Joint pain throughout the body is not a disease but a symptom. At the same time, the painful sensations often spread to the muscles, as a result it can be difficult to even get out of bed. Many illnesses lead to these unpleasant consequences, pain treatment is impossible without establishing the exact cause. What symptoms to focus on and what to do?
The main causes of pain
If more than one joint hurts, not several, but all at once, this is a sign of systemic damage to the body. Furthermore, it is difficult to understand where exactly the pain is located - in the joints, muscles, bones or everywhere at once. Pain is felt throughout the body, making it difficult to locate. Because all joints can hurt:
- Very intense physical activity.
- Infectious diseases.
- Pathological changes in connective tissues.
- Diseases of the circulatory system.
- Oncological diseases.
- Neuralgia.
As can be seen above, it is impossible to immediately understand the causes of pain. The exact cause can only be established after passing the appropriate exams. If the previous day's hard physical work is excluded, we are talking about illnesses that need to be treated.
Because it is dangerous
First, severe pain throughout the body reduces mobility, but that is not the main danger. The main threat is the disease, which caused painful sensations in the joints. Self-medication in these cases is extremely dangerous as it will lead to the fact that only the symptoms will pass while the disease itself will progress. You can try to relieve pain and possible swelling yourself, but after that, you should definitely see a doctor.
disease symptoms
Any disease has symptoms that are just characteristic of it. As pain is the most noticeable sign, the first thing to do is define its characteristics:
- Type of pain (sharp, sharp, cramps).
- Location (joints, surrounding muscles, bones).
- Whether it moves through the body or in a separate area, it hurts constantly.
- Constant pain or convulsions are intermittent.
- The intensity of sensations.
In addition, the patient may experience weakness, severe fatigue, or muscle pain. Other symptoms vary depending on the specific cause of pain:
- Overvoltage. . . Excessive physical activity the day before can lead to the fact that the next day the whole body will ache. This is due to the production of lactic acid, which builds up in the muscles. In this case, a good warm-up is enough to relieve the pain.
- Infections. . . Joint pain often accompany illnesses such as flu, fever, meningitis, and even common acute respiratory infections in an advanced form. In addition to pain, the symptom is complemented by cough, rash, chills, weakness, nausea and indigestion, high body temperature.
- viral hepatitis. . . In liver damage, in addition to possible pain, there is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, a deterioration of appetite.
- Pathological changes in connective tissue. . . Arthritis, lupus erythematosus, polymyositis - all of which can cause joint pain. In addition, some diseases of the heart, kidneys, lungs, vascular and nervous system can also cause painful sensations in the joints.
- blood diseases. . . In addition to the sensation of pain in the body, the patient has a fever, the skin becomes pale, the lymph nodes, liver and spleen enlarge. In this state, vulnerability to infectious diseases increases. In the acute form, these diseases are fatal if not treated in time.
- Oncology. . . With oncologic tissue damage, joint pain may appear earlier than the disease itself is diagnosed. Also, symptoms such as weakness, weight loss, lack of appetite, fever, mood swings, depression speak about oncology.
- Neuralgia. . . With diseases of the nervous system, in addition to pain in the joints and muscles, the patient may experience numbness in the fingertips, loss of sensation and weakness. Also, the hair starts to fall out and the skin becomes drier and thinner.
If joint pain is accompanied by any of the symptoms listed, this is a reason to see a specialist.
diagnostic methods
Who to contact with complaints of pain throughout the body:
- Rheumatologist.
- Hematologist.
- Oncologist.
- Infectionist.
After the doctor has examined the patient and heard complaints, he or she should refer the patient for examination. To identify the diagnosis, the following diagnostic methods are used:
- General analysis of urine.
- General blood analysis.
- Blood biochemistry.
- Blood test and LHC smear.
- Bone marrow puncture.
- CT and MRI.
- Neuromyography.
A comprehensive examination will provide a complete picture of the patient's condition. Only then can we talk about a specific disease and prescribe a treatment.
Joint Pain Treatment
The method of treatment is chosen by the physician based on the data obtained during the examination. The most common is drug therapy. A wide variety of medications can treat almost any cause of joint pain. The choice of drug groups depends on the type of disease:
- antibiotics
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Analgesics.
- Hormonal agents.
- Immunosuppressants
- Cytostatics.
Many drugs in the groups listed have serious contraindications - some of them should not be taken in the presence of tumors. Also, almost all medications have their own contraindications and side effects. This is one of the reasons why it is impossible to independently select medications and take them without thinking. The exact dosage and type of medication are prescribed only by a doctor. If after the course of administration there are no results, the specialist can substitute the drug for another one.
Surgery is needed in extreme cases when drug therapy is impotent. Normally, the operation is prescribed for tumor diseases and blood disorders. In the case of cancer, the operation can be complemented with radiotherapy and, in the case of serious blood diseases, a bone marrow transplant is necessary.
Prophylaxis
To prevent your joints from aching, you need to follow six simple recommendations:
- proper nutrition. . . First, a balanced menu will give the body all the substances it needs for normal functioning. Second, eating right will help you keep the weight off. Obesity is known to be one of the causes of joint pain.
- Chondroitin and glucosamine. . . These substances are essential for joint health. They are found in meat, cartilage and fish.
- drinking regime. . . The liquid helps to establish the metabolism, if there is not enough water in the body, the nutrition of the organs, muscles and joints will be insufficient. You need to drink about 2 liters of water a day.
- Physical activity. . . Even normal morning gymnastics will help to normalize blood circulation, as a result, your joints will receive enough nutrients.
- Caution. . . Any joint damage must be avoided.
- Vitamin complexes and dietary supplements. . . The missing vitamins and minerals can be obtained in the preparations, the main thing is to choose them correctly.
Simple tips can help keep your joints healthy. In addition to adapting the diet and daily routine, it is necessary to periodically undergo preventive examinations with doctors. This will help detect the disease early and start treatment.