Causes of severe joint pain.What to do if your joints are injured.
joint pain
Joint pain, or arthralgia, is an important symptom in the diagnosis of many diseases.She was the first to say that serious changes had begun to occur in the joints of the bones.Joint pain is not always accompanied by swelling, curvature, severe pain on palpation, or redness.The patient also did not complain of severe limitations in large joint mobility.It's also possible that even an X-ray won't show signs of inflammation.But this does not mean that joint pain is a harmless symptom: it may indicate a serious organic disease or even a pathology unrelated to the condition of the joint itself.
According to statistics, one person over the age of 40-50 begins to experience severe pain in the joints of arms and legs.Disorders of the musculoskeletal system are more common in people over 70 years of age – accounting for 90% of cases.
causes of joint pain
age-related changes
Possible causes of pain include age-related changes in the joints: cartilage tissue thins and loses its elasticity, causing pain and stiffness of movement.There is also less production of synovial fluid, which fills the "capsules" around bone junctions and lubricates joints.
As a result, the joint surfaces may begin to contact and the joint may begin to wear.Without proper cartilage protection and support, osteoarthritis and other conditions associated with acute pain may occur.Age-related joint changes can be exacerbated by poor nutrition, weak muscle tone, previous injuries, a sedentary lifestyle, or conversely excessive physical activity.It is worth noting that joint discomfort due to age factors often worsens in autumn and spring.
physical activity
Increased physical activity can be considered an independent reason why even young people can experience joint pain or acute pain.Intense training at the limit of ability and strenuous physical labor can have a negative impact on the musculoskeletal system.Even in the absence of injury, excessive stress can cause blood flow problems in the synovial membrane surrounding the joint.Because of this, the cartilage tissue stops receiving "nutrients" and becomes thinner, without the possibility of normal regeneration.
Professional athletes and people in certain professions often face this problem - construction workers, miners, mechanics, etc.
disease
Various diseases can also "attack" joints.Therefore, joint pain often confirms the presence of rheumatism, in which the connective tissues of the body are affected.In this case, the pain syndrome is noticeable in the morning and tends to decrease in the evening.The most severe discomfort a person feels is in the small joints of the hands and feet.In the morning, the patient is often in pain because he cannot get up immediately and walk quickly - his body is stiff.
Some patients experience joint pain after suffering from inflammation of the musculoskeletal system.In this case, you just need to wait for the discomfort to go away on its own.
If the pain is episodic, comes on suddenly, worsens during the day, and lasts for several days, and only one joint of the big toe is painful, you may suspect gouty arthritis, a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joint structure.
If the pain increases very slowly, the inflammatory process has affected the pelvic area, knees, and the symptoms worsen during physical labor and subside at night, then a presumptive diagnosis is "deformative osteoarthritis".
Infectious diseases are also one of the causes of joint pain.For example, after suffering from intestinal disease, a person may experience discomfort and pain in all joints of the body.Their mobility remains, but unpleasant symptoms may persist for a few days.
If there is a chronic infection in the body, it can also cause joint pain.
There is a long list of less common causes of joint pain, including:
- weather dependence;
- heavy metal poisoning;
- long-term use of certain medications;
- post-anaphylactic reaction;
- Psychosomatic illness.
Classification of joint pain
There are many classifications of joint pain.According to positioning standards, it can be divided into the following categories:
- Monarticular pain - In this condition, only one joint is affected;
- Oligoarthritis - Pain in different joints at the same time, but no more than four;
- Polyarthralgia - discomfort in more than 4 joints of the body.
Depending on the nature of the lesion, pathology can be divided into non-inflammatory and inflammatory.Postinflammatory arthralgia and pseudoarthritis are divided into separate groups.
Joint pain occurs in different situations.A person may feel pain at the beginning of movement - when trying to change the position of a limb, stand or walk at a different speed.Nocturnal pain occurs during the night, when a person is resting.This discomfort often leads to sleep disturbances and greatly affects quality of life.Referred pain can be noted in areas where there is virtually no pain that deviates from normal.Mechanical pain can also occur during or after performing certain exercises or activities.
Additionally, the nature of joint pain varies.They are:
- blunt and sharp;
- permanent and temporary;
- Weak, Moderate and Strong.
This classification is largely subjective and depends on the individual characteristics of the body.
Diagnosis of joint pain
To understand the cause of leg and arm joint pain, you need to see a doctor.Doctors prescribe a variety of diagnostic procedures for patients.First, perform a lab test:
- General blood tests.Deviations can be detected taking into account the nature of the joint injury and its severity.
- Blood chemistry tests.For joint inflammation, they will check for levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total protein, serum mucusoid, diphenylamine reaction, and a few other indicators to confirm a rheumatic disease diagnosis.
In addition, the following checks can be specified:
- Radiography.This is mandatory for painful joints, since without photos the doctor cannot make a differential diagnosis and assess the degree of damage to the skeletal system;
- Computed tomography.Used to study the location of injured or inflamed areas of bone;
- Ultrasonography is a convenient diagnostic method that allows detailed description of joints and adjacent tissues;
- Density determination.Another type of diagnosis that shows how much bone density has been retained.For diagnosing osteoporosis;
- Arthroscopy.During the surgery, the specialist visually examines the structure of the joint and takes tissue samples from the required areas; a radionuclide (radioactive isotope) scan is performed.Effective for early stage joint diseases;
- Arthrography.The doctor injects a special contrast agent into the joint (no contrast agent may be used).Changing the initial picture gave him the opportunity to determine whether there were affected parts of the joint in hard-to-reach areas.
If the doctor deems it necessary, a biopsy - a diagnostic sample of cells taken from the affected area - will be performed.
Treat joint pain
Treating joint pain will only be effective if your doctor identifies the cause of the symptom and determines what disease it indicates.To relieve inflammation, patients can be prescribed:
- Chondroprotectants - slow down the progression of osteoarthritis, prevent further destruction of articular cartilage, reduce inflammation; an example of a well-known drug in this group are drugs containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, these ingredients activate the regeneration process of cartilage, so that the pain gradually disappears and the patient's condition improves;
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - eliminate pain, prevent the spread of inflammatory reactions, and normalize body temperature;
- Muscle relaxants - designed to minimize stiffness of skeletal muscles;
- Antibacterial drugs - used to treat infectious arthritis;
- Vitamin-mineral complex - vitamins D, A, E, C, B complex are necessary for the normal function of joints and their rapid recovery.Calcium, magnesium and selenium are also important;
- Hormone drugs - steroids - are used to treat severe and severe inflammation in cases where non-steroidal treatments have failed.
Along with medications, intramuscular and intravenous medications, patients may be prescribed some warming, analgesic and anti-inflammatory ointments and creams.
If the pain is unbearable, a nerve block may be performed.During the procedure, strong medications are given to help you temporarily forget about your pain symptoms.
Other ways to treat joint pain include:
- physical therapy;
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- mechanical therapy;
- Use special equipment for joint traction;
- diet.
Physical therapy procedures are available for patients who:
- shockwave therapy;
- laser treatment;
- sonophoria therapy;
- muscle stimulation;
- Magnetic therapy, etc.
Medications containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate to treat joint pain
A range of medications containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are specifically designed to address joint health issues.
Medications containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are classified as chondroprotectants, i.e., medications that prevent the destruction of cartilage tissue in joints, which may be associated with age-related changes and increased physical activity, among many other causes.Chondroprotectants help restore joints, relieve inflammation and pain, and prevent further disease progression.This family of medications includes glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which not only relieve symptoms but also work directly on the cause of pain and joint stiffness.
Surgical treatment of pain syndromes
In complex cases, it is not possible to eliminate pain in one or more joints at once using non-invasive methods.The patient is then recommended for surgery.It may be:
- Arthroscopic debridement - the surgeon makes tiny incisions and removes dead tissue from the joint space through them; the procedure involves the use of modern endoscopic equipment;
- Aspiration - A doctor uses a special needle to remove accumulated fluid from a joint;
- Periarticular osteotomy – To relieve the load on the affected joint and improve its mobility, doctors file down the joint bones so that they grow together at an angle;
- Endoprosthesis is a very serious surgery and is only used if the joint can no longer be restored and then the prosthesis is installed.
Doctors will consider age, medical history, symptoms, and a number of other factors to determine the appropriate treatment for joint pain for a specific patient.
prevention
To avoid joint damage, you need to pay maximum attention to proper nutrition.Your daily diet should contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals.You should avoid junk food, limit meat intake to 2-3 times a week and switch to fish dishes - this has a positive impact on the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.
Equally important is:
- Do not overcool;
- Maintain a moderately active lifestyle;
- break bad habits;
- Sleep at least 8 hours a day;
- Take regular walks in the fresh air;
- Avoid staying in one position for long periods of time.
If you do experience joint discomfort, you will need to get checked out.You should not self-medicate if you suspect an inflammatory process.