Joint pain is not just a problem for the older generation. Young people are often faced with this. In some situations, analgesics are saved from unpleasant symptoms, in others, drug treatment is necessary and, in the most difficult cases, the help of a surgeon is necessary.
Causes of joint pain
The causes of joint pain can be mechanical and infectious. After an injury, no one is surprised by the pain when moving. But when pain occurs for no apparent reason, the patient does not understand how to act to get rid of the problem.
However, a bacterial infection can cause pain. When pathogens enter synovial fluid, they invade nearby soft tissue. An infection can enter a joint in several ways:
- As a result of dentures due to the sterilization of poor quality materials.
- Due to deep tissue damage in skin infections;
- After any surgical intervention performed in violation of antiseptic processing rules.
In addition to bacteria, the joint is also threatened by fungi. These microorganisms also enter the synovial fluid as a result of infection obtained during surgery.
Few people associate stomach ailments or bladder injuries with pain in their knees or elbows. However, there is a connection. When the gastrointestinal tract is affected by a bacterial infection, toxins and colonies of microorganisms enter the bloodstream and move through the body with the bloodstream. Some of them are deposited in the joint cavity. The joint risks are:
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- urinary system injuries;
- venereal diseases;
- rubella;
- angina;
- Infectious mononucleosis;
- pneumonia.
This suggests that the improper treatment of infectious diseases can lead to more serious consequences than one might imagine. For example, a late diagnosis of sore throat or a patient's refusal to take prescribed antibiotics can lead to deficiency. This is because streptococcus, which causes angina, is recognized by the immune system in the same way as cells in heart valves and intra-articular tissue. If antibiotic therapy is not used as the primary treatment, the immune system itself will destroy the joint tissue, fighting off the infection.
Viral infections also affect joints. These are diseases like:
- rubella;
- Hepatitis C;
- Hepatitis B;
- herpes.
Humanity has not yet invented a drug that has been proven to be effective against viruses. The only exception is the drug Acyclovir, which is effective against the herpes virus. Other diseases of viral etiology can only be defeated by human immunity. To protect yourself from infections that can destroy joint tissue, you can bolster your immunity with vaccines. Rubella and hepatitis vaccines are included in the mandatory schedule.
how to relieve pain
As a symptomatic treatment for joint pain, orthopedists use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
In case of excruciating pain, you will need to consult a specialist who will perform the blockage. This is a procedure that allows you to introduce anesthesia into the joint itself and into the area near the root of the nerve endings. But this solution to the problem is temporary. After 10-16 hours, the patient's condition will return to the original position.
What does crunching in the joints mean?
Grinding of the joints can be caused by several reasons. On the other hand, grinding indicates that the intra-articular substrate is depleted as a result of a violation of the water-salt balance. On the other hand, the only click that can be heard when bending or extending the joint to its extreme position is the sound made by gas bubbles exploding within the joint fluid.
If there is constant tightening during movement, it is necessary to reduce the load on the moving part. It is best to eliminate the cause through an orthopedic traumatologist's office. Taking the advertised medications on your own will not only not help, it could also harm you. X-rays will show the condition of the bones and interarticular cartilage. If you discover it is out of stock, individual recommendations will be provided. If, with cartilage developed, you independently block the pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, you can only reduce the tenderness in the joint by continuing to explore it. Over time, thin cartilage becomes the cause of inflammation in intra-articular tissue, which leads to osteoarthritis.
Arthritis or arthrosis
For those without medical training or without bone and joint problems, two concepts: arthritis and arthrosis seem to be exactly the same. The similarity of names is explained by the fact that all diseases associated with joints have the root "art". The suffix "it" speaks of an inflammatory process. This can be seen in other terms: rhinitis - inflammation of the sinuses, bronchitis - inflammation of the bronchi; otitis media - an inflammation of the ear. At the same time, the term does not talk about the causes of inflammation, which means it cannot be a diagnosis. Bronchitis, for example, can be viral and bacterial. This means that the treatment tactics in both cases are completely different. Arthritis is inflammation in a joint without a description of the cause.
Arthrosis is a disease in which the interarticular cartilage is affected. Long-term unexplored arthritis, sooner or later, leads to osteoarthritis. Inflammatory processes in the joint disrupt metabolism, causing tissues to not receive adequate nutrition and become thinner. Consequently, cartilage tissue is destroyed.
Prevention of joint disease
Proper nutrition ensures the health of all body systems. Adequate protein, calcium, iron and vitamins allow you to supply cartilage tissue, ligaments, synovial fluid and bones with everything you need.
Furthermore, an active lifestyle will keep your muscles in good shape, thanks to which they provide additional support for the entire skeleton in general and the joints in particular. And to protect yourself from dangerous viral infections that affect your joints, you need to be vaccinated in a timely manner.