Causes of severe joint pain.What to do if your joints hurt.
Pain in the joints
Joint pain (or as it is called in another way - 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, distortion, severe pain on palpation or redness.The patient also does not complain of significant limitations in the mobility of large joints.It also happens that even X-ray examination does not allow 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, acute pain in the joints of the hands and feet begins to bother every second person over the age of 40-50.In people over 70, 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: cartilage tissue becomes thinner and loses elasticity, which causes pain and stiffness of movements.In addition, there is less and less production of synovial fluid, which fills the "capsule" around the bone joint and lubricates the joint.
As a result, the joint surfaces can begin to touch and the joint can begin to wear.Without proper protection and support of the cartilage, osteoarthritis and other diseases that accompany acute pain can develop.The process of age-related changes in the joint is aggravated by poor nutrition, weak muscle tone, previous injuries, a sedentary lifestyle or, conversely, excessive physical activity.It should be noted that discomfort in the joints due to the age factor often increases in autumn and spring.
Physical activity
Increased physical activity can be considered as an independent cause, where even young people can experience pain or sharp pain in the joints.Intense training at the limit of possibilities and heavy physical labor 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 synovium around the joint.Because of this, the cartilage tissue stops receiving "nutrition" and becomes thinner without the possibility of normal regeneration.
This problem is often faced by professional athletes and people from certain professions - builders, miners, mechanics, etc.
Diseases
Various diseases can also "hit" the joints.Thus, pain in the joints 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 experiences the strongest discomfort in the small joints of the hands and feet.In the morning, the patient often suffers because he cannot immediately get up and walk quickly - his body is stiff.
Some patients have joint pain after an inflammatory disease 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, occurs unexpectedly, intensifies during the day and lasts for several days, while only one joint of the big toe hurts, you can 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 region, the knees, the symptoms intensify during physical work and weaken at night, then the presumptive diagnosis is "deforming osteoarthritis".
Infectious diseases are also among the causes of joint pain;for example, after intestinal diseases, a person may experience discomfort in which all the joints of the body ache.The mobility in them remains, but the unpleasant symptom lasts for several days.
If there are foci of chronic infections in the human body, this can also cause joint pain.
The list of less common causes of joint pain is long and includes:
- meteorological 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.Post-inflammatory arthralgias and pseudoarthralgias are divided into separate groups.
Joint pain occurs under different circumstances.A person feels initial pain at the very beginning of movement - when trying to change the position of the limbs, stand up or walk at a different speed.Night pains occur during the period of night rest, when a person is at rest.Such discomfort often causes sleep disturbances and significantly impairs the quality of life.Referred pain can 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.
In addition, joint pains have a different character.They are:
- dull and sharp;
- permanent and transient;
- weak, moderate and strong.
This classification is largely subjective and depends on the individual characteristics of the human body.
Diagnosis of joint pain
To find out why the joints of your feet and hands hurt, you should visit a doctor.The doctor prescribes a number of diagnostic procedures to the patient.To begin with, laboratory tests are taken:
- General blood test.It allows to detect deviations, taking into account the nature of joint damage and the degree of its severity.
- Biochemical blood test.In case of inflammation of the joints, the levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total protein, seromucoid, diphenylamine reaction, as well as some other indicators that confirm the rheumatic diagnosis are looked at.
In addition, the following examinations may be prescribed:
- Radiography.It is mandatory for painful joints, because without photographs the doctor cannot make a differential diagnosis and assess the degree of damage to the bone system;
- Computed tomography.It is used to examine the location of injured or inflamed bone areas;
- Ultrasound examination is an accessible diagnostic method that describes in detail the joint 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 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 into the joint (contrast may not be used).Changing the initial picture allows him to assess 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 the cause of the symptom and determine what disease it signals.To relieve inflammation, the patient may 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 that contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, the components 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 - relieve pain, prevent the spread of inflammatory reactions, normalize body temperature;
- muscle relaxants - designed to reduce 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 rapid 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.
Along 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 can be performed.During the procedure, powerful drugs are used, which for a while help you forget about the symptoms of pain.
Additional methods of treating joint pain include:
- physical therapy;
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- mechanotherapy;
- joint traction using special equipment;
- diet.
Physiotherapy procedures are shown to the patient:
- shock wave therapy;
- laser therapy;
- phonophoresis;
- myostimulation;
- magnetotherapy, etc.
Medicine containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for joint pain
A line of medications containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate is designed specifically to address joint health issues.
Medicines that contain glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate belong to the group of chondroprotectors, i.e.medicines that prevent the destruction of cartilage tissue in the joints, which can be associated with age 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.The patient is then recommended surgery.It could 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;
- puncture - with the help of 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 files the joint bones so that they grow together at a certain angle;
- endoprosthesis is a very serious operation that is used only if it is no longer possible to restore the joint, a prosthesis is installed instead.
The doctor decides which method of treating joint pain is indicated for a particular patient individually, taking into account age, medical history, symptoms and some other factors.
Prevention
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 to:
- do not overcool;
- lead a moderately active lifestyle;
- give up bad habits;
- you 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 occurs in the joint, you should undergo an examination.If you suspect an inflammatory process, you should not self-medicate.