Arthralgia is the expressed pain in a certain joint.
As a rule, arthralgia is not an independent disease, but only a harbinger of somatic illness or locomotor system.
Arthralgia occurs when:
- infectious diseases;
- autoimmune and rheumatic joint damage;
- injuries of the joint apparatus;
- arthrosis and arthritis;
- tumor processes;
- meteorological sensitivity;
- diseases of the endocrine system.
Contents of the article
- The diseases that can cause
- Syndrome Clinical manifestations
- Diagnostic approach
- Syndrome features in children
- Treatment approach
- Additional techniques
- Complications
Diseases that can cause
syndrome Diseases that are accompanied by arthralgia:
- Gonarthrosis or knee osteoarthritis deformansof the joint .This deforming disease of the knee joint, characterized by degenerative changes of articular cartilage and bone tissue, which eventually leads to an irreversible disruption of its function. It is one of the most common causes of knee joint pain and disability.
- Reactive arthritis or Reiter's disease is an acute reactive inflammation of the joints that develops after a common underlying disease of the body. Most often, the cause of development of reactive arthritis is acute or chronic intestinal infection, urogenital infection caused by chlamydia, or infection of the upper respiratory tract mycoplasmal or chlamydial nature.
- Medicinal arthralgia. The use of certain medicinal groups of drugs can cause arthralgia of the knee joint. This list includes antibiotics, barbiturates, tranquilizers, contraceptives, sleeping pills, drugs used in the treatment of tuberculosis. After the end of the application, arthralgia leaves on its own.
- Reactive arthralgia develops as a symptom against the background of a common disease, most often with a chronic sluggish infection. Such diseases can be tuberculosis, syphilis, bacterial defeat of the heart, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic scleroderma, chronic pyelonephritis, adnexitis. With this form of arthralgia, no special treatment is prescribed, but the main disease is administered.
- Gout .Gouty lesions of the knee joint are rare, since this disease is characterized more by the defeat of small joints of the lower extremities, although in severe cases large joints are affected. Gout is a metabolic disease when uric acid is not completely eliminated from the body, and urate accumulates in the joint tissues and kidneys, with the development of nephropathy.
Clinical manifestations of
Arthralgia of the knee joint is characterized by pain syndrome, which is strengthened when moving in the knee joint. Pain can have, so-called "starting character", that is, it appears only at the beginning of the movement, and after some time to pass.
When collecting complaints, the doctor specifies the beginning and duration of pain, as well as the causes of pain and relief. All this is important for the diagnosis, because for each disease of the knee joints are characterized by those or other complaints.
Additional symptoms with knee disease:
- swelling of the knee and adjacent tissues;
- hyperemia( redness);
- impaired joint function;
- local temperature increase.
If arthralgia appeared against the background of some disease, then the symptoms of the underlying disease will be added.
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Diagnostic approach
The diagnosis begins with the collection of complaints and examination by a physician.
Laboratory test methods include a general blood and urine test, where an inflammatory response can be identified that very often accompanies musculoskeletal disorders.
Biochemical blood test also shows an increase in the concentration of acute phase proteins, and in some diseases, positive rheumatic samples are detected.
of the knee joint ultrasound allows to determine the presence of effusion in the joint space, additional formations, inflammation.
X-ray examination - is the most accessible method for diagnosing diseases of the knee joint. On the basis of the radiographic picture, the diagnosis and stage of the disease is exposed.
CT and MRI supplement the study and help in the diagnosis.
Puncture of the knee joint is not only a diagnostic, but also a curative procedure, since it allows you to remove the effusion from the joint space and reduce pain. The knee joint punctate is subject to microscopic examination, and sometimes bacteriological diagnosis.
Sometimes consultations of related specialists, such as surgeon, rheumatologist, therapist, orthopedist, urologist and others are involved in the diagnosis of the disease.
Features of the syndrome in children
Arthralgia of the knee joints is one of the main reasons for the parents' approach to the pediatrician.
Here we need a differentiated approach, because the pain in joints in children occurs not only with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, but also in somatic diseases such as salmonella, rubella, yersiniosis and many others.
Additional laboratory and instrumental methods of examination are necessary for setting or eliminating the diagnosis of joint disease.
Treatment approach
Treatment begins with the detection and therapy of the underlying disease, if arthralgia was on the background of another disease.
If you are overweight, you are recommended to normalize your body weight, as there is a big load on the knee joints.
The following drug groups are used:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs( NSAIDs) is a group of drugs that are widely used to treat locomotor system diseases. The most famous representatives of this group are diclofenac, ibuprofen, rheumoxicam. There are a large number of their analogues, which are produced under different trade names. Enzymes are added to NSAIDs, which strengthen the action of painkillers, and are able to prevent adhesions inside the joint.
- Chondroprotective agents of should be included in the treatment regimen, and also stay for long months of therapy, even after the disappearance of the underlying symptoms. They are able to strengthen cartilage tissue, strengthen its nutrition, increase the production of hyaluronic acid inside the joint, and protect it from destruction.
- Hormone therapy is prescribed in severe cases of knee disease. It is able to quickly stop the inflammatory process and prevent the destruction of the knee joint. Therapy is carried out by prescribing tablets, intramuscular or intra-articular injections.
- Intraarticular injections can be based on hormonal drugs, NSAIDs, hyaluronic acid, homeopathic medicines, etc.
Traditional medicine widely uses alcohol tinctures, for the treatment of arthralgias, based on a golden mustache, horse chestnut, bay leaves, beeswax.
It should be remembered that treatment with only external means can not cure the knee, so folk remedies are used only in conjunction with other medicines.
Additional methods
Physiotherapeutic procedures, exercise therapy, massage give a good therapeutic effect and quick rehabilitation. 
But this type of treatment is used only after the subsidence of inflammatory symptoms.
Physiotherapeutic procedures prescribe magnetotherapy, laser therapy, electrophoresis, phonophoresis, mineral baths, mud therapy, etc.
Complications of
Untimely initiated treatment may not completely eliminate the disease. Therefore, a doctor should be consulted with the first pain symptoms from the knee joint.
Self-medication does not give good results, since it can only relieve the pain syndrome for a while, and the cause of the development of arthralgia remains and can progress further.
Many joint diseases can be cured at an early stage, if at the time of seeking medical attention.
Treatment can last for many months and years, which requires the patient to fully trust their doctor and follow all the recommendations.
