Joint pain is a specific unpleasant feeling that indicates a pathological process in the area of the joint itself or the tissues surrounding it.According to statistics, about 55% of people over 45 go to the doctor with such complaints.Even after 70 years, this symptom occurs in 90% of patients.Why do unpleasant sensations occur?What to do if your joints hurt a lot?Which specialist should I turn to for help?
Why can joints hurt?
Painful sensations in the joints are the result of irritation of the nerve endings that extend from the joint capsule.Due to a fairly developed network of blood vessels and good innervation, the joint is able to respond to painful reactions to various irritating factors (including toxins, salt crystals).
The main causes of joint pain:
- mechanical damage (as a result of 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 nerve trees.
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.Over three hundred volunteers participated in the research: each of them recorded pain for 3-4 months.It has been shown that neither the appearance of pain nor its intensity is related to changes in atmospheric pressure or temperature changes.
Which doctor should I contact for help?
When your joints hurt a lot, you need to seek help from a specialist as soon as possible.If the cause of the discomfort is related to an injury (bruise, dislocation or fracture of varying degrees), it is necessary to visit an orthopedic traumatologist.In other cases, it is necessary to seek help from a rheumatologist.In order to accurately determine the cause of the pain and prescribe treatment, diagnostic procedures will be required:
- x-ray of the joint;
- ultrasound examination;
- MRI or CT (only if indicated);
- joint puncture (if there is fluid accumulation inside the joint);
- arthroscopy.
How to reduce joint pain?
To get rid of joint discomfort, you can use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.They reduce pain and relieve swelling.Anti-inflammatory ointments, creams and gels applied to the affected joint have the same effect.
Chondroprotectors are indicated for degenerative joint diseases (osteoarthrosis), 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 selected exercises can help you get rid of pain and stiffness, as well as restore mobility to your joints.Physiotherapy procedures can be used as additional treatment methods: massage, magnetotherapy, electrophoresis with various drugs.