Believe it or not, just like your gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, and respiratory tract, all the joints in your body are interconnected no matter how far apart they are. Of course, if you sprain your knee while trying to outshine everyone at a wedding dance, or find your elbow hurting after five sets of tennis, the pain in your joints is traumatic and local in nature.
But if you don’t remember the injury, but feel pain in one or more joints , you may have a more generalized process that, in addition to what arthritis gave you (from the Greek arthrus - joint, and the ending it means inflammation), affects and on other body systems.
When all your joints hurt and you have a fever, you may have a viral infection similar to the flu. Or you feel quite well and only complain about your joints.
For example, your hip hurts a little from time to time, or your knee tells you that it's going to rain. Or you are completely broken, your joints are deformed, you have a temperature that is not too high, anemia and you feel weak. These last two joint pain correspond to the two most common types of arthritis.
Let's start with the one that is more serious.
Constant pain, swollen, deformed joints , anemia and, from time to time, low fever are symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis . But its main characteristic, which distinguishes it from all other forms of arthritis, is the general weakness that accompanies the pain.
Not only does it hurt, you feel disgusting. The reason is that rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects the entire body. In fact, the heart and lungs are often also targeted.
Osteoarthritis , which is also painful, gives a completely different picture. It is not an autoimmune disease, it causes less joint deformity and does not involve other organs. In other words, you only feel pain in the affected joints .
Most experts believe that osteoarthritis reflects a “wear and tear” process and typically affects joints that bear the most weight and are almost always in motion, such as the knee, hip, and back.
These two main forms of arthritis are not the only causes of chronic joint pain.
Here are some others.
If you have an infection anywhere in the body, the bacteria involved can enter the bloodstream and travel to a joint, usually one.
The joint swells, hurts and fills with pus.
Viral infections, like hepatitis B, also cause pain and swelling in several joints, but without pus. The same thing occurs with bacterial endocarditis, an infection that affects the heart valves.
Various body chemicals can get into your joints and cause irritation. A good example is uric acid , which in excess leads to gout. Nearly three-quarters of all gout attacks involve one joint: the big toe.
About a third of people with psoriasis , a generalized skin disease that is easily recognized, experience pain and swelling in several joints.
Some tumors , blood clotting disorders (which involve bleeding into a joint), and even bowel diseases can be accompanied by certain forms of arthritis.
Pain can develop in a seemingly normal joint - this is what is called arthralgia . A word with such a complex sound simply means that you have joint pain. This happens with the flu when the joints hurt , although in this case they are not red, swollen or sensitive.
Medicines , both those prescribed by your doctor and simple ones that you buy yourself, can cause pain and swelling in the joints.
The list of potential offenders is long and includes penicillin, birth control pills, some blood pressure-lowering drugs, certain tranquilizers, anti-tuberculosis drugs, and even mild barbituric acid-derived sleeping pills.
So if your joints suddenly start to hurt and swell for no apparent reason, keep your medications in mind as a possible cause.
Here are some key questions you should ask yourself to find the cause of your arthritis.
Are you under 20 and the pain jumps from one joint to another, is more than one joint affected?
If the answer to these questions is yes, you have an acute rheumatic fever . This is especially likely when the arthritis was preceded by a (recent) sore throat. Rheumatic fever rarely occurs in people over 21 years of age.
If you are a woman between 20 and 45 and you have pain, stiffness and swelling in more than one joint and they are located symmetrically, it may be rheumatoid arthritis. However, if your joint symptoms began after age 40, you are more likely to have osteoarthritis.
Is it just your big toe that hurts?
If it is swollen, red, and so tender that even the lightest touch hurts, you are almost certain to have gout . If you have taken a diuretic before, this diagnosis is quite accurate. If it's any other single joint, like the knee or elbow, be aware of gonorrhea (especially if you've recently had urethral discharge or another bacterial infection).
Are your wrists your main concern?
This is a common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis.
Is the pain worst in your knees and hips?
This is an indicator of osteoarthritis.
If pain and swelling occurs in several joints at once , especially in the hands and feet, rheumatoid arthritis is possible, but also Reiter's syndrome. In this latter case, several joints become painful and swollen, there is inflammation of the eyes and discharge from the urethra.
Reiter's syndrome is an autoimmune disease that typically occurs in young men and is likely a specific reaction to a sexually transmitted disease.
When did your joints become swollen and tender?
“When” is important. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis both cause swelling and tenderness, but with osteoarthritis, pain often precedes swelling and tenderness by weeks or months. This is not observed in rheumatoid arthritis.
Are symmetrical joints affected?
With rheumatoid arthritis, if a joint on one side hurts, the joint on the other will hurt. In osteoarthritis, damage to various joints is random.
Does pain in the joint intensify with movement and decrease or disappear with rest?
This is a sign of osteoarthritis.
Are your symptoms worse in the morning and better in the afternoon?
This is more in favor of rheumatoid arthritis than osteoarthritis, in which the pain worsens during the day.
If you have a fever with joint pain and you are young, you may have a rheumatic fever. Or the joint may be affected by gout or one of the other autoimmune diseases like lupus. A few years ago I would have ended up with this. Today, no matter where you live, you should consider the possibility of Lyme disease . It is transmitted by the bite of a deer tick and classically causes fever, rash and joint pain.
The combination of diarrhea and joint pain may indicate inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, ileitis, or Crohn's disease).
Although, as you can see, there are many different causes of joint disease, you can choose based on your age, gender, location of the joints, characteristics of the painful phenomena, what affects them, and what other symptoms are present.
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Bursitis is an inflammation of the joint cavity (bursa) with synovial fluid. The disease most often develops in large joints: shoulder, elbow, knee. The size of the tumor in bursitis reaches 10 cm in diameter. At the same time, the lump on the elbow, noticeable to the naked eye, is soft to the touch and very painful. The main culprits of this disease are injuries: bruises, wounds, due to which the joint cavity can become infected with microbes and turn into purulent bursitis. Inflammation in the bursa most often occurs in people engaged in heavy physical labor or athletes. Overweight people and those who wear tight, tight shoes are also at risk for developing bunions.
Joints hurt and swell when tendons become inflamed. This disease is called tendonitis. The pain is felt during movement; at rest the joint does not bother the patient. Due to the deposition of calcium salts during operation of the joint, a loud crunching sound is heard in it. Tendinitis is an occupational disease of athletes. Microtraumas and constant loads gradually destroy tendon tissue. The disease most often affects the joints of the legs: knee, hip.
Malignant neoplasm of joints is also expressed by a tumor, but only at the last stage. The disease begins unnoticed. Not everyone pays attention to slight swelling in the back, arms or legs. But together with loss of appetite, frequent fatigue and lethargy, this symptom should alert a person.
An extremely rare pathology of the joints of the legs and arms, in which cartilage tissue grows abnormally in the joint cavity, is called synovial chondromatosis. The disease has been little studied, but it is believed that incorrect cartilage formation is caused by embryonic disorders and frequent trauma. The distinctive symptoms of the disease are swelling, stiffness, pain and crunching during movement.
Perhaps the most obvious cause of elbow swelling is epicondylitis.
It is called tennis disease. With this disease, the muscles and tendons that strengthen the elbow joint become inflamed and destroyed. The development of the disease is provoked by injuries and constant monotonous movements (playing the piano, driving a car, playing tennis). The characteristic pain with epicondylitis occurs when the hand is moved behind the lower back. The disease develops slowly and occurs in patients over 40 years of age, predominantly men.
Most often, tumor and painful symptoms are caused by rheumatological diseases. Ankylosing spondylitis is one of the types of polyarthritis. This disease affects the joints of the spine, starting from the lower back and ending with the thoracic region. At the onset of the disease, pain and limited mobility are felt in the lower spine. As the disease progresses, the connective tissue of the joints of the spine grows, causing loss of mobility - ankylosis. At an advanced stage, the disease affects the internal organs, and the patient acquires the characteristic crouched “petitioner” pose. The causes of the disease are not known for certain, but more often it is associated with immunogenetic factors.
Spondylitis is another group of inflammatory diseases of the spine. For a number of reasons, the bone tissue of the spine becomes thinner or purulent foci appear in it. The disease is characterized by back pain, swelling, limited mobility of the vertebrae up to smoothing of the physiological curves of the spine. Spondylitis is most often caused by tuberculosis and other infections, including sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhea and syphilis. Genetic predisposition, reduced immunity and back injuries are also among the factors leading to inflammation of the spine.
Swelling or a lump on the back does not always indicate a joint disease. A pouch can be found on the skin of the back near the spine. Its dimensions start from 0.5 cm and can be more than 20 cm in diameter. The swelling is most often localized in the thoracic or cervical spine. Depending on the nature, the lump may be an atheroma or a lipoma. Despite the fact that in everyday life such bumps are called the same (“wen”), the difference between them is fundamental.
The growth of subcutaneous fatty tissue and blockage of the sebaceous ducts have common causes: stress, poor diet, bad habits, metabolic disorders. Spontaneous disappearance does not exist in either atheroma or lipoma, and doctors recommend removing the formation surgically.
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Legs hurt and swell - a common complaint when visiting a traumatologist. With the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal system and internal organs of our body, edema or swelling is the leading symptom. The accumulation of fluid in the cavity of the joints or soft tissues of the legs is a symptom of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, as well as vascular disorders. Arthritis, tendonitis and bursitis can develop in the legs, namely the knee, ankle and hip joints. Doctors also identify the following reasons why legs swell and hurt.
Despite the similar signs of the described ailments, the doctor establishes an accurate diagnosis after additional examination. X-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, blood tests and a detailed history allow us to draw accurate conclusions.
Sore legs are a pressing problem for most modern people. After all, some walk and stand a lot, while others, on the contrary, sit most of the time. In addition, there are many other factors that can cause pain in the legs.
This pain is familiar to many. This may be soreness in the hip joint or knee joint, or the joints of the toes may hurt. The pain is aching and sharp. And in each case we can talk about different ailments.
If you choose the wrong shoes, they can cause pain in your feet.
But the main reasons are overexertion and injury.
They occur after intense physical activity in people of any type, without exception. In this case, the help of doctors will not be needed. The pain in the joints of the legs is not severe, is aching in nature, can increase with movement, and goes away with rest. Slight hyperemia of the skin in the area of a joint may sometimes be observed.
Such pain goes away on its own after a short rest. But if they are strong, then you can resort to creams and ointments with an analgesic effect (drugs Indomethacin, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac). The medicine is applied to the joint area on the skin with massaging movements two to three times a day.
Pain in the joints of the legs, the cause of which is injury, usually occurs after this injury (immediately or some short time later). In this case, the cartilage, capsule or ligaments are damaged. The pain will be constant. It is felt at rest, but intensifies with movement. Accompanied by hyperemia of the skin in the joint area, limited movement and swelling.
If the pain symptom is not expressed, there is no swelling, and the contours of the joint are not changed, then it is enough to give it rest and limit the limb’s movement. It’s as if an elastic bandage was specially created for these purposes. It needs to be wrapped around the affected area, capturing the area below and above the joint - this will help the bandage stick better.
The first twenty-four hours after injury, to avoid severe swelling, you can apply a cold compress, but not more than half an hour. To prevent frostbite, a cold compress should be applied through clothing. The next day, warm, but not hot, compresses are applied to the joint. They will increase blood circulation and speed up the recovery of damaged areas.
In the first 24 hours after the injury, the joint should be placed in an elevated position (a pillow under the injured knee joint).
For severe pain, creams and ointments with an analgesic effect are used. If the measures taken do not reduce pain in the joints of the legs, then the reasons may be more serious, and in this case it is worth making an immediate visit to a traumatologist to prescribe appropriate treatment after examination.
This age group has many ailments, the symptoms of which include pain in the joints of the legs. Only a doctor can determine and prescribe the causes and treatment. But any parent, by paying attention to some points, will be able to establish a probable cause.
During the period when the child is rapidly growing, he may experience some discomfort, pain in the joints of the left leg and right leg, in the muscles and bones. These “growing pains” should not be taken as something terrible. They will have no consequences, and they do not require treatment. More often, girls between eight and fourteen years old suffer from such troubles. If the child’s activity is not reduced, he has a good appetite and mood, then, most likely, growing pains are observed.
He needs to be told what kind of pain is in the joints of his legs. The causes are related to growth, and in most cases they will go away on their own. A warm heating pad or a light massage can bring relief.
But if joint pain is accompanied by additional symptoms, then the child should be shown to a doctor. After all, he may have a serious illness.
Pain in the joints of the left leg, right leg, and other joints, coupled with a skin rash, general hyperthermia, local swelling and redness, can occur with such ailments as:
The cause of joint pain in adults can also be a great variety of diseases. That is why it is important to immediately pay attention to pain in the joints of the legs, the causes and treatment of which can be determined and prescribed by a doctor.
To make an assumption before visiting a doctor, it is worth studying all the accompanying symptoms. Thus, aching pain in the joints of the legs or acute pain in combination with fatigue, weakness and hyperthermia of the body can indicate a number of diseases.
One of them is rheumatoid arthritis. A chronic disease accompanied by inflammation of connective tissue. In this case, the pain comes suddenly and will increase over the course of one to two weeks. The painful effect will be felt both in the joint itself and in the muscles surrounding it. In the morning and at rest, the discomfort increases. Several or one joint may be affected. The inflamed joint becomes larger, the skin reacts to touch. Hyperthermia and redness are noted. Limited mobility. Morning stiffness is typical, when the joint does not work well for about an hour until the person wakes up.
This type of pain is usually associated with chronic illnesses, due to which there is a slow destruction of cartilage. They are called degenerative.
Aching pain in the joints of the legs will be long-lasting and gradually progress. Osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis) is one of these ailments. The pain is slight at first, but later becomes more pronounced. The disease affects those joints that bear the maximum load. Therefore, pain in the hip joints of the legs, knees, and ankles most often indicates this disease. It may intensify in the evening and occur during sleep.
The hip joint begins to react painfully when it itself is affected. It is worth studying the accompanying signs. Fever, rash, inflammation of other joints - rheumatoid arthritis. Vague pain radiates to the lower back, buttock, groin area, knee, along the back of the thigh - similar to avascular necrosis of the femoral head. The pain appeared a long time ago, progressed slowly, intensifies when walking and standing for a long time, gait is impaired - osteoarthritis. Pain in the joint itself occurs along with severe pain in the lumbar part, and radiates to the knee, to the back of the thigh - characteristic of lumbosacral radiculitis.
A dysfunctional knee joint can seriously affect your plans for work and daily activities.
Knee pain for an elderly or obese person, which intensifies when walking, as well as when standing for a long time, or moving up and down the stairs, indicates osteoarthritis as a likely cause.
Along with the pain, there is redness, swelling of the skin at the site of the affected joint, skin rash, and increased body temperature - there may be a whole galaxy of arthritis (reactive, infectious, rheumatoid).
The pain came suddenly, the mobility of the joint is impaired, you cannot lean on your leg - this could be gout.
Pain in the joints of the toes occurs in many diseases.
Gout is a disease characterized by a periodic inflammatory reaction of the joints. The joint at the base of the big toe is the first to be affected, but later others (ankle, knee) may also be involved. The pain comes suddenly, often at night or in the morning. It is pronounced and therefore the movement of the entire joint, and more often the entire limb, is disrupted. The affected joint swells, skin hyperemia is observed, and the skin reacts to touch with pain. After some time, the inflammation goes away on its own, only to reappear after a couple of months or years, in the same joint or in several.
Valgus deformity of the first finger. The disease is characterized by outward deviation of the base of the first finger. In this case, the foot becomes deformed, a kind of bump appears, which increases over time. There is severe pain in the affected area.
Pain in the joints of the toes can also be associated with rheumatoid arthritis, which was discussed above.
If a person has pain in the joints of the legs, the cause and treatment will be prescribed and determined by a doctor. That is why you should visit it as soon as possible. He will not only hear the symptoms that the patient describes to him, but will also prescribe additional studies to identify what went unnoticed. This will make it easier for the doctor to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Providing rest will help reduce pain in the diseased joint and speed up recovery. In some cases, an elastic bandage should be applied for this. The patient is shown complete rest so that the affected joint is not loaded with work.
Pain in the joints of the feet and other joints can be eliminated with the help of painkillers, which can be in the form of ointments, injections, and tablets. Ointments with an analgesic effect and relieving inflammation - “Efkamon”, “Viprosal B”, “Indomethacin”, “Ibuprofen”, “Voltaren”. Each such remedy has its own heap of contraindications, and they should be studied before using the remedy. The ointment is applied to the affected area in a thin layer and rubbed in with massaging movements. The procedure is repeated two to three times a day.
Pain in the joints of the legs, the causes and treatment of which was determined and prescribed by an aesculapian, is best treated with the following drugs:
Swelling of the knee is a very unpleasant phenomenon. It does not decorate either a woman's or a man's leg and causes a lot of problems, causing discomfort when bending the limbs. A swelling in the leg can be an alarm bell, indicating metabolic disorders, malfunction of internal organs, allergies, or infections.
Many people believe that if swelling appears on the leg and it does not hurt, then there is no danger. This is an erroneous statement, because the degree of complexity of tissue damage does not always determine pain. This requires serious diagnostics.
The knee area of the leg is quite vulnerable to various kinds of negative external influences, so you should always take care that your legs do not get injured or hypothermia. It is generally accepted that when there is an injury to the knee joint, a person will immediately experience long-term, persistent pain, especially when bending the leg.
This scenario may not always be the case. Pain and swelling may not occur simultaneously, making the diagnosis much more difficult. This often happens: pain occurs due to the fact that the knee injury has not received full treatment. This also provokes swelling of the knee joint. Fluid accumulates in the joint tissue gradually, it begins to put pressure on the kneecap and in the area below the knee. Pain is often preceded by discomfort in the part of the leg that was once affected, most often below the knee.
If measures are not taken, pain and swelling will increase until they become chronic. What does this mean? A person will experience irreversible deformation of the joints in the area of the kneecap, and the functions of the musculoskeletal system will suffer.
Swelling this severe requires immediate medical attention.
Hypothermia of the joints is one of the factors that can provoke bone tuberculosis. The presence of hypothermia of articular tissues in a given area of the body will always be indicated by swelling. You need to know that a warm compress is not a solution to relieve the effects of hypothermia of joint tissue. It will only temporarily remove the swelling of the knee area and help reduce pain symptoms, but it will not be able to actually treat the consequences of hypothermia of the joint tissues.
The slow destruction of cartilage tissue, when a person is not in pain, cannot always be detected quickly. When pain occurs in the damaged area, it indicates already advanced changes in the cartilage. Swelling of the knee is accompanied by a significant increase in its size. This sign will indicate the development of arthritis or arthrosis.
The causes of swelling of the joint tissues may be bursitis or synovitis. With chondromatosis, swelling of the knee will also occur. If the joint quickly begins to increase in size, severe pain will not be long in coming. At first, intensive therapy methods will help alleviate it. If measures are not taken in time, the listed ailments will lead to limited mobility and disability.
In order for the treatment to be successful and effective, it is imperative to perform physical therapy exercises and reduce everyday stress on the damaged joint.
If a person experiences pain when bending the knee, it is not necessarily a sign of injury, arthritis or arthrosis. Swelling in the knee can cause infectious diseases, including, in particular:
Infectious diseases of the body also affect joint tissues, often after which a person develops rheumatoid arthritis. In such cases, people often experience swelling in their knees rather than their elbows.
Allergic reactions manifest themselves in different ways. Few people know that allergic edema affects not only the face, but also the limbs. It is not always possible to distinguish when a knee is swollen due to joint disease and when due to allergies. In the second case, the pain symptom is of a pulling nature. With many joint diseases, the pain in the affected area is worse at night, when bending, or when the weather changes.
If, after an insect bite, a person feels a general deterioration in health and experiences discomfort when bending his limbs, he should immediately contact a medical facility.
Insect bites themselves are a fairly common cause of swelling in localized areas. But they can also provoke the onset of an infectious disease, which becomes the root cause of joint damage. Such situations cannot be left unattended.
Difficulty bending the limbs will also indicate the onset of tendinitis. The disease does not affect the joints, but the ligaments. During it, motor functions deteriorate. The appearance of swelling and pain usually occur simultaneously, but it can also be like this: the first symptom will manifest itself before the second. The cause of swelling, as well as pain, in the area of articular tissues can only be accurately determined by medical diagnosis. If there is swelling, doctors prescribe a puncture for patients.
Bone marrow edema is one of the most dangerous diseases that causes swelling in the limbs and back. Bone marrow edema is not a diagnosis, but the name of a whole group of diseases when this process occurs. An MRI will help determine the cause of changes occurring in bone and joint tissues. When determining the strategy according to which treatment will be carried out, an important point is to establish the type of swelling that has appeared.
Bone marrow edema can be vasogenic. In this case, the person has impaired capillary permeability, through the walls of which protein and water seep. Bone marrow edema can occur due to hydrocephalus. However, the most common cause is metabolism. Bone marrow edema in such cases is due to swelling of cells and accumulation of intracellular fluid containing water and sodium in the body.
Before relieving swelling, you should know that this is considered one of the most difficult medical tasks, since the mechanism of its occurrence has not yet been fully understood. Treatment of pathology is associated with significant risks: any incorrect action can lead to death. Severe pain appears during the period of increased swelling.
To carry out treatment, it is first necessary to ensure the normal functioning of the patient’s circulatory system.
Swelling of the leg joints
Swelling of the joints of the legs is a common phenomenon, which is accompanied by an increase in the affected area as a result of improper removal of fluid from the soft tissues. If we talk about joint swelling, then fluid is not removed from the bursa - the joint cavity. In fact, edema is a symptom of another disease, while many other joint diseases can manifest themselves as swelling, swelling, and redness of the skin. Therefore, it is important to differentiate the diagnosis, identify associated symptoms and direct therapeutic action to eliminate the cause of soft tissue swelling. As a rule, swelling develops after drinking a large amount of liquid before bed, after excessive activity, or uncomfortable high-heeled shoes. There are a lot of reasons why leg joints swell, and they affect various human systems.
Edema of the joint is not a primary disease, but develops under the influence of another disease, usually more serious, for example, arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism or hemarthrosis.
To date, enough factors have been identified that affect the disruption of fluid removal from the joint cavities. Medical specialists correlate them with problems in the functioning of various human systems. These include:
If we talk about those reasons that are directly related to the musculoskeletal system, then first of all we should point out arthrosis, arthritis, hemarthrosis and similar diseases.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint
With arthrosis, cartilage tissue wears out and degenerates into bone tissue; ossification of the joint leads to changes in the functioning of all soft tissues and compression of small blood vessels. There is also a known phenomenon called stagnation of synovial fluid. Due to the fact that cartilage cannot cope with shock-absorbing functions due to the proliferation of bone tissue, the joint begins to use a compensation mechanism, releasing as much synovial fluid as possible for lubrication. As a result, an enlargement of the joint is formed.
Constricted vessels are unable to pass blood naturally, this leads to stagnation, the formation of clots, and improper outflow of blood and lymph. As a result of this, swelling appears.
Certain forms of acute arthritis, for example, gouty arthritis, are characterized by a sharp increase in size of the leg joints. An inflamed joint on the leg is a classic case of gout.
Arthritis of the knee joint
With gout, excessive salt deposition occurs as a result of the accumulation of uric acid, which in turn leads to severe inflammation of the joint, malfunction of adjacent vessels, and the inability to effectively remove lymph and blood.
Excess fluid retains salts in the bloodstream, which leads to a worsening attack of gout. Burning in the joints of the legs is a characteristic symptom of arthritis, especially gouty arthritis, and the patient may also feel pulsations due to increased pressure in the joint.
Hemarthrosis also negatively affects the removal of lymph and blood from the joint bursa. The bursa fills with blood and lymphatic enzymes, forms a clot and additional blockage of blood vessels. Swelling of the joints of the legs in this disease is accompanied by hematomas, pronounced redness of the skin and increased local temperature in the affected area, while the joints of the legs ache.
Hemarthrosis is a disease that in itself involves a violation of the integrity of blood vessels, therefore, in those cases when there is a free release of blood into the joint cavity, it disrupts its functioning.
Very often, patients suffering from swelling complain that the joints of their legs are twisting, especially due to the weather; most also experience severe pain in the skin, which aggravates the processes of movement and the selection of familiar shoes. Most patients, along with pain, may experience weakness, especially in the evening, increased temperature, and cracked skin.
Therefore, a symptom such as swelling requires establishing the immediate cause that provoked the swelling. To do this, a complete collection of tests is carried out, excluding those diseases that are not directly related to the musculoskeletal system and disruption of its functioning. Such diseases include varicose veins, kidney dysfunction, pregnancy, and diabetes.
If there is a suspicion of any disease affecting the joint, the patient is referred for radiography, magnetic resonance imaging and CT. If the diagnosis is established and it is directly related to arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism, then an intensive course of therapy is prescribed.
As a rule, complex conservative treatment is used, which includes:
Problems in the functioning of the limbs will be immediately noticed, since in this case the person’s movement will be difficult. And pain and discomfort will certainly make themselves felt. What to do if your knee is swollen and painful? What could cause this to happen?
To begin with, it is worth listing some symptoms that may accompany pain and swelling:
How to find out why your knee hurts and is swollen? To do this, first, remember whether there were any injuries or damage. You probably hit something and forgot about it, getting a bruise or even a crack. The doctor will certainly ask you about when exactly the discomfort appears.
The specialist will examine and feel the knee joint. An x-ray will certainly be ordered. But even a photograph does not always provide a complete and accurate picture. So in certain cases, magnetic resonance imaging may be indicated. If fluid (or compaction) is detected, a joint puncture (puncture and taking the contents for analysis) will be required.
There can be many reasons for discomfort in the knee. Let's look at each in more detail.
The most common cause of pain is damage and injury. For example, these could be:
If your knee hurts after a bruise, you should definitely consult a doctor to rule out serious damage and correct the situation. But you can provide first aid. So, you need to apply something cold (for example, a piece of ice) to the damaged area for 10-15 minutes. The limbs need to be ensured complete rest. If the pain is severe, you can take a pain reliever. After this, you still need to go to the emergency room.
Another cause of pain and swelling is joint diseases such as arthritis and arthrosis. The first is characterized by inflammation of the joint tissue, which can be caused by heavy loads, infections of various types, and even decreased immunity. Pain often occurs at night, in the morning or after hypothermia. Treatment primarily involves relieving inflammation with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids. Analgesics and local agents may also be prescribed to eliminate swelling.
Arthrosis is degenerative changes that occur in a joint, leading to its gradual destruction. Most often, unpleasant sensations are observed after the leg has been resting for a long time. Chondroprotectors and painkillers can be used for treatment.
Bursitis is an inflammation of the periarticular bursa. It may be caused by damage, excessive stress, or concomitant diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The affected area will be swollen, hot to the touch, and red. Therapy involves the use of anti-inflammatory and painkillers. In some cases, joint puncture and fluid removal are indicated.
This disease is characterized by inflammation of the articular membrane followed by accumulation of exudate in the adjacent cavity. Most often, the disease develops after injury. The symptoms are similar to those of other inflammatory processes localized in the joint area: pain that increases with movement, limited mobility, swelling and redness. Treatment is necessary! The inflammation needs to be relieved, and excess fluid is removed through puncture.
To avoid knee pain, you need to follow some recommendations:
Ankle swelling is a very common phenomenon and, as a rule, spontaneous. It often happens that swelling appears as a result of injury or bruise, before which it manifests itself as pain in the ankle. In fact, swelling may be a sign of deeper problems, such as arthritis, therefore, do not underestimate the seriousness of the situation, try to contact a specialist as quickly as possible in order to avoid unpleasant consequences.
First, let's figure out how the ankle works. The ankle is articulated by several bones: the tibia, fibula and talus. All of these bones are connected by tendons; these tendons, as well as bundles of muscles and ligaments, cause the ankle to move.
If moving your leg becomes painful and unpleasant, this may indicate an injury, but, as a rule, we remember if we hit hard, but the pain may turn out to be spontaneous, and then the cause of this phenomenon may be a third-party disease. Sometimes pain in the ankle can be the cause of a recent fracture, but in this case, there will be nothing special about it; for this injury, this is a very predictable consequence.
In fact, the most common causes of ankle swelling are injuries and sprains, and it is not necessary to hit the leg very hard; even the slightest dislocation can affect the formation of swelling.
As already mentioned, ankle swelling can not only be a result of injury, sometimes it is a symptom of an existing illness, such as:
Gout – causes inflammation and swelling of the lower leg due to poor uric acid production and as a result of poor digestion. The cause of this phenomenon is excessive salt accumulation in the blood, which is what leads to pain in the joint.
Arthrosis is a disease characterized by wear and tear of cartilage tissue, as a result of which it ceases to function. When the cartilage wears away, nearby bones begin to rub against each other, causing muscles and ligaments to weaken. The process worsens, pain occurs, and, of course, swelling. Most often, such phenomena occur in older people.
Arthritis - this disease is characterized by inflammation of the joint, as a result of infection or an autoimmune process. In turn, arthritis has several subtypes, these are:
Inflammation of the fascia – this connective tissue is located in the lower part of the leg, problems with the fascia are often found in people involved in sports, as a result of high stress on the heel. In addition, this disease is familiar to people who are overweight and have foot abnormalities. Sometimes, this inflammation may indicate wearing uncomfortable shoes, in which case everything is simple, change the uncomfortable shoes to practical sneakers and everything will go away by itself.
A sprain is the most common cause of ankle swelling. A dislocation may be accompanied by rupture of the ligaments (in which case the swelling will be longer), or it may be superficial.
Fracture – this type of injury will be very painful and problematic. But you definitely won’t miss a fracture, like a regular dislocation, for example, and you’ll know exactly the cause of the inflammation of the joint. What is also characteristic is that swelling of the ankle as a result of a fracture will hurt quite a lot, and something like a bruise on the skin may appear. Note that the swelling of the joint will be bilateral, and smoothly flow to the lower part of the foot.
There is no difference in why exactly the joint and ankle on the leg swell; in any case, if this happens, try not to strain your leg or engage in physical activity. If you continue to diligently lean on your swollen leg, you can easily worsen your situation, and instead of swelling, which will go away in literally a week, you will get a full-fledged fracture with bone displacement, which you will have to treat for a month at best.
Sometimes, prolonged swelling of the ankle can cause soft tissue lymphostasis.
Returning to injuries, let's add that supination injuries (arise as a result of pressure on the ankle) can also be accompanied by swelling in the lower part of the leg and characteristic pain. Such injuries entail cracks in the bone, of course, not yet a fracture, but if you are not attentive to yourself and your body, the slightest injury can correct the situation, but, alas, not for the better. So be careful about your feet and avoid unnecessary injuries.
Treatment should always begin immediately after the first symptoms of swelling, but let's be honest, many of us sincerely believe that everything will go away on its own, but this happens very rarely.
To begin treatment, it is worth establishing the cause of the formation of swelling; for this, we advise you to consult a specialist, especially if you have not injured your leg. After the examination, the specialist will prescribe medication aimed at strengthening the joint tissue and relieving pain.
If swelling is the cause of the injury, the patient should be radiographed to look for a fissure or fracture. Of course, only a specialist can prescribe medications, but before you see him, you can do the following:
You should not self-medicate, remember that sometimes, swelling is just the tip of the iceberg, the disease is much deeper.
The very first thing to say is, be careful when playing sports, physical activity, etc. Take care of your feet and joints, follow a special diet whenever possible, wear comfortable shoes and get plenty of rest. Monitor the tone of your veins; if you have varicose veins, consult your doctor about this problem; often problems with the veins are the root cause of subsequent joint diseases.
Depending on the initial reasons why the fingers are swollen, the symptoms may be different, but the most common are:
If the joints in your hands are painful and swollen, what disease could this be a symptom of?
The disease is determined based on symptoms and accompanying signs. The cause of swelling and pain in the joints of the fingers lies in diseases of a degenerative-destructive nature, which are accompanied by destruction of cartilage tissue and deformation of the fingers.
Swelling of the fingers is often found in older people, due to fluid retention in the tissues or due to serious age-related changes in the body.
Arthritis is characterized by the onset of inflammation and is a severe form of pathology. By ignoring the disease, the patient risks completely losing the functionality of his fingers. Arthritis is caused by an inflammatory process in the synovium of the joints, which is responsible for the production of lubrication.
The onset of arthritis is preceded by many reasons:
With arthritis, the joint changes, and motor functions of the fingers are impaired. Arthritis is characterized by the symmetry of the development of the disease. Most often, polyarthritis occurs; monoarthritis (swelling of one finger joint) is less common.
Arthrosis often occurs in people in the following professions: musician, accountant, programmer, secretary. Arthrosis of the joint is a pathology that affects the small phalanges of the fingers, which leads to devastating consequences. The lack of timely effective treatment leads to the appearance of compactions and nodes in the bone tissue. They cause sharp pain and inflammation when moving your fingers. Swelling of the joints of the fingers with arthrosis is accompanied by crunching of the fingers and changes in the skin in the area affected by the disease; the joints can seem to “ache,” causing constant discomfort.
Gout is a disease that often affects only one joint. During the day, the pain decreases, but closer to night the attacks intensify, which are quite difficult to relieve with standard painkillers. Most often, the thumb joint is affected first.
Gout is accompanied by swelling and a feeling of heat in the affected area. Sometimes with gout there is an increase in body temperature.
Injuries and wounds are a common occurrence that occur during sports, gardening, etc. When injured, the phalanges may swell and movement is accompanied by discomfort and pain. There is deformation, swelling of the tissues around the phalanx and a change in the color of the skin; numbness and tingling are often felt. Swelling indicates a dislocated or broken finger.
In people whose occupation involves the work of vibration mechanisms, one can often notice that their fingers are swollen. This disease can affect the joints of the fingers of those people who are constantly engaged in monotonous work. This is due to constant tension in the muscles and tendons, which gradually begin to become inflamed.
This disease is called "restless finger syndrome", which over time leads to chronic pain.
Swelling of the joints can be a consequence of dysfunction of the liver, kidneys, and heart. It is especially noticeable that the finger is swollen in the early morning hours, immediately after waking up.
When the joint on the finger is swollen, the root of the problem may be diseases such as diabetes, lupus, and tuberculosis.
Swelling of the hands may be a consequence of endocrine disorders, hormonal imbalances or low metabolism.
Swelling often occurs due to contact with an allergen. This could be a chemical or cosmetic product, or an insect bite (mosquito, spider, etc.). Swelling can also be caused by taking medications. In such a situation, the patient feels itching, redness of the skin, and a rash in the affected area, but there is no pain.
During the period of restructuring of the body, short-term swelling of the finger joints may occur:
The cause of this condition is a hormonal imbalance in the body. In this case, not only the joints may swell, but there is also creaking when moving the fingers, minor pain, and general weakness. Swelling can affect the joints of the hands, knee, forearm, etc.
Swelling of the joints of the hands has similar symptoms to other diseases, so at the first sign you should consult a specialist and undergo diagnostics.
If the joint in your hand is swollen, there is no need to panic. Contact your general practitioner, and he, in turn, will, if necessary, refer you to a cardiologist, endocrinologist, allergist or surgeon. To accurately diagnose the causes of the disease, the following examinations are required:
What to do to get rid of swelling? You can use medications that relieve inflammation and eliminate pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are mainly used, for oral administration, in the form of injections or ointments:
Among the drugs that help in tissue regeneration (chondroprotective) are recommended:
To relieve an allergic reaction, the following medications are used:
Traditional medicine is often used in conjunction with drug treatment to relieve swelling.
Swelling and pain in the joints is a very unpleasant phenomenon. To prevent it from becoming your constant companion, be sure to consult a doctor. He will make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment. Take care of yourself and be healthy!