68% of our society between the ages of 35 and 65 have had joint pain in the last year, with women suffering the most, and it will depend on the type of pain and its cause.
Joint pain (arthralgia) is a symptom, and not a disease as such. Any person can present it for different reasons, regardless of their sex and age, making their daily life difficult and affecting the quality of life of those who suffer from it.
As he explains, “Dr. Santiago Solsona Espín, from the LENOX-Corachanel Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology Service, joint pain produces discomfort, inflammation, functional impotence and localized pain in any part of a joint. The specialist indicates that the pain “can occur in the cartilage, bone, ligaments, tendons or muscles, and may be of mild, moderate or severe intensity.”
It is estimated that joint and musculoskeletal pain has a high prevalence of between 25-70%, depending on the origin, genetic factors, age, habits, environment, perception of pain, attitude towards health and ways to cope with the disease. That is, at least one in four people lives with this type of pain and, depending on age and other factors, it can reach seven out of ten.
Dr. Santiago Solsona Espín, from the LENOX-Corachan Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology Service
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Age is a key determinant in this type of pain, which is closely related to degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis and the natural aging of our musculoskeletal system. In Spain, osteoarthritis affects 10% of the general population. The global prevalence of osteoarthritis in the population over 40 years of age is 29.35%. In people over 65 years of age, the prevalence reaches 80%, with its highest incidence between 60 and 70 years of age, affecting women 3 times more than men. The symptoms of osteoarthritis are usually progressive and prolonged over time.
68% of our society between the ages of 35 and 65 have had joint pain in the last year, with women suffering the most (73%), and it will depend on the type of pain (mechanical or inflammatory) and its cause (osteoarthritis >60 years, inflammatory-reactive 4-12 years and 20-50 years, traumatic 25-35 years).
Causes
The causes of joint pain can be mechanical or inflammatory in origin. When it is mechanical, it is characteristic of degenerative processes such as osteoarthritis or osteoporosis, and the pain increases with movement and effort, and improves with rest and local heat. However, if the origin of the pain is inflammatory, as in rheumatoid arthritis, it does not improve with rest and is accompanied by redness, inflammation of the joints, and even progressive deformity and weakening of the joints.
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Usually, joint pain, or arthralgia, is caused by chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis, although it also occurs for other reasons such as tendinitis and bursitis, traumatic injuries (fractures or sprains), metabolic diseases ( microcrystal deposits, hyperuricemia or gout), viral or bacterial infections and oncological processes.
The main symptoms of arthritis are pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints, which usually worsen with age
Knees
The knee joints suffer the most, followed by those of the spine, hands, hips and shoulders.
Arthritis and osteoarthritis are often confused. Dr. Solsona clarifies that osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis. The specialist at Clínica Corachan explains that: “Arthritis is the swelling and sensitivity of one or more of the joints,” and that its “main symptoms are pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints, which usually worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and metabolic diseases (gout).
Osteoarthritis (or osteoarthritis), specifically, says Solsona, “is the most common degenerative joint disease “in which there is a destruction or loss of the hyaline cartilage that covers the bone surfaces, inflammation of the synovial membrane and a weakening of the periarticular muscles.”
Exercise has been shown to be beneficial and safe for people with arthritis.
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The symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint pain, stiffness, inflammation and limitation of movement. In the case of osteoarthritis, discomfort appears when using the joints after prolonged inactivity and usually improves with gentle physical activity and rest.
Rheumatism
We speak of rheumatism or rheumatism to refer to the set of discomforts or pains related to the musculoskeletal system and its soft parts: tendon diseases, bursitis, myopathies and myositis, connective tissue diseases… Rheumatic diseases are highly prevalent, and it is estimated that they affect one in five people. The most common are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, osteoporosis and soft tissue rheumatism.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory joint disease that especially affects the hands, wrists, knees and feet. The most common manifestation of established rheumatoid arthritis is pain in the affected joints, which is aggravated by movement.
Generalized rigidity is common after periods of inactivity. Normally, the joints present inflammation, heating and limitation of movement, being more prominent in large joints, such as the knee and small joints of the hands, with joint deformity as the disease progresses.
To relieve pain, it is recommended to use warm baths, massages and stretching exercises as often as possible.
Does the pain heal?
“There are cases in which it is not possible to completely eliminate the discomfort of pain, but what can be done is to carry out certain actions that help reduce it,” says Dr. Solsona. And he explains that “when joint pain is not caused by arthritis, both rest and exercise are important.”
It also recommends “using warm baths, massages and stretching exercises as often as possible.”
Treatment of joint pain should be aimed at treating the disorder that causes said pain. Generally, its symptoms can be relieved before or after knowing the definitive diagnosis. The most common treatments tend to be anti-inflammatory, intra-articular injections of corticosteroids and local anesthetic, antibiotics and surgical drainage in case of infection and complemented with physiotherapy or rehabilitation.
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Biological and regenerative treatments with intra-articular infiltrations of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), stem cells and mononucleated cell concentrates (monocytes) is especially indicated in patients with osteoarthritis, since it manages to reduce pain and other common symptoms of this rheumatic disease.
Immobilization of the joint with a splint or sling can sometimes relieve pain. The application of heat and cold also serves to help pain caused by inflammation (heat in inflammatory/rheumatic/osteoarthritis pathology and cold in traumatic/mechanical pathology).
How to prevent pain
The best way to prevent joint pain is by practicing moderate physical exercise on a regular basis, since this strengthens joint mobility while strengthening our muscles. The sooner we start and are consistent, the better, with no limit on age, but we will always adapt the activity to the functional physical condition and chronological age of each person.
Maintaining a balanced diet, with a correct calcium intake will strengthen bones. It is advisable to avoid habits such as excessive alcohol or tobacco consumption, a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight.
The prevention of joint pain – according to the Corachan specialist – “has to be aimed at slowing down the process of cartilage degeneration as much as possible, increasing the lubrication of the joints, and reducing inflammation and pain.”
It is advisable to take dietary supplements for at least one to three months to begin to notice their benefits. The beneficial effects last as long as the supplement is taken daily
We can find different products that can help us improve these symptoms, such as dietary or food supplements such as collagen, silicon, glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate. Dr. Santiago Solsona points out that “food supplements with collagen help reduce pain, while having other beneficial effects such as tissue regeneration of cartilage, bone and tendons and improving joint mobility. “They also help to avoid and prevent sports injuries and recover sooner from them and reduce joint pain in elderly people.”
Food supplements with collagen are especially indicated for people with pain caused by wear and tear, aging or trauma, athletes, overweight people and women and men over 35 years of age.
As Dr. Santiago Solsona points out, “it is advisable to take these supplements for at least one to three months to begin to notice their benefits. The beneficial effects last as long as the supplement is taken daily. We can associate these supplements with turmeric as a natural anti-inflammatory and harpagocyte as an antioxidant, as well as maintaining moderate and regular physical activity.”
The role of inflammation or synovitis in joint pain has led to an increase in research aimed at identifying new pharmacological targets related to this process, to try to reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life of affected people. They may be symptom controllers or disease modifiers, to slow the progression of joint deterioration, as well as reduce inflammation.