Various disorders of health, the functioning of the elements of the motor system, skeleton and the connecting parts - cartilage, joints - represent a considerable problem. Treatment of diseases of the elbow joint, for example, can drag on for many years, require numerous investments of time and money. Do not heal, too, can not - the pathology will affect everyday life, limiting the ability to move, and therefore work.
general information
Treatment and prevention of diseases of the elbow joint is an extensive topic, since there is a wide variety of pathologies that affect this element of the human body. Diseases differ from each other in manifestations, nuances of getting rid of them, as well as mechanisms of development and progress. It is customary to distinguish four major categories: inflammation, degeneration, trauma and pathology of nearby tissues.
Inflammatory processes are bursitis, arthritis. Epicondylitis known to many belongs to this class. Arthrosis is associated with degenerative changes in organic tissues. Injuries are very different - you can break an element of the elbow, stretch the ligament or dislocate the area. From the surrounding tissues, due to the disease, the muscle, nervous, as well as the vascular system, which supplies the elbow joint, can suffer.
For diseases of all these groups, their unique characteristics and nuances of clinical manifestations are inherent. After analyzing the patient’s complaints, the doctor will probably determine what he had to deal with and select the appropriate therapeutic course.
Relevance of the problem
If you notice any symptom of the main diseases of the elbow joint, you should not delay visiting the doctor. Nowadays, anyone can access the services of qualified medical personnel with specialized equipment. Doctors will quickly understand what is the cause of the pain and poor mobility of the area. Diagnosis will help to correctly and accurately identify the pathology, the doctor will select the appropriate treatment. Only an early and fully completed course will help to achieve either a full restoration of the site, or the maximum possible in the current conditions. By delaying the appeal to the clinic, there is a risk of depriving yourself of joint mobility for life.
Of course, the causes, symptoms, treatment of pain in the elbow joint are the area of specialization of professional doctors, but ordinary people should also realize what could cause such problems. Knowing the frequently encountered, widespread pathologies, having an idea of their manifestations, it is possible to adequately assess the problem that has arisen, and therefore, consciously consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Arthritis
Among the indications of the urgent need for treatment of the symptoms of diseases of the elbow joint in reality, an impressive percentage of cases occur in the manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. Pathology is one of the autoimmune ones, it affects the spinal column and joints in different parts of the body, and the elbow will not be an exception. The complex mechanism of progress, risk factors have not yet been fully explored, which is why arthritis, like other diseases of the autoimmune spectrum, is an urgent and serious medical problem. Inflammatory processes often accompany lupus erythematosus occurring in a systemic form, scleroderma and spondylitis, but in most cases rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed.
A feature of the pathological condition is the generation by the tissues of antibodies to connective fibers included in the joint. The body's own antibodies damage the joints at the cellular level, which is why a person suffers from typical manifestations of arthritis. Symptoms of the disease of the elbow joint include bilateral damage to parts of the body. Soreness is especially severe in the morning, and after a slight load it decreases. In the first half hour after waking up (sometimes longer) a person is worried about the stiffness of the joint area. The elbow moves limitedly, the surrounding tissues swell. Possible deformation of sites, erosion.
The nuances of the development of the disease
Most often, symptoms indicating the need for treatment of elbow joint disease are manifested in small areas of the body. Traditionally, rheumatoid arthritis is localized in small articular zones, and most often in the feet, bones, but the elbows suffer somewhat less frequently.
The main percentage of patients are elderly people. With the development of arthritis in juveniles, a juvenile form of the disease is diagnosed. Another variant of the pathology is Still's disease.
Reactive arthritis
This disease is also among the inflammatory ones. The prognoses are somewhat better than in the case of the rheumatoid form, although severe deformation of the affected area is observed, but in a rather small percentage of patients. Pathology often develops with infection of the body, and the focus of implementation is localized outside the joint. From medical statistics it is known that the root cause of the majority are urogenital infections, intestinal disease. Human immunity responds to the pathogen, generates antibodies that affect the viability of pathological microflora and body elements.
There are a number of common symptoms that indicate the need for treatment for inflammation of the elbow joint. The disease indicates soreness, especially pronounced near large articular areas, as well as a short stiffness of movements in the morning. Possible as a symmetrical lesion, and one-sided. To alleviate the condition, the patient is prescribed non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs - this category of drugs has established itself as the most effective. After the root cause has been cured, the symptoms of arthritis bother about another month. A well-chosen therapeutic course helps to completely get rid of adverse events over time.
Bursitis
The disease of the elbow joint of this type also belongs to the number of inflammatory ones, and it is considered severe, since it is difficult to treat. A feature of the condition is microbial infection of the articular cavity. Often bursitis accompanies arthritis of an infectious nature. The bag near the joint suffers first. Infection is possible due to injury or an incorrect injection. Pathological microflora can penetrate the joint with blood flow from the source of infection within the body. The joint becomes an area of localization of the inflammatory focus, which is accompanied by severe pain, activated when you try to move. The tissues blush and swell, touching brings a strong discomfort. Often, bursitis is accompanied by manifestations of poisoning of the body - fever, weakness. Some have a headache, others constantly feel tired.
Only the doctor will tell you how to treat bursitis of the elbow joint. The disease requires an antibacterial therapeutic course, which means that you first need to take tests to identify the sensitivity of microflora. At the same time, the doctor will prescribe non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs and local anesthetics in order to weaken the manifestations of the disease. Self-treatment of bursitis at home, without the supervision of a doctor, is not possible - there is a high probability of serious complications.
Gout
Such a disease is often localized in the legs, but the elbow occasionally suffers. Elbow joint disease is associated with the accumulation of uric acid transformation products. Salt crystals accumulate in the joint. This is especially true for people who consume purine based foods. Gout is a concern for obese and diabetic people who drink a lot of alcohol. Genetic factors for the development of the disease are possible.
Gouty arthritis is a disease of the elbow joint in which soreness has a pronounced rhythm. Pathology is prone to relapse, the acute form alternates with remission. Studying fiber in the tissue layers under the skin reveals small nodules formed by uric acid in the form of crystalline deposits. The acute stages often follow after drinking alcohol or refusing a diet. A blood test of the patient shows an increased content of uric acid. A general analysis of urine gives an idea of deviations from the norm. To confirm the disease, you can check the joint fluid for the presence of uric acid transformation products.
The therapeutic course involves specialized nutrition and the use of medications aimed at lowering the concentration of urates in organic tissues. In the acute phase, the patient is shown to take non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs. Well-known drugs containing colchicine.
Epicondylitis
This pathology is one of the most common, quite specific, and has long attracted the attention of physicians around the world. Epicondylitis is a disease of the elbow joint, accompanied by the formation of inflammatory foci in the area where muscle tissue is attached to the humerus, epicondyle. The unofficial name of this pathological condition is condylitis, it is under it that many patients know it. In fact, the term that gave the name of the disease is “epicondyle,” which in Latin sounds like epicondylus.
The need for treatment of epicondylitis (diseases of the elbow joint) may occur against the background of prolonged muscle load affecting the forearm. In this case, the epicondyles become the site of localization of numerous microscopic injuries. It is customary to talk about two varieties of the disease: lateral, medial forms. The first is also known as outdoor. This often worries professional athletes. The main risk group is tennis players. The medial type is not uncommon among golfers. For many, it is formed as a consequence of a joint injury.
The nuances of pathology
Doctors have been investigating symptoms and treatment of elbow joint epicondylitis for more than a decade. It was established that the disease is indicated by soreness of the internal, external articular part, weakening of muscle strength in the forearm zone. With the usual work, a person feels severe pain, the tissues surrounding the joint swell. Epicondylitis develops chronically, requires a comprehensive therapeutic course. Such a pathology is an indication for a change in the workplace and the nature of the activity.
If indications of an acute phase of the disease indicate the need for treatment of epicondylitis of the elbow joint, the patient is shown to take analgesics. The joint area needs cooling. When the acute phase is completed, the doctor directs the patient to a physiotherapy program. To restore the working capacity of the zone, it is necessary to practice physical exercise exercises.
Arthrosis
This disease is degenerative, more often diagnosed in elderly people and accompanies osteoarthritis. A feature of the pathological condition is a connection with constant loads on the affected area. Arthrosis, as a rule, is observed in areas where the joints are damaged. A health disorder can provoke a relapse-prone synovitis, in which osteophytes formed by bone tissue increase. Under their influence, the joints are deformed.
Osteoarthritis indicates itself weakening at rest, intensifying with exertion of pain. Often pains appear when a person begins to move, but soon pass. Compared to many of the diseases described above, arthrosis does not lead to stiffness of the area in the morning. The progress of the pathology is associated with a decrease in articular mobility, deformations of an irreversible nature. Synovitis recurs, and the manifestations are similar to the symptoms of other types of foci of inflammation in the joint.
Arthrosis is one of the chronically developing pathologies that cannot be completely cured. The therapeutic course is aimed at alleviating the symptoms and maintaining the patient's quality of life for as long as possible. A well-chosen program can slow down the progress of the disease. Usually, the doctor prescribes chondroprotectors, recommends a physiotherapy program and a course of therapeutic exercises.
Dislocation
Often you have to think carefully, look for why the elbow joints hurt. Causes, treatment methods, nuances of diagnosis are determined by the characteristics of the case. Often the pain is caused by the injury - the elbow is exposed to these injuries in a particularly high degree. The area of the human body is formed by three bones, includes a vulnerable joint capsule, is protected by a weak muscle frame, which means that any strong load leads to injury. To avoid dislocation, you need to be extremely careful and prevent aggressive external influences.
Dislocation is possible if the elbow suffered from a direct blow or a person put too much force into the movement of the site. At the same time, the area loses the ability to actively move, the shape is violated, swelling of the tissues and spasm of nearby muscles are observed. The injury and the period shortly thereafter are disturbed by the severe soreness of the site.
As a rule, a visual examination is enough to make a diagnosis. In the absence of complications, conservative treatment is practiced - dislocation is repaired, a plaster bandage or bandage covering the shoulder and forearm are applied. As a complication, a habitual dislocation is possible when the fibrin of the joint ceases to protect the area, as is normal in the norm. Even a weak application of force provokes a dislocation. Treatment may include operating on a patient.
Sprain
This injury also belongs to the category of diseases of the elbow joint, it is very common. The pathological condition is associated with muscle strain and provokes soreness, similar to the inherent inflammatory processes in the joints. An adequate therapeutic course will soon cure sprain without a trace.
Among the nuances of the pathological condition is the inconsistent nature of the pains that bother when applying effort to the affected area. In this case, the muscles of the forearm suffer (one, several); occasionally, the pathology extends to the articular shoulder. Symptoms appear after an injury or the application of too much load to the sites. Due to the stretching of the tissue around the joint swell, the range of motion is limited. The condition is not considered dangerous, but requires responsible treatment. After injury, the first few hours you need to ensure complete rest of the zone and apply a cooling compress. When the acute inflammatory process has exhausted itself, local effect analgesics and warming compounds are applied. In some cases, physiotherapy is indicated.
Stretching caused by active sports, physical work, can be repeated regularly. This condition requires special attention, since it can provoke the appearance of a serious disease of the elbow joint - epicondylitis.
Fracture
Bone tissue injury is perhaps the most severe variant of damage to the integrity of the articular region. You can break the ulna, damage the humerus, beam. If the process went particularly unsuccessfully, the fracture line affects the articular plane and causes damage to several bones at the same time. Fracture usually occurs when a particularly powerful direct effect is applied. Such consequences are frequent with an unsuccessful fall, accident. The risk of fracture is higher with osteoporosis, when bone tissue becomes less dense. This is characteristic of women during menopause, elderly people and patients who are forced to use non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs with a systemic effect for a long time.
A fracture can be suspected if the injury was accompanied by sharp and severe pain, as well as a characteristic crisp sound. Soon after this event, the tissues near the elbow joint swell, the area loses mobility, the joint is deformed. If the fracture is open, bone fragments can be seen in the wound. An x-ray will show the accumulation of spotting near the joint. If the fracture has affected the joint space, it is one of the complicated ones. Treatment is an emergency operation, after which the limb is immobilized. Treatment control is carried out through x-rays.
When the bone is completely fused, the patient will be sent to a rehabilitation program to restore normal mobility and functionality of the arm.