Causes of severe joint pain.What to do if your joints hurt.
Joint pain
Joint pain (or as it is called - arthralgia) is an important symptom in the diagnosis of many diseases.She was the first to say that serious changes had begun at the junction 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 limitations in the mobility of large joints.It also happens that even an X-ray examination does not allow to see signs of inflammation.But this does not make joint pain an innocent symptom: it can signal serious organic lesions and even pathologies that are not related to the state of the joint itself.
As statistics show, sharp pain in the joints of hands and feet begins to bother every second person over 40-50 years old.In people over 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, which causes pain and stiffness of movement.There is also less production of synovial fluid, which fills the "capsule" around the bone joint and lubricates the joint.
As a result, the joint surfaces can begin to touch and the joint can begin to wear.Without proper protection and support of the cartilage, the development of osteoarthritis and other diseases that accompany acute pain can occur.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 is important to note that joint discomfort due to the age factor often increases in autumn and spring.
Physical activity
Increased physical activity can be considered an independent reason, in which even young people can feel pain or acute pain in the joints.Intensive training at the limit of possibilities and heavy physical work in one way or another negatively affect the musculoskeletal system.Even in the absence of injury, excessive stress can cause problems with blood flow to the synovium surrounding the joint.Because of this, the cartilage tissue stops receiving "food" and becomes thinner without the possibility of normal regeneration.
This problem is often faced by professional athletes and people of certain professions - builders, miners, mechanics, etc.
Diseases
Various diseases can also "hit" the joints.Therefore, pain in the joints often confirms the presence of rheumatic processes in which the connective tissues of the body are affected.In this case, the pain syndrome is pronounced in the morning and tends to decrease in the evening.The person feels the greatest 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 have joint pain after overcoming inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system.In this case, you just need to wait for the discomfort to disappear by itself.
If the pain is paroxysmal, started unexpectedly, increased during the day and lasts for several days, and only one joint on the big toe hurts, you may suspect gouty arthritis, in which uric acid crystals accumulate in the joint structures.
If the pain increases very slowly, the inflammatory process has affected the area of the pelvis, knees, symptoms intensify during physical work and weaken at night, then the diagnosis "deforming osteoarthritis" is assumed.
Among the causes of joint pain are infectious diseases;for example, after intestinal diseases, a person may feel discomfort in which all the joints of the body hurt.Mobility in them remains, but the unpleasant symptom lasts for several days.
If there are pockets of chronic infections in the human body, it can also cause joint pain.
The list of less common causes of joint pain is long and includes:
- dependence on weather conditions;
- heavy metal poisoning;
- long-term use of certain drugs;
- post-allergic reactions;
- psychosomatic disorders.
Classification of joint pain
There are several classifications of joint pain.According to the localization criterion, the following are distinguished:
- monoarthralgia - in this case only one joint is affected;
- oligoarthralgia - different joints hurt at the same time, but not more than four;
- polyarthralgia - discomfort is felt in more than 4 joints of the body.
According to the nature of the lesion, the pathology can be non-inflammatory or inflammatory.Post-inflammatory arthralgia and pseudoarthralgia are divided into separate groups.
Joint pain occurs under different circumstances.A person feels initial pain at the very beginning of movement - when he tries to change the position of his limbs, stand up or walk at a different speed.Night pains occur during the period of nocturnal rest, when the person is at rest.Such discomfort often causes sleep disorders and greatly impairs the quality of life.Reference pain can be observed 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.
In addition, joint pains are of different nature.they are:
- dull and sharp;
- permanent and transient;
- weak, moderate and intense.
This classification is mostly subjective and depends on the individual characteristics of the human body.
Diagnosis of joint pain
To understand why the joints of your legs and arms hurt, you need to see a doctor.The doctor prescribes a series of diagnostic procedures to the patient.To begin with, laboratory tests are performed:
- General blood test.It enables the detection of deviations taking into account the nature of joint damage and the degree of its severity.
- Biochemical blood test.For 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 the diagnosis of rheumatism.
In addition, the following examinations may be prescribed:
- Radiography.It is mandatory for painful joints, because without photographs the doctor cannot carry out a differential diagnosis and assess the degree of damage to the bone system;
- Computed tomography.It is used to study the location of injured or inflamed parts of bones;
- Ultrasound examination is an affordable diagnostic method that describes the joint and adjacent tissues in detail;
- Densitometry.An additional type of diagnostics 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;Radionuclide (radioisotopic) scanning.Effective in the early stages of joint disease;
- Arthrography.The doctor injects special contrast agents into the joint (contrast must not be used).Changing the initial image gives him the opportunity to assess the presence of affected parts in hard-to-reach parts of the joint.
If the doctor considers it necessary, a biopsy is performed - diagnostic sampling of cells from the affected area.
Treatment of joint pain
Treatment of arthralgia will be effective only if doctors discover the cause of the symptoms and determine which disease it signals.To relieve inflammation, the patient can be prescribed:
- chondroprotectors – slow down the progression of osteoarthritis, block further destruction of articular cartilage, reduce inflammation;An example of a well-known drug from this group is a drug containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, the components activate regenerative processes in the cartilage, due to which the pain gradually disappears and the patient's condition improves;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - relieve pain, prevent the spread of inflammatory reactions, normalize body temperature;
- muscle relaxants - designed to minimize skeletal muscle stiffness;
- antibacterial drugs - used for infectious arthritis;
- vitamin-mineral complexes - vitamins D, A, E, C, group B are necessary for the normal functioning of the joints and their 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 tablets, intramuscular and intravenous administration of drugs, the patient can be prescribed warming, analgesic and anti-inflammatory ointments and creams.
If the aching pain is unbearable, a nerve block can be performed.During the procedure, powerful drugs are used that will help you forget about the symptoms of pain for a while.
Additional methods of treating joint pain include:
- physical therapy;
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- mechanotherapy;
- traction of joints using special equipment;
- diet.
Physiotherapy procedures are indicated for the patient:
- shock wave therapy;
- laser therapy;
- phonophoresis;
- myostimulation;
- magnetic therapy, etc.
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 can be linked to changes in age and increased physical activity, as well as a number of other reasons.Chondroprotectors help restore joints, relieve inflammation and pain, and prevent further development of the disease.A line of medications, including glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, not only relieve symptoms, but act directly on the cause of joint pain and stiffness.
Surgical treatment of pain syndrome
In complex cases, it is impossible to remove pain in one or more joints at once with non-invasive methods.Then surgery is recommended to the patient.it could be:
- arthroscopic debridement – the surgeon makes small cuts 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 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 joint bones so that they grow together at a certain angle;
- endoprosthetics is a very serious operation that is used only if it is no longer possible to restore the joint, then a prosthesis is implanted instead.
The doctor decides which method of treating joint pain is indicated for a particular patient individually, taking into account age, medical history, symptoms and some other factors.
Prevention
In order to avoid joint damage, it is necessary to pay maximum attention to proper nutrition.Your daily diet should contain all necessary vitamins and minerals.You should avoid fast food, limit meat consumption to 2-3 times a week and switch to fish dishes - this has a positive effect on the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.
Also important:
- do not catch a cold;
- lead a moderately active lifestyle;
- give up 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 occurs in the joint, you need to undergo an examination.If you suspect an inflammatory process, you should not self-medicate.