Musculoskeletal complaints account for the majority of chronic pain disorders in Germany. Back pain is the most common. Pain due to bone loss (osteoporosis) and signs of wear and tear on the joints (osteoarthritis) are also very common. Inflammatory joint diseases are also a common cause of joint pain.
Here you will find further information and selected doctors for joint pain.
The human body consists of more than 200 bones, some of which only have a protective function (e.g. the skull bones) or, in the majority of cases, can be connected and moved against each other via around 100 movable joints .
All surfaces where bones meet are referred to as non-genuine joints. There are also bone connections through which no movement is possible (here too, for example, the bones of the skull). These immobile joint connections are also referred to as non-genuine joints, and if they are included, the total number of joints is 360.
How does the interaction of bones work?
The interaction of
ensures the stability and mobility of the human body. This interaction is extremely important for our everyday life, work and sporting activities. However, the pain-free functionality of bones and joints is also essential for an individual's independence. As joints are under constant strain, they are also susceptible to diseases and painful conditions.
There are a variety of causes of bone and joint pain, which fortunately often occur harmlessly as a reaction to overuse and quickly disappear again after temporary rest.
However, there are also serious and chronic(long-lasting) illnesses that can lead to bone and joint pain. These include, for example
Osteoarthritis(joint wear and tear) is the most common cause of joint pain and movement disorders, the likelihood of which increases with age. Osteoarthritis involves wear and tear damage that affects the bone, but primarily the joint cartilage. Cartilage covers the bones of every joint and is a tissue that is only slightly supplied with blood. Articular cartilage is therefore susceptible to overloading and chronic damage, especially at an advanced age.
However, younger patients can also develop osteoarthritis, for example due to incorrect or excessive strain. Osteoarthritis therefore occurs primarily in joints that are incorrectly or overloaded, e.g. due to
As people move upright and therefore put far more strain on the lower extremities (legs) than the upper extremities (arms), the knee and hip joints are most frequently affected by joint wear in humans. This is also referred to as osteoarthritis of the knee joint (medically known as gonarthrosis) or osteoarthritis of the hip joint (medically known as coxarthrosis).
The video shows osteoarthritic cartilage wear in the knee joint and its consequences:
The shock-absorbing articular cartilage in particular can hardly recover from damage. It contains no blood vessels and is therefore not supplied with nutrients by blood. Without cartilage, the bones rub directly against each other, creating sharp edges in the joint that cause pain. In advanced stages, you may also hear a crunching sound.
The edges and corners in the joint can cause the joint to become inflamed, which can exacerbate the pain. This is referred to as "activated osteoarthritis", which means that the chronic joint wear and tear is worsened by inflammation. Once the inflammation has subsided, the pain usually subsides and the condition prior to "activation" is restored.
There are several diseases that can lead to osteoarthritis. These include, among others:
Rheumatism, often also referred to as rheumatoid arthritis, is a disease process in which the body views the synovial membrane as foreign. It then reacts with inflammation and rejection.
The disease mainly affects small joints, such as the joints of the fingers. It can lead to deformed, painful joints.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease that primarily affects the spine. It leads to pain and increasing stiffness of the spine.
Four to six million people in Germany suffer from osteoporosis. This is a pathological loss of bone mass due to a lack of calcium in the bones. Older women are particularly at risk. This is why the osteoporotic hunchback is popularly known as the "widow's hump".
At the beginning of the disease, back pain occasionally occurs.
Unfortunately, osteoporosis is often only taken seriously when the first bones break. With advanced osteoporosis, slipping or stumbling can lead to very painful fractures.
© freshidea / Fotolia
Joints frequently affected by osteoarthritis and joint pain are
Hip joint: Signs of wear and tear are particularly common here. The hip joint is under constant strain and has to bear a large part of the body's weight. The cartilage that protects the acetabulum and the femoral head becomes thinner and thinner as a result of cartilage wear. Eventually, the two bones rub against each other, which can make walking very painful.
Knee joint: Knee pain can have many different causes. Pain is often caused by signs of wear and tear, for example as a result of
In the knee joint, the shock-absorbing menisci fail due to wear and tear, resulting in meniscus damage.
Hand and finger joints: The joints of the hand and fingers can hurt both due to wear and tear in osteoarthritis and due to inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis . In osteoarthritis, often only individual joints are affected, depending on the load. The metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb is often affected in manual workers, as it is subject to the greatest strain and is stressed with almost every hand movement. In rheumatoid arthritis, several joints on both hands are often affected.
It is often the case that those affected take it easy or adopt a "crooked" posture because of the pain. This often leads to weight gain, which further aggravates the problem due to the increased stress on the joints. The incorrect posture caused by resting means that pain in the ligaments and muscles around the joint is inevitable and a vicious circle begins.
It is therefore important to recognize and treat painful joint and bone diseases as early as possible .
Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis are diseases that continue to progress. Once the cartilage and bones of a joint have been destroyed, the damage can no longer be reversed. However, the pain can usually be alleviated with consistent therapy. The disease process can also be slowed down or even stopped.
The treatment options include
The treatment of pain should depend on its severity. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are appropriate for mild to moderate joint and bone pain. These are drugs with the active ingredients diclofenac or ibuprofen, which both
inflammation.
Stronger painkillers, known as opioids, are also prescribed for severe and very severe joint and bone pain. They are used in particular when pain cannot be adequately treated with simple painkillers.
Wearing supports, physiotherapy, massages, muscle and movement training help to maintain joint mobility. They also prevent incorrect posture.
Individual nutritional advice is worthwhile in the case of inflammatory bone diseases or certain underlying diseases. Diet can have a positive influence on symptoms. Those affected should avoid foods that promote inflammation and give preference to anti-inflammatory substances.
Vitamin D is a bone-strengthening vitamin. It is formed through the skin from UV radiation in sunlight and is absorbed through the diet. As a fat-soluble variant of vitamin D3, it is particularly easy for the body to utilize.
A balanced and healthy diet can have a positive effect on some forms of joint disease © bit24 / Fotolia
In certain cases, it may be necessary to relieve the joints through surgery. It may be possible to restore a joint affected by wear and tear. If nothing helps, an endoprosthesis as an artificial joint replacement(hip prosthesis, knee prosthesis) is an option, especially for the hip and knee joint.
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