Joint pain throughout the body is not a disease, but a symptom. At the same time, painful sensations often spread to the muscles, as a result, it can be difficult even to get out of bed. Many diseases lead to such 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 everything at once, this is a sign of systemic damage to the body. In addition, it is difficult to understand exactly where the pain is localized - in the joints, muscles, bones, or everywhere at once. The pain is felt throughout the body, making it difficult to locate. Because of what all joints can hurt:
- Too intense physical activity.
- Infectious diseases.
- Pathological changes in connective tissues.
- Diseases of the circulatory system.
- Oncological diseases.
- Neuralgia.
As can be seen from the above, it is impossible to immediately understand the causes of pain. The exact cause can be established only after passing the appropriate examinations. If hard physical work the day before is excluded, we are talking about diseases that need to be treated.
Why is it dangerous
First of all, severe pain throughout the body reduces mobility, but this is not the main danger. The main threat is the disease, which provoked painful sensations in the joints. It is extremely dangerous to self-medicate in such cases, since 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 on your own, but after that you should definitely consult a doctor.
Disease symptoms
Any disease has symptoms that are characteristic only of it. Since pain is the most noticeable sign, the first thing to do is to define its characteristics:
- Type of pain (aching, sharp, cramps).
- Localization (joints, muscles around, bones).
- Whether it moves through the body, or a separate area constantly hurts.
- Constant pain or seizures are intermittent.
- The intensity of the sensations.
In addition, the patient may feel weakness, severe fatigue or muscle aches. Further symptoms vary depending on the specific cause of the 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 sufficient to relieve pain.
- Infections. . . Joint aches often accompany diseases such as flu, fever, meningitis, and even ordinary acute respiratory infections in an advanced form. In addition to pain, the symptom is complemented by cough, skin rash, chills, weakness, nausea and indigestion, high body temperature.
- Viral hepatitis. . . With liver damage, in addition to possible pain, there is a yellowness of the skin and whites of the eyes, a deterioration in appetite.
- Pathological changes in connective tissue. . . Arthritis, lupus erythematosus, polymyositis - all these can provoke joint pain. In addition, some diseases of the heart, kidneys, lungs, vascular and nervous systems can also lead to painful sensations in the joints.
- Diseases of the blood. . . In addition to the sensation of aches in the body, the patient experiences fever, the skin becomes pale, the lymph nodes, liver and spleen increase in size. In this state, the vulnerability to infectious diseases increases. In an acute form, such diseases are life-threatening if not treated in time.
- Oncology. . . With oncological tissue damage, joint pain may appear earlier than the disease itself is diagnosed. In addition, symptoms such as weakness, weight loss, poor 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 sensitivity, and weakness. In addition, hair begins to fall out and the skin becomes drier and thinner.
If joint pain is accompanied by any of the listed symptoms, this is a reason to consult a specialist.
Diagnostic methods
Who to contact with complaints of pain throughout the body:
- Rheumatologist.
- Hematologist.
- Oncologist.
- Infectionist.
After the doctor examines the patient and hears the complaints, he should send the patient for examination. To identify the diagnosis, the following diagnostic methods are used:
- General urine analysis.
- General blood analysis.
- Blood biochemistry.
- LHC blood and smear analysis.
- Puncture of the bone marrow.
- CT and MRI.
- Neuromyography.
A comprehensive examination will give a complete picture of the patient's condition. Only then can we talk about a specific disease and prescribe treatment.
Joint pain treatment
The method of treatment is chosen by the doctor depending on the data obtained during the examination. The most common is drug therapy. A wide range 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.
- Pain relievers.
- Hormonal agents.
- Immunosuppressants.
- Cytostatics.
Many drugs from the listed groups have serious contraindications - some of them should not be taken in the presence of tumors. In addition, almost all medications have their own contraindications and side effects. This is one of the reasons why you cannot choose the drugs yourself and take them thoughtlessly. The exact dosage and type of medication is prescribed only by a doctor. If after the course of administration there are no results, the specialist can replace the drug with another.
Surgery is required in extreme cases when drug therapy is powerless. Usually, the operation is prescribed for tumor diseases and blood diseases. In the case of cancer, the operation can be complemented by radiation therapy, and in the case of serious blood diseases, a bone marrow transplant is required.
Prophylaxis
To prevent your joints from hurting, you need to follow six simple recommendations:
- Proper nutrition. . . Firstly, a balanced menu will give the body all the substances necessary for normal functioning. Secondly, eating well will help you maintain your weight. 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. . . Liquid helps to establish metabolism, if there is not enough water in the body, the nutrition of organs, muscles and joints will be insufficient. You need to drink about 2 liters of water per day.
- Physical activity. . . Even ordinary gymnastics in the morning will help normalize blood circulation, as a result, the joints will receive enough nutrients.
- Caution. . . Any joint injury should be avoided.
- Vitamin complexes and dietary supplements. . . The missing vitamins and minerals can be obtained from preparations, the main thing is to choose them correctly.
Simple tips can help keep your joints healthy. In addition to adjusting the diet and daily regimen, it is necessary to periodically undergo preventive examinations with doctors. This will help to notice the disease in time and start treatment.