Pain in the joints can bother us regardless of age, but they often concern the elderly. Some joint ailments are related to contusions and injuries, others result from overload related to overweight or the activity performed. There are also some that are a consequence of chronic diseases. Find out what diseases cause joint pain and how to deal with them.
Contents:
- Joint pain in a senior - degenerative disease
- Joint pain in a senior - discopathy
- Joint pain in a senior - root attack
- Joint pain in a senior - gout
Joint pain in a senior - degenerative disease
Under the influence of injuries and loads, the cartilage covering the surfaces of the bones of the joints becomes rough. After years, it may disappear completely, then "bare" bones rub against each other. The subcartilage layer thickens and numerous pits filled with mucous tissue are formed in it. This changes the shape of the joint and can lead to, for example, shortening of the leg or deformation of the fingers. The pond is losing its stability. Osteophytes grow at the site of the former border between bone and articular cartilage. These cartilaginous and bony outgrowths not only distort the joint, but also restrict its movement and cause pain when moving. There may also be synovitis, contracture of ligaments, joint capsules and muscles.
- What to do?
At the beginning of the disease, ointments and gels with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties (eg Diclofenac, Piroxicam) give good results. They need to be rubbed into the skin 4, 5 times a day, the more often, the more fat there is around the joint. The next step is to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Meloxicam, Ketoprofen. Unfortunately, they can irritate the gastric and duodenal mucosa, and harm the kidneys and liver.
It is advisable to drink fish oil as a preventive measure, as it delays the processes of cartilage degeneration and strengthens the body's natural repair mechanisms. If there is pain in the joint (which means inflammation), cold compresses or showers can be used. When there is no swelling, warm baths are better. To water at a temperature of 36-38ºC, it is worth adding essential oils and camphor or sulphide s alt (available at the pharmacy), which strengthens the cartilage.
Joint pain in a senior - discopathy
Falling outDiscs, or flat, round cushions that separate the vertebrae that make up the spine, are a common cause of pain. As the disc comes out of the vertebrae, it puts pressure on the nerves that go through or out of the spinal canal. It causes paralyzing pain. The cause of problems with the disc are weak dorsal muscles, worsening posture defects, as well as being overweight and obese. If it happens that the disc comes out, you should take a painkiller and warm up the sore area, e.g. with an electric pillow or hot water bottle. If the pain persists, see a doctor.
- What to do?
Adopting a posture may help. When the discopathy affects the lumbar region, you need to take the so-called chair position: lie on your back with your legs bent at right angles at the hip and knee joints, with your calves resting on a few pillows or a stool (as if you fell over onto your back while sitting on a chair). A small roller should be placed under the neck.
When the discopathy affects the cervical or thoracic spine, you need to lie comfortably on your back and put a small pillow under the lumbar spine, and a roller under the nape of the neck. The point is that the spine should be arranged in the shape of the letter S.
Worth knowingSupport cartilage
Damage to the articular cartilage not only significantly reduces the mobility of the joints, but also causes severe pain with every movement. That is why it is worth trying to repair it or partially regenerate it. For this purpose, glucosamine is used, and more precisely its two forms - chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate.
Glucosamine sulfate can be combined with sodium or potassium s alts. It is of great importance in therapy, because in a patient with hypertension (who must limit s alt intake), a potassium preparation can be used and achieve the same goal - improvement of joint mobility. Orally administered glucosamine is 98% absorbed into the blood.
When its concentration is high enough, the synthesis of proteoglycans begins, which facilitates the incorporation of sulfur molecules into the cartilage tissue. Glucosamine sulfate promotes the formation of the cartilage matrix, and therefore can repair it. The effect of this is to reduce pain and improve joint mobility. Preparations containing chondroitin sulfate work in a similar way.
Joint pain in a senior - root attack
Popular roots are bundles of nerve fibers that extend from the spinal cord between its individual vertebrae. They come in pairs - two on the right and two on the left side of the core. Their location makes them very sensitive to any changes in the he alth condition of both the spine and its immediate vicinity.
Pressure on the rootsnervous system causes severe symptoms of neuralgia. Due to the location of the nerve fibers, pain can occur both in the lumbar region and at the level of the chest or neck. Therefore, it stands out:
- Brachial pain - the pain radiates from the neck to the shoulder and continues to the end of the arm. There are frequent tingling and numbness, paresis and muscle spasms.
- Sciatica - pain occurs in the lumbar region, buttocks, runs along the leg up to the big toe. There are pins and needles, paresis and muscle spasms.
- Thigh-pain - the pain is localized in the lumbar and sacral sections, along the anterior leg wall. There are paresis, muscle contractures and numbness.
- What to do?
Each attack of the roots requires consultation with a doctor. Before we reach it, it is worth lying down on a hard surface, slightly bending your knees and placing a rolled-up blanket or pillow under your knees. Depending on the severity and causes of the disease, the doctor may recommend taking painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, antispasmodics and physical therapy, massages, sometimes exercises on a lift, intramuscular injections, and wearing a stiffening corset.
If such therapy does not give good results, the intervention of a neurosurgeon may be necessary to remove the cause of the pressure on the nerve root or the meningeal sac in which the spinal cord is located
Joint pain in a senior - gout
It is called gout or arthritis. It has been known since antiquity, but there is still no effective medicine for it. The only salvation is moderation in eating meat and drinking alcohol, and taking appropriate medications. The disease is considered a metabolic defect. It is often related to the diet - eating large amounts of meat, especially pork, fatty foods rich in protein, and alcohol abuse. But it can also develop after a poorly conducted slimming treatment or a longer fasting.
Its essence is the excessive production of uric acid in the body. If the body cannot get rid of it, excess uric acid builds up as crystals in the joints and periarticular tissue. All joints can be affected, but the toe is most often affected.
The symptom of the disease is severe pain, swelling and redness of the skin over the joint. You must see a doctor, but you can take an over-the-counter NSAID, preferably naproxen, to help ease the pain.
- What to do?
Dna cannot be healed, but you can protect yourself from subsequent attacks,by taking medications that lower uric acid levels in the blood and accelerate its excretion and by following a low purine diet.
"Zdrowie" monthly
About the author
Anna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.