Under Joint pain, or one Arthralgia one understands pain with different characteristics. Joint pain can occur with osteoarthritis, bruises and dislocations.
What is joint pain?
Joint pain is called arthralgia in medical terminology. They can affect all joints in the human body. Joint pain can be severe, but sometimes it is lighter; some last for a short time, while others develop into permanent joint pain - how you feel depends on the cause.
Joint pain often accompanies chickenpox, flu, measles, and rubella. Autoimmune diseases such as sarcoid or rheumatic diseases also have joint pain as a leading symptom.
causes
The cause of the most common joint pain is joint inflammation or wear and tear that occurred beforehand. In addition, general wear and tear and uneven and excessive stress on the joints are the cause of their pain.
There is no single cause for joint pain. However, the various causes can be divided into different groups. Joint pain, for example, can result from physical injuries, but also from severe stress. These are mechanical reasons, as it acts directly on the joints. On the other hand, diseases can be the cause of joint pain. There is no direct stress on the joints.
The most common mechanical reasons for joint pain are bruises, sprains or similar trauma. Either muscles or bones are affected. Another common reason is excessive stress on the joint, for example from strenuous sports or being overweight. Joint pain also occurs as a side effect of various diseases. They are a common symptom of the flu, but also of mumps and autoimmune diseases such as sarcoid.
Joint inflammation that also causes pain is based on abrasion particles within the joint structure. Joint pain in the area of the hip or knee joints is particularly common and is a typical clinical picture of osteoarthritis. In rheumatic diseases or rheumatoid arthritis, the body's defense mechanisms are the cause of joint pain. In the latter case, especially on the wrists and fingers.
You can find your medication here
➔ Medicines for joint painDiseases with this symptom
- Obesity
- arthrosis
- rheumatism
- gout
- Meningitis
- Lyme disease
- hepatitis
- Hyperacidity
- Inflammation of the joints (arthritis)
- Meniscal tear
- Cruciate ligament tear
- osteoporosis
- movement-restricting pain
- fever
- Reddening of the skin around the joint
- Swelling of the joint may occur.
Complications
Joint pain can lead to serious complications that severely impair everyday private and professional life and also change people in their essence.
It is not uncommon for the affected joint to stiffen or deform. As a result, mundane activities such as grasping, holding onto or walking are severely impaired. The pain symptoms can increase so drastically that they are almost unbearable. In conventional medicine, the joints are then stiffened. Often there is a permanent disability. The private quality of life can also suffer extremely. For many sufferers, one or the other restriction is enough to get sick from psychological problems. This is particularly the case when it is no longer possible to do without the supervision and care of third parties.
Joint pain caused by acidosis and the resulting impaired metabolism can develop into rheumatism or gout. A change in diet in favor of an alkaline diet can in many cases lead to an improvement in the symptoms. A ratio of 80% alkaline and 20% acidic food is ideal. If the acid-base balance is not regulated at an early stage, the symptoms can become seriously worse. The explanation lies in the fact that the body is literally forced to make all existing basic minerals available through an acidification. If the minerals are also loosened from the bones, osteoporosis can hardly be avoided as a further complication.
Joint pain can also be caused by tendovaginitis (inflammation of the tendon sheath), in which the tendon wears out due to constant relieving or poor posture. In the further course of the process, the tendon walls may roughen and possibly cause inflammation in the event of injuries.
When should you go to the doctor?
Joint pain can be an important alarm signal from the body that it is imperative to pay attention to. However, it is also possible that they are the result of a merely harmless cause that does not require complicated treatment.
A visit to the doctor should therefore always be carefully considered, taking into account all the circumstances of the individual case. Here, however, the principle applies that in case of doubt, a decision should be made to contact an experienced doctor. Because an early diagnosis is important to increase the chances of treatment. If you go to the doctor too late, you risk worsening the already known symptoms. It is important to avoid this in any case.
In the case of minor joint problems, however, one can often wait and see. This is especially true if the symptoms are likely to be the result of just a minor infection. In these cases, those affected can initially observe their bodies independently.
If the joint problems intensify, medical help must be sought immediately. This also applies if the pain or restrictions do not go away on their own. In addition, a visit to the doctor is strongly advised if the symptoms appear suddenly and without any warning.
Doctors & therapists in your area
Treatment & Therapy
Treating joint pain is usually difficult. The wear and tear of joints and their pain should be recognized as early as possible and diagnosed more precisely through medical treatment. Serious sequelae can later only be treated with artificial joint replacements and are a major loss of quality of life, especially for young and active people.
An orthopedic specialist should be consulted immediately if:
Joint pain is treated differently depending on the cause. It is important here whether it is mechanical joint pain or disease-related side effects. Furthermore, a distinction is made between symptomatic treatment and the elimination of the causes. Pain relieving creams are suitable for the symptomatic treatment of joint pain. Many are based on the active ingredient diclofenac. Pain tablets such as ibuprofen are also suitable for severe pain.
Home remedies ↵ for joint
pain
Mechanically caused joint pain is treated depending on the disease. If you are overweight, trying to lose weight and relieving stress on your joints can help. Diseases such as osteoarthritis must first be carefully examined, as each patient needs an individual treatment plan - usually an operation is required.
In diseases such as the flu or chickenpox, joint pain is usually left untreated because it occurs only in a mild form. Otherwise, they can be treated symptomatically, which is especially useful if they are more painful than usual.
Outlook & forecast
Joint pain usually occurs when there is a problem with the muscles or bones there. Often, individual muscles are strained by the same movement over and over again, which can lead to inflammation. If such inflammation remains without medical or drug treatment, it can become significantly worse. Under certain circumstances, pus may develop, so that in the worst case, an abscess may develop.
An abscess must definitely be removed by a doctor, otherwise permanent consequential damage can result. With an appropriate treatment right from the start, however, muscular joint pain can be brought under control very well and effectively. If the joint pain is caused by a fracture, medical treatment is of course inevitable. Otherwise there is a risk of serious consequential damage, such as blood poisoning.
Age-related joint pain can also indicate osteoarthritis. A suitable therapy can alleviate all symptoms. A complete recovery or healing without any pain is only possible to a limited extent in such a case.
You can find your medication here
➔ Medicines for joint painprevention
Joint pain can be effectively prevented depending on the cause. This either prevents them entirely or at least alleviates the pain. If you are very overweight, you should ensure that you lose weight healthily, but as quickly as possible. This reduces the stress on the joints. This primarily protects the joints in the legs and prevents the onset of joint pain from turning into more serious diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Different sports may be healthy, but they add wear and tear to the joints and, therefore, joint pain. This includes, for example, the popular sport of jogging, but also cycling or tennis. You should make sure that you adopt the correct posture while exercising, as this contributes significantly to protecting the joints. Joint pain can also be prevented by frequently participating in different sports - this takes the strain off the joints.
If a disease such as osteoarthritis or rheumatism is known, you should visit your doctor regularly for examination. In this way, joint pain and its causes can be prevented at an early stage. In such a case, it is also important to be careful.
You can do that yourself
Various measures will help relieve joint pain. With acute joint pain, the application of cooling elements or cool compresses often help. The pain is relieved and the accompanying swelling is reduced. Warmth can also be beneficial. Heat improves the blood supply to the affected joint.
Herbal preparations for rubbing in are helpful. Ointments, tinctures or solutions with extracts from arnica have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Joints can relax again. Cayenne pepper extract improves the supply of nutrients and increases blood circulation. Damaged tissue can recover better. Rubbing with essential oil from peppermint leaves or rosemary or eucalyptus oil is also helpful for joint pain. Extracts from willow bark and devil's claw root are also pain-relieving and well tolerated. Teas made from these plants inhibit inflammatory processes and allow swelling to subside. Nettle as a tea preparation also has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Obese patients should reduce their weight in order to relieve the joints. The diet should be changed. Regular exercise is also recommended. When exercising, it is important to increase slowly to avoid injuries to ligaments, muscles, joints or tendons. Joint-friendly sports such as swimming, cycling or Nordic walking are recommended. Sufficient warming is recommended before training to avoid joint pain.
