How to treat inflamed joints. The joint on my leg became inflamed. Causes of arthritis

Arthritis - a disease of the joints, accompanied by inflammation.

The inflammatory process occurs predominantly in the synovial (inner) membrane (bursa) of the joint. This condition is called synovitis and is accompanied by the accumulation of effusion in the synovial cavity - synovial fluid. Inflammatory exudate creates conditions for even greater stagnation of venous and lymphatic outflow in the joint area, which leads to the progression of arthritis. The process involves other structures that make up the joint - heads (epiphyses) of bones, cartilage, tissue of the joint capsule, ligaments, tendons and other periarticular soft tissue components. Arthritis of one joint in the medical literature is called monoarthritis, and of several (many) joints is called polyarthritis.

Causes of arthritis

The causes of arthritis are varied. These include joint infections and previous injuries (both acute - impacts, car accidents, falls on a joint, and chronic overload injuries), allergies and autoimmune processes with the formation of antibodies that destroy the body's own tissues - components of the joint.

There are many different diseases accompanied by arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis, and Reiter's syndrome arthritis. Many autoimmune processes affecting connective tissue - vasculitis, syphilis, gonorrhea, rheumatism, and other systemic diseases can be accompanied by arthritis.

Arthritis symptoms and arthritis diagnosis

Symptoms of arthritis: the affected joint hurts, there is stiffness in movement, local increase temperature of soft tissues, hyperemia (redness), swelling (edema), effusion of synovial fluid or specific exudate into the joint cavity with an increase in its size and swelling is observed. Possible accompanying arthritis clinical manifestations general intoxication and autoimmune processes (fever, general weakness). In the tests, an increase in ESR and the number of leukocytes is observed, and c-reactive protein may be present.

Unfortunately, the uniformity of symptom complexes for different etiologies (causes) of the disease makes it difficult to make an accurate and timely diagnosis. For the specialist doctor and the patient himself, other signs accompanying arthritis play an important role in diagnosis - the condition of the skin (rashes, etc.), heart, kidneys, respiratory tract. The paroxysmal course of arthritis is especially characteristic of rheumatism; Reiter's syndrome is characterized by the development of arthritis after an acute but fairly quickly passing infectious urethritis (inflammation of the urethra, possibly the bladder - with pain when urinating), enterocolitis (inflammation of the intestines with diarrhea and flatulence). For gout, the manifestation of the disease after drinking alcohol is indicative. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by symmetrical damage to peripheral small articular systems hands and feet, for ankylosing spondylitis or Reiter's syndrome - pain, limited mobility, feeling of stiffness in the spine. Damage to the joint of the 1st toe is most typical for gout. With psoriatic arthritis, the terminal interphalangeal joints are often affected, accompanied by severe swelling (the finger is like a sausage) and a purple-bluish tint of the skin. In systemic lupus erythematosus, arthritis is associated with butterfly-shaped redness on the face and kidney damage.

In diagnostics, there are special laboratory tests - research methods aimed at identifying special immune complexes, bacterial antigens and other specific components of systemic damage. It is possible to perform arthroscopy, analysis of synovial effusion, and biopsy of joint tissue.

Arthritis treatment

The basis of treatment for arthritis is treatment of its causative disease. . For local treatment arthrologists and rheumatologists use physiotherapeutic procedures, intra-articular therapeutic injections, general nonspecific anti-inflammatory treatment.

Good additional options in the treatment of arthritis are provided by reflexology, the su-jok method and, during the period of remission of the disease, the method of osteopathy. Osteopathy allows you to restore periarticular blood flow, helps reduce fibrotization of muscles, ligaments, and prevents the adhesion of periarticular bursae. In the presence of concomitant mechanical damage to the joint (chronic microtraumatization due to displacement of the sacrum, lumbar spine, hip joints– for arthritis of the knee joint (gonarthritis) and arthritis of the joints of the foot, lesions cervical spine spine, collarbones, ribs and scapula with arthritis of the shoulder or elbow joint), an osteopathic doctor can significantly reduce pain and pathological symptoms by harmonizing muscle and skeletal loads and relationships in adjacent joints.

Forecast

The prognosis for the course of arthritis is ambiguous, depending on the patient’s immunity status, characteristics primary disease, severity of local articular changes. Perhaps as full recovery with restoration of all joint functions, and destruction of the joint (deforming arthritis, arthrosis, joint destruction) with subsequent ankylosis (locking, immobility of the joint). In these situations, surgical treatment of the joint – endoprosthetics – may be indicated. After endoprosthetics, in most cases it is necessary to restore the function of the soft tissues surrounding the joint - along with other functional methods of treatment, osteopathy can quickly relieve postoperative pain, normalize the tone of the muscles surrounding the joint, and increase mobility in adjacent joints.

Treatment of arthritis with stem cells

In the future, it will be possible to treat arthritis without complex operations; it will be enough to use magnetic beads and stem cells, British scientists believe. New method tested on mice.

Alicia El Haj from Kiel University (UK) and her colleagues have developed magnetic beads less than two micrometers in diameter that attach to receptors on human mesenchymal stem cells. These cells, which are isolated from adipose tissue or bone marrow, are able to suppress the body's immune response and give rise to different types connective tissue: fat and cartilage, muscle and bone. When turned on magnetic field the beads begin to move, deforming the surface of the cells and causing them to open their pores. The resulting influx of potassium ions triggers a cascade of reactions inside the cell that determine what it will become.
Scientists implanted human mesenchymal stem cells coated with magnetic beads into the backs of mice and used a magnetic field to turn the cells into cartilage tissue, El Hadj told a stem cell meeting in Oxford. Now her team plans to treat knee joints in goats using magnetic stem cells, which were developed together with Magnecell. They hope that the magnetic field will deliver stem cells to the joints and encourage them to turn into cartilage.
Beads that the FDA food products and drugs the US has already approved for use as a medical image intensifier; it quickly disintegrates and is excreted from the body. By attaching magnetic beads to other receptors, stem cells can be used to grow other tissues, notes El Hadj.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis affects people of all ages, but most often those over 30. Women have about 5 times more rheumatoid arthritis than men. In general, according to various scientists, this disease affects 1 - 2% of the population.

Causes of rheumatoid arthritis

The causes of rheumatoid arthritis are not fully understood. However, it is clear that there is a certain hereditary predisposition to this disease. That is, family members of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis have a slightly greater chance of developing it than other residents of a given area (country or city). But such a statement should not sound like a verdict. We are talking only about theoretical probability. A person only gets sick when several unfavorable circumstances occur.

Apparently, some kind of hidden infection. This is confirmed by the fact that in approximately half of the cases this disease is preceded by acute respiratory disease (ARI), influenza, sore throat or exacerbation of chronic infectious diseases. In addition, quite often rheumatoid arthritis develops as a continuation of reactive or infectious arthritis.

Another significant factor provoking the development of the disease is severe emotional stress. In about a third of my patients, the disease began after severe blows of fate: divorce, loss of loved ones, etc. And in another 10% of patients, the disease manifested itself after severe hypothermia.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

The clinical picture of “classical” rheumatoid arthritis is difficult to confuse with the symptoms of other joint diseases. In the vast majority of cases, at the onset of the disease, inflammation and swelling occurs in the metacarpophalangeal joints of the index and middle fingers (we are talking about the joints located at the base of these fingers, that is, in the area of ​​​​the protruding bones of a clenched fist). This inflammation of the metacarpophalangeal joints is most often combined with inflammation and swelling wrist joints. What is characteristic is that the inflammation of the joints is symmetrical, as with rheumatism - that is, if the joints on the right hand are affected, then the same joints on the left hand are almost certainly affected. But unlike rheumatism, in rheumatoid arthritis the inflammation in these joints is persistent, swelling and pain in them last from several months to several years.

Simultaneously with inflammation of the joints of the upper extremities in rheumatoid arthritis, damage almost always occurs small joints stop. The joints at the base of the toes become inflamed, which manifests itself as pain when pressing under the “pads” of the toes. It is symptomatic that the joints of the legs become inflamed as symmetrically (on the right and left limbs) as in the arms.

Joint pain intensifies most often in the second half of the night, in the morning. Until about noon the pain is very intense; patients compare them to toothache. However, in the afternoon the pain becomes weaker, and in the evening it is generally insignificant. Relief lasts until the middle of the night, but around 3-4 hours the attacks of joint pain resume.

In addition to intense pain, rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by the symptom of “morning stiffness.” Patients describe morning stiffness as a feeling of “stiffness in the body and joints” or as a feeling of tight gloves on the hands and a tight corset on the body.

With a sluggish, mild course of rheumatoid arthritis, morning stiffness usually disappears half an hour to an hour after the patient gets out of bed. But in severe cases of the disease, this unpleasant sensation can persist until one o’clock in the afternoon or even longer.

Very often, the listed symptoms are accompanied in patients by a feeling of weakness, deterioration of sleep and appetite, a moderate increase in temperature (up to 37.2 - 38?), and chills. Patients often lose weight, sometimes significantly.

As the disease develops, in its advanced stage, more and more new joints are involved in the pathological process. Quite often, knees, elbows, ankles and shoulder joints. In this case, the disease has a wave-like character: periods of deterioration in the patient’s well-being are replaced by periods of spontaneous improvements.

After stress, colds or hypothermia, the patient’s condition may again deteriorate significantly. On top of this, over time, various complications in activities are added to damage to the joints. internal organs. Rheumatoid damage to the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, blood vessels and intestines often occurs. Such complications can not only seriously worsen the patient’s already not ideal condition, but can even pose a threat to his life.

That is why it is important to begin treating rheumatoid arthritis as early as possible in order to interrupt the development of the disease in the initial stage, without leading to complications and without waiting for irreversible consequences.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Principles of treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is not easy to cure. As a matter of fact, it is possible to achieve a complete cure of this disease in very rare cases, since most of the drugs used in our time have only a symptomatic effect. Such drugs eliminate the manifestations of the disease (pain, inflammation of the joints), but do not affect its causes.

For example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used as first aid for joint pain: flexen, diclofenac, indomethacin, piroxicam, brufen, etc. NSAIDs can significantly make the patient’s life easier, although it is impossible to cure rheumatoid arthritis with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs alone.

NSAIDs act precisely during the period of their use, without a clear focus on the future. And since rheumatoid arthritis requires taking medications for a long time, “classical” non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause various side effects. Most often, they negatively affect the functioning of the stomach, in some cases provoking the development of gastritis or even peptic ulcers.

Fortunately, the development of pharmacology does not stand still, and scientists have developed a new group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - the so-called “selective” anti-inflammatory drugs have appeared. Selective NSAIDs (Movalis) act much more mildly than “classic” ones and are much less likely to cause any complications. In most cases, Movalis for rheumatoid arthritis can be used long-term, for several months, and sometimes even years, with minimal risk of side effects.

In addition to NSAIDs, to provide quick help to those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, many doctors, especially foreign ones, without hesitation, prescribe anti-inflammatory corticosteroid hormones (prednisolone, methylpred, hydrocortisone, etc.).

The use of such hormones almost always leads to a clear improvement in the patient's condition. Joint pain immediately decreases, morning stiffness, weakness and chills disappear. Naturally, for such quick result any patient is willing to pay money, and not little, which is the main incentive of Western medicine.

Unfortunately, patients taking corticosteroid hormones are often unaware that they are getting enough a strong beat throughout all body systems. After all, corticosteroids are stress hormones. And as long as the patient takes such hormones, he feels good. But as soon as they are canceled or the dose is reduced, the disease will literally attack the person with double or triple force. In addition, such hormones have a huge number of contraindications, and in addition, they reduce immunity.

So before prescribing hormone therapy to a patient, the doctor must weigh three times whether such treatment will cause more harm or benefit.

You can ask me: if anti-inflammatory and hormonal drugs relieve pain and inflammation only during the period of their use, they act precisely “for now,” then how should we try to cure the patient?

The main treatment for rheumatoid arthritis are the so-called basic drugs. They influence the soil that gives rise to the disease, its “base”. These remedies are used with an eye to the future, counting on their ability to influence the causes of the disease and interrupt its development. But you need to keep in mind that, unlike hormones and NSAIDs, basic drugs do not provide an immediate positive effect, that is, they do not eliminate the symptoms of the disease in the first days and weeks of using the drugs. As a rule, they are able to act no earlier than after a month - this is a significant drawback basic drugs.

Currently as basic therapy Five groups of drugs are most often used: gold salts, antimalarials, antimicrobial drug sulfasalazine, immunosuppressants and penicillamine.

Gold preparations (krizanol, auranofin) are the most popular group of basic drugs among rheumatologists for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Gold preparations bring significant relief to approximately 70% of patients, but a third of patients may experience complications during the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: allergic skin rash, inflammation of the oral mucosa, suppression of hematopoiesis and deterioration in kidney function.

D-penicillamine (cuprenil) is usually prescribed in cases where gold therapy does not bring relief to the patient or when gold preparations have to be discontinued due to adverse reactions. However, D-penicillamine, which is not inferior in effectiveness to gold preparations, is a rather toxic drug that causes complications much more often. They usually appear in the first two months of using the drug, but, fortunately, quickly disappear after discontinuation of the drug.

Complications may occur skin rash, disorders of the stomach and intestines, inflammation of the kidneys, jaundice resulting from stagnation of bile, as well as changes in blood composition. Therefore, when using D-penicillamine as a “basic” agent, the patient must initially undergo a blood test once a week and a urine test once every two weeks. It is important to consider that D-penicillamine is contraindicated in pregnant women and those patients who have blood and kidney diseases.

Sulfasalazine (salazopyridazine) is an antimicrobial drug, somewhat less effective than gold drugs, but successfully competes with D-penicillamine, especially since it is much better tolerated than these drugs. Side effects from sulfasalazine develop in only 10 - 20% of patients, and these complications are never severe. They manifest themselves mainly as stool disorders and skin rashes.

The advantages of the drug are detracted only from its slow development therapeutic effect. Improvement in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with sulfasalazine is usually observed only after three months of therapy, and the “peak form” is reached after six months, after which treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with sulfasalazine is completed.

The antimalarial drugs delagil and plaquenil were once used by infectious disease specialists to treat dengue fever (malaria). However, in the twentieth century, rheumatologists also paid attention to them. They noticed that with very long-term use, delagil and plaquenil can influence the activity of the rheumatoid process.

Although the effectiveness of these drugs is not very high and they act slowly, we are forced to use them to this day, since we feel a relative shortage of anti-rheumatoid drugs. After all, sometimes situations arise when other basic remedies are tried unsuccessfully and canceled due to ineffectiveness or severe side effects. Then it is necessary to use delagil and plaquenil, which are weak but still have a specific anti-arthritic effect.

Cytostatic drugs, or so-called immunosuppressants (methotrexant, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, chlorobutin, leukeran) were borrowed by rheumatologists from oncologists. Cytostatics are used in oncology to suppress the immune system and inhibit cell division, including cancer cells. Moreover, these drugs are prescribed to cancer patients in huge doses, which leads to a large number of complications. In this regard, both doctors and patients are very wary of the use of cytostatics, fearing severe side effects.

However, when it comes to the use of these drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, the danger is clearly exaggerated, because in arthrology, cytostatics are used in significantly lower doses than in oncology - approximately 3 to 10 times less! Such small amounts of immunosuppressive drugs rarely cause side effects, but the therapeutic effect is often significant. The use of cytostatics helps at least 70% of patients, and the greatest benefit comes from the drugs to those suffering from a rapidly progressing severe form of rheumatoid arthritis.

Side effects are possible in 15 - 20% of patients, and are rarely severe. Most often this allergic rashes, a feeling of "goosebumps" on the skin, upset stool and moderate impairment urination. All these manifestations usually disappear immediately after stopping the drugs.

If everything is in order and the patient easily tolerates cytostatic therapy, you can expect a clear improvement in well-being within 2 to 4 weeks after the start of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

Medicines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

So, there are five groups of basic drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. We have just reviewed their advantages and disadvantages. But which medicine is preferable in each specific case? Only your treating rheumatologist can answer this question. Only he knows (in any case, he should know) when and what basic remedy should be used in your case. Although the disadvantage of basic drugs is precisely that it is difficult to guess with one hundred percent probability whether the medicine will have a therapeutic effect. Only after a month or two of using the drug can you get an answer to this question. And if the drug does not work, then you have to change it and again wait a month or two for the result.

Thus, it sometimes takes four to six months to select basic therapy. The period is, of course, extremely long for a sick person, but we have to accept it - we have no other choice. You can, however, try to improve the patient’s condition for this period with the help of local impact on the joints. For this purpose, dimexide applications, laser therapy, cryotherapy and intra-articular injections of corticosteroid hormones are used.

Applications with dimexide are applied to the most inflamed and painful joints. In rheumatoid patients, improvement is observed after 6-7 days of therapy with dimexide and becomes even more noticeable after a two-week series of applications. Total positive effect expressed in 80% of patients.

Intra-articular administration of corticosteroid hormones (kenalog, hydrocortisone, diprospan, flosterone) helps the patient survive a period of particularly acute inflammation of individual joints. When administered intra-articularly, hormones quite quickly relieve pain and reduce inflammation of the joint, but usually the therapeutic effect lasts only two to three weeks. Then the inflammation begins to gradually increase again.

Attention! It is advisable to carry out no more than two to three injections of corticosteroids into each joint. In addition, you need to remember that you cannot get too carried away with hormone injections and do them too often - otherwise the hormones will begin to have a negative effect on the entire body. Therefore, the intervals between such procedures should be at least 7 - 10 days. But, of course, intra-articular injections can significantly make life easier for the patient, even in particularly severe cases rheumatoid arthritis.

Laser therapy has a mild anti-inflammatory effect for rheumatoid arthritis. Laser therapy is used both as a separate method of treating rheumatoid arthritis and in combination with basic therapy.

The laser does not irradiate the patient’s joints, but the area of ​​the ulnar vein - that is, the radiation affects the blood circulating inside the body. It is believed that after irradiating blood with a laser, various positive changes occur in the body: immunity is normalized, blood supply to organs and tissues is improved, any inflammation is reduced and foci of infection are suppressed.

The most favorable results are observed in patients with sluggish, soft shape rheumatoid arthritis. In severe forms of the disease, laser is ineffective

The course of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis consists of 15 to 20 procedures performed every other day.

Cryotherapy (treatment by local freezing) has been successfully used in both the acute and chronic phases of rheumatoid arthritis. This treatment is practically harmless and has no contraindications; unfortunately, it is expensive. Improvement after cryotherapy is observed in 60 - 70% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Other physiotherapeutic procedures, including massage, are carried out only when the exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis has passed and blood counts return to normal. Physiotherapy is done exclusively at normal body temperature, good analyzes blood and in the absence of redness and swelling of the joints.

Inflammation of the joints - causes and diagnosis, drugs, folk remedies and physiotherapeutic procedures for the disease

You can quickly relieve joint inflammation folk remedies at home, but first you need to find out and eliminate the root cause pathological process.

Otherwise, the positive dynamics of such conservative treatment are moderate and completely absent.

If you have problems with joint mobility, you need to consult a specialist, since the characteristic pathology can be associated not only with excessive physical activity, but also with internal diseases.

What is joint inflammation

Essentially, this is the body’s reaction to a harmful stimulus, which is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms, reduces the mobility of pathological foci and the quality of life of the patient himself. Such a pathological process cannot be started, otherwise the person will suffer disability.

The focus of the pathology can be a specific segment of the musculoskeletal system, then the disease occurs in the form of monoarthritis.

However, doctors do not exclude the development of polyarthritis when several joints are involved in the pathological process with a rapid “capture” of the subsequent joint.

Inflammation of the joint on the leg first of all limits the patient’s mobility, accompanied by acute attack pain when trying to take a step.

The pain is paroxysmal, shooting in nature, hinders movement, and does not disappear at rest.

The inflamed joint will continue to hurt until non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with an analgesic effect are used externally or internally.

Separately, it is worth noting that in addition to painful swelling, the skin near the joint, when inflamed, turns red and acquires a purple tint.

If it is purulent arthritis, the visible compaction of the pathological focus with an obvious accumulation under top layer epidermis clots of pus.

In the latter case, immediate surgical intervention is required. Otherwise, inflammation is accompanied by signs of intoxication:

• high body temperature;
• increased drowsiness;
• dizziness and cephalalgia;
• excessive sweating;
• nausea and vomiting;
• instability of the emotional sphere;
• muscle weakness.

With acute inflammation of the hip or other joints, the patient's body temperature rises sharply.

This symptom is more typical acute stage characteristic of the disease, can reach 39 - 40 degrees, requiring immediate hospitalization.

As a result of chronic inflammation of the knee joint or other cartilaginous structures, the temperature regime is slightly disturbed - within 37 - 37.5 degrees. In case of such violations, you should immediately consult your doctor.

Causes of joint inflammation

The inflammatory process is mostly concentrated in synovium joint, characterized by excess synovial fluid.

In this clinical picture, favorable conditions are created for stagnation of venous and lymphatic outflow, which leads to the development of arthritis of the joints. The condition is dangerous, and along with the immobility of such structures comes disability.

To avoid further joint destruction, it is important to know which diseases lead to widespread internal imbalances. This:

• osteoarthritis;
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• rheumatism;
• injuries in the spine;
• attacks of gout;
• lupus;
• tick-borne borreliosis;
• tuberculosis;
• Crohn's disease.

Inflammation progresses in autoimmune diseases, and can ultimately result in joint tuberculosis for the patient.

Such a pathology must be treated immediately, and to do this, the first step is to eliminate such provoking factors as hypothermia, unhealthy diet, weak immunity, the presence of chronic infections and spinal injuries.

Why is arthritis dangerous?

In the presence of foci of infection, a purulent process develops, which requires immediate surgical intervention. Joint deformity is one of the potential complications; other, no less dangerous diagnoses and pathological processes are presented below:

• contractures;
• osteomyelitis;
• pathological dislocations;
• osteolysis;
• necrosis of bone tissue;
• disability;
• generalized sepsis with blood poisoning.

Diagnostics

If inflammation is observed and the swollen joints continue to hurt, you need to consult a doctor for advice and undergo diagnostics.

The specialist first collects medical history data, palpates foci of pathology, and looks closely at visible swelling.

It is very important not only to identify problem areas, but also to reliably identify the disease that provoked their unexpected appearance. To determine the cause and nature of the pathology, the following examinations are necessary:

• general and biochemical blood test;
• collection of synovial fluid;
• general urine analysis;
• laboratory test to determine uric acid, antibodies to hemolytic streptococcus;
• radiography;
• CT and MRI;
• arthroscopy;
• biopsy of existing nodules;
• puncture of the pathological focus.

Treatment of joint inflammation

Arthrosis and arthritis of the joints can be successfully treated with conservative methods, folk remedies, and physiotherapeutic procedures.

It is very important not just to reduce inflammation, but to prevent the abnormal process of cartilage destruction, especially with symmetrical lesions.

• it is necessary to exclude from the diet fatty meat, sausage products, salt and sugar, fast food, preservatives, semi-finished products, offal;
• with specially selected exercises as part of the training complex, you can overcome inflammatory diseases joints, but at the same time treat the disease using official methods;
• it is important to control your own weight, avoid obesity and increased stress on the joint during inflammation;
• taking painkillers is allowed to relieve pain; however, complete treatment of joint arthritis is impossible only in this way;
• for skin lesions, you will additionally need to use ointments with a regenerating, anti-inflammatory effect.

Medicine

For extensive lesions of the ankle, shoulder, elbow and other joints, you cannot do without the use of tablets.

If inflammation is associated with increased activity of pathogenic flora or infection, the doctor recommends taking a full course of antibacterial therapy.

In the rest clinical pictures The following pharmacological groups and their representatives are relevant:

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Diclofenac sodium, Indomethacin, Piroxicam;
• antipyretic drugs: Nurofen, Ibuprofen, Panadol;
• glucocorticosteroids: Triamcinolone intravenously, Prednisolone, Methylprednisolone, Hydrocortisone;
• immunosuppressants: Methotrexate, Cyclophosphamide, Azathioprine, Sulfasalazine;
• muscle relaxants: Mydocalm, Sirdalud;
• chondroprotectors: Chondroitin, Glucosamine;
• calcium preparations.

For inflammation of the joint capsules, doctors prescribe a whole complex medical supplies, but the following positions have proven to be especially effective:

1. Chondroitin. A natural medicine that can restore the damaged structure of cartilage tissue. You can simultaneously use capsules and be treated with ointments, thereby enhancing the therapeutic effect. You are allowed to drink no more than three tablets per day, external composition use up to 5 – 6 times a day.
2. Prednisolone. This hormonal drug in tablet form, which should be taken in the afternoon. If the joint is inflamed, the doctor determines the daily dose individually; side effects cannot be ruled out during a medication course of 7–14 days.

Anti-inflammatory drugs

Effective treatment of inflamed joints clearly includes the use of painkillers, no matter where the pathological process is concentrated - in tendons or cartilage. In the fight against painful stiffness of movement, doctors recommend the following representatives: pharmacological group NSAIDs:

1. Diclofenac. The tablets relieve pain and inflammation and act after just one dose. Doctors recommend taking 1 pill up to 3 times a day until the unpleasant symptoms in the hands, knees or feet, and other joint cavities completely disappear.
2. Ketorolac. For inflammation and joint damage, this is a reliable medicine in tablet form. In the relapse stage, you are supposed to drink 1 pill every 3 hours, then reduce the daily dose to 1 tablet every 6 hours.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

Medicines for joint inflammation are highly effective, but in order to enhance the overall therapeutic effect, doctors additionally prescribe physiotherapeutic procedures at home or in the hospital. This will help relieve inflammation, relieve acute pain and delay its recurrence. We are talking about the benefits of the following procedures:

• massage course;
• hydrogen sulfide baths;
• electrophoresis;
• laser therapy;
• application of magnetic fields;
• ultra-violet rays.

Proper nutrition

Treatment of leg and arm joints is ineffective without special diet which excludes the consumption of salt and starchy foods.

It's just small part prohibitions that the patient must adhere to with such a dangerous diagnosis.

So, foods prohibited for inflammation are stated in the following list:

• red meat and meat by-products;
• vegetables of the nightshade family;
• pulses;
• alcohol;
• spices.

Allowed foods for typical inflammation:

• poultry meat;
• lean varieties of fish;
• fermented milk products;
• walnuts.

Treatment with folk remedies

If your joints start to hurt a lot, knowledgeable patients are already accustomed to placing warm compresses on lesions of pathology, using natural ointments from plant and natural ingredients. Effective compositions that will be used to treat the skin of the foot or other affected area:

1. You need to combine 1 part aloe juice, 2 parts May honey and 3 parts vodka. Stir, pour into a glass container and leave for 2 weeks. Use externally, make compresses or lubricate the skin around sore joints. Course – 2 weeks.
2. You need to grate 1 large black radish. Then combine the finished pulp with 1 tbsp. spoon of honey, mix. Use the composition as an ointment for 7–14 days daily.

Prevention

Because the characteristic inflammation It has genetic predisposition or develops against the background of other chronic diseases, as a complication, doctors recommend adhering to basic rules of prevention every day. This is especially true for patients at risk. Effective preventive measures for every day:

• it is important to control your own weight and eliminate obesity;
• you need to eat right and lead an active lifestyle;
• avoid hypothermia and frequent colds;
• strengthen immunity in a timely manner;
• train weak muscle groups through sports.

Source: http://sovets.net/14698-vospalenie-sustavov.html

Joint inflammation: treatment and symptoms | How to treat joint inflammation

Joint inflammation can be of the inflammatory or anti-inflammatory type.

According to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 46 million Americans suffer from some form of the disease.

That's why treatment of joint inflammation– today, more than ever, a relevant and in demand topic.

Inflammatory processes can occur due to infection entering the joint tissue. This could be inflammation of the ankle, shoulder or any other joint. The severity of the infectious disease is characterized by the further development of the disease.

Symptoms of joint inflammation usually appear

1.edema,

3.changes in the shape of the joint,

4.redness of the skin above it,

5.as well as an increase in the temperature of the skin over the joint

6.and violation of its functions.

Pain in inflamed joints begins suddenly, often in the morning or in the second half of the night. As you move, these pains decrease.

If the disease is acute, then constant or more severe pain.

And in the chronic form, pain occurs only during movement.

Inflammation of the joints causes a change in the shape of the joint, which occurs as a result of swelling of the soft tissues that occurs against the background of the manifestation of disease of the muscles and tendons, as well as due to the release of the joint from the cavity of the articular surface.

The functioning of the joint during inflammation stops due to severe pain and changes in the tissues that surround the joint.

The disease is characterized as follows pronounced violations the joint becomes immobile, and the patient will no longer be able to work in his profession.

If treatment is carried out at milder stages of the disease, joint functions are fully restored.

Symptoms of different types of joint inflammation

• Rheumatoid arthritis,
• gout,
• arthritis,
• lupus, etc.,

– types of inflammatory arthritis. They can develop because the body is unable to recognize its own tissues and begins to destroy them (autoimmune diseases), or because of a bacterial attack.

Pain, swelling, redness, increased temperature in the joint, stiffness, etc. – symptoms of this type of joint inflammation. Early diagnosis and treating inflammatory arthritis will help control the condition to some extent.

To reveal character of this disease a full examination is carried out, after which external symptoms are compared with x-ray studies, laboratory tests intra-articular fluid, blood and urine.

How to treat joint inflammation using traditional methods?

Treatment of the disease can be done by using some medications to help get rid of the symptoms or by using some natural remedies.

To reduce joint inflammation, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Indomethacin or Diclofenac are prescribed.

These nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce inflammation and pain. They work by blocking the production of certain chemicals that lead to inflammation.

Within a few hours of taking these medications, relief will occur.

In order to slow down the progress of this degenerative disease, medications such as Methotrexate and Sulfasalazine are used in treatment.

However, these medications have their own side effects such as

• abdominal pain,
• heartburn,
• rash,
• labored breathing,
• ulcers,
• dizziness,
• headaches, etc.

Again, most drugs will not treat the cause of arthritis, but will only relieve the symptoms.

The disease must be treated sufficiently long time, since this disease can progress to chronic form. If the case is severe, the disease is treated inpatiently.

Treatment of infectious type joint inflammation is carried out with medications and antibiotics that increase the body's immunity.

If the disease occurs against the background of some other disease, then you first need to cure it, and only then begin treatment. At the end of therapy, massage and physical therapy are prescribed.

Unskilled treatment can lead to complete destruction of joint tissue.

Treatment of joint inflammation with diet

Diet plays an important role in reducing inflammation. Eating only healthy foods can help relieve pain associated with inflammatory arthritis.

Foods can be divided into inflammatory foods and anti-inflammatory foods. Such unwanted products, like pizza, hamburgers, fried chicken, etc., should be avoided in case of inflammation.

Additionally, milk and other dairy products should also be avoided.

For symptoms of inflammation, eat foods such as fruits, vegetables and foods high in fatty acids.

• fish,
• walnuts,
• flax-seed.

This will help reduce inflammation in the joint, thereby relieving pain.

How to treat joint inflammation with folk remedies?

In the life of every person there is a feeling of pain in the joints. This is usually due to deposited salts in the spine and joints. It is at this point that the need for treatment begins to arise.

People's councils have been known for a long time. This is why they are considered so effective. Treatment of joints and procedures using these folk remedies are considered a standard set of the process of healing the body.

Before carrying out various courses of treatment with folk remedies, it is necessary to thoroughly cleanse the intestines, since any component can cause an allergic reaction.

How to treat joint inflammation with folk remedies:

1. Bay leaf for a diagnosis of joint inflammation. This folk remedy is quite effective in removing accumulated salts from the body.

To do this, take 20-30 pieces of bay leaves and pour two glasses of boiling water. Boil for five minutes, then pour into a thermos and leave for another 3-4 hours.

The decoction should be taken in small sips for the next 12 hours. Treatment period is 3 days. After a week, the course of treatment can be repeated.

After rapid dissolution salts and their removal from the body, urination becomes more frequent. A week later, the procedure is repeated. Treatment of joint inflammation can be carried out once or twice a year.

2.Rye grains will help cure joint inflammation. To do this, take them in an amount of 250 grams, add 2 liters of water and boil well. After this, the broth is cooled and carefully filtered.

A tablespoon of barberry root, 1 kg of honey and half a liter of vodka are added to the mixture. All components are thoroughly mixed and placed in a dark room for 3 weeks.

You need to take the medicine 3 tablespoons before meals.

3. Treatment of joint inflammation with horseradish. One kilogram of horseradish is poured into 4 liters of water, brought to a boil and cooked for 5 minutes. After this, the broth is cooled and 500 grams of honey is added. You need to take 200 grams daily.

The mixture is stored in the refrigerator. Inflammation of the joints is effectively treated by including calcined cottage cheese in the diet. To prepare it, you need to purchase calcium chloride at the pharmacy.

Half a liter of milk is heated, to which 1.5 tablespoons are added. calcium chloride. After the milk has curdled, it is removed from the heat, cooled and placed on a sieve. After this, it is covered with gauze and left overnight.

In the morning you can eat cottage cheese in any quantity.

4. Treatment of joint inflammation with chestnuts. Add 300 grams of chopped chestnuts to half a liter of vodka and leave for 14 days.

To reduce the symptoms of joint inflammation, shake this mixture daily and take it as prescribed. The tincture can be stored for many years.

Rub it on sore spots every day, preferably at night.

5. Inflammation of the joints causes a lot of inconvenience, it is a painful process, but folk recipes offer various ways to relieve this inflammation.

Decoctions are mainly used medicinal herbs– St. John's wort, calendula, lingonberry and the like. They can be brewed individually or as a group.

You need to take the herbs in equal proportions, add water, boil over low heat for about 30 minutes, then add boiled water to the decoction to replenish what has evaporated.

Let the broth cool and take half a glass several times a day. Treatment for joint inflammation lasts several months.

6.You can make an alcohol tincture of Kalanchoe, which you rub into sore spot. To make it, you need to grind the leaves of Kalanchoe and mix them in equal proportions with alcohol. Leave for a week in a dark place, after which you can use and treat inflammation of the joints.

Effective treatments for pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints

There are quite a lot traditional methods. This is not surprising - after all, joint pain is familiar not only to older people, but also to young people. What should you do if pain, redness and swelling appear in the joint area?

1. Treatment of inflammation with black root.

Grind one tablespoon of black root and one spoon of comfrey root, mix with melted lard and steam for 20 minutes.

Then leave until the broth has cooled, strain and pour into a jar. The joint remedy should be rubbed into the inflamed joints.

2.Make a compress from two teaspoons of ginger, a teaspoon of turmeric, half a teaspoon of chili pepper and hot vegetable oil. Heat the mixture of these ingredients and apply it to a cotton cloth, then apply it to the affected joint and secure it with a woolen scarf.

3. A folk recipe with olive oil will help relieve symptoms of inflammation. Mix one tablespoon olive oil, half a spoon of grated garlic and a glass of boiling water. Drink the resulting infusion in the morning and evening, 100 grams.

4.Take raw egg, beat the yolk and mix with one teaspoon of turpentine and one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.

Whisk the mixture again, then lubricate the inflamed joint with a small amount of the product, without rubbing it into the skin.

Repeat the procedure every evening before going to bed, if you need to speed up the process, you can do this twice or thrice a day. After the third time you will feel lighter.

5. Warm the affected joint with a compress with sea salt and rub pure fir oil into the skin of the affected area.

6.To relieve inflammation of the joints, make lotions from a three percent solution of mumiyo.

7.Pour 250 grams of rye grains with two liters of water and boil.

Pour half a liter of vodka, a kilogram of honey and a tablespoon of chopped barberry root into the cooled and strained broth.

Mix the infusion thoroughly and leave in a dark place for three weeks. When it is ready, drink 3 tablespoons of the product before meals if your joints are inflamed.

8.Relieves symptoms of inflammation Bay leaf. . Boil two glasses of water and pour boiling water over 30 bay leaves. Boil for five minutes, then leave the broth for 4 hours.

Drink the prepared broth in small sips throughout the day. After three days of treatment, take a week break.

This remedy will help remove excess salts from the body, which causes joint pain.

So, there are quite a lot of remedies for treating inflammation. It is only important to pay attention to the alarming symptoms of the disease in time.

Source: http://www.AstroMeridian.ru/medicina/vospalenie_sustavov_lechenie.html

How and how to treat joint inflammation

How and how to treat joint inflammation in order to eliminate not only unpleasant symptoms, but also the cause of the disease.

Inflammation of the joints is not only a painful condition that deprives a person of a normal quality of life, it also negatively affects the appearance of the limbs, gait, etc.

Joint inflammation can develop as a result mechanical damage, diseases of the joint and periarticular segments, diseases of internal organs and systems.

Arthritis most often occurs in older people, which can affect one or more joints. Other inflammatory joint diseases include the presence of rheumatism, gout, lupus, osteoarthritis, etc.

How to treat inflammation of the joints so that the effect of treatment is high-quality and long-lasting? For this, there are treatment regimens using medications and various procedures, folk remedies etc. The main thing is to consult a doctor promptly if the most insignificant, at first glance, symptoms appear.

Drug treatment of joint inflammation

How to relieve joint inflammation without resorting to medications? This is extremely difficult to do and is only possible at the initial stage; later you will have to use medications prescribed by a doctor.

As a general therapy, drugs are used that help eliminate the cause of the disease and its main symptoms.

Antibiotics are prescribed to treat:

• Rheumatoid arthritis, often caused by beta hemolytic streptococcus. Basically, 1st generation antibiotics or macrolides are prescribed for this. Subsequently, patients who have suffered from rheumatism are treated with antibiotics. long years to prevent damage to the heart valves.
• Reactive arthritis, caused by an infection - urogenital or intestinal. This is a fairly common pathology that can occur in young people 25 years of age and older. Macrolides are used to treat the disease - Azithromycin, Roxithromycin.
• Purulent arthritis, which occurs due to pathogenic microorganisms brought into the joint area along with blood. In this case, medications for joint inflammation are selected depending on the pathogen. To do this, tests are carried out to determine the sensitivity of the microorganism to antibiotics.

Treatment of inflamed joints is carried out with the mandatory use of NSAIDs. These remedies are a great find for various joint diseases, since they simultaneously combat the symptoms and signs of the disease.

There are several types of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which differ not only in their effect, but also in their possible negative impact on the body. Thus, for people with healthy organs and systems, 1st generation drugs can be used - Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, etc.

But if you have diseases of the internal organs - liver, kidneys, stomach or intestines, you should use only modern non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which have practically no side effects - Nimesil, Nise. Before use, you should definitely consult your doctor.

How to treat an inflamed joint in more advanced cases? For this purpose, glucocorticoids are often prescribed - drugs that are used according to a schedule and only under strict medical supervision.

Joint inflammation is sometimes treated with immunosuppressive medications.

These drugs are prescribed for autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis), in which the cause inflammatory reaction joints is an increased effect of the immune system. For such purposes, Cyclophosphamide and Sulfosalazine are often prescribed.

Additionally, the use of chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants, vitamins, and enzyme preparations may be prescribed. For local treatment, which is used during the main therapy and between courses of treatment, ointments and gels are prescribed (if there is no acute inflammatory process).

The most popular of them are Diklak gel, Voltaren, Fastum gel, Finalgon ointment, etc. These ointments help relieve pain and eliminate swelling, but they should be used only after meals and strictly according to the prescribed medical regimen.

Non-drug therapies for joint inflammation

How to treat inflammation of the joints when the acute period has passed, but full recovery has not occurred? To do this, a number of procedures are used, from a number of conservative non-drug methods.

Physiotherapy is most often prescribed to eliminate pain symptoms and improve the structure of cartilage tissue.

It is applied only after elimination acute symptoms diseases.

The use of paraffin and ozokerite thermal applications, magnetic therapy, UHF, ultrasound, electrophoresis, laser therapy, etc. is indicated as physiotherapy.

It is important to remember that some of these procedures are prohibited for people who have malignant formations or were previously treated with radiation.

Massages and physiotherapy indicated during the recovery period. These procedures help the joint to recover and the person to be able to improve motor activity. When the disease worsens, such events are prohibited.

To immobilize the joint, bandages and orthoses are used, which help fix the joints, limit unnecessary (often painful) movements, reduce swelling and pain symptom. The joint is fixed only for a short period of time - no more than 1 week, so that it does not lose its functionality.

Alternative treatments for joint inflammation

Alternative treatment consists of using folk remedies, which at many stages help to cope with the signs and symptoms of the disease. For inflammation of the joints, the main treatment is used first, and alternative medicine is used as an auxiliary or preventive measure.

As folk therapy, medications for joint inflammation are used, such as:

• Birch leaves, which are plucked from a birch tree, are doused with boiling water and applied to the sore, swollen joint. You need to secure such a compress with a woolen scarf. Improvement in the disease occurs after 2-3 such procedures.
• Grinding from young sunflower seeds needs to be prepared in advance, but many have seen the effectiveness of this product by their own example. To prepare the rub, you need to collect a third of 1 liter jar of young sunflower seeds according to the season, pour alcohol, add shavings from baby soap, and leave to infuse for 2 weeks. Afterwards, the finished product is used to rub sore joints.
• Clay mixture. To do this, purchase clay from the pharmacy, which must be mixed with any oil to obtain a creamy consistency and applied to the sore joint. Keep the product on the skin for no more than 1.5 hours, after which the clay should be washed off. Daily use of this product helps eliminate pain and reduce inflammation.
• A warming compress, for the preparation of which dry mustard and alcohol are used, is used only in the absence of severe inflammation(during this period it is prohibited to use any warming preparations). To prepare the product, you need to take 20 g of dry mustard, pour 200 g of high-quality vodka into it, infuse it and lubricate the sore joint.
• Removes excess salts from the body in a decoction corn silk, which need to be filled with water in the proportion of 1 tbsp. l. 200 ml of water, boil for 7 minutes and drink strained several times a day.
• A decoction of celery roots is a good treatment for rheumatism of the joints. To prepare the decoction you need 2 tbsp. l. Pour 1 liter of boiling water over the crushed roots and leave, covered, until completely cooled. Ready product Take 20 ml before meals.
• For infectious joint damage, dry white wine with wormwood helps well. To do this, pour 500 ml of natural wine into an enamel container and put on fire, adding 2 tbsp. l. wormwood. After boiling, the decoction is prepared for another 5 minutes, after which it is infused, filtered and taken 100 g daily. You can improve the taste before eating with honey.
• Wheatgrass, namely its roots, help cope with many joint diseases. To prepare the decoction you need 1 tbsp. l. pour 150 ml of milk over the plants, boil, wait until the broth cools down and drink. You need to prepare this decoction twice daily, drinking it the night before your meal.
• A cabbage leaf, which can be smeared with a small amount of honey to enhance the effect, will help quickly eliminate pain and reduce swelling. A cabbage leaf can be scalded with boiling water, then applied to the inflamed joint and secured with a scarf. You can replace the cabbage leaf with plantain leaves.

To prevent inflammation of the joints, it is necessary to follow a diet or adhere to a proper and comprehensive diet.

This will help maintain the immune system and the functioning of internal organs in order, and will also become an obstacle to the onset of obesity (if you already have excess weight, you definitely need to get rid of it).

Must be done daily simple exercises to strengthen joints, go for a walk, stretching your legs and saturating the blood with oxygen.

It wouldn’t hurt to give up bad habits and normalize your work and rest schedule.

In cold weather, you need to dress warmly and take a complex of vitamin preparations

Joint inflammation, or arthritis, is a whole group of individual diseases with different etiologies and pathogenesis, but with the same symptoms. Arthritis can affect any joint in the body, but the signs of inflammation are always the same:

• pain in a sore joint;
• redness of the skin over the inflamed area;
• swelling of the area of ​​the affected joint;
• increase in local temperature;
• dysfunction of the joint.

Treatment of joint inflammation should be etiological (take into account the cause), pathogenetic (influence the mechanisms of inflammation) and symptomatic (eliminate symptoms, for example, pain, swelling). To achieve this, a number of conservative treatment methods are used.

Important! It is possible to effectively treat an inflamed joint only by establishing the direct cause of the pathological symptoms and the form of arthritis (infectious, gouty, reactive, rheumatoid, psoriatic, rheumatic, etc.). Therefore in mandatory you need to visit a doctor to get a diagnosis.

Drug treatment

How to treat joint inflammation without drugs? This is almost impossible to do. In order to eliminate inflammatory changes, several groups of medications are used both internally (tablets, injections) and locally in the form of ointments, gels, patches, compresses.

General therapy

First of all general treatment must be etiological. Only by eliminating the cause can inflammation be eliminated. For this purpose, drugs from several groups will be used.

Antibacterial agents

Antibacterial drugs You can completely cure arthritis, but only some types. The indication is inflammation caused by pathological microorganisms:

1. Rheumatoid arthritis- this is joint damage due to rheumatism, which is caused by beta-hemolytic streptococcus of group A. Penicillin antibiotics are usually prescribed. In case of intolerance, macrolides can be used. Subsequently, in patients who have suffered from rheumatism, the use of antibiotics continues for many years in order to prevent damage to the valvular apparatus of the heart and the formation of defects.
2. Reactive arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that develops against the background of a previous urogenital or intestinal infection. It is a very common pathology and affects mainly young and middle-aged people. To treat it, antibiotics from the macrolide group are used (clarithromycin, azithromycin, rovamycin, roxithromycin).
3. Purulent arthritis is an inflammation of the joint, which is caused by microorganisms directly introduced into its cavity (in case of wounds, with blood flow from another source of infection in the body). IN in this case Antibiotics are selected depending on the type of pathogen that caused the inflammation and its sensitivity to drugs.

Antibiotics are used to treat arthritis caused by pathological microorganisms

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

This group medications are used to treat any type of joint inflammation, as they perfectly eliminate pain, relieve swelling and other signs of inflammation, and also eliminate the symptoms of a person’s general malaise, if any.

Representatives of NSAIDs (active ingredient):

• Ketorolac,
• Diclofenac,
• Indomethacin,
• Piroxicam,
• Naproxen,
• Ibuprofen,
• Nimesulide,
• Celecoxide,
• Aceclofenac,
• Meloxicam.

Important to remember! In each case, drugs from this group should only be prescribed by a doctor, since they have many contraindications and side effects. These drugs have a particular negative effect on the gastric mucosa, causing the development of erosions, ulcers and bleeding.

Glucocorticoid medications

For the treatment of joint inflammation, glucocorticoid drugs for systemic use used only in extreme cases, when it is not possible to eliminate pain and inflammation with conventional medications, or for arthritis caused by autoimmune diseases, for example, rheumatoid arthritis.

Such drugs (prednisolone, methylprednisolone, hydrocortisone) are used in the form of tablets, which are taken in the morning, or intravenous drip infusions. Most often, GCS is used as external ointments and intra-articular injections.

Treatment with GCS is associated with a high risk of severe side effects, and therefore should be carried out only when indicated. The doctor selects the dose individually, therapy is carried out under constant monitoring of development side effects.

GCS is used mainly for intra-articular injections, which perfectly eliminate pain and inflammation

Immunosuppressants

For systemic connective tissue diseases, when the above medications do not cope with their task, they resort to the use of immunosuppressants. These are drugs that inhibit the activity of cells of the immune system, thereby eliminating inflammation. This therapy is often prescribed as a basic therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic inflammation of the joints, and arthritis that accompanies systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune pathologies. The most commonly used are methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, and sulfosalazine.

Other drugs

Other medications that are used to treat joint inflammation include:

• muscle relaxants (mydocalm, sirdalud), which eliminate pathological and painful muscle spasms around the diseased joint;
• chondroprotectors (chondroitin and glucosamine), which strengthen and restore cartilage tissue of joints;
• vitamins of group B, A, C;
• calcium supplements for concomitant osteoporosis;
• enzyme preparations (seratiopeptidase) to eliminate inflammation.

Local treatment

Almost always, therapy for joint inflammation is supplemented with ointments and gels for local application(they can also be used to prepare compresses). They help to quickly eliminate inflammation and get rid of pain.

Important to remember! Under no circumstances should you use warming or locally irritating ointments for symptoms of inflammation, as they dilate blood vessels, which only worsens inflammatory disorders.

Typically, all such ointments are based on NSAIDs, corticosteroids, sometimes in combination with a chondroprotector or other substance.

The most popular ointments:

• Voltaren,
• Deep Relief gel,
• Diklak gel,
• Diclofenac,
• Ortofen,
• Finalgon,
• Nise,
• Bystrumgel,
• Fastum gel,
• Indomethacin ointment,
• Dolgit cream,
• Ketonal gel.

Voltaren - an effective pain-relieving ointment for joints

Non-drug treatments

As soon as the most acute phase of the disease is eliminated, you can begin treatment with additional non-drug conservative methods:

1. Physiotherapeutic procedures perfectly eliminate pain and improve the condition of joint structures. Can be used only after acute signs of inflammation have subsided. Paraffin and ozokerite thermal applications, shock wave therapy, magnetotherapy, UHF, ultrasound with hydrocortisone ointment, laser therapy, electrophoresis, etc. have proven themselves well.
2. Massage and physiotherapy. It is used only at the rehabilitation stage. During exacerbation of arthritis, any massage and active motor procedures are prohibited.
3. Orthopedic devices. Used both in the acute period and during recovery. Use different kinds orthoses and bandages for joints that stabilize the joint, limit the range of unnecessary movements, and reduce pain and swelling.

Alternative medicine

Very often, patients complement traditional treatment with alternative methods.

Important! This can only be done after consultation with a doctor, if you have no contraindications to one or another method of therapy.

Clay joint compress

Traditional treatment

Treatment with folk remedies is very popular among patients. Let's look at a few effective recipes:

1. Egg-vinegar ointment. To prepare, you will need 1 chicken egg, which you need to break into a jar and put the shell in there. Fill it all up vinegar essence so that the liquid covers the egg by 1 cm. Close the jar and place in a dark place for 5 days. During this time, the egg shell will dissolve. Then add 200 ml of vegetable oil and place the container in the sun for 4 days. All. The ointment is ready. It should be stored in the refrigerator and used to rub sore joints or as a compress in the evening every day.
2. Clay ointment. You need to take 100 grams of medicinal clay, which is sold in every pharmacy. Mix it with 50 ml sunflower oil. The ointment is ready. It must be applied to the inflamed joint in a thin layer for 1-2 hours, then carefully rinsed off. It is advisable to do such procedures daily until the pain subsides.
3. Salt compress. You will need coarse kitchen salt, which you need to heat well in a frying pan, then fold it into a natural fabric in the form of a bag. Apply to the affected area for 30 minutes daily until symptoms subside. Such treatment with folk remedies will help relieve pain and improve joint function.

Also popular among alternative methods of treating joint inflammation are apitherapy (treatment with bees), hirudotherapy (treatment with leeches), acupuncture, manual therapy, osteopathy, homeopathy.

In no case should you neglect the symptoms of joint inflammation, because in the acute period the disease can be successfully cured, which is very difficult to do if arthritis has become chronic.

Joint inflammation is a natural reaction of the body, which is manifested by one or another pathogenic effect. As a rule, inflammatory processes have a negative effect on the inner lining of the joint and arise through the accumulation of synovial fluid in them. Inflammation of the joints leads to damage to cartilage tissue, ligaments, and periarticular tissues, which painfully hurt and swell. There is also a limitation in the movement of the joint, their motor function And physical activity sick.

What do inflamed joints look like?

The danger of the disease lies in the deformation of the joint, disorders of the musculoskeletal system, which can be irreversible if treatment of the disease is not started in a timely manner.

Inflammation of the joints of the legs and arms

Soreness in the joints of the fingers can occur as a result of injury. It can be:

• fractures of arms, legs;
• sprains;
• bone displacement;
• other.

Inflammation of the joints for a woman can occur as a result hormonal imbalances. Weakened immunity, hereditary predisposition, metabolic disorders lead to the occurrence of a disease with pain in the joints of the arms and legs. Often, joint inflammation can occur during inflammation in the body. This depends on a number of diseases that can occur with greater or less intensity and affect the arms, legs, and spine. When the cartilage tissue of the hand is inflamed, the joint becomes deformed and the fingers become bent.

Gout often occurs on a person’s feet, and the joints of the hands also become inflamed. Joint inflammation thumb legs, arms is manifested by burning and intense pain. It is difficult for the patient to move his big toe or toe.

Reasons why the big toe becomes inflamed:

• hereditary predisposition;
• injury;
• uncomfortable shoes;
• poor nutrition;
• infectious diseases;
• hypothermia.

Inflammation ankle joint(arthritis) may depend on the following diseases:

• Bekhterev's disease;
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• joint psoriasis.

The course of these diseases leads to a significant burden on the immune system. Therefore, the immune system does not fully protect the body and accepts its own tissues as foreign. The disease gout contributes to metabolic disorders, which leads to the deposition of uric acid crystals into the joint cavity.

Important causes of ankle arthritis are flat feet and heavy loads. These factors can contribute to the long-term formation of microtraumas, which will lead to arthritis. The infectious nature of the disease occurs due to injuries to the joint.

How does arthritis of the hand joints manifest?

Inflammation in the elbow

Inflammation of the elbow can be internal or external. Internal formation - bursitis is manifested by inflammation of the joint capsule. External inflammatory process– epicondylitis is characterized by inflammation of the tendons and periosteum humerus. There are a large number of reasons due to which inflammation of the elbow joint occurs.

These factors include:

• fresh or untreated injuries;
• hypothermia;
• a bite of an insect;
• introduction of infection into circulatory system through a source with a chronic infection or from the surface of a wound.

When infection penetrates into the cavity of the elbow joint, inflammation of the elbow joint occurs. Among the main reasons, it is worth noting the working professional factor, which has a negative impact on the elbow, manifesting itself in the form of load (friction) of the joint, heavy lifting, and sudden movement of the elbow. As a result, minor injuries to the ligaments and condyles of the elbow occur, and the external structures in the elbow become inflamed.

Inflammation of the elbow joint

Knee inflammation

Tendinitis is a disease in which inflammation of the ligaments of the knee joint occurs. The course of the disease does not cause discomfort. Moreover, if the inflamed knee is not treated, the disease can become chronic.

Causes of inflammation of the ligaments in the knee:

• knee injury;
• sport exercises;
• age factor;
• deformation of limbs;
• poor posture;
• infectious diseases.

Due to certain difficulties during diagnosis and similar symptoms with other knee diseases, it is not always possible to detect meniscus damage. Therefore they appoint drug treatment, which is used during bruises and sprains.

Often after treatment, the patient returns to the normal rhythm of life. Over time, the knee joint experiences a full load, which can trigger the development of synovitis if there has been inappropriate treatment. Repeated injury to the knee joint or awkward movement can lead to another accumulation of synovial fluid in the knee joint. Then the function of the knee joint is impaired or the joint becomes blocked. This is called secondary inflammation of the meniscus or its chronic damage.

Inflammation of the meniscus is manifested by pain in the knee joint during movement. It is difficult for the patient to straighten the limb completely and sit down. Movements are carried out with outside help. When the blockade of the joint is removed, the function of the knee is restored.

This is what inflammation of the knee joint looks like

Spinal cord inflammation

Inflammation of the spinal cord (myelitis) rare disease, affects the entire area of ​​the spinal column at once or some sections. If left untreated, inflammation can lead to disability.

Inflammation can occur due to various factors and is classified based on a number of pathogens:

1. Viral – the presence of polio, rabies, influenza, measles, typhus, sepsis.
2. Bacterial – the causative agent of the disease is streptococcus, a spirochete.
3. Traumatic pathogen - injury to the vessels of the spinal cord. The disease myelitis occurs when there is a spinal injury or infection.
4. Post-vaccination – myelitis occurs after a person is vaccinated.

Regardless of the reasons listed, inflammation of the spinal cord can contribute to the suppression of the immune system and destroy nerve cells.

Inflammation of the spine (spondylitis) is characterized by a chronic course of the disease and contributes to destruction and deformation of the vertebrae. The disease process can manifest itself in the area of ​​the vertebrae, with ankylosing spondylitis. Also for osteomyelitis spinal column, in which inflammation of the spine begins from the bone marrow and spreads to the vertebrae.

Causes of spondylitis:

• specific - the presence of bacteria that causes changes in the vertebrae;
• nonspecific – microorganisms present contribute to the development of purulent formation;
• rheumatoid – previous diseases (angina, pyoderma, carditis), the causative agent is streptococcus.

Predisposing factors include a long-term decrease in the immune system, spinal injury, and chronic infections.

Effective treatment with aloe leaves

Traditional treatment

There are many diseases that result in inflammation of the joints, they cause inconvenience to the patient. Treatment can be long. To support the body during treatment, relieve inflammation, and speed up the healing process, you can resort to treatment at home using traditional medicine recipes.

One such remedy is aloe. Treatment with this plant will help relieve the patient from unbearable pain, speed up tissue restoration, and remove inflammation of the ligaments. Aloe leaves are juicy, so you can treat sore spots with the juice by taking it externally.

Effective treatment of the disease with aloe flower will be achieved if the plant is 3 years old.

Aloe juice at home should be taken before eating, 3 large spoons. Treatment with aloe leaves can also be done in this way. It is necessary to apply aloe to sore spots, after softening the leaves. Treatment is carried out on average 6 times per day.

Recipes

You will need to chop 5 cloves of garlic and half an onion. Mix the resulting mass. Then add a leaf from a 3-year-old aloe, a piece of wax, and a large spoonful of melted butter. Cook over low heat until boiling. Then grind the remaining lumps and cool. The compress is left on all night and wrapped in a scarf.

For the second recipe you need honey, aloe juice, and vodka. The compress is applied no more than 2 times a day. Treatment takes 30 minutes.

To make an ointment at home, you will need equal proportions of aloe juice, honey, and boiling water. It is necessary to evaporate the resulting mass in a water bath for 5 minutes, then cool. The compress should be applied before bedtime 1-2 times for 7 days. Treatment lasts on average 30 days.

Video. Joint inflammation

When using any prescription to get rid of an illness, you should consult your doctor. The reason is the possible harm to health during treatment with some of the drugs used.

The most complete answers to questions on the topic: “relieve joint inflammation quickly.”

The inflammatory process in joint tissue is physiological reaction organism to the development of various pathologies. Experts identify several reasons why joint inflammation occurs: injury, arthritis and other diseases. In addition, the appearance of a symptom may be a reaction to the presence of an infectious focus in the body.

Diseases that cause joint inflammation

Many patients ask : What is inflammation of the joints called in medical terminology? Most often, the inflammatory process in joint tissue is provoked by various diseases, so it does not have a specific name.

Most often, arthritis becomes a factor in the development of inflammation in the joint. This disease can manifest itself in various forms and be accompanied by symptoms of varying intensity .

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory process localized in the cartilage tissue that lines the joint. As the disease progresses, joint tissue wears out and severe pain appears. Usually seen in people over 40 years of age. The development of the disease can be determined by the presence of certain signs:

• pain in the joint area, the intensity of which may increase with movement;
• by palpating the sore spot, the appearance of compactions can be diagnosed;
• after a night's rest, a person may feel slight stiffness, which goes away after 30 minutes;
• The patient cannot move calmly and feels severe attacks pain;
• felt constant pressure in the affected area;
• At the moment of movement, you can hear the crunching of the joint.

If you have such signs, you should not self-medicate; you should urgently contact a medical facility.

Gout

This disease is a form of arthritis. May be accompanied by painful sensations in the joints, which become more intense with any movement. the disease develops against the background increased concentration uric acid from joint tissue and blood. The disease can become chronic and cause joint deformation. Gout manifests itself as a group of specific symptoms:

• attacks of acute pain that intensify at night;
• hyperemia of the skin in the area of ​​the affected joint tissue;
• tremor and weakness in the affected limbs;
• attacks of headache;
• hyperemia and hardening of tissue in the area of ​​the big toe;
• temperature due to inflammation of the joint.

With the development of this disease, in 15-20% of patients, the appearance of urolithiasis kidney disease, which develops if gout is not treated in time.

Rheumatoid arthritis

This is a rare disease of joint tissue, which is diagnosed in 1-2% of the total population. Such a disease can be attributed to autoimmune processes in the body, in which healthy cells of the body are attacked, and the joint tissue is primarily affected. The disease can be identified by some signs:

• if the left leg hurts during the development of the inflammatory process, then most likely the right leg is also affected by the disease;
• After an overnight rest, the patient feels tension in the joint, which may bother you throughout the day and only go away in the evening;
• general malaise, which can manifest itself in the form of: drowsiness, refusal to eat, dizziness, etc.

Medical workers also identify other diseases that can cause an inflammatory process in the joint tissue, which manifests itself to a greater or lesser extent.

1. Lupus.
2. Rheumatism.
3. Tick-borne borreliosis.
4. Polymyalgia rheumatica.
5. Ankylosing spondylitis.
6. Tuberculosis of the joint.
7. Crohn's disease.
8. Coccidiodomycosis.

The appearance of these diseases can provoke a deterioration in the patient’s condition and lead to total loss ability to work. Therefore, if a patient is diagnosed with any of these ailments, any attempts at self-medication are prohibited.

Symptoms of joint inflammation

Regardless of the disease that provokes the inflammatory process in the joint tissue, such an ailment is accompanied by some symptoms that can appear in combination or one at a time:

• an acute attack of pain that is observed in the area of ​​the affected joint tissue (the intensity may vary);
• swelling and hyperemia of the skin in the affected area;
• increased body temperature, which can manifest itself locally or generally;
• during movement, a slight crunching sound is heard and felt in the pathogenic zone;
• joint deformity;
• After a long stay in a stationary position, stiffness may appear.

The intensity of the manifestation of symptoms depends on the form of the pathological process in the inflamed joint.

Forms of the disease

Experts distinguish three forms of the pathological process: acute, chronic, and subacute.

The acute stage of the disease is characterized by the appearance of: acute pain, hyperemia of the skin in the affected area, swelling of the joint. But at the same time, with proper treatment, the disease goes away very quickly.

The chronic stage can be latent for a long time, but when a relapse develops, it is complicated by an increased intensity of symptoms, which lead to a decrease in the patient’s quality of life and complete loss of ability to work (disability).

In the subacute stage, redness and swelling of the joint are observed, accompanied by an increase in temperature in the affected area. During movement, the patient feels stiffness and severe attacks of pain in the pathogenic area.

Possible consequences

Many patients self-medicate or simply do not visit a specialist, allowing the disease to develop on its own. This main mistake many people, since the lack of proper treatment can lead to dangerous diseases:

• suppuration of tissue in the area of ​​the affected joint;
• blood poisoning (sepsis);
• bone displacement or subluxation in the affected area;
• inflammation of bone tissue;
• emergence of the head of the joint from the fossa;
• decreased functionality of joint tissue;
• phlegmon;
• contracture

All these complications can lead to disability. Therefore, it is better not to joke with your health and, when the first signs of joint inflammation appear, consult a doctor.

Diagnosis of the disease

Since the inflammatory process in the joint tissue can be provoked by various diseases, to identify the factor in the development of the disease, it is necessary to conduct a full examination of the joint. To do this, specialists use certain examination methods:

• examination and questioning of the patient, to compile an anamnesis of the person’s life and identify symptoms that concern the patient:
• laboratory testing of blood and urine to identify any abnormalities in the composition of physiological fluids;
• ultrasound diagnostics of the joint;
• radiography;
• MRI and CT;
• collection and examination of synovial fluid;
• arthroscopy, necessary to examine the joint tissue from the inside;
• biopsy of joint tissue;
• joint puncture.

After such diagnostic measures, a specialist will be able to make a diagnosis. Having assessed all possible risks and individual characteristics of the body, the doctor will prescribe treatment.

How to relieve joint inflammation

Many patients are interested in: how to treat joint inflammation? Treatment of joint pain should consist not simply of relieving the symptoms of the disease, but of therapy aimed at combating the cause of the disease. To do this, the doctor can use conservative and surgical treatment methods.