Joint pain: causes, symptoms, treatment

Causes of severe joint pain. What to do if the joints hurt.

Joint pain

Joint pain (or otherwise called - arthralgia) is an important symptom in the diagnosis of many diseases. He was the first to say that serious changes begin at the junction of bones. Joint pain is not always accompanied by swelling, curvature, severe pain when felt or redness. Patients also did not complain of significant restriction in the movement of large joints. It also happens that even X-ray examination does not allow us to see signs of inflammation. But this does not make joint pain an innocent symptom: it can signify severe organic lesions and even pathology unrelated to the condition of the joint itself.

As statistics show, sharp pain in the joints of the arms and legs begins to bother every second person aged 40-50 years and older. In people who have reached the mark of 70 years, diseases of the musculoskeletal system occur more frequently - in 90% of cases.

Causes of joint pain

Time has changed

Among the possible causes of pain are age -related changes in the joints: cartilage tissue becomes thinner and loses its elasticity, which causes a painful sensation and stiffness of movement. Also, less and less synovial fluid is produced, which fills the "capsule" around the bone junction and lubricates the joint.

As a result, the articular surfaces can begin to come into contact, and the joints can 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 joints is exacerbated by improper diet, poor muscle tone, the presence of past injuries, an inactive lifestyle, or, conversely, excessive physical exercise. It should be noted that age -related discomfort in the joints often increases in the fall and spring.

Physical training

Increased physical activity can be considered an independent reason where even young people may experience joint pain or acute pain. Intensive training at the level of ability and hard labor in one way or another has a negative impact on the musculoskeletal system. Although there are no injuries, excessive exercise can cause disruption of blood flow in the synovium that surrounds the joint. As a result, cartilage tissue stops receiving "nutrition" and becomes thinner without the possibility of normal regrowth.

Often professional athletes and people with certain professions face such problems - builders, miners, mechanics, etc.

Disease

Various diseases can also "hit" the joints. Therefore, joint pain often confirms the presence of a rheumatic process, in which the connective tissue of the body is affected. In this case, the pain syndrome is pronounced in the morning and tends to subside in the evening. One feels the strongest discomfort in the small joints of the hands and feet. In the morning, the patient often suffers from the fact that he can not immediately get up and walk quickly - his body is stiff.

In some patients, the joints ache after experiencing inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In this case, you just have to wait until the discomfort goes away on its own.

If the pain is paroxysmal, arises unexpectedly, increases during the day and persists for several days, while only one joint on the toe is sore, one can suspect gouty arthritis, in which uric acid crystals accumulate in the articular structure.

If the pain grows very slowly, the inflammatory process has affected the pelvic area, knees, symptoms increase during physical work and weaken at night, then the assumed 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 where all the joints of the body ache. Mobility in it remains, but the unpleasant symptoms last for several days.

If there is a focus of chronic infection on the human body, the joints can also ache.

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 localization criteria, there are:

• monoarthralgia - in this case, only one joint is affected;
• oligoarthralgia - different joints ache at the same time, but not more than four;
• polyarthralgia - discomfort felt in more than 4 joints of the body.

By the nature of the lesion, the pathology can be non -inflammatory and inflammatory. Post-inflammatory arthralgias and pseudoarthralgias are distinguished into separate groups.

Joint pain occurs in different conditions. A person feels pain at the beginning of a movement - when trying to change limb position, standing or walking at different speeds. Night pain is interrupted at night rest, when a person is resting. Such discomfort is often a cause of sleep disturbances and severely impairs quality of life. The reflected pain can be seen in areas where there is actually no painful deviation from normal. There is also mechanical pain that occurs during or after certain exercises or activities.

In addition, joint pain varies. They are:

• dull and sharp;
• permanent and temporary;
• weak, simple and strong.

This classification is largely subjective and depends on the individual characteristics of the human body.

Diagnosis of joint pain

To understand why the joints of the legs and arms hurt, you need to see a doctor. Doctors prescribe a number of diagnostic procedures for patients. For starters, laboratory tests are taken:

• General blood analysis. This makes it possible to detect deviations, taking into account the nature of the joint lesion and its severity.
• Blood chemistry. In case of arthritis, they look at levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total protein, seromucoids, diphenylamine reactions, as well as several other indicators that confirm the diagnosis of rheumatism.

In addition, the following exams can be given:

• Radiography. This is mandatory for aching joints, because without a picture the doctor can not perform differential diagnostics and assess the degree of damage to the skeletal system;
• CT scan. Used to study the location of injured or inflamed areas of bone;
• Ultrasound examination is an affordable diagnostic method that describes in detail joint and adjacent tissues;
• Densitometers. An additional type of diagnosis that indicates how well bone density is maintained. Used to diagnose osteoporosis;
• Arthroscopy. During the procedure, the specialist visually observes the structure of the joint, its structure, takes tissue samples from the desired area; Radionuclide (radioisotope) scan. Effective in the early stages of joint disease;
• Arthrography. The doctor injects a special contrast agent in the joint (contrast should not be used). The change in the initial picture allowed him to assess the presence of the affected part on the hard -to -reach part of the joint.

If the doctor deems 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 the doctor knows the cause of the symptoms, indicating the development of the disease he indicates. To relieve inflammation, patients can be prescribed:

• hondoprotectors - slow the progression of osteoarthritis, inhibit the destruction of articular cartilage, reduce inflammation; well-known examples of drugs from this group are drugs containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, its components activate regenerative processes in cartilage, as the pain gradually disappears, the patient's condition improves;
• non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs - relieve pain, prevent the spread of inflammatory reactions, normalize body temperature;
• muscle relaxation - designed to reduce skeletal muscle spasm;
• antibacterial drugs - used for infectious arthritis;
• vitamin and mineral complexes - vitamins D, A, E, C, group B are required for normal joint function and its rapid recovery. Calcium, magnesium and selenium are also important;
• hormonal drugs - steroids - are used for severe and severe inflammation, in the absence of the effectiveness of treatment with non -steroidal drugs.

In parallel with tablet intake, intramuscular and intravenous drug administration, patients can be given warming ointments and creams, analgesics and anti-inflammatory.

If the aching pain is unbearable, it is possible to perform a nerve block. During the procedure, strong medicine is used to forget the pain symptoms for a while.

Additional methods for treating joint pain include:

• physiotherapy training;
• massage;
• manual therapy;
• mechanotherapy;
• joint traction using special equipment;
• diet.

From the physiotherapeutic procedure, the patient is shown:

• shock wave therapy;
• laser therapy;
• phonophoresis;
• myostimulation;
• magnetotherapy and others.

Medicines containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for joint pain

The line of drugs, including glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, was created specifically to solve joint health problems.

Preparations that include glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate belong to the group of chondroprotectors, which are drugs that prevent the destruction of joint cartilage tissue, which can be associated with age-related changes and increased physical activity, as well as a number of other causes. Chondroprotectors contribute to joint recovery, relieve inflammation and pain, and prevent the progression of the disease. The line products, which include glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, not only relieve symptoms, but act directly on the causes of joint pain and cramps.

Surgical treatment of pain syndrome

In difficult cases, it is impossible to eliminate the painful sensation in the area of one or several joints using non -invasive methods. Then the patient is advised to undergo surgery. This may be:

• arthroscopic debridement - the surgeon makes a small incision and through it removes dead tissue from the joint cavity, the operation involves the use of modern endoscopic equipment;
• puncture - using a special needle, the doctor removes the accumulated fluid from the joints;
• periarticular osteotomy - to reduce the load and improve the movement of the affected joint, the doctor files the articular bone until it grows together at a certain angle;
• Endoprosthetics are very serious surgeries that are only used if it is not possible to restore the joint, then a prosthesis is fitted instead.

Doctors decide the method of treatment of 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. You should reject snacks, limit meat intake to 2-3 times a week with the transition to fish dishes - this has a positive effect on the work of the musculoskeletal system.

It is also important:

• do not overdo it;
• lead an active lifestyle;
• to push away from bad habits;
• sleep at least 8 hours a day;
• strolling in the fresh air;
• avoid prolonged stays in one position.

If discomfort in the joints arises, it is necessary to undergo an examination. It is impossible to cure yourself if an inflammatory process is suspected.