Arthritis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Pain when moving can be due to a variety of diseases. It may be due to trauma, diseases of the nerves, tumours and congenital building anomalies. The most common cause of pain in adults is arthritis which is inflammation of the joints.

What is arthritis?

It refers to a group of diseases where by inflammation spreads to all parts of the joint. It can affect one joint or several and it can be either acute or chronic. It may also cause destruction of the tissues.

The disease is classified into two categories: Based on egagement:

• Monoarthritis – This is where inflammation occurs in only one joint;
• Polyarthritis – It affcect several joints at once (same on both sides or random in different parts of the body).

And adrift:

• Acute – It begins suddenly and is accompanied by severe pain.
• Chronic – It develops slowly and can manifest after acute form with insufficient treatment.

There is also an international rheumatological classification, which highlights the following types of arthritis:

• Infectious – Is the development of the disease after infection.
• Dystrophic – It is caused by the destruction of joints and bones.
• Traumatic – It develops after a mechanical injury to the joint.
• Related to other diseases of the body – Can be caused by tumours, diseases of the digestive tract and others.

Symptoms of arthritis. How do you tell the difference between one species and another?

Despite the many categories of arthritis, there are symptoms that are common to al of them. They include:

• Swelling near the affected joint.
• Redness of the skin and its temperature increase.
• Restriction of movement in the joint, accompanied by crunch and pain.

Moreover, there are symptoms that can distinguish one type of arthritis from the other. They include:

• Chronic arthritis causes deformity of affected joints.
• Infectious arthritis which is accompanied by fever, chills, weakness and headache.
• Dystrophic arthritis that develops slowly, joint pain gradually increases. It can spread not only to the limbs, but also to the spine.
• Traumatic arthritis which has similar symptoms to dystrophic, but its development is preceded by a serious injury or constant strain on the joint.
• Arthritis caused by allergies, tumours and gastrointestinal disorders.

Aside form these symptoms there will also be ruptures of muscles and tendons as well as numbness of the limbs. These should not be neglected as they need immediate medical attention.

Causes of the disease

Some causes of arthritis are due to the wrong lifestyle:

• Insufficient nutrients and vitamins
• Unbalanced nutrition,
• Alcohol
• Overweight
• Load on the joints.

Other serous causes include:

• Bacterial, fungal and viral infections
• Constant interaction with allergens
• Joint injuries
• Diseases of the nervous and immune system
• Metabolic disorder
• Endocrine pathology
• Hereditary predisposition
• Other diseases such as gout, gonorrhoea and tuberculosis

Women tend to have arthritis more than men due to constant stress, diseases and surgical procedures that often provoke the first bouts of arthritis. As you also get older, the risk of contracting diseases increases.

What does the diagnosis of arthritis include?

Arthritis can easily be seen but the exact cause of the diseases can only be determined after a visual examination. Afterwards the doctor will prescribe the following procedures.

• General blood and urine tests which will show the presence of infections and the degree of inflammation.
• Analysis of synovial fluid – it can determine the presence of inflammatory and septic processes.
• Arthroscopy – It involves endoscopic introduction of the sensor into the joint cavity for visual inspection.
• Ultrasound of the joints which will help to determine the degree of lesion and detect the main areas of the disease.
• X-rays of the joint and limb which will show the condition of the bones and joints and reveal the changes caused by arthritis;
• Computed tomography of the joint which is one of the best tools for assessing the condition of bones and joints.
• Magnetic resonance imaging which will help to examine the condition of bones and joints, as well as surrounding tissues.

If arthritis is accompanied by pain in the abdominal cavity, headaches and weakness, ensure that you inform the doctor about it. This may be signs of serious illnesses that have joint inflammation as one of the symptoms.

How is treatment done?

Treatment involves getting rid of the symptoms of pain, hence eliminating the cause of the disease and restoring the sore joint. The following may be done:

• The doctor may prescribe painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.
• In neglected cases, operations are carried out to repair the destroyed joints.
• Physiotherapy procedures such as massage, ultrasound therapy and laser therapy will be done.
• Most patients are advised to do light gymnastics as instructed by an LFC doctor by taking into account the course of the disease.

Treatment of arthritis will only be successful if there is a change of lifestyle. This includes paying attention to the choice of food, avoid gaining weight, give up alcoholic drinks and reduce the consumption of salt.

If you begin therapy in the early stages, treatment will be successful. The most important thing is to take note of all the body changes and visit the doctor from time to time to avoid complications.