Causes of severe joint pain.What to do if your joints hurt.
Joint pain
Joint pain (or as it is otherwise called - arthralgia) is an important symptom in the diagnosis of many diseases.She is the first to say that serious changes have begun in the junction of the bones.Joint pain is not always accompanied by swelling, curvature, severe pain on palpation, or redness.Furthermore, the patient does not complain of significant restrictions in the mobility of large joints.It also happens that even an x-ray examination does not allow you to see signs of inflammation.But this does not make joint pain an innocent symptom: it can signal serious organic lesions and even pathologies not related to the state of the joint itself.
As statistics show, severe pain in the joints of the arms and legs begins to bother one in two people over the age of 40-50.In people who have passed the threshold of 70 years, 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: the cartilage tissue thins and loses elasticity, causing pain and stiffness in movements.Furthermore, there is less and less production of synovial fluid, which fills the "capsule" around the bone junction and lubricates the joint.
As a result, the joint surfaces may begin to touch each other and the joint may begin to wear.Without adequate protection and support of the cartilage, osteoarthritis and other diseases that accompany acute pain can develop.The process of age-related joint changes is aggravated by poor nutrition, weak muscle tone, previous injuries, a sedentary lifestyle or, conversely, excessive physical activity.Interestingly, joint discomfort due to the age factor often intensifies in autumn and spring.
Physical activity
Increased physical activity can be considered an independent reason why even young people can experience painful or sharp 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 in the synovial membrane surrounding the joint.For this reason, the cartilaginous tissue ceases to receive "nutrition" 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.
Illnesses
Various diseases can also "affect" the joints.Therefore, joint pain often confirms the presence of rheumatic processes in which the connective tissues of the body are affected.In this case the painful 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 experience joint pain after suffering from an inflammatory disease of the musculoskeletal system.In this case, you just need to wait until the discomfort goes away on its own.
If the pain is paroxysmal, occurs unexpectedly, intensifies during the day and persists for several days, while only one joint of the big toe hurts, gouty arthritis, in which uric acid crystals accumulate in the joint structures, can be suspected.
If the pain increases very slowly, the inflammatory process has affected the pelvic area, the knees, the symptoms intensify during physical work and subside during the night, then the presumptive diagnosis is "deforming arthrosis".
Infectious diseases are also among the causes of joint pain;for example, after intestinal diseases, a person may experience discomfort in which all joints in the body hurt.Mobility in them remains, but the unpleasant symptom lasts for several days.
If pockets of chronic infections are present in the human body, this can also cause joint pain.
The list of less common causes of joint pain is long and includes:
- time dependence;
- heavy metal poisoning;
- long-term use of some drugs;
- post-allergic reactions;
- psychosomatic disorders.
Classification of joint pain
There are different classifications of joint pain.Based on the localization criterion, the following are distinguished:
- monoarthralgia: in this case only one joint is affected;
- oligoarthralgia: several joints hurt at the same time, but no more than four;
- polyarthralgia: discomfort is felt in more than 4 joints of the body.
Depending on the nature of the lesion, the pathology can be non-inflammatory and inflammatory in nature.Postinflammatory arthralgia and pseudarthralgia are divided into separate groups.
Joint pain occurs in different circumstances.A person feels initial pains at the very 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 night rest period, when a person is at rest.This discomfort often causes sleep disturbances and significantly compromises the quality of life.Referred pain may be noticed 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.
Additionally, joint pain varies in nature.They are:
- dull and sharp;
- permanent and transitory;
- weak, moderate and intense.
This classification is largely subjective and depends on the individual characteristics of the human body.
Diagnosis of joint pain
To understand why your leg and arm joints hurt, you need to see a doctor.The doctor prescribes a series of diagnostic procedures for the patient.To begin with, laboratory tests are performed:
- General blood test.It allows you to detect deviations taking into account the nature of joint damage and the degree of its severity.
- Biochemical blood test.For joint inflammation, they look at levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total protein, seromucoid, diphenylamine reaction, as well as some other indicators that confirm a rheumatic diagnosis.
Additionally, the following tests may be prescribed:
- X-ray.It is mandatory for painful joints, since without photographs the doctor cannot make a differential diagnosis and assess the extent of damage to the skeletal system;
- Computed tomography.Used to study the location of injured or inflamed bone areas;
- Ultrasound examination is an accessible diagnostic method that describes the joint and adjacent tissues in detail;
- Densitometry.An additional type of diagnostic that shows how much bone density is preserved.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;Scanning of radionuclides (radioisotopes).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, a diagnostic sampling of cells from the affected area, is performed.
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 may be prescribed:
- chondoprotectors – 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 that contains 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;
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – eliminate pain, prevent the spread of inflammatory reactions, normalize body temperature;
- muscle relaxants - designed to minimize stiffness of skeletal muscles;
- 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 prompt 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 pills, intramuscular and intravenous administration of drugs, the patient can be prescribed warming, analgesic and anti-inflammatory ointments and creams.
If the pain is unbearable, a nerve block may be performed.Strong medications are used during the procedure 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.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are indicated for the patient:
- shock wave therapy;
- laser therapy;
- phonophoresis;
- myostimulation;
- magnetotherapy and others.
A drug containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for joint pain
A line of drugs containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate was created specifically to solve joint health problems.
Drugs containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate belong to the group of chondroprotectors, that is, drugs that prevent the destruction of cartilage tissue in the joints, which can be associated with age-related changes 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.The line of medications, which includes glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, not only relieves symptoms, but acts 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.Then the patient is advised to undergo surgery.Could be:
- arthroscopic debridement: the surgeon makes small incisions and through them removes dead tissue from the joint cavity;the operation involves the use of modern endoscopic equipment;
- puncture – using 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 articular bones so that they grow together at a certain angle;
- Endoprosthesis is a very serious operation, which is used only if it is no longer possible to restore the joint, then a prosthesis is installed.
The doctor individually decides which method of treating joint pain is indicated for a particular patient, taking into account age, medical history, symptoms and some other factors.
Prevention
To avoid joint damage, maximum attention must be paid to proper nutrition.Your daily diet should contain all the 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:
- do not overcool;
- lead a moderately active lifestyle;
- abandon bad habits;
- sleep at least 8 hours a day;
- take regular walks outdoors;
- avoid staying in the same position for a long time.
If you experience discomfort in the joint, you need to undergo an examination.If you suspect an inflammatory process, you should not self-medicate.