Joint pain (arthralgia) is an important symptom in the diagnosis of a variety of diseases. It was she who was the first to say that serious changes began at the junction of the bones.
Usually, with arthralgia, there is no swelling, curvature, severe pain when feeling, redness. Significant restrictions on mobilitylarge jointsthe patient also does not complain. It also happens that even an X-ray examination does not allow us to see signs of inflammation. But that doesn't make arthralgia (joint pain) innocent.symptom:it can signal severe organic lesions and even diseases that are not related to the state of the joint itself.
As statistics show,painvhand jointsand every second person over the age of 40 begins to disturb the legs. For persons who have crossed the 70-year-old milestone,diseasesthe musculoskeletal system is even more common - in 90% of cases.
Causes of joint pain
One of the mainreasonsthe problem is infectionacuteinfection.Achingpain can occur both before the onset of the first symptoms of the disease, and in its early stages. With an infectious lesionachesall joints of the body. . . Mobility is preserved in them.
Post-infectioussharpjoint pains make themselves felt after:
- urogenital infections;
- bowel diseases.
The causes of the disease also include: secondary syphilis, tuberculosis, endocarditis. If the human body has foci of chronic infections - in the bile ducts, kidneys, pelvic organs, with parasitic infections - it can alsoache joints. . .
Arthralgia (joint pain) often confirms the presence of rheumatic diseases. In this case, the pain syndrome is associated with changes in weather conditions. More often, the patient feels strong discomfort in the large joints of the lower extremities. In the morning, he suffers from the fact that he cannot immediately get up and walk quickly - because of soreness and a feeling of stiffness in the joints.
If the pain is paroxysmal, arose unexpectedly, intensified during the day and persists for several days, whileachesonly one joint, gouty arthritis can be suspected (uric acid crystals accumulate in the articular structures).
If pain grows very slowly, affecting large joints that are subject to stress (most often knee or hip), increasing with physical exertion and / or accompanied by morning stiffness, we can assume the development of osteoarthritis (the old name of osteoarthritis), i. e. , degenerative-dystrophic processesin the joint.
Common causes of joint pain:
- pathology of the thyroid gland;
- weather dependence;
- heavy metal poisoning;
- frequent physical injury;
- long-term use of certain medications;
Classification of joint pain
There are several classifications of joint pain. According to the criterion of localization, there are:
- monoarthralgia (only one joint is affected);
- oligoarthralgia (hurtsimultaneously differentjoints - but not more than five);
- polyarthralgia (discomfort is present in more than 5 joints of the body).
Also, taking into account the location of the joints, arthralgias are general and localized. By the nature of the lesion, the pathology can be non-inflamed and inflamed.
The pain that manifests itself in diseases of the musculoskeletal system is conventionally divided into:
- starting (appear at the very beginning of the movement);
- mechanical (a consequence of exercise, long walking, running);
- reflected (marked in areas where, in fact, there are no pathological changes);
- night (disturb during a night's rest).
More joint pains can be:
- dull and sharp;
- permanent and transient;
- weak, moderate and intense.
Post-inflammatory and pseudoarthralgias are distinguished into separate groups.
Diagnosis of joint pain
To understandwhy do the joints of the legs hurt,hands, the doctor prescribes the patient to undergo a series of diagnostic procedures. To begin with, laboratory tests are taken:
- General blood analysis. It makes it possible to detect deviations, taking into account the nature of the joint lesion and the degree of its severity. An increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, confirming the presence of inflammation, with a normal number of leukocytes is a sign of rheumatic pathology. If leukocytes, on the contrary, are increased, pain predominates in the spine and individual joints, it is most likely that the nature of the disease is infectious.
- Blood chemistry. In case of joint inflammation, they look at the levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total protein, seromucoid, diphenylamine reaction, as well as some other indicators that confirm a rheumatic diagnosis.
Additionally, the following examinations can be assigned:
- Radiography. It is mandatory for painful joints, since the doctor cannot carry out differential diagnostics and assess the degree of damage to the skeletal system without pictures.
- CT scan. Used to study the location of inflamed areas.
- Immunoelectrophoresis. An additional type of diagnosis, showing how far rheumatoid arthritis has spread.
- Arthroscopy. During the procedure, a specialist visually examines the structure of the knee joint, its structure, and takes a tissue sample from the desired area.
- Radionuclide scanning. Effective in the early stages of joint diseases.
- Arthrography. The doctor injects special contrast agents inside the joint (contrast may not be used). A change in the initial picture makes it possible for him to judge the presence of affected sections in hard-to-reach parts of the joint.
If the doctor deems it necessary, a biopsy is done.
Joint pain treatment
Treatmentarthralgia will be effective only if the doctors find out the cause of the symptom, establish the development of which disease it signals. To relieve inflammation, the patient may be prescribed:
- Hondoprotectors. They slow down the progression of osteoarthritis, block further destruction of articular cartilage, and reduce inflammation. An example of such drugs from this group are combined preparations containing 2 components of cartilage, chondroitin and glucosamine in therapeutic dosages, chondroitin sulfate 1200mg, glucosamine 1500mg, capsule release form. These components activate the regenerative processes in the cartilage, due to which the pain gradually disappears, 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. For the normal functioning of the joints and their early recovery, vitamins A, E, C, group B are needed. Selenium, calcium, etc. are also important.
- Hormones, steroids. They are used if the joint is very inflamed, and the drug treatment was ineffective.
In parallel with taking tablets, intramuscular and intravenous administration of drugs, the patient can be prescribed warming, analgesic and anti-inflammatory ointments.
If the pain is unbearable, nerve blockade may be performed. During the procedure, powerful medications are used that help to forget about the symptoms of arthralgia for a long time.
Additional methods of treating joint pain include:
- physiotherapy exercises;
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- mechanotherapy;
- traction of joints using special equipment;
- diet.
From physiotherapy procedures, the patient is shown:
- Shock wave therapy;
- ozone therapy;
- phonophoresis;
- myostimulation and some others.
Surgery
In difficult cases, it is impossible to eliminate discomfort in the area of one or several joints using non-invasive methods. Then the patient is advised to undergo surgery. This could be:
- Arthroscopic debridement. The surgeon makes tiny incisions and through them removes dead tissue from the joint cavity. The operation involves the use of modern endoscopic equipment.
- Puncture. Using a special needle, the doctor draws the accumulated fluid from the joint.
- Periarticular osteotomy. In order 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.
- Endoprosthetics. A very serious operation, which is used only if it is no longer possible to restore the joint. Then a prosthesis is installed instead.
The doctor decides which method of treating joint pain is indicated for a particular patient on an individual basis, taking into account age, history, symptoms and some other factors.
Prophylaxis
To avoid damage to the joints, you need to pay maximum attention to proper nutrition. All essential vitamins and minerals should be present in the daily diet. Junk food should be discarded. It is necessary to drink about 2 liters of clean drinking water per day - this has a positive effect on the work of the musculoskeletal system.
It is also important:
- do not overcool;
- to live an active lifestyle;
- to refuse from 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 does arise, it is necessary to undergo an examination. It is impossible to self-medicate if an inflammatory process is suspected.