The appearance of joint pain - arthralgia - can be observed against the background of general well-being.Painful sensations usually appear after excessive physical exertion and can be observed in pregnant women.Recently, complaints about joint pain in children, caused by the rapid development of the osteoarticular system, have become more frequent.
In other cases, joint pain is a symptom of a pathology, a signal of an inflammatory or destructive process or an autoimmune disease.For comprehensive joint treatment, it is important to determine the root cause of the pain.
Joint pain symptoms
Painful sensations in the joints can be of different types:
- temporary or permanent;
- at rest or in motion;
- with an increase in body temperature;
- in massive or small joints;
- only in the upper or lower limbs.
Each type of pain has its own characteristics of origin, clinical nuances, diagnostic and therapeutic approach.
Knee pain
The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the human skeleton.The knee joint is under almost constant stress.Painful sensations can be observed both at rest and during flexion and extension movements.
The cause of pain in the knee joint may be:
- Minor joint damage with bleeding into soft tissues.An injury to the knee joint causes swelling, pain and limitation of movement.In severe cases, the local temperature rises, but no relief occurs over time.
- Meniscus injuries.The most common are meniscus tears and compression.During sharp flexion or extension, a loud click and sharp pain appear.Piercing painful sensations often cause immobility of the leg.
- A ruptured knee ligament is a serious injury that can be accompanied by a fracture.The joint is in an unnatural position.
- Inflammatory diseases - arthritis, synovitis, bursitis.The process may involve not only the joint, but also tendons, joint capsule membranes and soft tissues.
- Osteoporosis is a disease that causes increased bone fragility.The disease is accompanied by night cramps and pain in the spine.
- Osteomyelitis is a purulent-necrotic pathology of bacterial origin.Patients complain of general malaise, high fever, redness and swelling of the joint.
Causes of pain in the elbow joint
Complaints of pain in the elbow joint do not depend on the gender or age of the patient.Normal functioning of the joint is ensured by the interconnected work of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, blood and lymphatic vessels.If your elbow joint hurts, you should think about the following reasons:
- Internal or external epicondylitis is a disease that develops with significant and regular physical activity.
- Intervertebral hernia of the thoracic spine.During the disease, the roots of the spinal nerves innervating the girdle of the upper limbs are pinched.The pain is diffuse and radiates throughout the arm.
- Osteoarthritis.The pain is the result of the destruction of the cartilage in the elbow joint.The patient complains of a cracking sound when he bends or extends his arm.
- Arthritis is an inflammatory disease characterized by constant pain.The joint enlarges, the skin covering it becomes red and the local temperature increases.Bursitis almost always develops against the background of arthritis.On palpation, a dense formation with liquid contents is determined.
A certain type of pain in the elbow joint may indicate more serious causes.For example, throbbing or aching pain may indicate the development of bone tuberculosis or cancer.Sharp, piercing pain can be the result of injury to tendons, cartilage and ligaments.Shooting, stabbing pain is a sign of pinched nerve fibers.
Pain in the elbow joint of a burning nature may indicate an attack of angina or myocardial infarction.
Hip pain
The appearance of pain in the hip joint is always frightening and prompts you to consult a doctor immediately.The hip joint is formed by the largest bones of the skeleton and is the most powerful joint.The osteochondral structure experiences the greatest load, supports the weight of the body and evenly distributes pressure.
Women suffer from hip pain much more often than men.This is due to the peculiarities of the physiological structure, pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the predisposition of the female body to rheumatism.
In some cases, the pain and the cause of the disease can be cured once and for all, in others it can only alleviate the patient's condition and slow down the development of pathology.It all depends on the causes of the pain and the severity of the patient's condition.
Most often, pain in the hip joint occurs with the following diseases:
- Injuries.If the joint elements are damaged, it becomes difficult to move the hip to the side.The patient cannot lie on the injured side.Very often, an extensive hematoma forms at the joint.
- Hip arthritis is characterized by severe pain that gets worse at night.The thigh swells, the inguinal fold smoothes and mobility is impaired.Rheumatoid arthritis inevitably causes disability.
- Coxarthrosis.Deformation processes of the joint surface lead to pain during physical activity and walking.The pain is constant and intensifies with changes in body position.
- Chondromatosis.The disease occurs when there is a deficit in the development of articular cartilage.The formation of compactions and nodules is accompanied by severe pain and limited mobility.There are known cases of degeneration of chondromatosis into malignant formations.
Severe pain in one or both hip joints can signal the development of diabetic arthropathy, hydrarthrosis and pseudogout.These diseases significantly affect the patient's quality of life and, in severe cases, can lead to disability.
What to do if the joints in your arms and legs hurt
Pain in the joints of the arms and legs can be the first symptom of a serious illness.Sensations of pain, burning, limitation of motor functions of the arms and legs are complaints expressed by patients with the following diseases:
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- osteoarthritis;
- rheumatism;
- injuries;
- drop
Acute pain in the joints of the arms and legs requires rapid relief to alleviate the patient's condition.As a first aid measure, it is recommended to perform the following actions:
- Provides rest to members.
- Take one of the painkillers or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories.
- Contact a specialist to make the correct diagnosis and determine appropriate treatment tactics.
The use of folk remedies or any medications is prohibited without medical consultation.
Diagnosis
Establishing a correct diagnosis requires high professionalism and the use of laboratory and instrumental diagnostic methods.X-ray examination allows us to determine the destruction of cartilage, ruptures of ligaments and deformation processes.In some cases, it is advisable to perform magnetic resonance imaging.MRI images allow you to visualize changes in the structure of the synovial membrane, swelling of the bone marrow and pathological processes in periarticular soft tissues.
Laboratory blood tests show levels of specific inflammatory markers.Analysis of the joint capsule effusion makes it possible to establish the infectious nature of the disease.
At the Center for Restorative Medicine, orthopedists and traumatologists conduct a comprehensive examination of complaints of pain in large and small joints of the upper and lower extremities and in the hip joints.A modern laboratory with the latest equipment allows you to examine biological fluids for elements of inflammation and infection.
Joint treatment methods
First, the root cause of the disease needs to be addressed.Medicinal and conservative methods are used to treat joints.The following medications are prescribed:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory substances.
- Immunomodulatory drugs to slow down pathological processes, for example in rheumatoid arthritis.
- Corticosteroid medications.
- Vitamin complexes.
A good effect is achieved by injecting drugs directly into the affected joint.Intra-articular injections should only be performed by a qualified physician.This is a technique that is only used 3 to 4 times a year.
Conservative methods allow you to restore joint mobility, elasticity of ligaments, cartilage tissue and alleviate the symptoms of inflammation.For therapeutic purposes, the patient is prescribed:
- physiotherapy sessions;
- physiotherapy (physiotherapy);
- massage;
- hydrotherapy;
- hot or cold treatment.
Important!All therapeutic methods without treating the underlying disease will give only temporary results and briefly alleviate the patient's condition.
To treat joints, the Center for Regenerative Medicine uses an exclusively global approach.The main task of specialists is to determine the root cause of the pain syndrome and eliminate it.
The physiotherapy department has all the necessary equipment to treat joint pain, regardless of its location.Experienced rehabilitation doctors select individual complexes of exercise therapy that allow you to preserve all joint functions.A qualified vertebrologist eliminates pain associated with spinal pathologies.
Remember that joint pain can signal a serious problem.