The inflammatory process in joint tissue is a physiological reaction of the body to the development of various pathologies. Experts identify several reasons why joint inflammation occurs: injury, arthritis and other diseases. In addition, the appearance of a symptom may be a reaction to the presence of an infectious focus in the body.
Many patients ask : what is inflammation of the joints called in medical terminology? Most often, the inflammatory process in joint tissue is provoked by various diseases, so it does not have a specific name.
Most often, arthritis becomes a factor in the development of inflammation in the joint. This disease can manifest itself in various forms and be accompanied by symptoms of varying intensity. .
Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory process localized in the cartilage tissue that lines the joint. As the disease progresses, joint tissue wears out and severe pain appears. Usually seen in people over 40 years of age. The development of the disease can be determined by the presence of certain signs:
If you have such signs, you should not self-medicate; you should urgently contact a medical facility.
This disease is a form of arthritis. May be accompanied by painful sensations in the joints, which become more intense with any movement. the disease develops against the background of increased concentrations of uric acid from joint tissue and blood. The disease can become chronic and cause joint deformation. Gout manifests itself as a group of specific symptoms:
With the development of this disease, in 15-20% of patients, the appearance of urolithiasis in the kidneys is observed, which develops if gout is not treated in time.
This is a rare disease of joint tissue, which is diagnosed in 1-2% of the total population. Such a disease can be attributed to autoimmune processes in the body, in which healthy cells of the body are attacked, and the joint tissue is primarily affected. The disease can be identified by some signs:
Medical workers also identify other diseases that can cause an inflammatory process in the joint tissue, which manifests itself to a greater or lesser extent.
The appearance of these diseases can provoke a deterioration in the patient’s condition and lead to complete loss of ability to work. Therefore, if a patient is diagnosed with any of these ailments, any attempts at self-medication are prohibited.
Regardless of the disease that provokes the inflammatory process in the joint tissue, such an ailment is accompanied by some symptoms that can appear in combination or one at a time:
The intensity of the manifestation of symptoms depends on the form of the pathological process in the inflamed joint.
Experts distinguish three forms of the pathological process: acute, chronic, and subacute.
The acute stage of the disease is characterized by the appearance of: acute pain, hyperemia of the skin in the affected area, swelling of the joint. But at the same time, with proper treatment, the disease goes away very quickly.
The chronic stage can be latent for a long time, but when a relapse develops, it is complicated by an increased intensity of symptoms, which lead to a decrease in the patient’s quality of life and complete loss of ability to work (disability).
In the subacute stage, redness and swelling of the joint are observed, accompanied by an increase in temperature in the affected area. During movement, the patient feels stiffness and severe attacks of pain in the pathogenic area.
Many patients self-medicate or simply do not visit a specialist, allowing the disease to develop on its own. This is the main mistake of many people, since the lack of proper treatment can lead to the appearance of dangerous diseases:
All these complications can lead to disability. Therefore, it is better not to joke with your health and, when the first signs of joint inflammation appear, consult a doctor.
Since the inflammatory process in the joint tissue can be provoked by various diseases, to identify the factor in the development of the disease, it is necessary to conduct a full examination of the joint. To do this, specialists use certain examination methods:
After carrying out such diagnostic measures, the specialist will be able to make a diagnosis. Having assessed all possible risks and individual characteristics of the body, the doctor will prescribe treatment.
Many patients are interested in: how to treat joint inflammation? Treatment of joint pain should consist not simply of relieving the symptoms of the disease, but of therapy aimed at combating the cause of the disease. To do this, the doctor can use conservative and surgical treatment methods.
Conservative treatment includes the use of medications for joint inflammation. Their use is aimed at relieving symptoms and combating the causes of the development of this pathological process. It is possible to use medicines both internally and externally.
Medicines for joint inflammation are selected based on the etiology of the disease and the individual characteristics of the body. In addition, if the disease has an infectious etiology, the attending physician may prescribe antibiotics for joint inflammation.
A specialist may prescribe medications in the form of tablets. Treatment includes complex administration of medications of various spectrums of action.
These types of drugs should be taken with caution as they may cause some side effects:
Based on these factors, the doctor selects the drug individually for each patient. The most common ones include:
If the drugs in the form of tablets do not help, then the attending physician may prescribe similar drugs in the form of injections for inflammation of the joints.
Despite the fact that such drugs are very harmful to human health, some patients are forced to take them due to the increased intensity of the symptoms of the disease:
These medications are available not only in the form of tablets, but also as ointments to relieve inflammation of the joints. But the form of release of the drug does not affect the occurrence of side effects:
This is only a small part of the consequences that can arise from taking glucocorticoid hormones. Similar complications are observed in 40% of patients.
Diseases that provoke inflammation in the joints do not respond well to therapeutic methods of treatment. But thanks to regular improvements in the pharmaceutical market, the number of drugs is growing every day. Such remedies include ointments against joint inflammation.
These are only pharmaceutical types of drugs; there are various folk remedies for joint inflammation, thanks to which you can prepare an ointment at home:
You should not use any medications without a specialist’s prescription, since self-medication can worsen the patient’s general condition.
Shilajit is widely used in the treatment of diseases of the joint tissue: arthritis, arthrosis, etc. To carry out therapeutic activities, not only pharmaceutical preparations are used, but also ointments made according to folk recipes. It is better to do this procedure before bedtime.
Apply a thin layer of the medicine to the affected area and wrap with cling film. The compress should remain on the joint for at least seven hours. After waking up, you can remove the bandage and wash your leg.
Diet for joint inflammation plays a huge role in the treatment process. A balanced diet will help relieve swelling and deliver nutrients to the body. The diet should contain certain foods:
But there are foods that are prohibited for patients with joint inflammation: alcoholic drinks, spicy and fatty foods, sweet and flour dishes (pastry, cakes), spinach, tomatoes.
In order for the treatment to be effective, it is important to follow all the doctor’s instructions. If you do everything correctly, the disease will go away very quickly.
Arthritis, known as inflammation of the joints, is a common condition that affects people of all ages. The disease complicates the functioning of the joints, leading to dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system, and in especially advanced cases causes disability. You can get rid of it using both therapeutic and surgical methods. The main thing is to correctly diagnose and treat the disease.
In medical practice, there are several types of arthritis, depending on their nature of occurrence, symptoms and type of lesion. Inflammation of the joints is also divided into single and multiple. If a joint within one limb is affected, it is monoarthritis. When several joints are inflamed, they speak of oligoarthritis or polyarthritis, when cartilage in different parts of the body is affected. According to the source of the disease, the following types of arthritis are distinguished:
The main source of the disease is the inflammatory process of bones and joints. The focus is predominantly located in the synovial membrane, where pathogenic exudate accumulates. It affects the cartilage, destroying it, and then spreads to the heads of the bones, causing tissue deformation and the growth of osteophytes. The impetus for the development of the disease is the following factors:
Inflammatory joint diseases have symptoms that are common to the entire group of arthritic diseases, and each type of disease has its own set of additional manifestations. They can occur one by one, as cartilage and bone tissue degrade, or they can make themselves felt instantly, especially in people with excess body weight. The presence of infection and inflammation in the joint capsule can be determined by the following symptoms:
When multiple inflammation of the joints is accompanied by infection of the synovial bursa, purulent arthritis occurs. The diseased joint quickly swells, a sharp rise in temperature is observed, and the pain intensifies. In the absence of adequate treatment, pus provokes complications in the form of osteomyelitis, parotitis, sepsis, and ankylosis. Inflammation of the lymph nodes may occur. And also typical consequences of the disease are:
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Joint inflammation can be determined using therapeutic, laboratory and instrumental methods. An initial examination by a rheumatologist will reveal acute inflammation of the joint capsules, which has clearly defined signs. The joints are enlarged, swollen, and painful. A more in-depth study of the type and extent of the disease is done using MRI and CT; sometimes radiography may be needed to identify osteophytosis of the joints of the arms and legs. When the disease is accompanied by fever and causes aching pain throughout the body, extensive blood and urine tests are prescribed to determine the inflammatory process and its source. After determining the cause of the disease, the doctor prescribes medications.
Therapy prescribed when one or more joints are inflamed is aimed at relieving pain symptoms and eliminating the source of the disease. A set of measures is attributed: the main anti-inflammatory medicine, local remedies and auxiliary measures in the form of homeopathy, diet and folk recipes. Your doctor will tell you which medications are best to take. If conservative treatment of arthritis fails, a surgical method of getting rid of the disease is used.
Delayed diagnosis of reactive arthritis in children results in damage to internal organs and disability.
An effective medicine for arthritis is selected by a doctor in each individual case. NSAIDs, chondroprotectors and anesthetics are prescribed. They take pills for inflammation of the synovial bursa and drugs that promote the regeneration of cartilage tissue. When an arm or leg joint disease is accompanied by an infection that threatens to lead to purulent arthritis, combination medications and antibiotics are prescribed. They have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract, but are necessary to eliminate pathogenic foci. To minimize irritation of the intestines and stomach, anti-infective combi-drugs are injected into the joint capsule or intramuscularly.
Pain-relieving drugs for inflammation of the joints of the legs and arms are produced mainly in the form of ointments and gels. For very severe pain, short courses of intra-articular injections are performed to relieve symptoms. This method is called a “blockade”, and is recommended only when the disease is chronic and other methods of pain relief do not work.
Inflamed joints of the wrist, knee and elbows are treated with physiotherapy and exercise therapy. Electrophoresis and magnetic therapy will help relieve pain and swelling. A set of stretching and strength exercises without lifting weights will help maintain muscles and prevent atrophy. To treat inflammation of the joints on the legs, it is recommended to do paraffin applications with ozokerite, deep heating and mud treatment. You can improve tissue trophism and restore motor function with gymnastics for the flexibility of leg tendons and yoga.
Stopping inflammation in the joints using alternative medicine methods is possible only at the initial stage of arthritis, when the cartilage is slightly enlarged and the degenerative processes are reversible. Folk remedies are used to relieve pain, swelling, and also to restore articulation by normalizing the mineral balance in tissues. Alcohol herbal tinctures are used to treat foot joints; powder from oysters and fish bones is used as a chondroprotector.
Honey-based ointments have an anti-inflammatory effect.
A popular method is apitherapy and ointments based on honey and hot pepper. But a contraindication for their use is an allergy to honey. The classic tincture of dandelions and horse chestnut flowers can also be used for compresses on the knees and ankles and will help relieve inflammation of the wrist and hand joints. Traditional recipes do not have a strong effect, so if the disease does not go away after the traditional course, treatment can be repeated in the absence of allergic reactions to the components of the drugs.
When symptoms of inflammation of the knee joints indicate multiple osteophytosis and complete degeneration of cartilage, after diagnosis, surgical intervention is prescribed to restore mobility to the diseased joint. The manipulation is carried out both openly and through an endoscope. Surgically, joint inflammation is eliminated by removing destroyed cartilage and bone tissue or by endoprosthetics. The method is practically painless and consists of replacing the destroyed cartilage with an artificial analogue. After the operation, a rehabilitation course of physiotherapy, mud therapy and recommendations for adjusting the diet follows. If you are overweight, it is recommended to get rid of it.
The best preventative and auxiliary treatment for getting rid of joint inflammation is a properly balanced diet. The menu for arthrosis must contain foods rich in fatty acids. Varieties of fish containing a large amount of fish oil are suitable; it is recommended to use only olive oil and without heat treatment by frying. To restore the mineral balance of joints, it is recommended to drink vitamin complexes, dietary supplements and microelements. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you the name of the vitamins. The main thing is that it contains magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. It is better to avoid coffee and alcohol or limit consumption.
When the inflammation has passed, it is necessary to follow the rules of prevention so that it does not return. Since many people have arthritis associated with excessive physical activity, it is necessary to limit the time of physical activity and rest, not lift heavy objects, and avoid compression injuries. A good means of prevention is balneological spa treatment. To detect a relapse in a timely manner, it is necessary to visit a doctor once a year and undergo a hardware examination.
The inflammatory process can affect not only a specific joint, but several at once. If the patient is diagnosed with the first case, then he develops monoarthritis. The second is about polyarthritis.
Depending on the stage of inflammation and its nature, arthritis is usually divided into chronic and acute.
Arthritis is often an independent disease, but its development cannot be ruled out as a consequence of other pathological conditions in organs and systems.
All types of arthritis are divided into groups (this depends on the predominant pathological process and its nature): dystrophic, traumatic, autoimmune, infectious.
Despite the fairly wide variety of clinical variations of arthritis, they are all connected by common specific symptoms. Thus, acute pain syndrome of varying degrees of intensity almost always occurs. It hurts constantly, even at rest. With the slightest physical activity, the pain increases sharply.
The patient will also notice swelling in the area of the affected joint, redness of the skin and its tension, and the occurrence of swelling.
The temperature rises locally (above the inflamed joint) and throughout the body, up to 40 degrees. Movements in the deformed joint are tight and accompanied by a characteristic crunch. The patient has to feel stiffness after a long stay in one position, for example, after a night's sleep, sitting at a table, or driving a car.
Joint inflammation is often complicated. This is due to the fact that arthritis is a long-term disease. So, doctors note:
The group of traumatic arthritis should include those diseases that developed as a result of any damage to the joints: sprain of the ligamentous apparatus, bruise, fracture, dislocation. Typically, these conditions occur after physical overload and car accidents.
A person can become overloaded in cases where due attention is not paid to the correct technique for carrying heavy objects, grasping them, or the technique is completely ignored. Professional athletes and people with flat feet are at high risk of developing arthritis.
The most common type of traumatic arthritis is osteoarthritis. Often, inflammation of the joints does not cause complete immobility, but is characterized by periodic pain in the joints and impaired mobility of the legs and arms. Near the small joints of the feet and hands, convex dense neoplasms from deformed bone are actively forming, which can be quite painful to the touch.
Dystrophic inflammation of the joints occurs as a consequence of metabolic disorders in the body as a whole and in the joints. Most often, doctors diagnose gout. Gouty arthritis usually affects men of mature and old age. In almost all cases, gout is combined with varying degrees of obesity.
Gout in the legs is characterized by the accumulation of uric acid in the joints. These urates in the form of crystals are deposited in tissues, and especially in the joints of the legs. Inflammation of the joints begins with the metatarsophalangeal, and then a pathological process is observed in the remaining fingers.
The disease can last for many years, with painful attacks and a state of remission constantly alternating. Symptoms are especially aggravated after eating foods prohibited for illness:
Joint injuries often provoke attacks of discomfort. The peculiarity of gouty arthritis is the activation of pain at night and the peak of discomfort reaching a day after the onset of the attack. It is simply impossible to dull such discomfort without medication.
Laboratory indicators during a pain attack will show jumps in CRP, ESR, and increased concentration of uric acid in urine and blood.
If there is no normal treatment, the disease causes complete destruction of the joints in chronic polyarthritis.
This group includes arthritis: rheumatoid, psoriatic, lupus erythematosus, rheumatism, ankylosing spondylitis. The key link in the occurrence and progression of these pathologies is an autoimmune reaction, when the patient’s body actively produces antibodies against its own cells.
For this reason, almost all connecting elements found in the human body are affected: the stroma of internal organs, blood vessels, cartilage. Due to these pathogenetic principles, specific manifestations of general disorders occur in autoimmune arthritis.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis begin with inflammation in the joint capsule. Then the process moves to the articular surfaces, gradually destroying them. Tissue destruction occurs against the background of special immune complexes formed against their own cartilage cells.
This condition is chronic and lasts for years. If adequate treatment has not been undertaken, rheumatoid arthritis provokes absolute immobilization of the joints of the arms and legs.
Usually people who have crossed the age of 30 get sick and suffer from a hidden infection. The disease makes itself felt by symmetrical damage to the small joints of the fingers on all extremities. The fingers become spindle-shaped. Discomfort and inflammation of the joints have been bothering the patient for many years in a row.
If lupus erythematosus develops, then it is visually easy to determine symmetrical lesions of several joints at once. In other words, polyarthritis occurs. Along with the inflammatory process of the joints, other symptoms of arthritis are clearly expressed:
Laboratory blood tests indicate an increase in ESR (leukocyte sedimentation rate), the presence of LE (lupus cells), and the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ENA). This requires the use of appropriate medication.
Psoriatic joint damage (psoriatic arthropathy) is characterized by the involvement of medium and small joints in the inflammatory process. Such lesions are asymmetrical.
The feet and hands are affected - sausage-shaped fingers with characteristic bluish-purple skin are formed. The pathological process affects the sternoclavicular, temporomandibular, cervical, sacroiliac joints. In addition, symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include:
Ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis) is hereditary. With the disease, symmetrical damage to several joints develops.
The symptoms of this arthritis are completely similar to those of rheumatoid arthritis. The formation of a destructive process in the sacroiliac joints, chronic ileitis (inflammation of the small intestine) is noted. As a rule, there is a combination with uveitis (inflammation of the eyes).
When rheumatism develops, the joint damage is also symmetrical. The painful attack lasts from 10 to 14 days. After this period, the pain completely stops.
An attack of joint pain may change its location. In other words, the next exacerbation of rheumatic disease occurs in a different group of symmetrical joints. This phenomenon is called “alternating outbreaks” and is the main distinguishing feature of the rheumatic etiology of inflammation.
Rheumatism is usually detected in children and adolescents from 6 to 15 years of age as a result of streptococcus:
Often, 3-4 days after the onset of a sore throat, an attack of the joints begins, and there may be several of them in a row. If the period of illness is acute, then the indicators of CRP, ASLO titer, and ESR increase sharply.
The pathological process is extremely dangerous due to frequent complications. They manifest themselves as heart lesions, valve defects, endocarditis, myocarditis 15-25 after the onset of the disease.
Infectious inflammation of the joints is closely related to the penetration of a pathogenic pathogen into the body. Usually the patient suffers from viruses, bacteria, fungi.
This broad group of arthritis is called reactive arthritis. In this case, the infectious focus is located outside the joint: tissues, organs. Moreover, most often we are talking about the intestinal or urogenital tract. The transition to inflammation of the joints occurs when the patient’s body has one or several pathological conditions at once:
Among infectious arthritis, a special place is given to Reiter's syndrome. This form of pathology develops with chlamydial lesions of the urogenital tract, joints and mucous membranes of the eyes. In this case, arthritis develops extremely acutely immediately after contracting the infection.
As a rule, the knee joints, metatarsophalangeal, and ankle joints suffer from the problem. As the disease develops, the spinal column and joints of the arms and legs are observed to be involved in the destructive process.
Symptoms in such patients include pain near the sacrum and regular morning muscle stiffness. Lesions on the legs become a prerequisite for the development of flat feet. In addition, people with Reiter's syndrome notice spurs on their heels and sit bones.
Acute arthritis in the syndrome is always combined with skin lesions: keratoderma, hyperkeratosis, psoriasis-like rashes. Typically, such a rash develops on the torso, legs, palms and under the hair. The disease causes pathologies of internal organs, for example, the heart, eyes, kidneys, lungs and nerve endings.
Also, patients who do not know how to treat joint inflammation suffer from aortitis, pleurisy, neuritis, carditis, urethritis, thrombophlebitis, glomerulonephritis, conjunctivitis.
Loss of appetite, muscle weakness, and fever are also observed. These manifestations accompanying arthritis can last a long time or be episodic.
Infectious arthritis, which was caused by other infections, is much less common. Their clinical manifestation depends on the form of the pathological process.
Medicine knows two types of inflammation: serous and purulent. The causes of inflammation of the joints in dropsy or serous synovitis are the accumulation of blood in the joints. There is a pinpoint hemorrhage, inflammation of the synovial fluid in the joint capsule, and swelling. In this case, pain and swelling in places where exudate accumulates is quite pronounced.
A patient with a serous lesion complains of an irregular shape of the leg joint. The limb is forced into a half-bent state. This pathological process is accompanied by fever and chills. Often such inflammation can be cured completely. However, if serous inflammation has become chronic, relapses are almost always inevitable, requiring the use of medication.
The purulent form of infectious arthritis is characterized by the accumulation of pus in the joint capsule. Moreover, nearby tissue is also affected. Inflammation of the joints includes bone tissue and subcutaneous tissue. Gradually there are:
In addition to quite severe pain, redness and limited mobility, the inflammatory process is accompanied by general muscle weakness and high body temperature. The person feels so unwell that he is unable to sleep normally at night. There is a high probability of displacements, dislocations and subluxations.
It is strictly forbidden to delay treatment of joint inflammation and purulent arthritis. They are extremely dangerous for the development of complications, because there may be a need for surgical intervention and even removal of the joint of the legs and arms destroyed by the disease.
Joint inflammation is a natural reaction of the body to one or another pathogenic effect. There are several reasons that can trigger this process. These include injuries of various origins and various diseases, the most common of which is arthritis. There are several varieties of it, which to a greater or lesser extent cause an inflammatory reaction in the joints. The pathological process can involve either one or several joints.
Joint inflammation is also defined as a reaction caused by either a general or local infection, under the influence of other factors supporting the process (endogenous and exogenous).
Research shows that more than 20% of the world's population suffers from inflammatory processes in the joints.
The majority of people among this population group are over 50 years old, since it is at this age that metabolic processes in the body proceed much more slowly, and the baggage of previously suffered injuries and diseases accumulates, which make themselves felt. But depending on the cause that caused the inflammation, middle-aged people and even children turn to doctors with this problem.
Diseases that lead to the launch of the inflammatory process in the joints include:
Osteoarthritis is the most common disease, affecting mostly older people, approximately 40 years of age and older. The joints that the disease “prefers” to affect are on the hands, in the spine, as well as in the knees and hip part of the body. With this disease, mini-growths begin to form in any of these areas, which lead to irritation and inflammation in the tissues, ligaments and tendons surrounding the joint. Osteoarthritis is usually classified as follows: primary, localized, generalized, secondary (caused by a number of reasons - after injury or endocrine diseases).
The main signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis include:
Unpleasant sensations intensify or even appear after the joint has been “worked”. Such pains are called mechanical and appear most often in the evening. During rest, they either subside or disappear altogether.
Seals appear along the edges of the joint space in the area of the inflamed area.
After waking up, a person may experience short-term stiffness, usually not exceeding half an hour.
Movements are somewhat difficult and painful.
The joint is under tension.
Signs of joint destruction may be observed.
Crunching in the joints, called crepitus.
Gout is another type of arthritis, with sudden, recurring pain in the joints that is of increased intensity. The cause of gout is a significant increase in the level of uric acid in the blood, and as a result, the deposition of sodium crystals in the joints, which leads to their inflammation. Sometimes this disease becomes chronic and leads to deformation of the joint tissue. Approximately 20% of patients experience kidney stone deposits.
With gout, it is customary to distinguish patients who complain of the following symptoms:
Sharp pain that most often occurs at night.
Sharp redness of the skin around the inflamed joint,
Weakness and trembling in the limbs.
Redness and sharp pain in the big toe, with swelling and hardening of the tissue surrounding the joint.
This is the classic onset of the disease; up to 80% of gout patients experience similar symptoms.
Rheumatoid arthritis, although less common, is nevertheless a fairly common disease that leads to inflammation in the joints. This disease affects approximately 2% of the world's population. The process is autoimmune in nature, when a person’s own immune system begins to attack healthy cells. With rheumatoid arthritis, it is the joints that suffer from the “attack.” The causes of the development of the disease have not yet been precisely established, but infectious diseases, frequent stress, genetic predisposition, severe hypothermia or the consequence of other arthritis (reactive or infectious) are considered theoretically possible.
During attacks of rheumatoid arthritis, the following symptoms characteristic of this disease can be identified:
An important distinguishing feature of rheumatoid arthritis is the symmetry of the lesion. That is, when the knee joint on the left leg becomes inflamed, the knee joint on the right leg should also be involved in the process.
In the mornings, and almost until the middle of the day, a person may experience stiffness in the joints, which goes away in the evening.
Fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, muscle pain, etc. are added.
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a disease of connective tissue and blood vessels, in which the immune processes occurring in the body are disrupted. The pathology is chronic. Inflammation of the joints in lupus manifests itself in the form of pain localized in different places. However, the disease most often affects the small joints of the ankles and hands. Sometimes the inflamed areas swell; in some cases, deformation is observed in combination with joint stiffness.
Rheumatism is a connective tissue disease that affects the heart and joints. The disease can strike any person, as it occurs as a complication of a serious illness, for example, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, etc. People who have a genetic predisposition to rheumatism are also at risk. Inflamed joints with this pathology often swell and hurt. The pain is severe, most often affecting the large joints - ankle, elbow, shoulder, knee and wrist joints.
Tick-borne borreliosis is spread by ticks and transmitted by insect bites to humans. At the same time, migrating joint pains of high intensity can occur several weeks after the bite and without treatment. In this case, joint inflammation is a complication of the disease. Most often, patients complain of pain in the knees, but in some cases other joints are also affected.
Polymyalgia rheumatica is a disease that has an acute onset and is characterized by severe pain in the neck, pelvis and shoulder girdle. At the same time, the patients’ movements are significantly hampered, and the painful sensations are symmetrical, that is, both parts of the body hurt, almost in parallel. The disease mainly develops in older people. The causes may be viral and bacterial infections, stress, hypothermia, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer, as well as severe hypothermia.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a disease that is caused by disturbances in the functioning of the immune system and leads to the development of inflammation in the joints, in the joints of the spine, as well as to disruption of cardiac activity. The risk zone is mainly for young men – under 30 years of age.
Joint tuberculosis is a fairly common form of extrapulmonary infection. It most often occurs in adults and affects the spine, knee and hip joints. Doctors cite injuries and overload, hypothermia, infectious diseases and unfavorable external factors as reasons. When the disease occurs, the synovial membrane of the joint is affected and inflammation occurs.
Crohn's disease, characterized by inflammation of the intestinal wall, is quite often accompanied by inflammation of the joints, since this pathology, according to doctors, occurs against the background of a dysfunction of the immune system. In particular, in children, the disease is practically not accompanied by abdominal pain, but is expressed in inflammation of the joints and fever.
Coccidioidomycosis is an infectious disease with primary damage to the lungs, which occurs due to infection with coccidioides (a type of fungus). As the disease develops, inflammation of the joints is almost always observed, but it is worth noting that the progressive form is rare.
Despite the fact that inflammation of the joints can be caused by a number of diseases, nevertheless, this pathological process has similar features. The following can be identified as specific and general symptoms:
Acute pain, the intensity of which may vary. Its location is an inflamed joint. The discomfort may be present all the time, even when the person is not moving.
The skin around the sore spot is stretched, the color can vary from slightly pink to bright red, and there is swelling of varying degrees of severity.
Swelling is most common.
Body temperature may increase, in general, and around the inflamed joint, in particular.
While moving, the patient may hear a crunching sound.
After a joint has not been moved for a long time, a person may experience stiffness in that area. This happens especially often after a night's rest.
Regarding the sensations in the area of the affected joint, we can say that they have their own characteristics and in medical language are called inflammatory pain. They are characterized by a sharp and unexpected onset when a person sets the joint in motion. Quite often such pain occurs at night, closer to the morning. In the acute phase of joint inflammation caused by any disease, the discomfort intensifies and is almost always present. If the pathology has become chronic, then the pain reminds itself more often during movements.
Inflammation of the joints can occur in both acute, chronic, or subacute stages. If we are talking about the acute nature of the disease, then, as a rule, it is accompanied by a sharp onset, constant severe pain, redness and swelling of the affected area. In this case, the disease ends quickly, the prognosis is very favorable, up to complete recovery, under conditions of adequate therapy. The motor function of the joint is completely restored.
If we are talking about a long-term, sluggish disease that has turned into a chronic form, then in such cases the patient may even become disabled. The pain is variable in nature, during the period of remission it is felt weakly, the joints may swell slightly, and depending on the type of disease, lumps form.
During the subacute stage, the patient often experiences an increase in the temperature of the skin around the diseased joint. Mobility of the joint is difficult and extremely painful, and deformation of the joint may occur. But most often pain in the subacute stage is spontaneous. Unlike the acute course of the disease, in this case the symptoms are less pronounced.
Complications of joint inflammation include:
Purulent inflammation of the tissues surrounding the affected joint is possible.
Sepsis or blood poisoning.
Subluxations, bone displacement.
Inflammation of bone tissue.
Complete exit of the head of the joint from its fossa.
Joint dysfunction.
Since inflammation of the joints can be caused by a number of diseases, the doctor faces a rather difficult, but at the same time basic task - to determine the disease that led to the pathological process.
Therefore, to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor needs to obtain the following information:
A complete and thorough history in order to establish a possible connection between the inflammatory process and previous infectious diseases, injuries or allergies.
Assessing the course of the disease by listening to the patient's complaints. Palpation of the inflamed area.
Conducting laboratory diagnostics, which, in addition to studying a general blood and urine test, should include tests for the presence of antibodies to hemolytic streptococcus, studying the level of uric acid.
X-ray, which is the most effective method for determining the causes that led to inflammation in the joints.
MRI and computed tomography.
Collection of synovial fluid for study.
Carrying out arthroscopy, when it becomes possible to examine the joint itself.
Biopsy of existing nodules.
By carrying out all the necessary studies and connecting the results obtained with the clinical picture of the disease, it is possible to fairly accurately establish a diagnosis and determine the disease that caused inflammation in the joints.
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As with almost any other disease, with the inflammatory process occurring in the joints, it is simply necessary to adhere to a certain type of diet. After all, there are products that help reduce the pathological process until it completely disappears. There are also those that will only worsen the course of the disease. The latter can definitely include meat, especially fatty meat, fast food and sugar. You should not eat sausages that have undergone heat treatment and contain large amounts of dyes, flavors and salt.
If you include in your menu those foods that help reduce inflammation, you can improve the patient’s condition and reduce the occurrence of relapses to a minimum:
Don't completely give up fats and oils. But you should approach their choice wisely. So inflamed joints “love” Omega-3 fatty acids, which have long been proven to have anti-inflammatory properties. Beneficial compounds can be found in fatty fish, nuts, seeds (flaxseed and pumpkin), and rapeseed oil. Olive oil is also a champion in containing a much-needed component for people suffering from joint inflammation. If it is not possible to often eat such products, you can always use their pharmacy analogues in the form of various additives.
Fiber and carbohydrates must be included in the body of a sick person. Moreover, these should not be simple carbohydrates. Their complex “brothers” are found in whole grain bread, fruits and vegetables. Doctors recommend that people with joint pain consume at least five servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Don't forget about berries, and in particular, blueberries and strawberries. They are rich in antioxidants and other substances that help reduce inflammation.
It is best to use plain water as your main drink, and be sure to avoid carbonated liquids. Naturally, alcohol will only have a detrimental effect on joint inflammation.
If we consider therapeutic agents for the treatment of joint inflammation, it should be understood that their choice will be determined by the disease that is the cause of the pathological process.
So, for local treatment of diseased joints, doctors often use physiotherapeutic procedures, prescribe intra-articular injections, and also practice non-specific treatment.
Surgical treatment methods include:
Replacement of a “living” joint with an artificial one, or a certain part of it.
Restoration of weakened or completely torn tendons.
Removing the joint lining if it is inflamed or severely damaged.
If it is impossible to perform endoprosthetics, then the patient is recommended to undergo joint fusion surgery. At the same time, he is given the desired position, which significantly reduces the pain symptom and makes life easier for the patient.
Naturally, surgical intervention is carried out in cases where other methods of therapy have proven ineffective or the disease has gone too far.
It is customary to highlight the following as the basic principles of treatment:
Regular joint exercises. Their choice is based on the selection of optimal complexes depending on the degree of damage and inflammation. Properly performed exercises not only help lift your mood, but also improve the flexibility of your joints and increase blood flow to them, thereby relieving pain. For the most competent selection of the complex, consultation with a physical therapy specialist is necessary.
Weight control and getting rid of excess body weight. This is necessary in order to relieve already inflamed joints. To achieve optimal results in a short time, it is necessary to adhere to the principles of proper nutrition in combination with adequate physical exercise.
Taking painkillers. In some cases, doctors prescribe only analgesics, and sometimes they also prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin. They help relieve swelling. In the most advanced cases, intra-articular injections of short steroids are used.
Refusal of excessive load.
If necessary, the patient's consent to the operation. During this procedure, the diseased joint is replaced with an artificial one. Due to the development of medicine in this area, in most cases such intervention ends successfully, and the mobility of the limb is almost completely restored.
Use of alternative therapies. These include folk remedies: taking tinctures, rubbing ointments, applying compresses, etc.
With the right combination of these principles, you can achieve very good results.
When joint inflammation is caused by gout, the doctor’s first priority is to relieve the pain symptom. This can only be achieved by relieving inflammation. The most commonly used drug for this purpose is colchicine. Its effect will be noticeable after about a day, and sometimes even earlier. The pain subsides completely 12 hours after the first use. The medicine is taken orally, but in case of vomiting and other gastrointestinal disorders, it is prescribed by injection.
It should be noted that many doctors refuse to prescribe colchicine, as it can cause serious damage to the bone marrow. That is why non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (we are talking about ibuprofen and indomycin) are increasingly being used to relieve the pain of gout. Prednidazole can also relieve swelling. It is especially effective to administer the medicine inside the diseased joint and remove the accumulated fluid from it. In addition to taking medications, the diseased joint must be immobilized.
After the primary task of reducing the pain symptom has been solved, it is necessary to ensure that the disease does not recur. To do this, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids, avoid alcohol and have a low-protein diet. It is also imperative to reduce excess weight, if any. Often, when losing weight and taking blood for a uric acid test, doctors find that the levels return to normal.
For those patients who have kidney stones and high levels of uric acid in the blood, a drug such as allopurinol is often prescribed. It leads to blocking acid production, but has a number of side effects: it causes disruption in the gastrointestinal tract, has a negative effect on the liver and reduces the number of white blood cells circulating in the blood.
To relieve inflammation in joints with rheumatoid arthritis, I use various techniques. Sometimes all the doctor’s prescriptions come down to recommendations for ordinary rest, and sometimes surgical intervention is required. Naturally, when the stages of the disease are not advanced and with minor inflammation, therapy begins with the most gentle one.
It is important to reduce the load on the joints as much as possible and give them, if incomplete, then at least partial rest. If it is impossible to maintain bed rest, then it is recommended to immobilize the sore joints, at least for a period of rest. This is done using a special immobilizing bandage.
As with any other disease that causes inflammation of the joints, proper nutrition and recommendations for a healthy lifestyle are prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, as well as long-acting drugs and immunosuppressants are prescribed as therapeutic agents. Naturally, the more severe the disease, the more potent medications the patient requires.
To keep your joints healthy for as long as possible, doctors give the following recommendations:
Careful control of your own weight. Keeping it normal is the best prevention of joint inflammation. With even a seemingly insignificant increase, the knee and hip joints begin to suffer first, the load on the spine increases, which will definitely lead to an inflammatory process.
Regular exercise. Physical exercises that involve all joints lead to improved flexibility and mobility. But if there are already existing pathological processes, it is necessary to exclude it with a shock load. Even if you cannot exercise regularly, you still need to increase your physical activity to the maximum.
Muscle training helps ensure that the joints are reliably protected, but before starting any type of exercise, you should consult your doctor in advance.
Proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are the key to preventing joint inflammation from affecting a person until old age. Unless, of course, there is a genetic predisposition to the disease.
If possible, it is necessary to avoid hypothermia of the body, since it is precisely this that contributes to the development of many joint diseases, leading to their inflammation.
Prevention of acute respiratory infections, influenza and other colds. For this purpose, it is necessary to get vaccinated, avoid contact with sick people, and take vitamins. These rules are relevant during epidemiological outbreaks.
If there is a genetic predisposition to any type of arthritis, then all pain in the joints should be treated several times more carefully.
If one or more symptoms occur, you should immediately consult a doctor:
If the body temperature rises to significant levels and this symptom is accompanied by redness and swelling of any joint.
If the joints are inflamed symmetrically.
If a person experiences severe pain in the joint area.
In case of deterioration of heart function and difficulty breathing.
With obvious deformation of any joint.
If the pain is paroxysmal and occurs at night.
With a crunching sensation in the joints and a clear feeling of internal friction.
Author of the article: Muravitsky Igor Valerievich, rheumatologist