The wonderful natural joints in our body are joints. There are 187 in the whole body. They create fulcrum and provide the movement of the skeleton. Without them, we would not be able to move, therefore, if various joint diseases occur, then immediately not only health, but also the quality of life of a person worsens. What is the reason for the development of violations in their work? How is joint disease treated ?
The joint has the following structure:
• Bones covered with cartilage.
• The articular cavity, inside of which there is synovial fluid (a unique joint lubrication).
• Joint capsule.
• Ligaments and muscles surrounding the joint from the outside. Perform the function of protection against adverse effects and the function of ensuring mobility of the joint.
Causes of Joint Disease
Although the factors causing disturbances in the joints are different, nevertheless, all the disorders can be divided into three groups:
• Arthritis is an inflammatory disease. First of all, the synovial membrane is affected , and only then the inflammation passes to the cartilage.
• Osteoarthritis - caused by degenerative-dystrophic changes in the joints. For these diseases, it is characteristic that disorders begin with cartilage.
• Arthralgia - pain in the joints.
Some experts estimate that between 5 and 10 percent of the global population suffers from some kind of joint disease. The causes of such disorders are very diverse and still not well understood.
It has been established that among the factors affecting the occurrence of violations are the following circumstances:
• Infections.
• Allergy and autoimmune reactions of the body.
• Professional factors (the profession of a typist, driver, dancer is at risk of joint disease).
• Mechanical factors.
• The state of the vascular system.
Nature of pain and diagnosis
• If the patient feels acute pain at rest, then most likely this indicates that the patient has an inflammatory disease of the joints of the legs.
• Slight dull pain, increasing during movement, indicate a degenerative type of disease.
• Pain during some specific movements indicates that it is bursitis, periarthritis, or tendovaginitis.
• Increased pain in the morning - rheumatoid arthritis, in the evening after exercise the condition worsens in patients with degenerative arthritis.
If there are difficulties in the mobility of the joint, it is important to accurately establish the nature of the violation:
• A feeling of general stiffness of movements against the background of pain.
• Persistent limitation of the range of motion without pain.
Crucial in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease is the nature of the onset of the disease. Usually, after infectious diseases , the first signs of rheumatoid arthritis appear after a while.
If the pain began during the illness, then it is most likely arthritis of an infectious-allergic nature.
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by persistent persistent worsening of the patient's condition. Arthrosis develops, as a rule, imperceptibly, with no apparent reason.
Arthritis is always accompanied by external changes in the skin of the joints (swelling, redness, fever around the joint, etc.). For arthralgia, such external manifestations of the disease are not characteristic.
The pathology in the joint is indicated by a crunch, audible throughout the movement. This crunch is accompanied by pain. In healthy people, crunching is not associated with pain.
Do not let the condition of your joints drift if you find yourself in any of the above signs. Only a doctor can diagnose accurately and tell how to cure joint diseases, prescribe physiotherapy exercises and physiotherapy. Self-medication can be harmful.