A joint is a connection between two bones. It allows the parts of the body like elbows, hips, knees, fingers and toes to bend or move. Some tissues like cartilage, ligaments, and joint tissues enable the free movement of the bones without friction or pain. However, due to too much pressure, the joint can damage causing different disorders or diseases. Joint health must be prioritized to prevent future health problems. The best way to prevent these problems is to take care of the joints. Keep the muscles, ligaments, and bones stable and strong.
Joint health symptoms
When the cartilage and bones are damaged, the muscles weaken too. This causes the joint to become unstable. The joint may increasingly change its shape and deformities can develop.
Rheumatoid affects the lining of the joint. It causes swelling, pain and deformities. Another deformity is the knobby fingers. Bony bumps on the small joints of the finger can interfere with hand function.
Causes of joint pain
Too much use of the muscles in doing tasks causes body pain. Arthritis makes the muscles tired. It can make the ligaments slack that causes muscle a joint strain.
- Inflammation inside the joint
It irritates the nerve endings and causes pain.
It happens when pain is felt in the other part of the body but the problem is somewhere else. An example to this is a pain in the leg is due to back nerve injury.
When the cartilage is badly damaged, the bone underneath wears and change its shape that causes very painful feeling.
- Putting extra pressure on the body joints
Carrying heavy loads develop pain in the knees, feet, hands, arms, and shoulders. Moreover, being overweight also increases the pressure on the joints that causes intense pain.
Diagnosis
Joint issues can be diagnosed by a number of tests such as:
- Blood tests
- X-rays
- MRI
- A joint aspiration
Prevention and treatment
The best way to prevent joint health issues is to keep the joints, ligaments and cartilage stable and strong. Below are some tips to preserve joint health:
- Build strong bones
- Rest your wrists
- Loss weight
- Avoid pain in the neck
- Avoid using high heels
- Handle heavy loads
- Avoid eating in fast foods and restaurants that serve preserved foods
Treatments include:
- Topical Analgesic products
- Nutritional Supplement
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain without inflammation
- Corticosteroid Medications such as cortisone or prednisone for reducing the swelling
- NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or aspirin for pain with inflammation
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