Causes of severe joint pain.What to do if your joints hurt?
Joint pain
Joint pain (or as it is also called – arthralgia) is an important symptom in the diagnosis of many diseases.She is the first to say that serious changes have begun to occur in the bone connection.Joint pain is not always accompanied by swelling, curvature, severe pain on palpation, or redness.The patient also does not complain about significant restrictions in the mobility of large joints.It also happens that even an X-ray examination does not reveal any signs of inflammation.However, this does not make joint pain a harmless symptom: it can indicate serious organic lesions and even pathologies that have nothing to do with the condition of the joint itself.
As statistics show, severe pain in the joints of the arms and legs begins to bother every second person aged 40-50.Musculoskeletal disorders occur even more frequently in people over the age of 70 - 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 leads to pain and stiffness in movement.In addition, less and less synovial fluid is produced, which fills the “capsule” around the bone connection and lubricates the joint.
This can lead to contact with the joint surfaces and the joint can wear out.Without adequate protection and support of the cartilage, osteoarthritis and other conditions associated with 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.It is noteworthy that age-related joint problems often worsen in autumn and spring.
Physical activity
As an independent reason, increased physical activity can be considered, during which aching or acute pain in the joints can occur even in young people.Intensive training at the limit of performance and hard physical work have a negative impact on the musculoskeletal system in one way or another.Even if there is no injury, excessive stress can cause problems with blood flow to the synovial lining surrounding the joint.As a result, the cartilage tissue no longer receives “food” and becomes thinner without normal regeneration being possible.
This problem is often faced by professional athletes and people of certain professions - builders, miners, mechanics, etc.
diseases
Various diseases can also “affect” the joints.Joint pain is therefore often an indication of rheumatic processes in which the body's connective tissue is affected.In this case, the pain syndrome is pronounced in the morning and tends to decrease in the evening.People feel the most severe 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 experience joint pain after suffering from an inflammatory musculoskeletal disorder.In this case, you just have to wait until the discomfort goes away on its own.
If the pain is paroxysmal, occurs unexpectedly, increases throughout the day and lasts for several days, while only one joint on the big toe hurts, one 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 and knees, the symptoms increase during physical work and become weaker at night, the suspected diagnosis is “deforming osteoarthritis”.
Infectious diseases are also among the causes of joint pain;For example, intestinal diseases can cause symptoms in which all the body's joints hurt.Mobility in them remains, but the unpleasant symptom lasts for several days.
If there are chronic foci of infection in the human body, this can also lead to 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 medications;
- post-allergic reactions;
- psychosomatic disorders.
Classification of joint pain
There are different classifications of joint pain.According to the localization criterion, a distinction is made between:
- Monoarthralgia – in this case only one joint is affected;
- Oligoarthralgia – different joints hurt at the same time, but not more than four;
- Polyarthralgia – problems occur in more than 4 joints in the body.
Depending on the type of lesion, the pathology can be of a non-inflammatory and inflammatory nature.Postinflammatory arthralgias and pseudoarthralgias are divided into separate groups.
Joint pain occurs under different circumstances.A person feels pain that begins at the very beginning of movement - when trying to change the position of the limbs, stand up or walk at a different speed.Night pain occurs during the night when a person is resting.Such complaints often cause sleep disorders and significantly affect the quality of life.Referred pain can be felt in places where there is actually no painful deviation from the normal state.There is also mechanical pain that occurs during or after performing certain exercises or activities.
In addition, joint pain is of different nature.They are:
- dull and sharp;
- permanent and temporary;
- 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 your legs and arms hurt, you need to see a doctor.The doctor prescribes a number of diagnostic procedures to the patient.First, laboratory tests are carried out:
- General blood test.Allows you to detect deviations, taking into account the type of joint damage and its severity.
- Biochemical blood test.In case of joint inflammation, they examine the levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total protein, seromucoid, diphenylamine reaction, as well as some other indicators that confirm a rheumatic diagnosis.
In addition, the following examinations may be prescribed:
- Radiography.In case of painful joints, it is imperative, since without photographs the doctor cannot carry out differential diagnosis and assess the degree of damage to the skeletal system;
- Computed tomography.Used to examine 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.Another type of diagnostic that shows how much bone density is retained.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 radionuclides (radioisotopes).Effective in the early stages of joint diseases;
- Arthrography.The doctor injects special contrast media into the joint (contrast media must not be used).The change in the initial image gives him the opportunity to assess the presence of affected parts in hard-to-reach places of the joint.
If the doctor considers it necessary, a biopsy is performed - a diagnostic removal 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 indicates.To relieve inflammation, the patient may be prescribed:
- Chondoprotectors – slow down the progression of osteoarthritis, block further destruction of articular cartilage and reduce inflammation;An example of a well-known drug from this group is a drug containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.The components activate regenerative processes in the cartilage, as a result of which 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 – to minimize stiffness of skeletal muscles;
- antibacterial drugs – used to treat arthritis of an infectious nature;
- Vitamin-mineral complexes – vitamins D, A, E, C, group B are necessary for the normal functioning of joints and their rapid recovery.Calcium, magnesium and selenium are also important;
- Hormonal drugs - steroids - are used for severe and severe inflammation when treatment with non-steroidal drugs is ineffective.
In parallel with taking pills and intramuscular and intravenous administration of medications, the patient can be prescribed warming, analgesic and anti-inflammatory ointments and creams.
If the aching pain is unbearable, a nerve block may be performed.During the procedure, effective medications are used that will help you forget about the pain symptoms for a while.
Other methods for treating joint pain include:
- physiotherapy;
- Massage;
- manual therapy;
- mechanotherapy;
- joint traction with special equipment;
- Diet.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are indicated for the patient:
- shock wave therapy;
- laser therapy;
- phonophoresis;
- myostimulation;
- magnetic field therapy and others.
A drug containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for joint pain
A number of drugs containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are specifically designed 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 joints, which can be associated, among other things, with age-related changes and increased physical activity.Chondroprotectors help restore joints, relieve inflammation and pain, and prevent further development of the disease.The series of drugs, which includes glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, not only relieves symptoms, but also acts directly on the cause of pain and joint stiffness.
Surgical treatment of pain syndrome
In complex cases, it is not possible to eliminate pain in one or more joints at the same time using non-invasive methods.Then the patient is recommended surgery.It could be:
- arthroscopic debridement – the surgeon makes tiny incisions and through them removes dead tissue from the joint cavity;Modern endoscopic devices are used during the operation.
- Puncture – using a special needle, the doctor removes accumulated fluid from the joint;
- periarticular osteotomy – to reduce the load and improve mobility of the affected joint, the doctor files the joint bones so that they grow together at a certain angle;
- Endoprosthetics is a very serious operation that is only used when it is no longer possible to restore the joint and a prosthesis is inserted instead.
The doctor decides individually 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, you need to 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:
- do not overcool;
- lead a moderately active lifestyle;
- give up bad habits;
- sleep at least 8 hours a day;
- Take regular walks in the fresh air.
- Avoid remaining in one position for a long time.
If problems still occur in the joint, an examination is necessary.If you suspect an inflammatory process, you should not self-medicate.