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 is the first to say that serious changes have begun at the junction of the bones.Joint pain is not always accompanied by swelling, stiffness, tenderness or redness.The patient also does not complain of significant limitations in the mobility of large joints.It also happens that even the 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 pains in the wrists and feet begin to bother every second person over the age of 40-50.In people who have crossed the 70-year mark, 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 joint: cartilage tissue becomes thinner and loses elasticity, which causes pain and stiffness of movement.There is also less and less production of synovial fluid, which fills the "capsule" around the joint of the bones and lubricates the joint.
As a result, the articular surfaces can begin to wear away and the joint can begin to wear down.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 aggravated by poor nutrition, poor muscle tone, previous injuries, a sedentary lifestyle or, conversely, excessive physical activity.It is worth noting that discomfort in the joints due to the age factor often intensifies in autumn and spring.
Physical activity
Increased physical activity can be considered as an independent reason, in which even young people can experience pain or acute joint pain.Intense training at the limit of capabilities and hard physical work in one way or another have a negative effect on 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 "nutrition" and becomes thinner without the possibility of normal regeneration.
Professional athletes and people of certain professions often face this problem - builders, miners, mechanics, etc.
Diseases
Various diseases can also "hit" the joints.Thus, joint pain 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.A person feels the most severe 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 because they suffer from an inflammatory disease of the musculoskeletal system.In this case, you just have to wait until the discomfort goes away by itself.
If the pain is paroxysmal, appeared suddenly, intensified during the day and continues for several days, while only one joint in 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 pelvic area, the knees, the symptoms intensify during physical work and weaken at night, then the presumed diagnosis is "deforming osteoarthritis".
Among the causes of joint pain are also infectious diseases;for example, after intestinal diseases, a person may experience discomfort in which all the joints of the body hurt.The 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:
- weather dependence;
- 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 and inflammatory in nature.Post-inflammatory arthralgia and pseudoarthralgia are divided into separate groups.
Joint pain occurs under different circumstances.A person feels initial pain at the beginning of the movement - when trying to change the position of the limbs, get up or walk at a different speed.Night pains occur during the period of night rest, when a person is at rest.Such a disturbance often causes sleep disorders and greatly impairs the quality of life.Referred pain may be observed in areas where there is actually no painful deviation from the normal state.There are also mechanical pains that appear during or after performing certain exercises or activities.
In addition, joint pain varies in 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 feet and hands hurt, you should see a doctor.The doctor prescribes a series of diagnostic procedures for the patient.To begin with, laboratory tests are taken:
- General blood test.It makes it possible to detect deviations taking into account the nature of joint damage and its degree of 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 several other indicators that confirm a rheumatic diagnosis.
In addition, the following examinations may be prescribed:
- Radiography.It is mandatory for painful joints, since without photographs the doctor cannot make a differential diagnosis and assess the degree of damage to the skeletal system;
- Computed tomography.It is used to study the location of damaged or inflamed bone areas;
- Ultrasound examination is an accessible diagnostic method that describes in detail the joints and adjacent tissues;
- Densitometry.An additional type of diagnosis 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 node, its structure, takes a tissue sample from the desired area;Radionuclide (radioisotope) scanning.Effective in the early stages of joint diseases;
- Arthrography.The doctor injects special contrast agents into the joint (contrast cannot be used).Changing the initial image gives him the opportunity to judge the presence of affected parts in hard-to-reach parts of the joint.
If the doctor deems it necessary, a biopsy is performed - a diagnostic sampling of cells from the affected area.
Treatment of joint pain
Treatment of arthralgia will be effective only if doctors find out the cause of the symptom and determine what 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 ingredients activate the regenerative processes in the cartilage, due to which the pain gradually disappears and 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-mineral complexes - vitamins D, A, E, C, group B are necessary for the normal functioning of the joints and their rapid healing.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 pills, intramuscular and intravenous administration of drugs, warming, analgesic and anti-inflammatory ointments and creams can be prescribed to the patient.
If the aching pain is unbearable, a nerve block can be performed.During the procedure, powerful medications are used to help you forget the pain symptoms for a while.
Additional methods for treating joint pain include:
- physical therapy;
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- mechanotherapy;
- joint traction using special equipment;
- diet.
Physiotherapy procedures are indicated for the patient:
- shock wave therapy;
- laser therapy;
- phonophoresis;
- myostimulation;
- magnetic therapy and others.
A medicine containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for joint pain
A line of drugs containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate was created specifically to solve problems with joint health.
Medicines containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate belong to the group of chondroprotectors, that is, drugs that prevent the destruction of cartilage tissue in joints, which can be associated with age-related changes and increased physical activity, as well as a number of other reasons.Chondroprotectors help to restore the joints, relieve inflammation and pain and prevent the further development of the disease.The line of drugs, which includes 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 eliminate pain in one or several joints at once using non-invasive methods.The patient is then recommended to undergo an operation.It can be:
- arthroscopic debridement - the surgeon makes small incisions and through them removes the dead tissue from the joint cavity;the operation involves the use of modern endoscopic equipment;
- bira - using a special needle, the doctor removes the accumulated fluid from the joint;
- Periarticular osteotomy - to reduce the load and improve the mobility of the affected joint, the doctor glues the articular bones so that they grow together at a certain angle;
- endoprosthetics is a very serious operation, which is used only if it is no longer possible to restore the joint, then a prosthesis is placed in its place.
The doctor decides which method of treating joint pain is indicated for a particular patient individually, taking into account age, medical history, symptoms and several other factors.
Preventing
To avoid joint damage, you should pay maximum attention to proper nutrition.Your daily diet should contain all necessary vitamins and minerals.You should avoid junk 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.
It is also important:
- don't get too 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 appears in the joint, you should undergo an examination.If you suspect an inflammatory process, you should not self-medicate.