Joint disease is one of the most common manifestations of musculoskeletal system diseases. They develop in the presence of inflammation, degenerative malnutrition, infection processes, trauma and congenital abnormalities in the body.
Doctors distinguish dozens of different joint diseases with fairly similar symptoms (pain, bite, restricted movement). This complicates the diagnosis and interferes with timely treatment. Therefore, in this article, experts will tell you the manifestations and developmental characteristics of the most common joint disease.
The characteristics of the joints and the causes of their diseases
A joint is any connection of two or more bones. The human body has 38 pairs of joints (76 joints in total). They provide our bodies with mobility and flexibility. Exercise is an important function, and if disease limits it, the quality and duration of life will be reduced.
Each joint has articular surfaces-these are the surfaces of the bones that enter the joints, covered with special hyaline cartilage. It is dense and elastic, and is necessary to protect bones from wear when they move. It also ensures that they match each other perfectly. The wear and tear of cartilage becomes a common cause of joint pain, crunch, stiffness, and other signs of disease.
The joint is characterized by its complex structure. Joint surfaces, joint capsules, fissures, synovium, muscles and ligaments around the joints-all these structures provide joint movement and support functions. Their damage can trigger the development of diseases.
The cause of the disease
Many people mistakenly believe that only the elderly suffer from joint disease, which is caused by age-related changes and physical weakness. But this is not the case!
Joint disease may develop due to the following reasons:
- Hurt;
- Excess weight;
- physical activity;
- Improper posture
- flatfoot;
- Genetic predisposition
- Foods with insufficient micronutrient content;
- Visceral diseases;
- Metabolic disorders;
- Transfer operation
- Infect.
People of absolutely any age, even people with relatively good health conditions (such as men and women of working age, teenagers, children, athletes, etc. ) may face the effects of these factors.
Therefore, this group of diseases is getting younger and younger-second only to cardiovascular and endocrine diseases in terms of frequency and disability, and its treatment is related to high financial costs.
The mechanism and type of disease
In the pathogenesis of joint injury, doctors distinguish 4 possible ways:
First: whether there is inflammation in the body
This type of lesion is characterized by a sudden onset and a rapid increase in inflammatory symptoms: swelling, pain, redness, and fever. Occurs in the course of infection, allergy, and autoimmunity in children and adults.
Juvenile arthritis
It is characterized by an autoimmune process (ie, the body's self-destruction), the cause of which is not yet clear. Spreading infections, even in mild forms (for example, vaccination), are often provocatives.
The disease affects the large joints (knees, elbows) of children and adolescents and negatively affects their growth and development. Joint pain is accompanied by severe swelling, skin redness, and fever.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
It is also caused by an autoimmune process with no clear cause. Women suffer from the disease more frequently, with an average age of 45-50 years. As many as 70% of patients become disabled.
Affect one (or more) small joints, such as wrists and fingers. This will affect the patient's ability to work, and even self-care ability. They complained of severe pain, swelling, changes in joint shape and morning stiffness.
Psoriatic arthritis
In almost half of patients diagnosed with psoriasis, the inflammatory process occurs in the small joints of the hands, feet, and spine. The cause of arthritis, like the cause of the underlying disease, is unknown.
Psoriatic arthritis can affect the interdigital and large (elbow, knee), one or more joints, regardless of symmetry.
The main manifestations are pain that extends to ligaments and tendons, swelling of the fingers and blue skin, and limited mobility.
Gouty arthritis
Since urate is deposited in the joints, it develops against the background of gout. Men are more likely to suffer than women, and they are 40-50 years old and over 60 years old.
One feature is a joint failure that starts suddenly and lasts for several weeks, accompanied by severe pain and swelling, and the formation of uric acid nodules (tofu).
Spondyloarthritis with ankylosing spondylitis
A chronic disease that affects the spine, paravertebral muscles, and pelvic sacroiliac joints.
Men are more susceptible to this disease than women, and the age of onset is 20-30 years old. Their main complaints are pain in the lower back, sacrum and hip joints; stiffness in exercise after a period of rest (especially in the morning, after sleep).
Even if the symptoms are relieved and relatively healthy, but the root cause is not eliminated, the inflammation will continue to develop, and over time, it will cause new deterioration. As a result, joint disease often becomes chronic and leads to disability.
Second: There is a process of degenerative malnutrition
For this type of disease, the joints will be destroyed by physical factors. Injuries and microtraumas, continuous physical exertion that exceeds the standard, harmful effects of the environment (low temperature, vibration)-all these pathological factors can lead to cartilage destruction and narrowing of the joint space.
Deformed osteoarthritis
It develops due to the damage and destruction of articular cartilage. Its joint surface becomes rough and sensitive to friction. Over time, the destruction process can affect bones, joint capsules, synovium, ligaments and muscles. Chronic inflammation and changes in joint shape appear.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint pathology. It reduces the patient's quality of life, causes disability and is difficult to treat. Men are more likely to get sick when they are young, and women are more likely to get sick when they are old.
Clinically, osteoarthritis is manifested as severe pain and restricted activity, which aggravate with physical exertion. In the later stage, even rest and calm will not bring relief.
Osteochondrosis
It affects the spine and is caused by the degenerative process of the intervertebral disc. Under the influence of unfavorable factors, the nutrition of the intervertebral disc is destroyed, resulting in the loss of its shape (until the formation of protrusions and hernias), aging and destruction.
As a result, the spine loses mobility, pain, numbness, exercise stiffness, muscle weakness, difficulty urinating and emptying the bowel, headache, and dizziness. Symptoms depend on the part of the spine where osteochondrosis occurs and can vary greatly.
Deformed spondyloarthropathy
This condition is also called "facet syndrome". In this case, the destruction process will affect the structure of the intervertebral joints (articular capsules, ligaments, facet joints).
In most cases, it occurs in the most "overloaded" part of the spine-the lumbar spine. It manifests as pain radiating to the legs and aggravates with long walking or standing in one place.
Osteochondrosis
Caused by sterile (non-infectious) osteonecrosis, for example, due to impaired blood supply. Therefore, bones that enter the joints are prone to frequent fractures. In advanced cases, the patient may be severely injured even while sleeping.
In the early stages, the disease does not manifest itself in any way. Many patients are athletes and people who lead a "healthy" lifestyle. The former is under excessive pressure, while the latter deliberately restricts diet and deprives the body of the substances needed.
In order to destroy the dense and elastic cartilage, the pathogenic factors must act on the joints for many years, so degenerative dystrophy changes are more common in old age. Or he must act with superpowers, just like in sports.
Many professional athletes become disabled at a young age.
Third: Congenital arthropathy
Due to maternal infections and injuries, concomitant pathology, advanced poisoning and genetic diseases, this type of pathology can lead to abnormal joint structure and development.
A common manifestation of congenital abnormalities is birth injuries, such as hip dislocation or clavicle fracture.
Congenital hip dysplasia
Its development is due to the destruction of the formation of all joint structures during the pre- and post-natal period. The predisposing factors are heredity and tightness. Girls are more susceptible to this disease than boys-the incidence rates are 80% and 20%, respectively.
With dysplasia, the shape of the joint changes, and its ligaments become too elastic. This can cause the femur to shift and hinder the mobility of the hip joint, which can lead to disability.
Congenital clubfoot
A deformity in which the foot is offset inward relative to the calf due to the failure of the ankle joint.
Clubfoot often affects boys and is bilateral in half of the cases. If the defect is not eliminated in time, the child will not be able to walk normally and will remain disabled.
Marfan syndrome
Genetic pathology, in which the patient’s arm and leg bones are elongated, and the joints are hypermobilized (hyperactivity).
In the early stages, many congenital joint disease can be completely eliminated or use conservative methods to slow down the development. Late diagnosis and treatment can lead to impaired support and motor function, including disability.
Fourth: Diseases of joint muscles and ligaments
Pathology in this group is usually caused by increased physical exertion and hypothermia.
Tendinitis
Inflammation and destruction of tendons. It was accompanied by his feelings of tension and pain, especially in the weather.
Myositis
The development of inflammation of the muscles around the joints. When the affected area is felt, it is accompanied by soreness, which increases with exercise.
Bursitis
The inflammatory process is located in the joint capsule. It often affects professional athletes (wrestlers, runners, weightlifters).
Synovitis
Fluid accumulation in the joint cavity causes damage to the synovial membrane. It is accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness in movement.
The relationship between disease and joint type
There is a certain pattern of pathological effects on joints. Some of them even have their own specific names.
E. g,Knee jointRegardless of the gender and occupation of the patient, they can be affected at any age. However, the failure of the meniscus and cruciate ligament is more common among athletes. Arthritis-in the elderly. Infectious arthritis-children.
soreShoulder jointIt can be caused by frozen shoulder, cervical osteochondrosis, and osteoarthritis.
forElbow jointTypical injuries to tissues around joints-epicondylitis or "tennis elbow", "golf elbow".
The hip joint is more common in the elderly. They are at risk of femoral neck fracture due to osteoporosis and hip joint disease.
soreSmall jointsHand and foot are seen in rheumatoid, psoriasis, and gouty arthritis.
However, despite the specific manifestations, the diagnosis of joint pathology often brings difficulties, which is full of risks of late start of treatment and complications.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Among the complaints that plague patients with joint pathology are:
- pain;
- Swelling and puffiness;
- Shape change
- Stiffness of movement;
- The normal range of motion cannot be performed.
Doctors call them joint syndromes. Doctors call them joint syndromes. There may also be skin redness, rashes, and dense nodules. In general symptoms, patients often complain of increased temperature in the focus area or whole body, and increased fatigue.
Reading the previous section, you may have noticed that all these symptoms are found in almost all joint pathologies. Therefore, a definite diagnosis cannot be made based on your complaints alone-you need to have an examination and consult a doctor.
In the process of examining the patient, the doctor not only pays attention to his complaints. In order to make an accurate diagnosis, it is important to know the time of their occurrence, the affected joints, one or several of them, whether the lesion is symmetrical, and other factors.
Let's take a closer look at each symptom:
pain:
It occurs in almost all pathologies. The doctor distinguishes several types:
- Inflamed-After a period of rest, increase in the morning. It is typically used for rheumatoid, juvenile, gouty arthritis, and spondyloarthritis.
- Mechanical-Appears when physical exertion or body posture changes, usually in the late afternoon, and disappear after a rest. It is typically used for osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis, and histopathology around joints.
- "Start"-Occurs in the first 15-20 minutes of physical activity after a period of rest. Typical osteoarthritis.
- "blockade"-As the joint space of the cartilage fragments is compressed, the joints "wedge". May be accompanied by a crunching sound. Occurs in osteoarthritis.
- continuous-Regardless of the load and time, it persists and may increase at night. Typically used for osteochondrosis, osteomyelitis, tumors and bone tuberculosis.
Number of affected joints:
- One (monoarthritis): with juvenile, gout, and psoriatic arthritis.
- Twenty-four (oligoarthritis): with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis.
- Four or more (polyarthritis): with rheumatoid and gouty arthritis.
Symmetry of the lesion:
- Symmetrical: used for rheumatoid arthritis.
- Asymmetry: Used for spondyloarthritis, gout, and osteoarthritis.
- "Migration": There is gout.
Morning stiffness of joints:
The patient feels the impossibility and tension of movement. It occurs in the morning and is related to fluid accumulation in the joint cavity at night. It is typically used for rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis.
In addition, doctors will pay attention to general complaints:
- Increased body temperature;
- Redness of the skin and rash;
- Lost to the internal organs.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, laboratory (blood and joint fluid analysis) and instrumental research (X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound) are required.
in conclusion
Joint pain and dysfunction can be caused by many reasons. Some diseases are incurable, but many of them, if adequately and promptly treated, can enable a person to lead a fulfilling life. Therefore, if you have at least one of the symptoms listed, please contact your doctor-do not diagnose yourself, do not prescribe medication, and do not suffer from pain.
We use a holistic approach to treat joint pain, so many of our patients regain the joy of exercise.