It is not uncommon for people to suffer from joint pain. They reduce motor activity and the quality of human life. Thus, enthesopathy is a chronic condition that combines inflammation at the site of attachment of tendons and ligaments. Basically, large joints that experience a lot of stress suffer.
Enthesopathy is a disease that occurs in almost 75% of people. As a rule, it develops in the hip, knee and shoulder joint.
Joint enthesopathy - what is it?
The disease is rapidly developing. It should be taken seriously. If you do not start treating enthesopathy in time, then as a result, your working capacity can be greatly reduced, and in other cases, some become disabled.
When the disease worsens, inflammation begins with severe pain, which is referred to as periarthritis.
Enthesopathy is a disease that begins to affect the tendons where they attach to the bone. If no measuresare undertaken, it begins to spread to cartilage and periarticular tissues. In turn, due to chronic inflammation, rough connective tissue is formed. On the latter, areas of ossification appear in the ligaments and tendons. As a result, they become very vulnerable. And pain becomes chronic.
Causes of disease
As a rule, the disease begins to develop due to:
- congenital skeletal anomalies;
- cervical osteochondrosis with radicular syndromes;
- microtrauma in ligaments and tendons;
- metabolic disorders, gout and osteoporosis;
- prolonged physical overload;
- endocrine and infectious diseases;
- autoimmune and inflammatory joint diseases such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Most often this diagnosis is made to people whose professions are painter, dancer, plasterer and athlete.
Enthesopathy symptoms
The disease is divided into two types:
- on mechanical development: primary inflammatory and primary degenerative;
- on anatomical basis: knee, shoulder, heel, hip.
The main symptoms of this disease include:
- poor he alth, decreased emotional tone, weakness. Disability is observed only in cases that were not subjected to timely proper treatment;
- Limited range of motion and stiff joints;
- joint pain. They arehave a aching character and increase with movement.
As a rule, the disease is one-sided. But, if you turn to a specialist with a great delay, then the other limb begins to disturb the patient. This is explained by the fact that a decrease in the activity of the muscles of the diseased side leads to chronic overload.
Complications of the disease
The consequences of enthesopathy can be as follows:
- deformation of the affected area;
- muscle atrophy;
- torn ligaments and tendons;
- periostitis;
- contracture;
- chronic pain syndrome.
What are the characteristics of knee enthesopathy?
Basically, this disease affects the fair sex in old age with increased body weight. In addition, the disease can develop due to long jump and weightlifting.
The knee joint of any person is constantly under stress, exposed to hypothermia and injuries. It is also a developed tendon-ligamentous apparatus. Due to atherosclerosis and varicose veins, the lower limbs suffer more often.
Synovial fluid is a substance that fills the cavity of the articular bag of the knee. Thanks to it, there is an easy sliding of the surfaces of the joints relative to each other. In order for the amount of fluid produced to be sufficient, motor activity on the lower limbs and also physical activity are needed.
Mostly, the tendons of the muscles that converge in the area ofpopliteal fossa. Unpleasant sensations become stronger when descending or climbing stairs. It also hurts when bending and turning. On palpation of the popliteal fossa, discomfort is noted.
Features of disease in other species
If the biceps tendon is affected, enthesopathy of the shoulder joint may develop as a result. When a person rotates his arm, pain appears that spreads along the upper surface of the shoulder. The patient cannot move his arm to the side or raise it above his head. On the side where there is an injured shoulder, the person cannot sleep. He is also in severe pain.
Enthesopathy of the hip joints is also referred to as trochanteritis. This disease affects people who have damaged the tendon of the outer muscle group of the thigh. Also, as in the previous form, the patient cannot sleep on the affected side. He suffers from strong discomfort on the thigh. A person cannot sit on a chair with his legs crossed. In addition, it is even difficult for him to just sit.
Enthesopathy of the ischial tuberosity is a disease in which there is inflammation of the tendons at the point of attachment. The disease is most often found in people who spend a lot of time at sedentary work. Therefore, to prevent this from happening suddenly, they should take breaks and do some physical exercises.
In foot enthesopathy, pain occurs in the heel and goes up the lower leg. This type of disease makes it difficult for the patient to work.
Howbeing diagnosed?
In order to make an accurate diagnosis for a patient, a specialist first examines him. Afterwards, he directs you to the necessary examination.
During the examination, the doctor may reveal that there is swelling of the skin. He will also pay attention if a person has an inflamed tendon of a muscle, compacted or the skin in the joint area is hot to the touch. The patient himself may complain of a limitation in the number of movements. Usually, when palpation of the affected area, where the affected muscles are attached, a person experiences severe pain. After completion of the examination, for clarification and in order to make sure that the diagnosis is correct, the specialist sends for examination.
So the patient can be sent to:
- Ultrasound.
- Osteoscintigraphy.
- MRI.
- X-ray.
During the last examination, for example, calcifications in the synovial bags or an erosive bone process can be detected.
What are the treatments for the disease?
Therapy of the disease can be both long-term and individual. Also, with enthesopathy, treatment can be complex. Whatever type of disease a person has, an immediate appeal to a specialist is necessary.
First of all, the patient should avoid hypothermia and overload.
As a rule, during treatment, the doctor prescribes medication. The main ones are anti-inflammatory drugs. To theminclude ointments and gels. Also, in order to relieve discomfort during tendon enthesopathy, the doctor prescribes analgesics. In addition to all other medicines, to increase immunity, it will be necessary to take immunomodulators and B vitamins. Even with this ailment, vasodilators and chondroprotectors are prescribed.
Physiotherapy is also used along with taking medications. As a rule, shock wave therapy is prescribed to relieve severe pain and inflammation. Depending on the type of disease, the patient can undergo procedures such as ultrasound, magnetotherapy, electrophoresis, laser therapy.
Also exercise therapy helps a lot. It is possible to get rid of this disease in complex treatment with the use of medicines, doing massage with elements of manual therapy.
When is surgery needed?
If the above methods of treatment are ineffective, and the person's condition does not improve in any way, then arthroscopic surgery will be required. She is forgiving. If a person suffers from limited range of motion, then in this case, surgeons tear the joint capsule. Thanks to this, the patient will subsequently be active and efficient.
Disease prevention
Enthesopathy is a disease that causes a lot of discomfort to the patient both in motion and in general in life. In order not to fight this disease later, a number of preventive measures should be observed. So a person's nutrition should be balanced. It should contain enough carbohydratesproteins, fats and vitamins. You should limit yourself in the use of fast foods. Joint diseases should also be treated in a timely manner. Then, because of them, enthesopathy cannot develop. You need to get your schedule right. Namely, to give enough time not only for work, but also for rest.
It will be very good to do a massage that will allow you to work out problem areas. It is recommended to do it twice a year. In addition, special therapeutic exercises will be required, which pays more attention to loaded articular structures. This method of prevention will avoid the risk of getting sick with enthesopathy.
Also one of the important points is a good emotional mood.
People who have undergone complex therapy should be more careful and careful about their feet in the future. Contact a specialist in time if you have any of the symptoms described in this article, and then there will be no serious complications.
