The causes of severe joint pain. What to do if joints hurt.
Joint pain
Joint pain (or as it is called in another way - arthralgia) is an important symptom in the diagnosis of many diseases. It was she who first said that serious changes began at the junction of the bones. Joint pain is not always accompanied by swelling, curvature, severe soreness when feeling or redness. The patient also does not complain of significant restrictions in the mobility of large joints. It also happens that even an X-ray examination does not allow us to see signs of inflammation. But this does not make joint pain an innocent symptom: it can signal severe organic lesions and even pathologies that are not related to the state of the joint itself.
As statistics show, sharp pains in the joints of the arms and legs begin to bother every second person over the age of 40-50 years. In persons 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 changes
Among the possible causes of pain are age-related changes in the joints: the cartilage tissue becomes thinner and loses its elasticity, which causes painful sensations and stiffness of movements. Also, less and less synovial fluid is produced, which fills the "capsule" around the junction of the bones and lubricates the joint.
As a result, the articular surfaces can begin to touch, and the joint can wear out. Without proper protection and support of cartilage, osteoarthritis and other diseases that accompany acute pain can develop. The process of age-related changes in the joint is aggravated by improper diet, weak muscle tone, the presence of past injuries, a sedentary lifestyle, or, conversely, excessive physical exertion. It is noteworthy that age-related discomfort in joints often increases in autumn and spring.
Physical exercise
Increased physical activity can be considered as an independent reason for which even young people may experience aching or sharp joint pain. Intense training at the limit of capabilities and hard physical labor in one way or another have a negative effect on the musculoskeletal system. Even in the absence of injury, excessive exercise can cause blood flow disturbances in the synovium surrounding the joint. Because of this, the cartilage tissue ceases to receive "nourishment" and becomes thinner without the possibility of normal regeneration.
Often professional athletes and people of certain professions face such a problem - builders, miners, mechanics, etc.
Diseases
Various diseases can also "hit" the joints. So, joint pains often confirm 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 hours and tends to decrease in the evening. A person 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 cannot immediately get up and walk quickly - his body is stiff.
In some patients, joints hurt after suffering an inflammatory disease of the musculoskeletal system. In this case, you just need to wait until the discomfort goes away on its own.
If paroxysmal pain, arose unexpectedly, intensified during the day and persists for several days, while only one joint on the big toe aches, one can suspect gouty arthritis, in which uric acid crystals accumulate in the articular structures.
If the pain grows very slowly, the inflammatory process has affected the pelvic area, knees, symptoms intensify during physical work and weaken at night, then the presumptive diagnosis is "osteoarthritis deformans".
Infectious diseases are also among the causes of joint pain, for example, after intestinal diseases, a person may experience discomfort in which all joints of the body ache. Mobility in them remains, but the unpleasant symptom lasts for several days.
If there are foci of chronic infections in the human body, 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 criterion of localization, there are:
- monoarthralgia - in this case, only one joint is affected;
- oligoarthralgia - different joints hurt at the same time, but no more than four;
- polyarthralgia - discomfort is 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 under different circumstances. A person feels starting pains at the very beginning of the movement - when trying to change the position of the limbs, stand up or walk at a different speed. Night pains disturb during the period of night rest, when a person is at rest. Such discomfort is often the cause of sleep disorders and greatly impairs the quality of life. Reflected pain can be seen in areas where there are actually no painful deviations from the normal state. There are also mechanical pains that occur during or after certain exercises or activities.
In addition, joint pains vary in nature. They are:
- dull and sharp;
- permanent and transient;
- 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 the joints of the legs and arms hurt, you need to see a doctor. The doctor prescribes a number of diagnostic procedures for the patient. To begin with, laboratory tests are taken:
- General blood analysis. It makes it possible to detect deviations, taking into account the nature of the joint damage and the degree of its severity.
- Blood chemistry. In case of 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 a rheumatic diagnosis.
Additionally, the following examinations can be assigned:
- Radiography. It is mandatory for painful joints, since without pictures the doctor cannot carry out differential diagnostics and assess the degree of damage to the skeletal system;
- CT scan. Used to study the location of injured or inflamed bone areas;
- Ultrasound examination is an affordable diagnostic method that describes in detail the joint and adjacent tissues;
- Densitometry. An additional type of diagnosis showing how well the bone density is preserved. Used to diagnose osteoporosis;
- Arthroscopy. During the procedure, a specialist visually examines the structure of the joint, its structure, takes a tissue sample from the desired area; Radionuclide (radioisotope) scan. Effective in the early stages of joint diseases;
- Arthrography. The doctor injects special contrast agents inside the joint (contrast may not be used). A change in the initial picture makes it possible for him to judge the presence of affected sections 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.
Joint pain treatment
Treatment of arthralgia will be effective only if doctors find out the cause of the symptom, establish the development of which disease it signals. To relieve inflammation, the patient may be prescribed:
- hondoprotectors - 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, 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 and mineral complexes - vitamins D, A, E, C, group B are needed for the normal functioning of the joints and their speedy 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 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, it is possible to perform a nerve blockade. During the procedure, powerful medications are used that help to forget about pain symptoms for a while.
Additional methods of treating joint pain include:
- physiotherapy exercises;
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- mechanotherapy;
- traction of joints using special equipment;
- diet.
From physiotherapeutic procedures, the patient is shown:
- shock wave therapy;
- laser therapy;
- phonophoresis;
- myostimulation;
- magnetotherapy and others.
A drug that contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for joint pain
The line of drugs, which includes 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, that is, drugs that prevent the destruction of the cartilaginous tissues of the joints, which can be associated with both age-related changes and increased physical activity, as well as a number of other reasons. Chondroprotectors contribute to the restoration of joints, relieve inflammation and pain, and prevent the further development of the disease. The products of the line, which include glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, not only relieve symptoms, but act directly on the cause of pain and joint stiffness.
Surgical treatment of pain syndrome
In difficult cases, it is impossible to eliminate painful sensations in the area of one or several joints at once using non-invasive methods. Then the patient is advised to undergo surgery. This could be:
- arthroscopic debridement - the surgeon makes tiny 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 draws the 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;
- endoprosthetics is a very serious operation that is used only if it is no longer possible to restore the joint, then a prosthesis is installed instead.
The doctor decides which method of treating joint pain is indicated for a particular patient on an individual basis, taking into account age, history, symptoms and some other factors.
Prevention
To avoid damage to the joints, you need to pay maximum attention to proper nutrition. All essential vitamins and minerals should be present in the daily diet. You should refuse junk food, limit the consumption of meat 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 overcool;
- lead a moderately active lifestyle;
- to refuse from bad habits;
- sleep at least 8 hours a day;
- take regular walks in the fresh air;
- avoid prolonged stay in one position.
If discomfort in the joint does arise, it is necessary to undergo an examination. It is impossible to self-medicate if an inflammatory process is suspected.