Joint pain all over the body is not a disease, but a symptom. At the same time, the painful sensations often spread to the muscles, therefore, it may even be difficult to get out of bed. Many diseases lead to such unpleasant consequences, treatment of pain 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, it is a sign of systemic damage to the body. In addition, 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 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 the above shows, it is impossible to immediately understand the causes of pain. The exact cause can only be established after passing the appropriate examinations. If we exclude the arduous physical work of the day before, we are talking about diseases that must 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 disease, which caused painful sensations in the joints. Self-medication in such cases is extremely dangerous, because it will lead to the fact that only the symptoms will disappear, while the disease itself will progress. You can try to relieve the possible pain and swelling on your own, but after that you should definitely see a doctor.
Symptoms of the disease
Any disease has symptoms that are characteristic only of it. Pain being the most noticeable sign, the first thing to do is to define its characteristics:
- Type of pain (pain, sharpness, cramps).
- Location (joints, muscles around, bones).
- Whether it moves around the body or a separate area constantly hurts.
- Constant pain or seizures are intermittent.
- The intensity of the sensations.
In addition, the patient may experience weakness, severe fatigue or muscle pain. Other 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 be sore. 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 accompanies illnesses such as influenza, fever, meningitis, and even ordinary 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. . . With liver damage, in addition to possible pain, there is yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, deterioration of appetite.
- Pathological changes in connective tissue. . . Arthritis, lupus erythematosus, polymyositis - all of these can cause joint pain. In addition, certain diseases of the heart, kidneys, lungs, vascular and nervous systems can also cause painful sensations in the joints.
- Blood diseases. . . In addition to the feeling of stiffness 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, these 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, lack of appetite, fever, mood swings, depression speak of 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, the 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 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 the complaints, he should send the patient for examination. To identify the diagnosis, the following diagnostic methods are used:
- General urine analysis.
- General blood test.
- Biochemistry of blood.
- LHC blood and smear analysis.
- Bone marrow puncture.
- CT and MRI.
- Neuromyography.
A full examination will give a complete picture of the patient's condition. Only then can we talk about a specific disease and prescribe treatment.
Treatment of joint pain
The method of treatment is chosen by the doctor 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 groups of drugs depends on the type of disease:
- Antibiotics
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Pain relief.
- Hormonal agents.
- Immunosuppressants
- Cytostatic.
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 drugs have their own contraindications and side effects. This is one of the reasons why it is impossible to independently select drugs and take them without thinking. The exact dosage and type of drug is prescribed only by a doctor. If after administration no result is obtained, the specialist can replace the drug with another.
Surgery is needed in extreme cases when drug therapy is powerless. Usually, the operation is prescribed for tumor diseases and blood diseases. In case of cancer, the operation may be supplemented by radiation therapy, and in case of serious blood diseases, a bone marrow transplant is necessary.
Prophylaxis
To prevent your joints from hurting, you need to follow six simple recommendations:
- Adequate nutrition. . . First of all, a balanced menu will provide the body with all the substances necessary for normal functioning. Second, 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 healthy joints. They are found in meat, cartilage and fish.
- Alcohol diet. . . The liquid helps to establish the metabolism, if there is not enough water in the body, the nutrition of organs, muscles and joints will be insufficient. You should drink about 2 liters of water per day.
- Physical activity. . . Even ordinary gymnastics in the morning will help normalize blood circulation, so that the joints will receive enough nutrients.
- To warn. . . Any joint injury should be avoided.
- Vitamin complexes and food 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 routine, it is necessary to periodically undergo preventive examinations by doctors. This will help to detect the disease in time and start treatment.