Joint pain: causes and treatment

Symptoms: joint pain.

Possible causes: trauma, arthritis, dry joints, osteoarthritis.

Doctor: the therapist records complaints, sends them to the clinic and, based on its results, refers the patient to a physician with a narrower specialty.

Treatment: is indicated individually in each case.

Prevention: reduce the load on joints, maintain a healthy lifestyle, get timely medical examination, diet.

Why do joints hurt?

Joints can be damaged for two reasons: arthritis, an inflammation of the tissues of the joint, or joint disease (osteoarthritis), a degenerative-dystrophic process, i. e. the destruction of the cartilage elements of the joint. . The diagnosis should be made by a doctor, but you can manage the symptoms yourself.

Arthritis is like a wildfire: everything starts to flare up, joints swell and hurt a lot even at rest, and when you try to make the slightest movement, the pain increases. The skin in this area turns red and becomes hot to the touch.

With osteoarthritis, things are completely different: the joints are destroyed slowly and imperceptibly at first. Joint pain, mild at first, aching, arising only with movement, is quite pleasant, increases over time, is constant and severe to the point of disrupting sleep and sleep. The insidiousness of this pain is that it is delayed in relation to the pathological process taking place in the joint, and occurs only when the X-ray image shows signs of irreversible, corresponding joint destruction. . This is the phenomenon of proliferation of spines (marginal bone cells) along the edge of the joint surface of the bone to form a joint, narrowing the joint space and showing signs of bone fibrosis - pathological areas that increase bone density. If arthritis affects one joint, such as the knee, biomechanics change and the function of adjacent joints — the hip and ankle joints — is disrupted. They are increased and at the same time, the load is uneven and as a result wears out faster. As a result, arthritis affects each joint, and the pain increases and can spread to all new joints.

Types of pain

The type and nature of pain sensations depend on what causes them.

Joint pain due to colds and acute respiratory infections in the presence of high temperatures (up to 40°C). This pain will go away on its own as soon as the temperature returns to normal and does not require special treatment.

For pain from arthritis:

• sharp,
• pain,
• vibrate
• take a shot,
• occurs at rest and strengthens when performing certain movements,
• for neighboring areas,
• On palpation (palpation) pain is localized, over the entire joint surface, but especially along the joint cavity.

Periarthritis is especially unbearable - inflammation of the tissues surrounding the joint (the sacs, tendons and ligaments of the joint). How things go can be explained by the example of the shoulder joint. First, the joint begins to ache. The pain quickly became intense, almost unbearable. It works on the shoulder blades and neck area, intensifying (and often accompanied by a crackling sound) when you try to stretch your arms out to shoulder height or bend your elbows and bring them back. Eventually the collarbone presses on the anterior shoulder joint, the same spot in the back where there is pain. When you press on them with your fingers, the pain increases. With such acute sensations, the joint should be immobile - the hand should be hung on a towel, trying not to move. This is a necessary condition for the success of the treatment.

Important! as soon as possible to select an appropriate analgesic and anti-inflammatory therapy after examination. This will reduce the severity of arthritis, reduce pain, and improve quality of life.

With arthritis, joint pain varies:

• The pain is initially mild and inconsistent, its characteristic being wave-like - at certain stages the pain does not appear for weeks or even months. But over time, without treatment, attacks become stronger and more frequent, and the intervals between them are reduced.
• Pain at the onset: its flare occurs at the first attempt to take a step, raise an arm, bend over. After that, the joints seem to be growing and the pain is relieved.
• Mechanical Rhythm - the joint starts to hurt when you load it. At first, the pain occurs when carrying a lot - lifting weights, running stairs, walking for a long time, playing sports. Then even small movements cause pain. But at the same time, unlike the discomfort associated with arthritis, the pain from joint disease goes away when you give the joint a rest, bringing peace to the joint. That's why doctors talk about mechanical rhythms: movement causes pain, and rest relieves it.
• Discomfort at night. When resting, it doesn't hurt, but lying down is uncomfortable, always wanting to change positions, looking for positions that can forget joints and spine but can't. Joint pain, that's it! In the morning, the pain is not gone, but it is like being chained or wrapped tightly - the joints do not obey but gradually the numbness disappears, the range of motion in the joints is restored.
• Protective posture. When a joint is painful, you want to use the so-called antalgic - a pain-relieving position, to make this easier. This is best seen in the example of the spine: it also includes joints. When one of them inserts, and with it, a nerve root is inserted into the bone, there is an acute pain on the basis of sciatica. Anyone can diagnose a person with sciatica after seeing how the poor man was disfigured. In fact, with the help of this "tilt, " aided by muscle contractions, the body tries to keep the pain to a minimum.

Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee

Pain from hip injury (and most often on one side) is localized in the upper thigh and radiates down to the knee. He usually starts getting sick in the second half of the day, when he has been working quite a bit. The pain increases with walking, when resting, the pain weakens and disappears.

The knee joint often suffers from both at the same time. They bend easily and begin to hurt when bent. The so-called staircase symptom is characteristic of knee joint damage. The word becomes more painful than climbing; The patient does this by turning to the side. Sometimes a joint becomes wedged in a flexed position due to an outgrowth of bone (osteogenesis) or its fragment (such "lost" bone fragment inside the joint is called a "mouse joint"). Joint obstruction is accompanied by pain that increases when trying to bend or straighten it.

Knee mobility problems are not always related to arthritis. Sometimes the wedge can be "wrong". Among the most common causes of prosthetic knee are:

• Edema (excess fluid in the joint capsule can interfere with complete flexion and extension of the joint).
• Inflammation (inflammation of the tissues in the knee, such as in rheumatoid arthritis and gout).
• Movement of the kneecap (with severe pain).
• Irritation of joint lining tissue.
• Knee injury (Any serious knee injury, such as a sprain, can cause muscle spasms).

Important! If the joint is stuck, and active movements in the joint cannot be performed, an orthopedic specialist should be consulted as soon as possible - emergency room, clinic, hospital. Don't hesitate to call an ambulance - this is a good reason to call it, because you won't get far on one foot and you may not even get to the clinic on your own.

Diagnose

According to the nature of the pain and the appearance of the affected joint, a preliminary diagnosis (arthritis or sclerosis) is possible even without a specialist. But hurry to the district clinic to confirm the hypothesis!

Which doctor should I see?

In case of joint pain, you should make an appointment with your local specialist. He performs the functions of a medical coordinator: he records complaints and clinical symptoms, guides the patient in the examination and, based on its results, decides which doctor to consult. individual patient opinion. Many specialists are involved in maintaining joint health:

• rheumatologist.
• orthopedic surgeon.
• rheumatologist.
• chiropractor (if the joints of the spine are affected).
• podiatrist (when it comes to the joints of the foot).
• operated doctor.
• oncologist.
• neurologist (if the joint has been treated but still hurts).
• dietitian (if joints are painful due to a metabolic disorder, such as gout, or if there is excess weight).

What tests to pass and what to study for?

The examination starts with the simplest - blood tests (from the finger) and biochemistry (from a vein) for signs of inflammation, as well as a general urine test. In some diseases of the joints, the kidneys are involved in the pathological process. Excess uric acid in the urine may indicate gout as a cause of joint disease.

A laboratory study of the synovial fluid inside the joint, which helps to detect the inflammatory process and clarify its nature. It is obtained by puncture of the joint capsule - puncture. If necessary, a histological examination of a piece of synovial membrane lining the joint cavity from the inside will be performed.

A proven diagnostic method is standard two-projection joint radiography. It will help visualize joint space narrowing, bone growth, osteoporosis and osteopenia (areas of decreased and increased bone density.

Currently, comprehensive information about the condition of the joint is provided by magnetic resonance imaging.

What joint diseases can cause pain?

There are more than a hundred such diseases. In the elderly, arthritis is widespread, and in the young, rheumatoid arthritis and trauma (bruises, fractures, ligament injuries).

"Along with arterial hypertension, commonly known as hypertension, joint diseases are leading the list of the most common reasons to seek medical help. Doctor of medical sciences, professor. According to the rheumatology department, the chronic pain that patients have to experience at the same time and therefore they cannot live and work completely is not only a medical problem but also an important social problem. - Of all the diseases of the joints, joint disease is the most common. 97% of people over the age of 65 have it. And if we talk about chronic inflammatory diseases of the joints - arthritis, then here arthritis. It is not a gift, and not only because of the pain syndrome: within 3-5 years of onset, this type of arthritis will inevitably end with the appointment of adisability group for patients. "

How to get rid of urgent joint pain?

Pain relievers have the ability to quickly fix the pain: the pain cannot be tolerated under any circumstances, otherwise it will turn from acute to chronic. This metamorphosis can happen very quickly - in 3-4 weeks, so getting rid of the joint pain needs to be an emergency. The joint starts to hurt as soon as you put stress on it. Therefore, in case of pain, it is recommended to take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with good analgesic effect half an hour before performing any physical activity.

If joint pain worsens at night, in addition, before going to bed, your doctor will recommend taking metamizole sodium, as well as drotaverine with nicotinic acid to improve local blood circulation.

Local therapy Liệu

NSAIDs have significant side effects - they can damage the stomach lining leading to ulcer formation, so they try to apply them topically, as part of all ointments and gels with these properties. anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving. They are usually rubbed into the skin over the affected joint twice a day. Pain is also relieved by special patches with magnetic powder, which are glued to the joints or spine.

What happens if the joints are not treated?

Joint disease if left untreated can lead to loss of freedom of movement and disability. If one or more large joints are affected, they can be replaced with artificial joints. Damage to many joints (polyarthritis), as a rule, is a consequence of a common disease of the body, for example, psoriasis. In this case, the earlier the disease starts, the more dangerous it is because it progresses quickly and can cut your life off pretty quickly.

Conclusion

Joint pain is familiar to most people, and it happens for two main reasons - from inflammation (arthritis) or destruction of bone and cartilage (joints). Interestingly, the joints on the hands and feet hurt in different ways. In the upper extremities, in contrast to the lower extremities, it is not the joints themselves that are usually affected, but the surrounding tissues (tendons, ligaments, sacs). This is due to the different types of loads the arms and legs are subjected to - dynamic and static respectively. Joint pain must be fought from day one: the prospect of disability in the next 10-15 years will please very few people. As part of preventing joint diseases, it's important to lose extra weight to reduce stress on joints and deal with co-morbidities (allergies, diabetes).