Joint pain (arthralgia) is an important symptom in the diagnosis of various diseases. He was the first to say that serious changes begin at the junction of bones.
Usually, with arthralgia, there is no swelling, curvature, severe pain when felt, redness. Significant restrictions on mobilitylarge jointsthe patient also did not complain. It also happens that even X-ray examination does not allow us to see signs of inflammation. But that doesn’t make arthralgia (joint pain) innocent.symptoms:it can signal severe organic lesions as well as diseases unrelated to the condition of the joint itself.
As statistics show,sickvhand jointsand every second person over the age of 40 begins to interfere with the feet. For those who have passed the achievement of 70 years,diseasethe musculoskeletal system is more common - in 90% of cases.
Causes of joint pain
One of the main onesbecausethe problem is infectionacuteinfection.heartachepain can occur both before the onset of the first symptoms of the disease, and in its early stages. With contagious woundsheartacheall joints of the body. . . Mobility is preserved in it.
Post -infectioussharpjoint pain felt after:
- urogenital infections;
- intestinal disease.
Causes of this disease also include: secondary syphilis, tuberculosis, endocarditis. If the human body has a focus of chronic infection - in the bile ducts, kidneys, pelvic organs, with parasitic infections - it can alsojoint pain. . .
Arthralgia (joint pain) often confirms the presence of rheumatic disease. In this case, the pain syndrome is associated with changes in weather conditions. More often, patients feel strong discomfort in the large joints of the lower leg. In the morning, he experienced the fact that he could not immediately get up and walk quickly - because of pain and a feeling of stiffness in the joints.
If the pain is paroxysmal, arises unexpectedly, intensifies during the day and persists for several days, whileheartacheonly one joint, gouty arthritis can be suspected (uric acid crystals accumulate in the articular structure).
If the pain grows very slowly, affects large joints subjected to stress (most often the knee or hip), increases with physical exercise and / or is accompanied by morning stiffness, we can assume the development of osteoarthritis (old name osteoarthritis), ie. , degenerative-dystrophic processes in the joints.
Common causes of joint pain:
- pathology of the thyroid gland;
- weather dependence;
- heavy metal poisoning;
- frequent physical injuries;
- long-term use of certain medications;
Classification of joint pain
There are several classifications of joint pain. According to the localization criteria, there are:
- monoarthralgia (only one joint is affected);
- oligoarthralgia (painsimultaneously differentjoints - but not more than five);
- polyarthralgia (discomfort found in more than 5 joints of the body).
Also, taking into account the location of the joint, arthralgia is common and localized. By the nature of the lesion, the pathology can be non -inflammatory and inflammatory.
Pain that manifests itself in diseases of the musculoskeletal system is conventionally divided into:
- begins (appears at the beginning of the movement);
- mechanical (as a result of exercise, long walks, running);
- reflected (marked in areas where, in fact, there are no pathological changes);
- night (disturbance during night rest).
More joint pain can be:
- dull and sharp;
- permanent and temporary;
- weak, simple and intense.
Post-inflammatory and pseudoarthralgias were differentiated into separate groups.
Diagnosis of joint pain
To understandwhy do the joints of the legs hurt,hand, the doctor prescribes the patient to undergo a series of diagnostic procedures. For starters, laboratory tests are taken:
- General blood analysis. It is possible to detect deviations, taking into account the nature of the joint lesion and its severity. 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 other hand, increase, pain dominates the spine and joints of the individual, most likely the nature of the disease is contagious.
- Blood chemistry. In the case of joint inflammation, they looked at the levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total protein, seromucoids, diphenylamine response, as well as several other indicators that confirmed the diagnosis of rheumatism.
In addition, the following examinations may be given:
- Radiography. It is mandatory for painful joints, as doctors are unable to conduct differential diagnostics and assess the degree of damage to the skeletal system without a picture.
- CT scan. Used to study the location of inflamed areas.
- Immunoelectrophoresis. An additional type of diagnosis, indicating the extent to which rheumatoid arthritis has spread.
- Arthroscopy. During the procedure, a specialist visually examines the structure of the knee joint, its structure, and takes tissue samples from the desired area.
- Radionuclide scanning. Effective in the early stages of joint disease.
- Arthrography. The doctor injects a special contrast agent in the joint (contrast should not be used). Changes to the initial picture allowed him to assess the presence of the affected part in the hard -to -reach part of the joint.
If the doctor deems it necessary, a biopsy is performed.
Treatment of joint pain
Treatmentarthralgia will be effective only if the doctor knows the cause of the symptoms, establishing the progression of which disease is marked. To relieve inflammation, patients can be prescribed:
- Hondoprotectors. They slow the progression of osteoarthritis, prevent further destruction of articular cartilage, and reduce inflammation. Examples of such drugs from this group are combined preparations containing 2 cartilage components, chondroitin and glucosamine in therapeutic doses, chondroitin sulfate 1200mg, glucosamine 1500mg, capsule release form. This component activates the regenerative process in the cartilage, as the pain gradually disappears, the patient's condition improves.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Relieves pain, prevents the spread of inflammatory reactions. Normalize body temperature.
- Relax your muscles. Designed to minimize skeletal muscle spasm.
- Antibacterial drugs. Used for infectious arthritis.
- Vitamin and mineral complex. For normal joint function and its early recovery, vitamins A, E, C, group B are required. Selenium, calcium, etc. are also important.
- Hormones, steroids. They are used if the joints are severely inflamed, and drug treatment is ineffective.
In parallel with taking tablets, intramuscular and intravenous drug administration, patients can be given warming ointments, analgesics and anti-inflammatory.
If the pain is unbearable, nerve blockage can be performed. During the procedure, strong medications are used that help forget the symptoms of arthralgia for a long time.
Additional methods for treating joint pain include:
- physiotherapy training;
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- mechanotherapy;
- joint traction using special equipment;
- diet.
From the physiotherapy procedure, 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 at once using non -invasive methods. Then the patient is advised to undergo surgery. This can be:
- Arthroscopic Debridement. The surgeon makes a small incision and through it removes dead tissue from the joint cavity. The operation involved the use of modern endoscopic equipment.
- Puncture. Using a special needle, the doctor draws the accumulated fluid from the joint.
- Periarticular osteotomy. To reduce the load and increase the mobility of the affected joint, the doctor files the articular bone so that it grows together at a certain angle.
- Endoprosthetics. Very serious surgery, which is used only when it is no longer possible to restore the joint. Then the prosthesis is installed instead.
Doctors decide the method of treating joint pain indicated for a particular patient individually, taking into account age, history, symptoms and several 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 in the daily diet. Snacks 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:
- don't be too cold;
- to lead an active lifestyle;
- to reject bad habits;
- sleep at least 8 hours a day;
- frequent walks in the fresh air;
- avoid being in one position for long periods of time.
If discomfort in the joints arises, it is necessary to undergo an examination. It is impossible to self -medicate if an inflammatory process is suspected.