Joint pain is an unpleasant sensation that indicates a pathological process in the joint area itself or the surrounding tissues.According to statistics, about 55% of people over the age of 45 go to the doctor with such complaints.And after 70 years, this symptom occurs in 90% of patients.Why do unpleasant sensations arise?What to do if your joints hurt?Which specialist should I contact for help?
Why can joints hurt?
The painful sensation in the joint is the result of irritation of the nerve endings extending from the joint capsule.Due to the sufficiently developed network of blood vessels and good conservation, the joint can respond to the pain response to various irritating factors (including toxins, salt crystals).
The main causes of joint pain:
- mechanical damage (due to injury or surgery);
- soft tissue diseases (adhesive capsulitis, myalgia, tendinopathy);
- osteoarthritis;
- arthritis (post-traumatic, gouty, psoriatic);
- autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis);
- benign and malignant tumors;
- Damage to the nerve trunk.
Many people associate joint pain with changing weather conditions.However, in 2016, scientists from Colling University in Australia published a paper that completely refuted this claim.More than three hundred volunteers took part in this study: each recorded pain for 3-4 months.It turned out that there was no incident of pain or its intensity was associated with changes in atmospheric pressure or changes in temperature.
Which doctor should I contact for help?
When your joints hurt badly, you need to get help from a specialist as soon as possible.If the cause of the discomfort is associated with an injury (bruise, dislocation or fracture of varying degrees), you need to visit an orthopedic traumatologist.In other cases, you need to seek help from a rheumatologist.To identify the cause of pain and prescribe treatment, diagnostic procedures are required:
- Joint radiography;
- ultrasound examination;
- MRI or CT (only if indicated);
- joint puncture (if there is fluid accumulation in the joint);
- Arthroscopy.
How to reduce joint pain?
To relieve discomfort in the joints, you can use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.They reduce the severity of pain and relieve swelling.Anti-inflammatory ointments, creams and gels used for affected joints have the same effect.
For degenerative joint disease (osteoarthrosis), chondroprotectors are indicated, which slow down the process of cartilage tissue destruction.They are also available in the form of capsules, ointments and gels, tablets, and intra-articular injections.
Regular therapeutic exercises also have a good effect.Properly chosen exercises can help you relieve pain and stiffness, as well as restore mobility to your joints.Physiotherapy procedures can be used as additional treatment methods: massage, magnetic therapy, electrophoresis with various drugs.