Some people experience an unpleasant condition in the morning - joint stiffness, characterized by the inability to move their arms and legs without first warming up. The syndrome occurs spontaneously and causes physiological and psychological inconvenience. Difficulty in movement may indicate the development of pathological processes in the body.
Stiffness in the joints is a sure sign of incipient arthritis. Inflammatory processes in the synovium lead to disruptions in the production of joint fluid, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the joints in the limbs. Dryness in the cartilage causes discomfort when moving and pain in the joints. The disease may be congenital, but will manifest itself after a while. But it is possible to develop after an injury, a lack of minerals and vitamins in the diet. Common causes are untreated inflammatory processes in the body and excessive physical activity.
The tendency to arthritis is inherited. Pathology can occur both at the stage of intrauterine development and over time, for example, after a severe protracted illness, external trauma or disturbances in the development of the child (acceleration of skeletal development). Diseases of the cardiovascular system (vegetative-vascular dystonia) can lead to the disease.
Morning stiffness of the joints manifests itself in the inability to make the usual movements of the limbs in the first few seconds after waking up, when it seems that the body is paralyzed. Forced joint development relieves stiffness, but some of the symptoms remain and are annoying throughout the day. The patient feels aching pain, crunching in the limbs with sudden movements, and sometimes swelling of the fingers and hands is observed. When stiffness is concentrated in the spine, it is difficult for a person to bend and turn the body; there is pain in the muscles, in the back and lower back.
One of the first signs of the development of stiffness is the syndrome of “numb” limbs, when a person suddenly, for a moment, ceases to feel an arm or leg and cannot move his fingers. Accompanying the disease are deformation changes in the joints, visible to the naked eye - bumps on the joints, everted phalanges of the fingers, “growths” on the legs. The cause of the pathologies is rheumatoid processes that require immediate treatment.
If symptoms are ignored, stiffness can lead to the development of polyarthritis and paralysis.
Since stiffness in the morning is a manifestation of arthritic and arthrosis diseases, to determine the disease, a traditional hardware technique is used, including examination of the joints of the fingers, toes and back in several directions. The following diagnostic options are recommended, giving an accurate and quick result:
It is possible to assess the nature and stage of the disease.
Diagnostic studies using these methods make it possible to comprehensively assess the condition of the joints and identify diseases such as reactive and rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, Reiter's syndrome and ankylosing spondylitis. If it is difficult to establish a diagnosis, immunological tests for the manifestation of rheumatoid factor by examining blood and synovial fluid may be required. Diagnosis is carried out in the clinic, the referral is written by the doctor.
It is recommended to treat stiffness in the movements of the joints of the arms and difficult mobility in the legs in a comprehensive manner, using pharmaceuticals and traditional medicine, physiotherapy and special gymnastics. The healing process is long. A doctor should prescribe medications; it is better to agree with him on other ways to relieve unpleasant symptoms, such as severe pain and inflammatory swelling. When joints hurt, the following treatment is prescribed:
Anesthetic blockers will help quickly relieve rheumatoid pain with stiffness. Their high effectiveness is noted in the early stages of arthritis. Treatment of chronic stiffness should be based on anti-inflammatory drugs and medications that restore joint elasticity and normalize the release of synovial lubrication. You should not resort to the services of chiropractors; massage procedures are also ineffective, since they only relieve symptoms, but do not eliminate the cause.
Osteoarthritis also has other names: spondylosis deformans and degenerative joint disease.
The disease is characterized by the fact that the cartilage tissue lining the articular surface is affected. Osteoarthritis develops as a result of wear and tear on the joints. Pathological changes in the joints begin at the age of 20-30 years, and by the age of 70 this disease can be observed in every person.
Most often, the disease affects the joints of the arms, legs, neck and back. The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are morning stiffness in the joints and pain in them.
Important! The mainstay of treatment for osteoarthritis is weight loss and regular exercise. The use of medications plays a minor role. The key to a favorable outcome of the disease is maintaining a good weight and an active lifestyle.
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can relieve symptoms to some extent. Pain and stiffness in the joints of the fingers, toes, knees and cervical diarthrosis can be relieved with glucosamine sulfate.
Some joints undergo irreversible pathological changes. In such cases, surgical replacement of the joint with a synthetic implant is indicated.
First of all, the disease affects the subchondral bones, which form diarthrosis and cartilaginous tissue of the joints. In the end, all tissues that are somehow connected with the affected joint undergo pathological changes. The cartilage lining the joint wears out.
The body tries to restore the damaged cartilage structure, resulting in bone tissue growing around it. It is these bone growths that irritate and destroy the joints of the fingers, toes, knees, neck and back.
The joints lose their physiological lubrication, flexibility disappears and crepitus appears - a crunching sound characteristic of osteoarthritis.
Until recently, doctors believed that the disease develops due to wear and tear of the joints. Today, the subtypes of osteoarthritis are taken into account. Some of them have a more complex etiology – immune.
The inflammatory process in cartilage, its erosion and degenerative changes in adjacent cartilage can develop as a result of a reaction of the body's immune system against itself. This subtype is called erosive osteoarthritis.
A complex system of biochemical and biological enzymatic mechanisms in the body constitutes immunity. Once even one element fails, osteoarthritis will not take long to occur.
The slightest change in the microenvironment of bone tissue can cause the development of pathological changes that initiate joint disease and stiffness in the morning.
Such deviations include:
The probable causes of osteoarthritis are prolonged overload of the joints or their injuries.
Doctors are inclined to believe that the disease has a genetic etiology. This is especially true for osteoarthritis of the end joints of the fingers and the spine.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease today. Typically, the first symptoms appear in the fourth decade of a person’s life. And on the seventh, the disease affects 60-70% of the planet's population.
The disease is more common in women, but as a person ages, these differences practically disappear. Osteoarthritis is hereditary, especially affecting the joints of the hands and fingers. It has been proven that the genes that contain the code for cartilage collagen may have abnormalities. This is what can explain the presence of the disease in the entire family.
The first symptoms at an early age and a hereditary predisposition to the disease increase the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis. A person whose both parents have a history of this disease will likely also become a victim of it.
Excess weight is an independent factor that can lead to stiffness of the knee joints. A patient who has weight problems may experience osteoarthritis after a certain period of time.
The connection between obesity and joint disease is obvious - excessive mechanical stress. Although a significant role in the development of joint disease is played by a violation of the metabolism of bone and cartilage tissue, which occurs as a result of excess weight.
Another risk factor is increased joint mobility. In some people, the joints are so mobile that this causes permanent injury or early onset of osteoarthritis in the joints of the hands, feet and fingers.
The joints of the hips, neck, small joints of the fingers and toes, and knee diarthrosis are the main “victims” of osteoarthritis. The disease begins with an inflammatory process. Stiffness in the hands and mild swelling are sure signs of the initial stage of joint damage. The disease begins to develop gradually and imperceptibly.
During physical activity, the patient begins to experience pain, which intensifies over time. Morning stiffness of the finger joints is temporary. Usually it lasts no more than half an hour, but after prolonged immobility or being in a “sitting” position, it can manifest itself again.
Physical exercise helps overcome stiffness in the joints. As the disease progresses, mobility in the joints decreases, and crunching and pain appear in them. Eventually, the articular surfaces of the fingers or knees increase in size, and this process is irreversible.
If the tendon, for example, in the knee joint weakens, the instability of the diarthrosis increases and the pain intensifies. A symptom of progressive osteoarthritis is unnatural rotation of the joint and pain on palpation. At this stage of the disease, patients experience pain caused by spasms and contractions of the muscles surrounding the joint.
Arthritis of the hip joint is characterized by decreased range of motion and increased stiffness. For a person suffering from this disease, simply climbing stairs or lacing shoes can be very difficult tasks.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joints differs from hip disease in that it is accompanied by sprained ligaments.
To make a diagnosis, the doctor takes into account all manifestations, symptoms and X-ray results. A blood test is done to rule out other types of arthritis. The initial phase of osteoarthritis may not show up on x-rays. But it is impossible to observe the further development of the disease without exposure to X-rays.
Hence the conclusion: the main ways to diagnose osteoarthritis are clinical examination and x-rays.
It is not possible to prevent the onset of osteoarthritis. But maintaining a normal body weight and an active lifestyle can significantly improve the course of the disease. It is very important to identify risk factors at an early stage.
Treatment can be symptomatic or disease-modifying. Symptoms are eliminated using painkillers:
These medications bring relief to the patient and are safe.
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) treat both pain and the inflammatory process itself. But these medications pose a danger to the stomach. New selective NSAIDs have an improved safety profile: etoricoxib, celecocoxib.
Painkillers for joint pain do not provoke serious gastrointestinal complications, but their effect on the cardiovascular system has not yet been thoroughly studied. Therefore, doctors do not yet prescribe these drugs to people with heart problems.
Cortisone tablets do not show much effect in the fight against diseases of the knee joints and finger joints. At the first signs of inflammation, cortisone injections are given into the joint.
There is evidence that glucosamine sulfate plays a significant role in the treatment of joint stiffness and pain. The substance is obtained from the skeletons of crustaceans. But the drug is contraindicated for those who are allergic to seafood.
Chondroitin sulfate is obtained from shark and cattle cartilage, which has a beneficial effect on sore joints and reduces their stiffness.
The more the patient is informed about his disease, the better for treatment. The patient must understand that, despite the pain, it is necessary to maintain motor activity in the joints.
Daily exercise increases your range of motion and relieves stiffness in your muscles and tendons.
Stretching is very useful in this regard. Complete or partial immobility in a joint, even for a short time, can aggravate the course of the disease and determine an unfavorable outcome.
Surgical treatment of osteoarthritis
Today, joint transplantation operations are very successful. Nowadays, it is difficult to surprise anyone with implantation of hip or knee diarthrosis. Thanks to hip joint replacement, in 95% of cases, mobility is completely restored and pain disappears.
Note! A high-quality implant can function reliably for at least 10-15 years. The number of successfully performed operations to replace small diarthrosis of the fingers is growing every year. It would be useful to note the achievements of modern surgery in the treatment of progressive arthritis of the thumb joint. In addition, knee replacement is performed.
The patient's own cells are used to restore bone and cartilage tissue. The question of surgical intervention arises when drug therapy does not bring results and the functions of the joint are impaired.
If an elderly patient does not have any contraindications to surgery, it can be safely prescribed. For younger patients, surgery is recommended only if the situation becomes critical.
Provided that the patient leads an active lifestyle and controls his weight, he can avoid complete immobilization of the joints. But the insidiousness of osteoarthritis is that the development of the disease often begins asymptomatically. Therefore, usually at the very beginning of the disease no measures are taken to prevent its further development.
If you notice the following signs, the patient should immediately consult a doctor:
In addition, if close relatives of the patient have a history of osteoarthritis of the joints, and he himself is overweight, the likelihood of developing the disease in this case is very high.
Polyarthritis is an inflammatory condition characterized by multiple lesions of small and large joints. The most common phenomenon - polyarthritis of the fingers - can exist as an independent disease, or can be part of a systemic dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system.
Inflammation and pain can immediately affect the small joints of the fingers and hands, or can develop gradually, with the sequential inclusion of the joints of the proximal, middle and distal phalanges in the pathological process.
In old age, the cause of polyarthritis is degenerative changes in articular cartilage and bone tissue, primarily affecting the fingers; Among young patients, cases of early onset of the disease due to heavy physical work and sports injuries are not uncommon.
Infectious inflammatory processes in the body, as well as local diseases (for example, ligamentitis - inflammation of ligaments and tendons), can also cause symptoms of the disease.
Most often, polyarthritis of the fingers can be provoked by:
Non-infectious polyarthritis can be caused by salt metabolism disorders and some systemic diseases (lupus erythematosus, blood sepsis, endocrine and neurogenic diseases, autoimmune conditions, etc.). Often, damage to the fingers is the beginning of a serious illness - rheumatoid arthritis, and can also become one of the manifestations of reactive or psoriatic arthritis.
The classification of types of polyarthritis is based on the causes of the disease. The following groups are distinguished, united based on the origin of polyarthritis of the fingers:
The first symptom of the disease in age-related, metabolic, infectious polyarthritis is usually pain , localized in the joints connecting the bones of the palm and the proximal phalanx, as well as the joints between the proximal and middle phalanges. With psoriatic polyarthritis of the fingers, pain first appears in the distal joint (in the periungual area).
Common symptoms of any type of disease are:
As it progresses, nodular formations are formed under the skin on the fingers, located in the joint area; muscle atrophy gradually develops, joints become severely deformed.
Fingers can bend to the sides, forward or backward; the disease affects tendons, nerve endings, and blood vessels, as a result of which the hand is significantly disfigured, and the pain can become unbearable.
At the first stage, changes in the fingers are rarely noticeable externally. Pain may appear when squeezing an object for a long time or when weather conditions change. Often, after waking up, there is slight stiffness in the hands, aching sensations, and discomfort in the interphalangeal joints.
The second stage of polyarthritis of the fingers is accompanied by the formation of small nodules on the joints and the addition of pain that is not associated with physical strain. In some cases, the first signs of deformation, thickening of the fingers, and protrusion of them apart from each other may be noticeable.
In the third stage , if left untreated, the hands may become severely deformed. The fingers bend bizarrely and become covered with large nodules and sharp bone osteophytes that can pierce the skin. It should be noted that advanced forms of damage to the fingers are more typical for rheumatoid polyarthritis.
Severe pain, disfigurement of the fingers, decreased motor activity of the hands are the results of the long-term existence of the disease without the use of adequate treatment.
In severe cases of polyarthritis, the fingers are so deformed that they cannot perform any useful actions; Often touching diseased joints causes severe pain, which may indicate bursitis or synovitis.
Rheumatoid polyarthritis of the fingers, which can manifest itself as damage to one of many groups of joints, is a dangerous disease, sometimes leading to death.
The main principle of making a correct diagnosis is the differentiation of various types of polyarthritis, especially in comparison with rheumatoid arthritis. For this purpose, a blood test (general and biochemical analysis) is prescribed, in which, when rheumatoid and infectious polyarthritis occurs, an acceleration of ESR, leukocytosis, and an increase in the amount of c-reactive protein are observed.
To confirm the diagnosis of rheumatoid polyarthritis, an analysis is performed for a specific indicator - rheumatoid factor. In order to assess the extent of damage to joints, muscles and bones, X-ray examination and MRI are performed.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW! The only remedy for JOINT PAIN, arthritis, arthrosis, osteochondrosis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system, recommended by doctors! Read more.
Drug treatment may include:
Drug treatment of rheumatoid polyarthritis includes salicylates, radioactive gold, cytostatics or other immunosuppressants, aminocholines, glucocorticosteroids, etc.
As with other joint diseases, with polyarthritis of the fingers it is necessary to limit the consumption of unhealthy and salty foods, replacing them with vegetables, fruits, herbs, and also including dairy products in the menu. It has been proven that spicy, sweet, smoked and pickled foods can aggravate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. It is advisable not to eat exotic foods, drink carbonated drinks, strong teas, coffee, energy drinks, etc.
Outside of an exacerbation of the disease, it is necessary to massage the sore fingers daily, while pressing smoothly and carefully. Before the massage, it is recommended to apply oil or cream with beekeeping products and extracts of beneficial herbs.
The massage technique comes down to the following steps:
Gymnastics for the hands consists of warming up the fingers with the help of exercise machines, exercises for developing fine motor skills, rolling cones, balls, and exercises with a rubber band.
During periods of exacerbations, the following traditional medicine recipes are used to alleviate the patient’s condition, as well as to strengthen bone tissue and improve blood circulation:
In order to prevent the occurrence of the disease, it is necessary:
Arthrosis of the toes is a common disease of the musculoskeletal system, most often affecting older people, but it also occurs in young people.
Its degenerative-dystrophic nature is associated with a violation of the metabolic processes of the cartilage tissue of the finger joints.
As a result, not only its destruction, thinning and loss develops, but also the degeneration of the entire organ of movement.
In this case, bone and soft tissue grows and all its parts are gradually affected, including the subchondral bone, ligaments and periarticular muscles. With the onset of degenerative changes, disturbances in oxidative processes in cartilage also occur with loss of fluid in its composition.
This makes movement difficult and leads to further destruction.
The development of arthrosis begins after exposure to factors that disrupt the normal metabolism of cartilage tissue.
Arthrosis is divided into 2 types - primary and secondary.
The first appears in previously healthy fingers of the joint, the second develops in those that had previous pathologies.
The cause of the disease may be:
Medicine takes into account heredity in this. But it cannot be the root cause, because it only means a predisposition.
There are a number of signs that are always present with arthrosis. Also, all types of the disease have their own characteristic symptoms.
Pain is present from the very beginning of the disease. In the first stage, when destructive processes are just beginning, they are not very pronounced.
As the condition worsens, it intensifies and becomes continuous.
When moving and putting weight on the legs, pain is always present. This is caused by the presence of inflammation of the affected organ of movement. When lying down, these sensations subside.
In the third stage, the pain does not stop even at rest. If destruction in the joints occurs in parallel with circulatory disorders, the pain syndrome does not disappear at night.
A characteristic sign of the disease is a specific dry crunch when moving, which is inseparable from pain and discomfort.
It is different from clicking healthy fingers. In the initial period it is weakly manifested, but as the disease progresses it becomes loud and clear. This is due to the friction of the rough, destroyed surfaces of the joint.
As finger degeneration worsens, there is a significant decrease in finger mobility. This is due to the proliferation of bone tissue in the form of processes of different shapes (osteophytes), the absence of synovial fluid, narrowing of the joint space to a minimum or complete disappearance, and spasms of the periarticular muscles.
Deformation changes occur due to the formation of osteophytes and modifications of the bones connected in this organ of movement.
In addition to the general signs of each of the 3 degrees of severity during arthrosis of the toes, there are individual ones that are unique to it. Characteristic is the simultaneous defeat of all fingers of the lower extremities.
In the first degree , there is slight pain, sometimes there is slight stiffness in the entire foot. These do not cause any particular problems during movement or stress on the limbs, so they often go unnoticed.
An untreated, developing pathological process moves into the second degree Significant stiffness appears, and a cracking sound is heard when walking. Painful sensations increase intensely. There is swelling in the area of the fingers, inflammation is expressed by hyperemia (redness), body temperature may increase, and muscle atrophy is noted.
Violations in treatment or lack thereof leads to the third degree of severity. At the same time, the pain intensifies and does not go away either day or night. Bone tissue grows rapidly, which leads to deformation of the joints and changes in the length of the fingers.
Visually noticeable deformation changes in all toes. Thickenings can be felt along the edges of the fingers. Mobility is so limited that it can lead to immobility of the entire foot. Lameness appears.
Sometimes the fourth degree of the disease occurs, when complete destruction of the joint occurs. In this case, it is necessary to replace it with an endoprosthesis.
Arthrosis has been known for a long time; medicine has developed traditional treatment regimens, to which additional methods have been added.
They are complex, aimed at suppressing inflammatory processes, pain, restoring the tissues of the affected joint, improving blood circulation and metabolic processes in them, restoring its functions, strengthening ligaments and muscles, eliminating the causes of degenerative-dystrophic changes.
This treatment complex consists of medications, physiotherapy, massage, exercise therapy (physical therapy).
Prescriptions are made in accordance with the severity of the patient’s condition, his age and the presence of other diagnoses, and complete rest is prescribed.
In the acute period, non-hormonal (non-steroidal) drugs to relieve inflammation and achieve pain relief.
In order to improve the result obtained, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ointments and gels are added. They are not effective enough for independent use, but they work well together with injectable forms and tablets.
Medicines, the main active ingredient of which are corticosteroid hormones, are used in the acute period as anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics. They quickly relieve pain, inflammation and swelling, but at the same time contribute to the destruction of cartilage.
Therefore, they are prescribed limitedly and for short periods, most often injections into the sore finger. This is a complex, painful procedure that requires skill and is performed with great care.
For this, Kenalog, Hydrocortisone, Metypred, and a drug based on hyaluronic acid - Ostenil can be used.
Medicines whose action is aimed not at individual symptoms, but at restoring a damaged joint, are called chondroprotectors. They contain substances that are part of healthy cartilage tissue, and they are intended for long-term use - up to 2 months.
The most applicable are Mucosat, Dona, Teraflex, Rumalon and others.
Currently, third-generation chondroprotectors containing several active substances are widely used. They are produced for oral administration, for injection and ointments, creams, gels - externally.
For severe pain, blockades with anesthetics are used.
These methods begin to be used only after the signs of the acute period have been removed and remission begins. Aimed at consolidating the achieved effects - maximum restoration of tissues and joint functions and preventing a new exacerbation.
For the purpose of treatment with electrical energy, UHF therapy is used, which improves blood supply and metabolic processes, suppresses inflammation and pain.
Magnetic therapy suppresses inflammation and pain by applying a magnetic field to the affected organ.
Electrophoresis promotes high-quality administration of drugs through the skin using electric current for the speedy onset of analgesic effect.
High-frequency ultrasonic vibrations at the basis of ultrasound therapy help the human body activate its regenerative and protective systems, which is very important in the treatment of arthrosis of the toes.
Massage of the lower limb will strengthen muscles, improve blood circulation, metabolism, activate the removal of toxins and harmful substances, strengthen the body's defenses and promote recovery.
Exercise therapy will help restore joint mobility and strengthen leg muscles. Only a specialist can make the correct selection of exercises.
Traditional medicine has been successfully treating diseases of the lower extremities for many years. These are mainly compresses, rubbing, lotions, baths of tinctures and decoctions prepared from herbs, various plants and natural products.
Everyone knows the anti-inflammatory analgesic effect of compresses made from fresh burdock leaves. It is useful to add honey to infusions and decoctions and use bee products.
Baths and lotions made from thyme, tricolor violet, juniper, and St. John's wort have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Alcohol compresses work well, especially with honey. Rubbing eucalyptus tincture with alcohol, vodka or moonshine is effective.
It must be remembered that these are only additional methods of treatment and without the main one, the disease cannot be cured.
Arthrosis is easier to prevent than to treat.
Therefore, properly selected comfortable shoes, avoiding heavy loads on the feet, a healthy lifestyle and timely treatment and prevention of any diseases will be the key to health for many years.
Joint pathologies are extremely common among the population of various age groups. They are diagnosed in both elderly and young people after 30-40 years. The type of damage to articular structures can be different, and the degree of intensity of the pathological process also varies. But almost always, regardless of the nosology (type of disease), the clinical picture includes joint stiffness in the morning.
It can last no more than an hour, followed by complete restoration of joint functionality. In other cases, joint stiffness may persist throughout the day. In addition, it rarely manifests itself in isolation; in most cases, it is observed in combination with other pathological signs. Depending on what disease a person has, stiffness can occur either in one joint or in several at once, for example, in the fingers.
The main task of any joint is to provide the full range of movements provided for by physiology. To accomplish this, all joint components work simultaneously and harmoniously. Bone structures slide relative to each other due to the smoothness and elasticity of hyaline cartilage, the synovial membrane produces a lubricating fluid and delivers oxygen and necessary nutrition to the cartilage tissue.
All components of a joint work together to ensure its functionality
If any malfunction occurs in this mechanism of normal movements, then first of all their amplitude suffers, which becomes much smaller. Subjectively, this phenomenon is felt by a person precisely as stiffness and stiffness, or the inability to fully bend or straighten a limb, fingers, or, less often, the spine.
Joint stiffness in the morning is not an independent diagnosis; it is always a symptom of some pathology. If the synovial membrane is affected, it thickens and decreases elasticity, and the amount of lubricating fluid decreases. This necessarily affects the ability to perform a full range of movements in the joint. When the layer of cartilage tissue is destroyed, the bone structures begin to not slide, but constantly touch each other, which also reduces the amplitude. In each case, restriction of movement is combined with other symptoms; most often this is the development of pain and signs of an inflammatory process.
Therefore, all mechanisms of the formation of morning stiffness can be divided into three groups:
The more severe the disease, the more pronounced all its manifestations are, including joint stiffness. But there are also pathologies in which morning stiffness in the joints always does not last long, regardless of the severity. This characteristic of the symptom, as well as its combination with other signs, is very helpful in the differential diagnosis of almost all joint pathologies.
The feeling of stiffness is often accompanied by pain
As already noted, stiffness of various localizations is only a separate characteristic of any disease. Therefore, the causes of morning stiffness are a wide variety of pathologies. Moreover, the painful process does not always affect the joint. There are diseases in which the bony joints, hyaline cartilage, synovial membrane and capsule remain intact, but the surrounding ligaments and muscles suffer, often as a result of a violation of nervous regulation. Such pathologies include, for example, Parkinson's disease or the consequences of an acute cerebrovascular accident (ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke), when the innervation of the muscle groups surrounding the joint changes according to a certain type. As a result, the formation of joint stiffness is also noted.
In cases of high obesity, we should talk about false stiffness. A decrease in the range of motion in these situations is associated, rather, with general motor insufficiency and muscle weakness than with pathological changes in the joints.
Short-term or longer-term stiffness can have different origins. It can form as a consequence of injuries, physical overload or surgical interventions.
But most often these are a variety of diseases, and the largest group among them is of an inflammatory nature. These are arthritis:
With each disease from this group, there is always stiffness in the joints, large or small, which develops only in the morning or persists much longer. Since the pathological process is inflammatory in nature, other characteristic signs are also present.
The feeling of joint stiffness in obesity is often considered false.
This may be swelling and hyperemia (redness) of the skin, pain of varying intensity, joint deformation, severe movement disorders, changes in skin sensitivity as a result of concomitant lesions of the central or peripheral nervous system. For each nosology, a certain combination of these signs is noted, changes in the biological environments of the body (blood and urine), as well as morphological disorders (changes in the anatomy and structure of tissues), which are diagnosed using additional instrumental methods.
Another group of pathologies is more often associated with an inflammatory process or traumatic injury only at the beginning of its development. These are arthrosis, or osteoarthrosis, which can be of various locations: in the joints of the arms, legs, and spinal column. With each of them, inflammation “triggers” a destructive degenerative process in the joint, which, starting with minor stiffness, gradually progresses and ends with almost complete joint immobility.
Of course, it makes no sense to treat morning stiffness separately from other pathological manifestations. After carrying out a full range of diagnostic measures, an individual treatment regimen is developed for each patient, which is designed to combat a specific disease. Therefore, it will be more convenient to consider each pathology separately, indicating the most characteristic symptoms and treatment methods.
This is a very common joint disease, occurring in almost 2% of the population and often being one of the causes of disability in young and middle age. Many joints suffer at once, mostly small ones, of the destructive-erosive type. In essence, rheumatoid arthritis is a polyarthritis in which the connective tissue that makes up the bulk of the synovial membrane is damaged.
Any injury to the joints can cause arthritis
By its nature, rheumatoid polyarthritis is considered an autoimmune pathology, that is, a peculiar and perverted reaction of the body to its own tissues, in particular connective tissue. As a result, the resulting immune complexes cause an inflammatory process in the synovial membrane of the joints, its own tissue is destroyed, and fibrous structures are formed in its place.
These pathological processes affect the condition and functionality of the synovial bursa. It loses its elasticity, smoothness and firmness, becoming hard and uneven, which begins to interfere with movements in the joint with the required amplitude. Additionally, the production of lubricating fluid is reduced, and its deficiency significantly affects the nutrition of cartilage tissue, leading to the onset of destruction of hyaline cartilage.
That is why one of the most characteristic manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis is morning stiffness in the joints. At first it is noted in the small joints of the hands and fingers, but then, as the autoimmune process progresses and spreads, it moves to the medium and large joints of the whole body. Stiffness is felt by the patient as a feeling of tightness or constriction that prevents movement.
After a few hours, as a rule, this symptom disappears and joint movements are partially or completely restored, but other manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis remain:
Diclofenac is used for almost all types of arthritis
To get rid of stiffness in the joints, which, as can be seen from the indicated set of clinical symptoms, is not the most painful and pronounced manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis, it is necessary to carry out treatment aimed at the nature of the pathology. It becomes lifelong, since arthritis of autoimmune origin cannot be completely cured; the disease will proceed with alternating exacerbations and remissions.
However, the intensity and frequency of exacerbations can be reduced and reduced using a combination of the most potent drugs available today. These are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Diclofenac, Indomethacin, Ibuprofen and their derivatives), hormonal drugs (Prednisolone, Dexamethasone), as well as the so-called basic drugs (Azathioprine, Methotrexate, Cyclophosphamide) and biological agents (Actemra, Halofuginone, Humira, Orencia).
The very name of this pathology implies the introduction of foreign microflora into the human body, which, when entering the joint, leads to inflammation. Bacteria, viruses, microscopic fungi or parasites act as pathogenic agents. They can penetrate into the joint cavity both from the outside, for example, during an open injury, and through blood and lymphatic vessels.
The clinical picture of infectious, or septic, arthritis is always pronounced, and the manifestation (the onset of pathology) occurs suddenly and acutely, that is, the symptoms develop quickly and with maximum intensity of manifestations. As a rule, the entire body reacts to the inflammatory process in a particular joint, responding with the formation of an intoxication syndrome.
Therefore, in most cases, septic arthritis has the following symptoms:
Staphylococcus aureus causes severe joint damage
Considering the nature of infectious arthritis, the main focus in the treatment regimen is antibacterial and antiviral agents, and less commonly, antifungal and antiparasitic drugs. Before prescribing antibiotics, their sensitivity to the drug is determined. In addition to medications, the limb is immobilized, the joint cavity is washed, and measures are taken to detoxify the body. In most cases, with timely and comprehensive treatment, it is possible to achieve complete recovery of the patient, and the feeling of stiffness in the joints, pain and limitation of movements disappear forever.
Ankylosing spondylitis, or ankylosing spondylitis, is quite rare (approximately 400 thousand patients in Russia) and mainly affects small joints connecting the processes of the vertebrae, as well as the vertebral bodies themselves. However, there are also other forms of the pathological process, which is localized in larger joints, for example, the knee.
With ankylosing spondylitis, the synovial membrane is primarily affected, in which chronic inflammation develops. The formation of fibrous nodes in it and later the joining of bone growths significantly worsen the condition of the joints of the spine or limbs.
This disease can manifest itself in various forms, masquerading as other joint pathologies. Its symptoms may differ between men and women and depend on the age category. In general, in women the disease develops somewhat more slowly and does not begin at such a young age as in men.
The main symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis are:
In ankylosing spondylitis, the spine is primarily affected
It is impossible to completely cure this disease, like rheumatoid arthritis, but modern treatment methods can significantly slow down the rate of its progression. For this purpose, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal and basic agents, glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, and cytostatics are used. Additionally, massage, physiotherapy, and therapeutic exercises are needed.
Arthritis of gouty nature develops if the metabolism of uric acid is disrupted in the human body. At the same time, its crystals can linger both in the kidney tissue and inside the joints, forming salt deposits on the synovial membrane. In response to this, the inflammatory process begins to progress, negatively affecting all joint structures. A feeling of stiffness and pain, swelling and hyperemia, difficulty moving and intoxication of the body are the main signs of this type of arthritis. Therapy consists of using a complex of medications, local procedures and following a strict diet.
Systemic arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis, is of an autoimmune nature, with a pronounced element of heredity. If it begins in childhood, it is called Still's disease, or systemic juvenile arthritis. In addition to pain and stiffness in the joints, characteristic changes in the skin in the form of a rash are observed around them. Treatment is long-term and complex, including medications (NSAIDs, immunomodulators, hormones), physiotherapy and special physical training.
Arthritis of psoriatic origin is often called a type of rheumatoid arthritis. The clinical pictures of these diseases are very similar, with predominant symmetrical damage to small joints and their characteristic deformation. Psoriasis, gradually developing, “transfers” from the skin to the osteoarticular framework and leads to the formation of arthropathy. Its treatment consists of using a complex of medications, diet, and traditional methods of local therapy.
Allergic arthritis can be caused by certain foods
Arthritis of an allergic nature can develop in a person with an allergic predisposition. Most often, this is possible if there is an allergy to certain foods, less often to pollen or household allergens. In the mechanism of development of this arthritis, the immune mechanism is clearly expressed, so all signs of the disease (pain, stiffness, swelling, hyperemia) can be stopped using means of influencing the immune system. In the first place among them are antihistamines, hormones, immunosuppressants, cell membrane stabilizers.
Almost all joint diseases are accompanied by the presence of stiffness; often it becomes the very first manifestation of pathology and signals trouble in the body. Therefore, if this symptom develops, it is necessary to consult a doctor, conduct a diagnosis and urgently begin treatment for the identified disease.