Joint pain (arthralgia) is an important symptom in the diagnosis of many diseases. He was the first to say that serious changes had begun at the meeting of the bones.
Usually in case of arthritis there is no swelling, curvature, strong pain, redness. Significant mobility restrictionslarge jointsthe patient does not complain either. It also happens that even an X-ray does not allow signs of inflammation. However, this does not render the joint pain innocent.symptom:it may indicate severe organ damage or even diseases that are not related to the condition of the joint.
As the statistics show,painvhand jointsand every second person over the age of 40 begins to bother his leg. For those who have crossed the 70-year milestone,diseasesthe musculoskeletal system is even more common - in 90% of cases.
Causes of joint pain
One of the mainreasonsthe problem is infectionacuteinfection.Sorepain can occur both before the onset of the first symptoms of the disease and in its early stages. With an infectious lesionspeciesall joints of the body. . . Mobility remains in them.
After infectionsharpjoint pain is felt after:
- urogenital infections;
- intestinal diseases.
Causes of the disease also include: secondary syphilis, tuberculosis, endocarditis. If the human body has chronic foci of infection - in the bile ducts, kidneys, pelvic organs, with parasitic infections -the joints hurt. . .
Arthralgia (joint pain) often confirms the presence of rheumatic diseases. In this case, pain syndrome is associated with changes in weather conditions. More often, the patient feels severe discomfort in the large joints of the lower extremities. In the morning, he suffers from not being able to get up immediately and walk fast - due to joint pain and stiffness.
If the pain is paroxysmal, unexpected, intensifies during the day and lasts for several days,speciesonly one joint, gouty arthritis can be suspected (uric acid crystals accumulate in the joint structures).
If the pain grows very slowly, affects the joints that are under heavy use (most commonly the knee or hip), increases with physical exertion, and / or involves morning stiffness, osteoarthritis (the old name for osteoarthritis) can be assumed to develop, e. g. , degenerative-dystrophic processes in the joint.
Common causes of joint pain:
- pathology of the thyroid gland;
- weather dependence;
- heavy metal poisoning;
- frequent injuries;
- long-term use of certain drugs;
Classification of joint pain
There are several classifications of joint pain. According to the localization criteria, they are:
- monoarthralgia (only one joint is affected);
- oligoarthralgia (injuryat once differentjoints - but not more than five);
- polyarthralgia (the discomfort is present in more than 5 joints in the body).
In addition, given the location of the joints, arthralgia is common and localized. By the nature of the lesion, the pathology may be non-inflamed and inflamed.
Pain in musculoskeletal disorders is traditionally divided into:
- departure (appears at the beginning of the movement);
- mechanical (as a result of practice, long walks, running);
- reflected (marked in areas where there are in fact no abnormalities);
- at night (disturbance during night rest).
Additional joint pain may include:
- blunt and sharp;
- permanent and temporary;
- weak, moderate and intense.
Post-inflammatory and pseudoarthralgia are classified into separate groups.
Diagnosis of joint pain
Understandwhy do the joints of the legs hurtin the hands of the doctor, the patient is instructed to perform a series of diagnostic procedures. Initially, laboratory tests are performed:
- General blood test. It allows the detection of abnormalities, taking into account the nature and severity of the joint lesion. Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which confirms the presence of inflammation in addition to a normal number of leukocytes, is a sign of rheumatic pathology. If, on the contrary, leukocytes increase, pain dominates the spine and individual joints, then the nature of the disease is most likely contagious.
- Blood chemistry. In the case of arthritis, the levels of the C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total protein, seromucoid, diphenylamine reaction are examined, as well as some other indicators that confirm the diagnosis of rheumatism.
In addition, the following exams can be ordered:
- Radiography. It is mandatory for painful joints because the doctor cannot perform a differential diagnosis without an image and assess the extent of damage to the bone system.
- CT scan. It is used to study the location of inflamed areas.
- Immunoelectrophoresis. Another type of diagnosis that shows the extent of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Arthroscopy. During the procedure, the person skilled in the art examines the structure of the knee joint and takes a tissue sample from the desired area.
- Radionuclide scanning. It is effective in the early stages of joint disease.
- Arthrography. Your doctor will inject a special contrast agent into your joint (no contrast should be used). Changing the initial image allows him to judge the presence of affected sections in hard-to-reach parts of the joint.
If the doctor deems it necessary, a biopsy will be performed.
Treatment of joint pain
TreatmentArthralgia will only be effective if doctors find out the cause of the symptom and determine which disease it is developing. To relieve inflammation, the patient may be prescribed:
- Hondoprotectors. They slow the progression of osteoarthritis, block further destruction of articular cartilage and reduce inflammation. Examples of such drugs in this group are the combined formulations containing 2 components cartilage, chondroitin and glucosamine in therapeutic doses, 1200 mg chondroitin sulfate, 1500 mg glucosamine, capsule release. These ingredients activate the regenerative processes in the cartilage, as a result of which the pain gradually disappears and the patient's condition improves.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Elimination of pain, prevention of the spread of inflammatory reactions. Normalizes body temperature.
- Muscle relaxants. It is designed to minimize skeletal muscle stiffness.
- Antibacterial drugs. It is used for infectious arthritis.
- Vitamin and mineral complexes. Vitamins A, E, C, B, selenium, calcium, etc. are needed for normal joint function and early healing.
- Hormones, steroids. It is used when the joint is very inflamed and the medication has been ineffective.
In addition to taking the tablets and administering the drugs intramuscularly and intravenously, the patient may prescribe warming, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory ointments.
If the pain is unbearable, nerve blockade can be performed. The procedure uses strong medications to help you forget about the symptoms of joint pain for a long time.
Other methods of treating joint pain include:
- physiotherapy exercises;
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- mechanotherapy;
- traction of joints with special equipment;
- diet.
From the physiotherapy procedures, the patient shows the following:
- Shock wave therapy;
- ozone therapy;
- phonophoresis;
- myostimulation and some others.
Surgery
In severe cases, non-invasive methods make it impossible to eliminate discomfort in one or more joint areas at once. The patient should then have surgery. This could be:
- Arthroscopic debridement. The surgeon makes small incisions and removes dead tissue from the joint cavity. The operation involves the use of modern endoscopic equipment.
- Thrust. Using a special needle, the doctor absorbs the accumulated fluid from the joint.
- Periarticular osteotomy. To reduce the load and improve the mobility of the affected joint, your doctor will file the joint bones so that they come together at a certain angle.
- Endoprosthesis. It is a very serious surgery that is only used when the joint can no longer be repaired. A prosthesis is then inserted instead.
The doctor will decide individually which method of treating joint pain is recommended for a given patient, taking into account age, medical history, symptoms, and a few other factors.
Prophylaxis
You should pay maximum attention to proper nutrition to avoid joint damage. All essential vitamins and minerals should be present in the daily diet. Discard food should be discarded. You should drink about 2 liters of clean drinking water a day - this has a positive effect on the work of the musculoskeletal system.
It is also important:
- do not overcool;
- to lead an active lifestyle;
- refuse bad habits;
- sleep at least 8 hours a day;
- take regular walks in the fresh air;
- avoid staying in one position for long periods of time.
If discomfort occurs in the joint, an examination should be performed. Self-medication is impossible if an inflammatory process is suspected.