood circulation.These exercises help strengthen the cartilage in the joints of the legs.

In severe cases, surgical treatment is necessary.Through small incisions, the doctor will remove necrotic tissue from the joint cavity.If fluid has accumulated in the joint, a puncture is performed.

To reduce the load and increase mobility of the diseased joint, periarticular osteotomy is performed.The bones that form the joint are cut with a saw so that they can then grow together at a certain angle.

In severe cases, joint replacement is performed.

Redressal

Follow these recommendations to avoid joint diseases:

1. If you are obese then normalize your body weight.
2. Drink at least 1.5-1.7 liters of water daily.
3. Avoid hypothermia.
4. Adopt an active lifestyle.
5. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
6. Night sleep should be at least 8 hours.
7. Walk outside as often as possible.
8. Try changing your body position more often.

Summary

According to statistics, arthralgia of the upper and lower extremities occurs in half of people over 40 years old.In patients over 70 years of age, joint diseases are observed in 90% of cases.If sudden pain occurs in a joint, consult a doctor immediately to find out the cause and prescribe treatment.Take care of your joints and load them with useful activity.Only physical exercise can keep your joints mobile, even if the cartilage is damaged and movement becomes uncomfortable.