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Joint stiffness or roughness
Joint stiffness is a condition in which cartilage wears out over time, joints are exposed, and bone protrusions appear. Which causes pain, swelling and impotence. (Cartilage is a flexible material that covers the ends of the bones, facilitates the movement of the joints, and works to prevent the friction of the bones with each other), as there is in each joint a synovial membrane that softens the movement of the joints, facilitates their sliding, and protects the joint from the shocks it is exposed to, and what distinguishes this membrane is that It contains a high percentage of hyaluronic acid, which gives the joint a flexible and sticky texture to perform with high efficiency, but if the joint is exposed to roughness, the inflammation affects the synovium as well. This doubles the increase in secretions, the proportion of hyaluronic acid responsible for the flexibility and viscosity of the joint decreases, and thus it loses its role, and fluid accumulates in the joint causing swelling.
Symptoms of joint roughness
- Sounds of crackling from the joint: it may make sounds from the joints when moving or touching them, and we notice them in the knees a lot.
- Spasms and contractions: They occur in the tendons attached to the joint.
- Muscle weakness: the muscles surrounding the joint are weakened in case of stiffness, especially in the knee joint.
- Pain: It is considered the main reason for the detection of joint roughness, and it is usually severe pain, and a feeling of burning in general, as the pain appears and disappears, but if the pain continues in the joint, this is an indication of the progression of the disease.
- Joint deformity: The deformation appears clearly in the joint with the progression of the disease.
- Swelling: osteoarthritis causes a slight swelling in the joint, especially in the knee.
- Rigidity: The affected person feels rough in the movement of the joints, especially when waking up from sleep, and he also feels sluggish.
- Sleep disturbances: Joint pain causes disturbances in the patient's sleep.
Causes of joint stiffness or roughness
- Weight gain: It is the main cause of joint stiffness, as excess weight constitutes a great burden on the joints.
- Old age: the older a person gets, the less the person is able to carry his body, and therefore, it is possible for him to become stiff or stiff in the joints.
- Genetics: Scientific studies have shown that there is a relationship between heredity and joint stiffness.
- Women get this disease more often than men; This is because women are exposed to many factors in their lives that expose them to calcium deficiency and stress, such as: pregnancy, lactation, and others.
- The presence of other joint diseases, such as: rheumatoid arthritis, or gout, and this may lead to stiffness or roughness of the joints.
- Joint fatigue, frequent injuries, especially in football players.
- Bow legs: where the arched leg is weak, and therefore, the chance of getting rough is high.
Disease detection methods
The disease is detected and diagnosed by one of the following methods:
- Clinical examination of the patient: where it is found that there are some signs and nodules (heberidine and Bouchard), which are swellings that appear on the toes of the feet or hands.
- Conducting medical examinations and analyzes; This is to check for other joint injuries.
- Making x-rays of the affected joints, as the image shows the narrowing of the space between the bones; This is due to cartilage wear.
- Get magnetic resonance imaging scans. This is to check if there are other injuries to the joint
Treatment of joint stiffness or roughness
There are several treatments for joint stiffness, and the treatment may be natural, surgical, or by taking medications and drugs.
Treatment by surgery
This treatment is used in the event that natural treatments or medicines do not work, and it is also used in advanced cases, and it is possible that the surgery is through laparoscopic, which is an easy process, and does not require major surgery, as the place is cleaned, and damaged parts of the cartilage are removed or Repairing the damage, and surgery can also be done by replacing the damaged cartilage with artificial ones.
natural therapy
The treatment is done naturally, with the aim of reducing pain, and relieving stiffness and swelling. Treatment is done by the following:
- Eat nutritious foods that contain large amounts of vitamins and calcium that prevent pain, and eat large amounts of seafood that contain glucosamine and chondroitin, as well as foods that contain large amounts of vitamin C and omega-3, which is very useful in treating Rough and stiff joints.
- Doing some sports activities and massages, as it relieves pain, and relieves stiffness and roughness.
- Percutaneous electrical stimulation of the nerve: where a small device is used that generates light electrical impulses, which stimulate the nerves adjacent to the joints, thus interfering with the pain signals directed to the brain, thus being effective in pain relief.
- Heat treatments: They aim to relieve pain, reduce swelling, and feel relaxed by cooling and heating.
- Ultrasound: uses high-powered ultrasound; To improve blood circulation in tissues damaged by heating, as well as increase the diffusion of ions and fluids across the membranes; This helps reduce joint swelling.
Treatment with medication and drugs
There is no sure and effective treatment for joint stiffness and roughness, but there are painkillers that work to relieve pain for a period of time, and these painkillers include the following:
- Glucosamine: as it turns into glycosaminoglycans, which enter the composition of the cartilage, and therefore, it helps prevent the development of the disease and relieve pain, and it also helps in late cases of the disease, and it is available in pharmacies in the form of injections and topical creams.
- NSAIDs: They work to reduce pain, get rid of infections, and prevent swelling, but too much of them leads to side effects, especially on the stomach, so it is advised to be careful when taking them, and to see a doctor as well.
- Paracetamol: It is a pain reliever. It is used if the pain is mild or moderate. It does not work in advanced cases of the disease.
- Hyaluronic acid: It is used for pain relief, as it increases the viscosity of the synovial fluid of the joint, and is available in pharmacies in the form of injections that are given to the injured, when analgesics and physiotherapy do not help in relieving pain, as only one injection is given every three weeks.
- Cortisone: It is used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, as it is given by injection, and scientific studies have proven that there is no side effect to it.
Alternative medicine treatment
- Ginger: Ginger drink with honey helps treat roughness.
- Daily massage of the joints with olive oil mixed with warm radish oil.
- Eat more eggs, onions, garlic, and asparagus. Because they contain sulfur needed to build cartilage.
- Chili: Mix chilli with olive oil, and rub with it on the affected area.
- Mustard: Put the legs in a mustard seed soak daily.
- Essential oils: There are many essential oils that are used to relieve pain, including: eucalyptus oil, clove oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, and olive oil.
- Cupping: It is one of the well-known prophetic medicine methods, as it has great benefits for the joints and knees, as it works to stimulate blood circulation in it, and it also has a great role in reducing joint inflammation, by extracting prostaglandin from inside, which works to increase the proportion of Inflammation, and also works to activate the synovial membrane, which secretes the oily substance in the joint, and which works to prevent friction.
