The foot is a tool for supporting the body and moving. People who spend a lot of time on their feet often suffer from pain in the joints of their feet. Their condition reflects the health of the entire organism .
This is explained by the fact that when a person develops diseases of various natures (diabetes, arthritis, nervous disorders, disorders of the spine and blood circulation), the first signs appear in the foot as sensations of pain.
This feeling can be either the first or the only symptom of serious disorders in the body.
Inflammation of the feet involves degenerative changes in muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage and bone tissues . Arthrologists divide this disease into 2 forms:
Factors contributing to the development of the disease have also been established :
Inflammation of the foot can cause synovitis of the ankle joint. Read our article on how to diagnose and treat the disease.
A sprained ankle can also cause widespread inflammation. You can find out what other symptoms indicate a leg injury here.
The clinical picture of the disease is quite extensive due to the abundance of forms of arthritis and stages of the disease. However, no matter what, different types of inflammation have common symptoms - this makes it difficult to differentiate the diagnosis. The main symptoms of inflammation of the joints of the foot are as follows :
Diagnostics makes it possible to establish the specific causes of inflammation in the foot. It includes the following activities :
After the examination, the doctor makes a conclusion according to which he draws up a treatment program.
For inflammation of the joints of the feet, treatment implies a systematic and comprehensive approach, as well as an individual approach to the disease in each case. Today, doctors build a therapeutic program taking into account the disease and the stage at which it was detected.
To combat the disease, conservative treatment methods are often used. Its main types include the following:
Includes taking anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications:
The photo shows inflammation of the foot joints against the background of arthrosis
Manual therapy is an effective non-drug method of combating the disease. This is a whole complex of therapeutic techniques that allows you to treat joints using your hands. Its main goal is to increase the elasticity of the ligamentous and muscular apparatus. The procedure of this therapy is reminiscent of massage, but has differences, which consist in limiting the localization of areas and the use of dosed force.
The procedures are carried out at intervals of 1-7 days. The method becomes more effective if the procedures are alternated with massage, physiotherapy, herbal treatments and supplemented with exercise therapy.
This treatment includes :
An important point in case of inflammation of the feet is exercise therapy. The exercises are best done under the supervision of a physical therapist. Gymnastics has a positive effect on the body when performed regularly. Exercises are selected by a specialist depending on the disease that caused inflammation of the joints of the feet.
In addition to gymnastics, the following are recommended: swimming, if there is no pain, walking. It is important to wear orthopedic shoes, as well as dietary nutrition.
Traditional methods of treating inflammation of the joints of the feet show quite good results, which are sometimes in no way inferior in effectiveness to traditional therapy. Treatment can be carried out using the following recipes :
It is also good to make compresses from herbs with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, which include: chamomile, oak bark, bergenia, alder, wild rosemary.
The diet is selected depending on the disease that caused inflammation of the joints on the foot. Therefore, for the diet to be beneficial, it must be prescribed by a doctor after a comprehensive examination and finding the true cause of the disease.
For inflammation of the feet, experts recommend using :
cold-water fish during the diet - due to its high content of polyunsaturated fats, it has an anti-inflammatory effect. Fish should be present in the patient’s diet at least 3-4 times a week. Fermented milk products are also useful .
Food should be prepared by boiling or steaming. You need to eat 4-5 times a day in small portions and in no case overeat. In addition, it is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle; for these purposes, it is necessary to exclude alcohol of any strength, smoking, as well as abuse of coffee and strong tea from the diet.
To avoid serious foot diseases, it is necessary to consult a doctor promptly even if the slightest discomfort occurs. Effective methods for preventing foot inflammation are massages, comprehensive physical exercises, a healthy lifestyle, and good nutrition.
Joint inflammation, or arthritis, is a whole group of individual diseases with different etiologies and pathogenesis, but with the same symptoms. Arthritis can affect any joint in the body, but the signs of inflammation are always the same:
Treatment of joint inflammation should be etiological (take into account the cause), pathogenetic (influence the mechanisms of inflammation) and symptomatic (eliminate symptoms, for example, pain, swelling). To achieve this, a number of conservative treatment methods are used.
Important! It is possible to effectively treat an inflamed joint only by establishing the direct cause of the pathological symptoms and the form of arthritis (infectious, gouty, reactive, rheumatoid, psoriatic, rheumatic, etc.). Therefore, it is imperative to visit a doctor to establish a diagnosis.
How to treat joint inflammation without drugs? This is almost impossible to do. In order to eliminate inflammatory changes, several groups of medications are used both internally (tablets, injections) and locally in the form of ointments, gels, patches, compresses.
First of all, general treatment should be etiological. Only by eliminating the cause can inflammation be eliminated. For this purpose, drugs from several groups will be used.
Antibacterial drugs can completely cure arthritis, but only some of its types. The indication is inflammation caused by pathological microorganisms:
Antibiotics are used to treat arthritis caused by pathological microorganisms
This group of drugs is used to treat any type of joint inflammation, as they perfectly eliminate pain, relieve swelling and other signs of inflammation, and also eliminate the symptoms of a person’s general malaise, if any.
Representatives of NSAIDs (active ingredient):
Important to remember! In each case, drugs from this group should only be prescribed by a doctor, since they have many contraindications and side effects. These drugs have a particular negative effect on the gastric mucosa, causing the development of erosions, ulcers and bleeding.
To treat joint inflammation, glucocorticoid drugs for systemic use are used only in extreme cases, when conventional medications cannot eliminate pain and inflammation, or for arthritis caused by autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Such drugs (prednisolone, methylprednisolone, hydrocortisone) are used in the form of tablets, which are taken in the morning, or intravenous drip infusions. Most often, GCS is used as external ointments and intra-articular injections.
Treatment with GCS is associated with a high risk of severe side effects, and therefore should be carried out only when indicated. The doctor selects the dose individually, therapy is carried out under constant monitoring of the development of side effects.
GCS is used mainly for intra-articular injections, which perfectly eliminate pain and inflammation
For systemic connective tissue diseases, when the above medications do not cope with their task, they resort to the use of immunosuppressants. These are drugs that inhibit the activity of cells of the immune system, thereby eliminating inflammation. This therapy is often prescribed as a basic therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic inflammation of the joints, and arthritis that accompanies systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune pathologies. The most commonly used are methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, and sulfosalazine.
Other medications that are used to treat joint inflammation include:
Almost always, therapy for joint inflammation is supplemented with ointments and gels for topical use (they can also be used to prepare compresses). They help to quickly eliminate inflammation and get rid of pain.
Important to remember! Under no circumstances should you use warming or locally irritating ointments for symptoms of inflammation, as they dilate blood vessels, which only worsens inflammatory disorders.
Typically, all such ointments are based on NSAIDs, corticosteroids, sometimes in combination with a chondroprotector or other substance.
The most popular ointments:
Voltaren - an effective pain-relieving ointment for joints
As soon as the most acute phase of the disease is eliminated, you can begin treatment with additional non-drug conservative methods:
Very often, patients complement traditional treatment with alternative methods.
Important! This can only be done after consultation with a doctor, if you have no contraindications to one or another method of therapy.
Clay joint compress
Treatment with folk remedies is very popular among patients. Let's look at a few effective recipes:
Also popular among alternative methods of treating joint inflammation are apitherapy (treatment with bees), hirudotherapy (treatment with leeches), acupuncture, manual therapy, osteopathy, and homeopathy.
In no case should you neglect the symptoms of joint inflammation, because in the acute period the disease can be successfully cured, which is very difficult to do if arthritis has become chronic.
The legs have to endure the most serious stress. The modern rhythm of life is so fast that it is difficult for any organism to withstand it. The joints suffer the most from haste and overload. Inflammation of the joints in the legs must be treated immediately. The problem itself does not pose a serious threat to life. But if it is neglected, it can result in very undesirable consequences, which will be quite difficult to cope with.
Inflammation of the joints – arthritis. It is believed that this is a problem for older and middle-aged people. In fact, this is a disease that affects representatives of all age categories. The causes of inflammation can be very diverse. Most often, problems arise due to an incorrect lifestyle. For some patients, arthritis is inherited. Sometimes injuries, fungal and infectious diseases can cause inflammation.
In the early stages, the problem may not cause much discomfort. It is because of this that treatment of inflammation of the joints in the legs begins too late. Knowing the main manifestations of the disease, it is much easier to recognize it. Arthritis is characterized by the following symptoms:
To prevent inflammation of the joints of the toes from developing into a more serious problem - gout - at the first suspicion it is recommended to consult a specialist. Timely prescribed treatment will significantly simplify the process of fighting inflammation.
Arthritis in the early stages can be treated completely painlessly. Most often, specialists prescribe drug treatment, which includes a complex of various drugs:
Regardless of the chosen treatment, patients must take immunomodulators.
Numerous traditional medicine recipes also help in the fight against inflammation of the joints of the legs and feet:
Relieving inflammation of the joints in the legs is not enough. An examination and a full course of treatment of joints with the help of medications, ointments, and folk remedies is necessary. A prerequisite is to perform a set of exercises to maintain good joint function. What folk remedies will help overcome the disease?
Legs are the biggest workers of our body. We spend most of the day on our feet; they experience maximum stress during walking, working, playing sports, and finally, they bear the main load from body weight. Therefore, the joints of the legs (knees, hips, ankles, foot joints) are most often subject to the inflammatory process.
Anatomical location of bones and joints of the lower limb
Most people are familiar with inflammation of the joints of the legs firsthand; it occurs quite often. Medicine has about 100 varieties of these diseases. Fortunately, in most cases, the inflammatory process is transient and temporary; it is associated with overwork, climate change and other factors, after elimination of which recovery occurs.
However, statistics show that about 20% of the world's population regularly suffers from arthritis or polyarthritis - respectively, inflammation of one or more joints in the legs, sometimes it has a severe or chronic form. The following reasons can lead to such diseases:
Shoes that are out of season, hypothermia of the feet often lead to inflammation of the joints
Important. It should be remembered that in most cases, inflammation of the joints of the legs can be prevented by regulating the load, body weight, avoiding hypothermia and colds.
Any arthritis, no matter where the joint is located, is characterized by a triad of symptoms:
With inflammation in the human blood, the number of white cells and other chemical elements that suppress infections, viruses and other pathogenic microorganisms increases. In other words, inflammation is a response, a protective reaction of the body to a threat.
But with joint diseases such as arthritis or arthrosis, the protective reaction often occurs mistakenly, when no real threat exists, due to a malfunction of the immune system. In this case, the inflammation must be treated to protect healthy cells from destruction.
Diseases of this kind are classified as autoimmune. The body perceives some cells of its own tissues as foreign and begins to destroy them.
If we consider inflammation of the joints of the legs, then in this case all pathologies according to the clinical picture and etiology can be divided into two main categories:
Diseases of both groups can be primary, that is, arising independently, or secondary - arising as a consequence of another disease.
Inflammation can affect any joints of the lower extremities, both large and small, including the heels.
All elements of the joint suffer - ligaments, cartilage, tendons, bones - and the muscle tissue surrounding it.
Degenerative tissue changes occur, the joint becomes deformed, loses its functions and ultimately collapses.
Based on the localization of inflammation, the following types of pathology are distinguished:
General symptoms for all categories and types of joint inflammation:
Pain becomes the main reason for limiting a person’s mobility - he is simply afraid to use the affected joint.
Therefore, treatment is primarily aimed at eliminating pain.
Inflammation of the joints of the lower extremities can develop due to infection, injury, allergic reaction, and sometimes it is caused by poisonous insect bites. The prerequisites for pathology are the following factors:
Often the disease occurs in a latent form and can only be detected through a thorough examination.
Timely diagnosis and treatment will help to avoid complications and stop pathologies at an early stage of development.
Inflammation of the joints and heels can develop for a variety of reasons, but there are diseases that are always accompanied by an inflammatory process in the joint tissues
Arthritis. In this case, the diseases are caused by infection in the joint or metabolic disorders, as a result of which the nutrition of the joint deteriorates. It is necessary to treat the root cause, which became the impetus for the formation of pathology. Drug treatment includes:
Resort and sanatorium treatment is recommended. In severe cases, surgical operations are performed to excise the damaged joint capsule, remove and replace destroyed joint fragments with artificial ones. Methods such as arthroplasty, arthrodesis, and arthrotomy are used.
Arthrosis. A chronic disease in which the structure of joint tissue changes. Often develops after injuries (fractures, cartilage damage), infectious diseases (tuberculosis, syphilis, brucellosis), intoxication of the body, constant physical activity (among athletes, dancers, loaders).
Treatment is carried out using:
Gout. With this disease, uric acid accumulates in the joints, purine metabolism is disrupted, and not only the joints are affected, but also the kidneys. The joint literally swells and loses mobility, while the patient experiences severe, burning pain and discomfort.
Men over 40 years of age are most often affected. The disease occurs chronically, with acute attacks, during which pain quickly increases (usually in the area of the big toe, less often in the heel area), and there is severe swelling and redness of the limb.
Causes of exacerbation may include prolonged exposure to the cold, bruises, consumption of alcohol and foods rich in purines (mainly meat, smoked, fried foods).
Treatment during the period of remission is based on diet and plenty of drinking, which promotes the dissolution and elimination of uric acid compounds; during an exacerbation, gout should be treated with drugs such as rheopirin, colchicine, and indocid ketasone.
Bursitis of the knee joint. This is an inflammation of the joint capsule caused by injury, mechanical damage, allergic reactions or infection.
The knee joint is most often affected; the joint may become swollen and red, the temperature rises, and the patient falls on the affected limb when walking.
It is acute, in the first days the treatment is carried out with the help of cold compresses and pressure bandages, then, on the contrary, you need to do warm compresses and physiotherapy, and use ointments with a resolving effect.
Advanced joint diseases can lead to complete loss of the ability to move independently.
Therefore, at the very first symptoms, you must consult a doctor and strictly do everything that he recommends after determining an accurate diagnosis.
With the help of preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of inflammation of the knee, hip, ankle, foot or heel.
If there is a tendency to joint diseases or a person is simply aged, it is recommended to regularly visit a rheumatologist or arthrologist for a preventive examination and take tests in order to detect an increase in uric acid in the blood in time.
All these measures will help prevent the development of inflammation and prevent it from becoming severe.
Traditional medicine in this case is good because almost all remedies are available and do not have the same side effects and contraindications as medications. The effect appears slowly, but such recipes can be used for a long time without compromising your health and budget.
All recipes must be used daily for at least one month. It is recommended not to violate the proportions when preparing.
Inflammation of the joints in the leg is one of the most common pathologies in the world, affecting even young children. This disease causes a lot of inconvenience to the patient, disrupts the function of the joint and contributes to its destruction. Any joints of the legs can become inflamed, from large hip and knee joints to small joints of the foot.
It is very important to know the signs of inflammatory joint diseases in order to consult a doctor in time and begin treatment. The sooner treatment for the pathology begins, the less likely there are unpleasant complications.
First of all, it is worth noting that the entire joint or part of it, for example, the synovial bursa or membrane, can become inflamed; in each case, the doctor makes different diagnoses, and the treatment may differ slightly.
The following reasons and their combination can provoke inflammation:
Depending on the cause of inflammation, it can be infectious or non-infectious. In the first case, the disease is provoked by microbes that enter the joint cavity through a wound on the knee or through the bloodstream, and in the second case, the cause may be injury, salt deposition due to metabolic problems.
Depending on the type of inflammation, the symptoms of the disease may vary. But there are a number of general signs of the inflammatory process, in which you need to consult a doctor as soon as possible:
With aseptic inflammation of the joint, that is, arthritis, the pain is not very pronounced, especially in the initial stages. If the cause of inflammation is an infection, then the signs are very clear: throbbing pain, the knee is red, hot and swollen, body temperature rises.
Infectious inflammation requires immediate medical attention, as microorganisms can spread to surrounding tissues and cause sepsis.
Treatment for inflammation of the leg joints directly depends on the type of pathology. To determine what exactly is inflamed and for what reason, it is necessary to undergo an examination. Patients are prescribed blood tests, urine tests, ultrasound, x-rays and MRIs, and may also need to undergo arthroscopy, joint puncture and other examination methods.
For all types of joint inflammation, patients are prescribed:
After the exacerbation is relieved, physical therapy and massage are indicated; these procedures help develop the diseased joint, strengthen the muscles, and improve blood circulation.
Fixing the joint in the correct position is necessary in order to relieve pain and prevent the destruction of cartilage tissue. For this purpose, special orthoses are used, which are made of fabric, metal and plastic.
Physiotherapy helps relieve inflammation and pain; for joint inflammation, procedures such as magnetic therapy, laser therapy, balneotherapy, UHF, ultraviolet radiation and other procedures can be prescribed. Typically, a doctor makes recommendations for physical therapy and refers the patient to the procedure.
The most important part of the treatment of inflammation of the knee, ankle or foot joint is drug therapy. Patients are prescribed tablets, ointments, and injections that relieve inflammation and pain,, if necessary, normalize metabolism and kill pathogenic microbes.
It is very important that a doctor selects medications, since many types of arthritis require specific treatment. If a patient is treated for gout with painkillers alone, he will soon become disabled, because the joints will actively deteriorate, the same will happen with rheumatoid arthritis.
Tablets for inflammation of the joints of the legs:
In addition to tablets for joint inflammation, it is recommended to use various ointments and creams. External remedies help relieve pain and improve nutrition of periarticular tissues, making recovery faster.
These ointments include:
Ointments should not be used if the patient is allergic to their components, as well as if the integrity of the skin in the affected area is damaged. Before using external agents, be sure to study the instructions for the drug.
Many patients are sure that any inflammatory process must be treated with an antibiotic. In fact, this is not so; antibacterial agents are necessary only if a bacterial infection has been found in the body. To choose the right antibiotic, you need to know which microbe caused the inflammatory process.
As a rule, it is recommended to start treatment immediately, but testing takes some time. Therefore, doctors prescribe medications based on their experience and the patient’s complaints, the causes of infection in the joint.
For example, if the infection entered the body through the respiratory tract, then antibiotics from the group of cephalosporins, macrolides, and penicillins are prescribed. If the cause of inflammation of the joint is a urogenital infection, then tetracyclines and macrolides can be prescribed.
It is worth noting that antibacterial agents cannot be taken uncontrollably, as they undermine the immune system, disrupt the microflora of the intestines and vagina, causing dysbiosis. In addition, in most cases of joint inflammation, they are simply not needed.
Another important part of the treatment of joint inflammation, especially in advanced cases, is intra-articular injections. Injections into the joint help to quickly relieve pain and inflammation, because the medicine goes directly to the affected area and begins to act instantly.
Injections into the leg joints are prescribed only according to strict indications, since such a procedure has contraindications and side effects, and if performed incorrectly, the procedure can harm the patient’s body.
When the inflammatory process worsens, injections with corticosteroids are prescribed. Hormonal drugs are injected into the joint cavity to relieve severe pain. But it is worth noting that such injections should not be done too often, as corticosteroids can begin to destroy cartilage tissue.
In case of infectious inflammation, antibiotics are injected into the joint cavity, having previously cleared it of exudate. Also, in case of severe pain, a blockade with an anesthetic can be performed. And if there is not only an inflammatory process in the joint, but also degenerative changes, then injections of chondroprotectors are indicated.
How to relieve inflammation of a joint on the leg at home is a question that worries many. After all, it is not always possible to go to the hospital right away, and the pain does not allow you to live normally.
I would like to immediately note that folk recipes are not a panacea. And if the joint on your little toe or knee is inflamed, you still need to see a doctor. A specialist will be able to identify the type of pathology and prescribe the most appropriate treatment.
For inflammation of the joints of the legs and arms, you can use the following traditional medicine recipes:
For infectious arthritis, the use of folk remedies, especially warming ones, is strictly prohibited. Such treatment will lead to a worsening of the condition. In case of purulent inflammation, you need to perform a puncture of the joint in a hospital setting, and also start taking antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.
It is quite difficult to accurately predict the occurrence of arthritis, since the body is affected by a huge number of negative factors, and it is impossible to protect yourself from all of them. But everyone can reduce the risk of inflammation by following these recommendations:
A healthy lifestyle will not only help prevent inflammation of the joint on the leg, but will also reduce the risk of vascular pathologies, infectious diseases and chronic diseases of internal organs.
They can manifest themselves and progress differently in each particular case: one joint may be affected, or several joints may be affected at the same time; there may also be varying degrees of severity. Of course, the treatment of inflamed joints will be carried out in this case depending on the general clinical condition, and their manifestation will differ in symptoms and signs. Much depends on which joint is inflamed.
The rhythm of life of modern people has led to the fact that today inflammation of the joints of the legs is a disease not only of the elderly. This disease can manifest itself in young, full of strength and energy people. This is due to the fact that the load on the legs is quite high, and there is sorely not enough time to deal with disease prevention. Many people today do not pay due attention to their health, but such an attitude can lead to detrimental consequences and the development of diseases associated with inflammation of the joints, which in turn affects the fullness of their lifestyle.
When the very first symptoms of a possible disease of the leg joints appear, you should consult a doctor. If they are ignored for a long time, the disease becomes chronic, therefore, complete recovery will be almost impossible, and pain will accompany the person throughout his life.
But as practice often shows, due to the fact that when the joints of the legs become inflamed, the first pain sensations are practically not noticeable and do not cause discomfort, not everyone turns to a specialist for help and not immediately. And only after the disease begins to progress, and the pain becomes prolonged and severe, does a person consult a doctor. At this moment, the state of his health leaves much to be desired: there is a feeling of stiffness, limited mobility, movements cause discomfort and pain, and all this will only grow and intensify.
When a joint or joints become inflamed, signs characteristic of this process appear that cause discomfort to the person. So, swelling and redness appear in the area of the affected joint, accompanied by pain. Patients often report a burning sensation in the area of the inflamed joint. The pain can reach such a point that a person cannot walk, his every movement is accompanied by unbearable pain, and sometimes movements are absolutely impossible.
The inflamed area of the joint becomes hot to the touch. In this case, we are more likely talking about the chronic stage of the disease.
If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, treatment of advanced inflamed joints will only be possible with surgical intervention.
Inflammation of the leg joints can be affected by numerous factors, which include:
untreated or ignored injuries;
Sometimes inflammation of the joints can occur quite unnoticed, and even hidden, less often, on the contrary, it will be accompanied by severe pain and stiffness of movement.
In some cases, making a diagnosis is quite difficult and doctors have to resort to a method such as joint puncture, which is quite painful.
Treatment of inflamed leg joints should never be delayed, so it should be started immediately after an accurate diagnosis by a doctor. In addition to traditional options, you can also treat an inflamed joint with folk remedies, but this method should not be used as an independent method, but as an addition to the treatment prescribed by the doctor, which will represent a certain scheme, deviations from which are unacceptable.
The basis of treatment for inflamed leg joints is physiotherapeutic treatment. Treatment methods for this disease also include: medication and injection procedures. Treatment with folk remedies is additional and advisory in nature.
The following methods are quite effective:
Under no circumstances should you begin to treat inflamed leg joints on your own. Treatment should only be prescribed by a doctor. Legs are those parts of the human body on which the fullness of life directly depends, and which are subject to heavy loads every day.
Treatment is prescribed depending on the severity and severity of joint inflammation.
As a medical treatment, the patient is prescribed potent anti-inflammatory and painkillers. These can be tablets, ointments, solutions, and so on. Tablets are prescribed to prevent the destruction of the joints of the legs.
Sometimes, in special cases, the patient may be prescribed dietary supplements. However, they must be used only in strict accordance with the doctor’s recommendation. Dietary supplements cannot be prescribed if the patient has diseases of the stomach and intestinal tract. The dosage must be strictly observed.
Dietary supplements are not independent treatment drugs; their purpose is to accelerate treatment, restore joints, restore interarticular fluid, and relieve mild pain.
The treatment regimens determined by the doctor may differ in each specific case. For example, during an exacerbation of the inflammatory process, an anti-inflammatory drug can be prescribed either only during an attack, or for some long time.
The joint may be treated with antibiotic injections.
It is worth noting that treatment of inflamed leg joints, depending on the severity of the disease, can last for several years.
So these can be tinctures from herbs or tree buds, which can be taken internally or used as a balm, which must be rubbed on the area of the sore joint, which relieves inflammation and relieves pain.
It is worth remembering that treatment must be comprehensive, you cannot use only traditional methods, it must be accompanied by treatment prescribed by a doctor, and first of all, medication.
The prognosis for inflammatory processes in the joints of the legs is ambiguous. Much depends on the patient’s immunity and general health. A complete recovery of the patient with complete restoration of motor functions is possible, but partial relief from only some symptoms is also possible.