Diseases of the joints are one of the most common manifestations of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. They develop in the presence of inflammatory, degenerative-dystrophic infectious processes in the body, as well as as a result of trauma and congenital anomalies.
Doctors distinguish dozens of different joint diseases that have quite similar symptoms (pain, cracking, restriction of movement). This complicates the diagnosis and interferes with timely treatment. Therefore, in this article, experts will tell you about the manifestations and features of the development of the most common joint pathologies.
Features of joints and causes of their diseases
A joint is any connection of two or more bones. There are 38 pairs of joints in the human body (a total of 76 joints). They bring mobility and flexibility to our body. Movement is a vital function, and if disease restricts it, then the quality and length of life is reduced.
Every joint has articular surfaces - these are the surfaces of the bones that enter it, covered with a special hyaline cartilage. It is dense, elastic and is necessary to protect the bones from abrasion when moving. This also ensures their perfect match with each other. It is the wear and tear of cartilage that becomes a common cause of pain, cracking, stiffness, and other signs of disease in the joints.
Joints are characterized by a complex structure. Joint surfaces, capsule, fissure, synovium, periarticular muscles and ligaments - all of these structures perform the motor and support functions of the joint. Their damage can provoke the development of the disease.
Causes of diseases
Many people mistakenly believe that only the elderly suffer from joint disease, due to age-related changes and weakness in the body. But this is not the case!
Joint diseases can develop as a result of:
- injuries;
- overweight;
- physical activity;
- bad posture;
- flat foot;
- hereditary predisposition;
- foods with insufficient micronutrient content;
- diseases of internal organs;
- Metabolic disorders;
- transferred transactions;
- infections.
People of all ages and even those in relatively good health (eg men and women of working age, adolescents, children, athletes, etc. ) may face the action of these factors.
Therefore, this group of diseases is getting younger - in terms of the frequency of occurrence and disability, it is overtaken only by cardiovascular and endocrinological diseases, and their treatment is associated with high financial costs.
The mechanism of development and types of diseases
In the pathogenesis of joint damage, doctors distinguish 4 possible pathways:
First: the presence of inflammation in the body
This type of lesion is characterized by a sudden onset, with a rapid increase in inflammatory symptoms: swelling, pain, redness, fever. Occurs in infections, allergies, autoimmune processes in children and adults.
Juvenile arthritis
It is characterized by an autoimmune process (that is, the body destroys itself), the cause of which is unknown. Infections transmitted, even in a mild form (eg, vaccinations), are often provocateurs.
The disease affects a large joint (knee, elbow) in children and adolescents, negatively affects their growth and development. Joint pain is accompanied by severe swelling, redness of the skin, and fever.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Also caused by an autoimmune process with no clear cause. Most often women are sick, the average age is 45-50 years. Up to 70% of patients become disabled.
Affects a small joint (or more), eg wrists, fingers. This affects the ability of patients to work and even to self-medicate. They complain of severe pain, swelling, changes in the shape of the joints and stiffness in the morning.
Psoriatic arthritis
In almost half of patients diagnosed with psoriasis, the inflammation process develops 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 interdigital and large joints (elbow, knee), one or more joints, symmetrically or not.
The main manifestation is the presence of pain that extends to ligaments and tendons, swelling and blue skin of the fingers, limited mobility.
Gouty arthritis
It develops against the background of gout, as a result of the deposition of uric acid salts in the joints. Men suffer more often than women, aged 40 to 50 and over 60, respectively.
A characteristic feature is the defeat of a joint, which begins suddenly, lasts for several weeks, is accompanied by severe pain and swelling, with the formation of uric acid nodules (tofus).
Spondylitis with ankylosing spondylitis
Chronic injury in which the spine, paravertebral muscles and the sacroiliac joint of the pelvis are affected.
Men are more likely to suffer from the disease than women, and it develops at the age of 20-30 years. Their main complaint is pain in the lower back, in the sacrum, in the hip joints; stiffness of movement after a period of rest (especially in the morning, after sleep).
Even with symptom relief and relative well-being, without eliminating the root cause, the inflammation continues to develop and over time will cause further exacerbation. As a result, joint pathology often becomes chronic and leads to disability.
Second: the presence of a degenerative-dystrophic process
With this type of injury, the joint is destroyed by physical factors. Injury and microtrauma, constant physical exertion exceeding the norm, harmful effects of the environment (hypothermia, vibrations) - all these pathological factors provoke the destruction of cartilage and the narrowing of the joint space.
Osteoarthritis deformans
It develops as a result of damage and destruction of joint cartilage. Its joint surfaces become rough and sensitive to friction. Over time, the destruction process affects the bones, capsule, synovium, ligaments and muscles. Chronic inflammation and changes in the shape of the joint appear.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint pathology. It reduces the quality of life of patients, causes disability and is difficult to treat. In young people, men are more likely to get sick, in old age - women.
Clinically, osteoarthritis is manifested by severe pain and limited mobility, which increases with physical exertion. In the later stages, even rest and calm do not bring relief.
Osteochondrosis
It affects the spine and is caused by degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs. Under the influence of negative factors, the nutrition of the discs is disturbed, which leads to the loss of their shape (up to the formation of protuberances and hernias), aging and destruction.
As a result, the spine loses mobility, pain, numbness, stiffness of movement, muscle weakness, difficulty in urinating and emptying the intestines, headaches, dizziness appear. Symptoms depend on the part of the spine in which osteochondrosis has developed and can be quite different.
Deforming spondylarthrosis
This condition is also called "facet syndrome". In this case, the process of destruction affects the structures of the intervertebral joints (capsule, ligaments, facets).
Most often this occurs in the most "overloaded" part of the spine - the lower back. It is manifested by pain that radiates to the leg and intensifies with prolonged walking or standing in the same place.
Osteochondropathy
Caused by aseptic (non-infectious) bone necrosis, for example, due to insufficient blood supply. As a result, the bones that enter the joint are prone to frequent fractures. In advanced cases, patients can be seriously injured even while they are sleeping.
In the early stages, the disease does not manifest itself in any way. Many sufferers are athletes and people who lead "healthy" lives. The former are subjected to excessive stress, the latter voluntarily limit their diet and deprive the body of the necessary substances.
To destroy the dense and elastic cartilage, the pathogenic factor must act on the joint for years. Therefore, degenerative-dystrophic changes are more common in older people. Or he has to act with super power, like in sports.
Many professional athletes become disabled in their youth.
Third: congenital joint pathologies
This type of lesion causes abnormalities in the structure and development of the joints as a result of infections and injuries of the mother, concomitant pathology, late toxicosis and genetic diseases.
Frequent manifestations of birth defects are birth trauma, such as dislocated hip or broken collarbone.
Congenital dysplasia of the hip joints
It develops as a result of a violation of the formation of all joint structures in the prenatal and postnatal period. The predisposing factors are heredity and tight swaddling. Girls are more susceptible to this pathology than boys - the incidence rate is 80% and 20% respectively.
With dysplasia, the shape of the joint is changed, and its ligaments are too elastic. This causes displacement of the femur and hinders mobility of the hip joint, which can lead to disability.
congenital clubfoot
Deformity in which, due to the defeat of the ankle joint, the foot deviates inward relative to the lower leg.
Clubfoot often affects boys and in half of the cases it is bilateral. If the defect is not corrected in time, the child will not be able to walk normally and will remain disabled.
Marfan syndrome
Genetic pathology in which the patient has elongated bones in the arms and legs, as well as hypermobility (excessive mobility) of the joints.
In the early stages, many congenital joint pathologies can be completely eliminated or the development can be slowed down with the help of conservative methods. Late diagnosis and treatment can lead to impaired support and movement functions, up to disability.
Fourth: diseases of the muscles and ligaments of the joint
Pathologies of this group often develop as a result of increased physical exertion and hypothermia.
Tendinitis
Inflammation and destruction of the tendon. It is accompanied by its tension and painful sensations, especially in bad weather.
Myositis
Development of inflammation in the periarticular muscles. It is accompanied by pain when feeling the affected area, which increases with movement.
Bursitis
The inflammatory process is localized in the joint capsule. It often affects professional athletes (wrestlers, runners, weightlifters).
Synovitis
Damage to the synovial membrane with accumulation of fluid in the joint cavity. It is accompanied by pain, swelling, stiffness of movements.
The relationship between the disease and the type of joint
There is a certain scheme in which the joint is affected by what pathology. Some of them even have their own specific names.
For example,knee jointcan be affected at any age, regardless of the sex and profession of the patient. But the defeat of the meniscus and cruciate ligaments is more common in athletes. Gonarthrosis - in the elderly. Arthritis of infectious origin - in children.
Pain inshoulder jointcan be caused by shoulder-scapular periarthritis, cervical osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis.
Forelbow jointTypical damage to periarticular tissue - epicondylitis or "tennis elbow", "golfer's elbow".
The hip joint is more commonly affected in the elderly. Due to osteoporosis and coxarthrosis, they are at risk of fracture of the femoral neck.
Pain insmall jointsof the hands and feet is observed in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic, gouty.
But despite the specific manifestations, the diagnosis of joint pathology often leads to difficulties, which results in late initiation of treatment and the risk of complications.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Among the complaints that bother patients with joint pathology, there are:
- Pain;
- Swelling and swelling;
- Change of form;
- Stiffness of movement;
- Inability to perform a normal range of motion.
Doctors call them joint syndrome. Doctors call them joint syndrome. It is also possible for skin redness to appear, rashes and dense nodules. Among the general symptoms, patients often complain of an increase in temperature in the area of the lesion or the whole body, increased fatigue.
While reading the previous section, you may have noticed that all of these symptoms are found in almost all joint pathologies. Therefore, it is impossible to make a clear diagnosis on the sole basis of your complaints - you need an examination and consultation with a doctor.
When examining the patient, the doctor does not only pay attention to his complaints. To make an accurate diagnosis, it is important to know the time of their onset, which joint is affected, one or more of them, whether this lesion is symmetrical and other factors.
Let's take a closer look at each symptom:
Pain:
It occurs in almost all pathologies. Doctors distinguish several types:
- Inflammatory- increases towards the morning, after a period of rest. Typical for rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile, gouty, spondylitis.
- Mechanical- appears during physical exertion or a change in body position, often in the late afternoon, disappears after rest. Typical for osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis, pathology of periarticular tissues.
- "Start"- occurs within the first 15 to 20 minutes of physical activity after a period of rest. Typical of osteoarthritis.
- "Blockade"- caused by a pinching in the joint space of a cartilaginous fragment, as a result of which the joint "gets stuck". May be accompanied by a cracking sound. Occurs in osteoarthritis.
- Constant- persists, regardless of the load and time of day, may increase at night. Typical for osteochondropathy, osteomyelitis, tumors and tuberculosis of the bones.
Number of joints affected:
- One (monoarthritis): with juvenile rheumatism, gouty, psoriatic.
- Two-four (oligoarthritis): with rheumatoid arthritis, spondylitis.
- More than four (polyarthritis): with rheumatoid arthritis, gouty.
Symmetry of the lesion:
- Symmetric: for rheumatoid arthritis.
- Asymmetric: for spondylitis, gout, osteoarthritis.
- "Migratory": with gout.
Morning stiffness in the joints:
It is felt by the patient as the impossibility and the tension of movement. It occurs in the morning and is associated with the accumulation of fluid in the joint cavity at night. Typical for rheumatoid arthritis, spondylitis.
In addition, the doctor pays attention to general complaints:
- Increase in body temperature;
- Redness of the skin, presence of a rash on it;
- The defeat of internal organs.
To make an accurate diagnosis, laboratory (blood, joint fluid) and instrumental (X-ray, computed tomography, MRI, ultrasound) studies are required.
Conclusion
Joint pain and dysfunction can be caused by various reasons. There are pathologies that cannot be treated, but many of them, with adequate and timely treatment, allow a person to live fully. Therefore, if you have at least one of the symptoms listed, contact your doctor - do not diagnose yourself, do not prescribe treatment, and even more so do not tolerate pain.
We use a holistic approach to the treatment of joint pain, where many of our patients have found the joy of moving.