Causes of severe joint pain.What to do if your joints hurt.
joint pain
Joint pain (or as it is also called, arthralgia) is an important symptom in the diagnosis of many diseases.She is the first to say that serious changes have begun in the connection of the bones.Joint pain is not always accompanied by swelling, curvature, severe pain on palpation or redness.The patient also does not complain of significant restrictions in the mobility of large joints.It also happens that even an X-ray examination cannot detect signs of inflammation.But this does not make joint pain an innocent symptom: it can indicate serious organic lesions and even pathologies that are not related to the condition of the joint itself.
As statistics show, acute pain in the joints of the arms and legs begins to bother every second person over the age of 40-50.In people who have passed the age of 70, diseases of the musculoskeletal system are even more common: in 90% of cases.
Causes of joint pain
Age-related changes
Possible causes of pain include age-related changes in the joints: cartilage tissue becomes thinner and loses elasticity, causing pain and stiffness with movement.There is also less and less production of synovial fluid, which fills the “capsule” around the bony union and lubricates the joint.
As a result, the joint surfaces may begin to touch and the joint may begin to wear out.Without proper cartilage protection and support, osteoarthritis and other diseases that accompany acute pain can develop.The process of age-related changes in the joint is aggravated by poor nutrition, weak muscle tone, previous injuries, a sedentary lifestyle or, conversely, excessive physical activity.It should be noted that joint discomfort due to the age factor often intensifies in autumn and spring.
physical activity
Increased physical activity can be considered an independent cause why even young people can experience acute pain or joint pain.Intense training at the limit of capabilities and hard physical work in one form or another have a negative effect on the musculoskeletal system.Even in the absence of injury, excessive stress can cause problems with blood flow in the synovium surrounding the joint.Because of this, the cartilage tissue stops receiving “nutrition” and becomes thinner without the possibility of normal regeneration.
Professional athletes and people from certain professions often face this problem: builders, miners, mechanics, etc.
Diseases
Various diseases can also "affect" the joints.Thus, joint pain often confirms the presence of rheumatic processes in which the body's connective tissues are affected.In this case, the pain syndrome manifests itself in the morning and tends to decrease at night.A person feels the most serious discomfort in the small joints of the hands and feet.In the morning, the patient often suffers because he cannot get up immediately and walk quickly: his body is stiff.
Some patients experience joint pain after suffering from an inflammatory disease of the musculoskeletal system.In this case, it is enough to wait until the discomfort disappears on its own.
If the pain is paroxysmal, arose unexpectedly, intensified during the day and persists for several days, while only one joint of the big toe hurts, gouty arthritis can be suspected, in which uric acid crystals accumulate in the joint structures.
If the pain increases very slowly, the inflammatory process has affected the pelvic area, knees, the symptoms intensify during physical work and weaken at night, then the presumptive diagnosis is "osteoarthritis deformans".
Infectious diseases are also among the causes of joint pain;For example, after an intestinal disease, a person may experience discomfort in which all the joints in the body hurt.Mobility in them remains, but the unpleasant symptom lasts for several days.
If there are foci of chronic infections in the human body, they can also cause joint pain.
The list of less common causes of joint pain is long and includes:
- weather dependence;
- heavy metal poisoning;
- long-term use of certain medications;
- post-allergic reactions;
- psychosomatic disorders.
Classification of joint pain.
There are several classifications of joint pain.According to the location criteria, the following are distinguished:
- monoarthralgia: in this case, only one joint is affected;
- oligoarthralgia - different joints hurt at the same time, but no more than four;
- polyarthralgia: discomfort is felt in more than 4 joints of the body.
Depending on the nature of the lesion, the pathology can be inflammatory and non-inflammatory in nature.Post-inflammatory arthralgia and pseudoarthralgia are divided into separate groups.
Joint pain occurs in different circumstances.A person feels initial pains at the beginning of movement: when trying to change the position of the limbs, stand up or walk at a different speed.Night pains occur during the night's rest period, when a person is at rest.This discomfort often causes sleep disorders and greatly impairs quality of life.Referred pain may be noted in areas where there is actually no painful deviation from the normal state.There are also mechanical pains that occur during or after performing certain exercises or activities.
Additionally, joint pain varies in nature.They are:
- boring and sharp;
- permanent and transitory;
- weak, moderate and intense.
This classification is largely subjective and depends on the individual characteristics of the human body.
Diagnosis of joint pain.
To understand why the joints in your legs and arms hurt, you should consult a doctor.The doctor prescribes a series of diagnostic procedures to the patient.To begin with, laboratory tests are carried out:
- General blood tests.It allows detecting deviations taking into account the nature of the joint damage and the degree of its severity.
- Biochemical blood test.For joint inflammation, the levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total protein, seromucoid, diphenylamine reaction, as well as some other indicators confirming a rheumatic diagnosis, are observed.
Additionally, the following examinations may be prescribed:
- Radiography.It is mandatory for painful joints, since without photographs the doctor cannot make a differential diagnosis and assess the degree of damage to the skeletal system;
- Computed tomography.It is used to study the location of injured or inflamed bone areas;
- Ultrasound examination is an accessible diagnostic method that describes the joint and adjacent tissues in detail;
- Densitometry.An additional type of diagnosis that shows how much bone density is preserved.It is used to diagnose osteoporosis;
- Arthroscopy.During the procedure, the specialist visually examines the structure of the joint, its structure, takes a tissue sample from the desired area;Exploration with radionuclides (radioisotopes).Effective in the early stages of joint diseases;
- Arthrography.The doctor injects special contrast agents into the joint (contrast cannot be used).Changing the initial image gives you the opportunity to judge the presence of affected parts in hard-to-reach parts of the joint.
If the doctor deems it necessary, a biopsy, a diagnostic sample of cells from the affected area, is performed.
Joint pain treatment
Treatment of arthralgia will be effective only if doctors discover the cause of the symptom and determine what disease it indicates.To relieve inflammation, the patient may be prescribed:
- condoprotectors - slow down the progression of osteoarthritis, block further destruction of articular cartilage and reduce inflammation;An example of a well-known drug from this group is a drug containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, the components of which activate regenerative processes in cartilage, due to which the pain gradually disappears and the patient's condition improves;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - eliminate pain, prevent the spread of inflammatory reactions, normalize body temperature;
- muscle relaxants: designed to minimize skeletal muscle stiffness;
- antibacterial drugs - used for arthritis of an infectious nature;
- Vitamin and mineral complexes: vitamins D, A, E, C and group B are necessary for normal joint function and rapid recovery.Calcium, magnesium and selenium are also important;
- Hormonal drugs (steroids) are used for severe and severe inflammation, in case of ineffective treatment with non-steroidal drugs.
In parallel with taking pills, intramuscular and intravenous administration of medications, the patient can be prescribed hot ointments and creams, analgesics and anti-inflammatories.
If the pain is unbearable, a nerve block may be performed.During the procedure, powerful medications are used to help you forget about pain symptoms for a while.
Additional methods of treating joint pain include:
- physiotherapy;
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- mechanotherapy;
- joint traction using special equipment;
- diet.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are indicated for the patient:
- shock wave therapy;
- laser therapy;
- phonophoresis;
- myostimulation;
- magnetic therapy and others.
A medicine containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for joint pain.
A line of medications containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate was created specifically to address joint health issues.
Medicines containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate belong to the group of chondroprotectors, that is, medicines that prevent the destruction of cartilage tissue in the joints, which may be associated with age-related changes and increased physical activity, among other reasons.Chondroprotectors help restore joints, relieve inflammation and pain, and prevent further development of the disease.The line of medications, which includes glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, not only relieves symptoms, but acts directly on the cause of joint pain and stiffness.
Surgical treatment of pain syndrome.
In complex cases, it is impossible to eliminate pain in one or several joints at once using non-invasive methods.The patient is then recommended to undergo surgery.Could be:
- arthroscopic debridement: the surgeon makes small incisions and, through them, removes dead tissue from the joint cavity;the operation involves the use of modern endoscopic equipment;
- puncture - with a special needle, the doctor removes the fluid accumulated in the joint;
- periarticular osteotomy: to reduce the load and improve the mobility of the affected joint, the doctor files the articular bones so that they grow together at a certain angle;
- Endoprosthesis is a very serious operation that is used only if it is no longer possible to restore the joint and then a prosthesis is installed.
The doctor decides which method of joint pain treatment is indicated for a particular patient on an individual basis, taking into account age, medical history, symptoms and some other factors.
Prevention
To avoid damage to the joints, maximum attention should be paid to proper nutrition.Your daily diet should contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals.You should avoid junk food, limit meat consumption to 2 or 3 times a week and opt for fish dishes;This has a positive effect on the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.
It is also important:
- do not cool too much;
- lead a moderately active lifestyle;
- abandon bad habits;
- sleep at least 8 hours a day;
- take regular walks in the fresh air;
- Avoid staying in one position for a long time.
If discomfort in the joint still occurs, it is necessary to undergo an examination.If you suspect an inflammatory process, you should not self-medicate.