01/01/2023
In statistical terms, 4 diseases with the presence of arthralgia (joint pain) deserve the most attention.
Osteoarthritis
Joint pain Arthritis (inflammation of the joint) is the most common cause of joint pain and a very large number of people suffer from this disease. Osteoarthritis is sometimes referred to as degenerative, meaning that the cartilage that lines the joint surfaces undergoes degenerative changes over time, and damaged cartilage injures each other, causing symptoms such as joint pain, inflammation, stiffness, and limited mobility. About 27 million people in the United States suffer from osteoarthritis. Symptoms usually begin after age 40 and progress slowly. And after the age of 60, up to half of the people in one way or another are faced with this disease. Osteoarthritis often affects large joints that are subjected to greater stress (hips, knees and ankles). Being overweight increases the risk of this disease. It has been noted that people with overweight (both men and women) are three times more likely to develop this disease compared to people with normal weight (the same age and gender group).
Rheumatoid arthritis
An autoimmune disease that causes pain and stiffness in the joints. Most often occurs in women aged 20 to 50 years. In the US, there are about 1.5 million patients with this diagnosis. In patients with this disease, as a result of a malfunction of the immune system, antibodies are formed to their own tissues (including tissues of the joints), which causes inflammation and is manifested by damage to the joints and other internal organs. Inflammation in the joints leads to rapid wear, pain and limited mobility. Due to the fact that the disease is systemic and autoantibodies are distributed throughout the body, joint lesions are symmetrical (the joints on the right and left are affected). Small joints (in the hand and foot) are often affected, as well as large joints.
Bursitis
Joint pain This disease is often confused with arthritis, although with bursitis, inflammation occurs not in the joint, but in the articular bag. Bursitis can cause discomfort, stiffness, and pain in the joint area. Symptoms are associated with inflammation of the synovial membranes of the joint, usually caused by incorrect movement, compression or trauma. More often bursitis develops in the area of the shoulder, knee or hip joint. One type of bursitis called "maid's knee" develops as a result of prolonged pressure on the knee joint on a hard surface.
Gout
In gouty joints, there are usually paroxysmal episodes of pain, stiffness, inflammation, and redness in the joints. The reason for this lies in the excessive production of uric acid, which is not completely utilized by the kidneys and is deposited in the form of crystals in the joints, which leads to inflammation. As a rule, this disease develops after 50 years. Therefore, it must be remembered that with age, the excretory function of the kidneys may decrease, which can lead to gout. Gout usually affects the feet, but if left untreated, other joints may also be involved.
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease. The etiology of this disease is not yet known. Assume a certain genetic determinism. Provoking factors can be infections, stress, solar insolation, ultraviolet radiation, changes in hormone levels during pregnancy or when taking contraceptives. The reason for the formation of autoantibodies is not clear. Women get sick 9 times more often than men and, as a rule, the debut occurs at a fertile age. SLE is characterized by alternating exacerbations and remissions, and these periods can be of different duration. With an exacerbation, there may be a rise in temperature, inflammation and pain in the joints. Remission periods can be long and up to 20% of patients do not require treatment during this period of time. With SLE, damage to other organs and systems (kidneys, heart, skin) is possible.
fibromyalgia
Joint pain A disease with a completely unknown etiology, characterized by chronic pain in the muscles, joints, headaches and sleep disturbance. Many patients with fibromyalgia experience fatigue and bowel problems.
Osteoporosis
A disease characterized by a decrease in bone density due to the prevalence of catabolism over anabolism in bone structures. Mostly women of postmenopausal age are ill. Joint pain is associated with changes in the bone tissue.
