Joint disease is one of the most common manifestations of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. They develop in the presence of inflammatory, degenerative-dystrophic, infectious processes in the body, as well as as a result of trauma and congenital anomalies.
Doctors distinguish dozens of different joint diseases that have relatively similar symptoms (pain, crackling, restriction of movement). This complicates diagnosis and interferes with timely treatment. Therefore, in this article, experts will tell you about the most common manifestations and features of the development of articular pathology.
Characteristics of joints and the causes of their disease
A joint is any connection of two or more bones. There are 38 pairs of joints in the human body (a total of 76 joints). They give mobility and flexibility to our bodies. Movement is an important function, and if the disease restricts it, then the quality and duration of life will decrease.
Each joint has an articular surface - this is the surface of the bone that enters it, covered with a special hyaline cartilage. It is compact, elastic and needed to protect bones from abrasions when moving. It also ensures a perfect pairing with each other. It is the wear and tear of cartilage that is a common cause of pain, cramps, stiffness and other signs of disease in the joints.
Joints are characterized by complex structures. Joint surfaces, capsules, fissures, synovium, periarticular muscles and ligaments - all of these structures provide motor function and joint support. Their damage can trigger the development of disease.
The cause of the disease
Many people mistakenly believe that only the elderly suffer from joint disease, caused by age -related changes and body weakness. But this did not happen!
Joint disease can develop as a result of:
- injuries;
- overweight;
- physical activity;
- incorrect posture;
- Flat feet;
- hereditary tendencies;
- foods with insufficient micronutrient content;
- diseases of internal organs;
- metabolic disorders;
- operations moved;
- infection.
People of any age even those with relatively good health (e. g. , men and women of working age, adolescents, children, athletes, etc. ) can face the action of these factors.
Thus, this group of diseases is getting younger - in terms of frequency of occurrence and disability, it is second only to cardiovascular and endocrinological diseases, and their treatment is associated with high financial costs.
Mechanisms of development and type of disease
In the pathogenesis of joint damage, doctors distinguish 4 possible pathways:
First: the presence of inflammation in the body
This type of lesion is characterized by a sudden onset, with a rapid increase in symptoms of inflammation: swelling, pain, redness, fever. Occurs in infections, allergies, autoimmune processes in children and adults.
Juvenile arthritis
It is characterized by an autoimmune process (i. e. the body destroys itself), the cause of which is unknown. Infectious infections, even in mild forms (e. g. , vaccinations), are often provocative.
The disease affects large joints (knees, elbows) in children and adolescents, negatively affecting their growth and development. Joint pain is accompanied by severe swelling, redness of the skin, and fever.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Also caused by autoimmune processes for no apparent reason. More often women are sick, the average age is 45-50 years. Up to 70% of patients become disabled.
Affects small joints (or several), for example, wrists, fingers. This affects the patient’s ability to work as well as self -care. They complain of severe pain, swelling, changes in the shape of the joints and morning stiffness in them.
Psoriatic arthritis
In nearly half of patients diagnosed with psoriasis, an inflammatory process develops in the small joints of the hands, feet, and spine. The cause of arthritis, as well as the underlying cause of the disease, is unknown.
Psoriatic arthritis can affect the interdigital and large (elbow, knee), one or more joints, symmetrically or not.
The main manifestations are the presence of pain that extends to the ligaments and tendons, swelling and blue skin of the fingers, limitation of mobility.
Gouty arthritis
It develops against the background of gout, as a result of the deposition of uric acid salts in the joints. Men suffer more often than women, age-40-50 years and over 60 years, respectively.
A characteristic feature is the defeat of one joint, which begins abruptly, lasts several weeks, is accompanied by severe pain and swelling, with the formation of uric acid nodules (tauhus).
Spondyloarthritis with ankylosing spondylitis
Chronic lesions in which the spine, paravertebral muscles and pelvic sacroiliac joints are affected.
Men are more likely to develop the disease than women, and it develops at the age of 20-30 years. Their main complaints were pain in the lower back, in the sacrum, in the hip joints; stiffness of movement after a period of rest (especially in the morning, after sleep).
Even with relief of symptoms and relative well -being, without eliminating the cause, inflammation continues to develop and, over time, will cause new severity. Therefore, articular pathology often becomes chronic and leads to disability.
Second: the presence of degenerative-dystrophic processes
With this type of lesion, the joint is destroyed by physical factors. Injuries and microtraumas, constant physical exercise above the norm, harmful effects of the environment (hypothermia, vibration) - all these pathological factors cause cartilage destruction and narrowing of the joint space.
Changing the form of osteoarthritis
It develops as a result of damage and destruction of articular cartilage. The articular surface becomes rough and sensitive to friction. Over time, the process of destruction goes to the bones, capsules, synovium, ligaments and muscles. Chronic inflammation and changes in the shape of the joints appear.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint pathology. It reduces a patient’s quality of life, causing disability and being difficult to treat. In youth, men are more likely to get sick, in old age - women.
Clinically, osteoarthritis is manifested by severe pain and limitation of movement, which increases with physical exertion. In the final stages, even rest and calm does not bring relief.
Osteochondrosis
It affects the spine and is caused by a degenerative process in the intervertebral disc. Under the influence of negative factors, the nutrition of the disc is disrupted, which leads to loss of its shape (up to the formation of protrusions and hernias), aging and destruction.
As a result, the spine loses its mobility, pain, numbness, stiffness of movement, muscle weakness, difficulty urinating and emptying the bowel, headache, dizziness appear. Symptoms depend on the part of the spine where the osteochondrosis has developed, and can be very different.
Changing the form of spondylarthrosis
This condition is also called "facet syndrome". In this case, the process of destruction affects the structure of the intervertebral joints (capsules, ligaments, facets).
Often it occurs in the most "burdened" part of the spine - the lumbar. It manifests itself as pain that radiates to the legs and is intensified by prolonged walking or standing in one place.
Osteochondropathy
Caused by aseptic (non -infectious) bone necrosis, for example, as a result of impaired blood supply. As a result, the bone that enters the joint is prone to frequent fractures. In further cases, the patient can be severely injured even during sleep.
In the early stages, the disease does not manifest itself in any way. Many of those who are ill are athletes and people who lead "healthy" lifestyles. The first is subject to excessive stress, the second deliberately limits their diet and deprives the body of the necessary substances.
To destroy dense and elastic cartilage, pathogenic factors must act on the joints for many years, therefore degenerative-dystrophic changes are more common in old age. Or he must act with great power, as in sports.
Many professional athletes become disabled in their youth.
Third: congenital joint pathology
This type of lesion causes abnormalities in the structure and development of the joint as a result of infection and injury to the mother, concomitant pathology, late toxicosis, and genetic diseases.
Frequent manifestations of congenital abnormalities are birth trauma, for example, hip dislocation or collarbone fracture.
Congenital dysplasia of the hip joint
It develops as a result of violation of the formation of all articular structures in the prenatal and postpartum period. Predisposing factors are heredity and strict bedding. Girls are more susceptible to this pathology than boys-the incidence rates are 80% and 20%, respectively.
With dysplasia, the shape of the joint changes, and the ligaments are too elastic. This causes displacement of the femur and prevents movement of the hip joint, which can lead to deformity.
Congenital club feet
A deformity in which, as a result of the defeat of the ankle joint, the foot deviates inward relative to the lower leg.
Clubfoot often affects boys and in half of the cases it is bilateral. If the disability is not eliminated in a timely manner, the child will not be able to walk normally and will remain disabled.
Marfan syndrome
Genetic pathology in which the patient has elongated bones in the arms and legs, as well as hypermobility (excessive mobility) of the joints.
In the early stages, many congenital joint pathologies can be completely eliminated or development can be slowed using conservative methods. Late diagnosis and treatment can result in impaired support and movement function, up to and including disability.
Fourth: diseases of the muscles and ligaments of the joints
The pathology of this group often develops as a result of increased physical energy and hypothermia.
Tendinitis
Inflammation and destruction of tendons. It is accompanied by tension and painful sensations, especially in weather.
Myositis
Development of inflammation in the periarticular muscles. It is accompanied by pain when feeling the affected area, which increases with movement.
Bursitis
The inflammatory process is localized in the joint capsule. It often affects professional athletes (wrestlers, runners, weightlifters).
Synovitis
Damage to the synovial membrane with accumulation of fluid in the joint cavity. It is accompanied by pain, swelling, stiffness of movement.
The relationship between disease and joint type
There are certain patterns in which joints are affected by which pathology. In fact some of them have their own special names.
For example,knee jointscan be affected at any age, regardless of the patient’s gender and occupation. But defeat of the meniscus and cruciate ligament is more common in athletes. Gonarthrosis - in the elderly. Arthritis of infectious origin - in children.
Deep painshoulder jointcan be caused by shoulder-scapular periarthritis, cervical osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis.
Forelbow jointstypical damage to periarticular tissue - epicondylitis or "tennis elbow", "golfer's elbow".
The hip joint is more often affected in older people. As a result of osteoporosis and coxarthrosis, they are at risk of femoral neck fractures.
Deep painsmall jointshands and feet are observed in rheumatoid, psoriatic, gouty arthritis.
But despite the specific manifestations, the diagnosis of articular pathology often causes difficulties, which are fraught with late initiation of treatment and the risk of complications.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Among the complaints that bother patients with articular pathology, there are:
- Pain;
- Swelling and swelling;
- Shape change;
- Stiffness of movement;
- Inability to perform normal range of motion.
Doctors call them joint syndrome. Doctors call them joint syndrome. It is also possible for the appearance of redness of the skin, a rash on it and dense nodules. Of the general symptoms, patients often complain of an increase in temperature in the lesion area or the whole body, an increase in fatigue.
Reading the previous section, you may have noticed that all these symptoms are present in almost any joint pathology. Therefore, it is impossible to make a clear diagnosis based only on your complaint - you need an examination and consultation with a doctor.
During the examination of the patient, the doctor not only pays attention to his complaints. To make an accurate diagnosis, it is important to know the time of its occurrence, which joints are affected, one or several of them, whether these lesions are symmetrical and other factors.
Let's take a closer look at each symptom:
Pain:
It occurs in almost every pathology. Doctors distinguish several types:
- Inflamed- increases towards the morning, after a period of rest. Common for rheumatoid, juvenile, gouty arthritis, spondyloarthritis.
- mechanical- appear during physical exercise or changes in body position, often in the late afternoon, disappear after rest. Common for osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis, periarticular tissue pathology.
- "From"- occurs in the first 15-20 minutes of physical activity after the rest period. Common for osteoarthritis.
- "Restrictions"- caused by pinching in the joint space of cartilage fragments, resulting in a "wedge" of the joint. May be accompanied by a buzzing sound. Occurs in osteoarthritis.
- still- continuous, regardless of load and time of day, may increase at night. Common for osteochondropathy, osteomyelitis, tumors and tuberculosis of the bones.
Number of joints affected:
- One (monoarthritis): with juvenile, gouty, psoriatic arthritis.
- Two-four (oligoarthritis): with rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis.
- More than four (polyarthritis): with rheumatoid, gouty arthritis.
Symmetry of lesions:
- Symmetry: for rheumatoid arthritis.
- Asymmetry: for spondyloarthritis, gout, osteoarthritis.
- "Migration": with gout.
Stiffness in the joints in the morning:
It is perceived by the patient as the impossibility and tension of movement. It occurs in the morning and is associated with accumulation of fluid in the articular cavity overnight. Common for rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis.
Also, doctors pay attention to common complaints:
- Increased body temperature;
- Redness of the skin, the presence of a rash on it;
- Defeat of internal organs.
To make an accurate diagnosis, laboratory (blood, joint fluid analysis) and instrumental studies (X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound) are required.
Conclusion
Joint pain and dysfunction can be caused by a variety of reasons. There are pathologies that cannot be treated, but most of them, with adequate and timely treatment, allow a person to live a full life. Therefore, if you have at least one of the listed symptoms, call your doctor-do not diagnose yourself, do not prescribe treatment, and moreover do not tolerate pain.
We use a holistic approach to the treatment of joint pain, thanks to which many of our patients have regained the joy of movement.