Joint Inflammation

Inflammation is a reaction of the body’s tissue to any kind of injury. These may arise as a result of trauma, chemicals or infection. Inflammation is commonly associated with certain body components. Among those severely affected by inflammation are the joints. In fact, joint inflammation is a symptom of many.

Description

The process of joint inflammation involves the following

• dilation of the local blood cells increasing the blood flow to the site of damage or infection
• the white blood cells next invade the affected tissue, swallowing the bacteria or invading foreign body causing the situation
• the cells related to the affected area consume all the dead cells creating puss
• The site begins to heal
• Pain results and the infected tissue becomes hot, swollen and red
• Overall function remains unaffected

If the infection in the joint area is severe, the problem will continue locally. This is chronic inflammation. If the problem spreads elsewhere through the body, it is systemic inflammation.

Causes

Possible causes of joint inflammation vary. They include the following:

1. Trauma
2. Chemicals
3. Infection
4. Osteoarthritis (OA) – a loss of cartilage in the areas around the joints
5. Gout – an excess of uric acid creates inflammation of the joints
6. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) - This is an autoimmune disease.
7. Ankylosing Spondylarthritis – inflammable arthritis is more common among young adults
8. Psoriasis arthritis – This combines arthritic joint problems with the skin problems of psoriasis.
9. Sjögren’s Syndrome – related to Rheumatoid arthritis
10. Lupus
11. Ineffective Arthritis

Joints Affected

The prevalence of joints throughout the body allows joint inflammation to occur anywhere. For instance in gout, the inflammation of joints is usually found in the big toe but can also occur in the elbow, the wrist and the knee. . The most common areas of the body struck by inflammation include the shoulder the elbow, hands, wrists, ankles, knees, hips, neck, jaw and feet. With OA, the most common joints affected by inflammation are those in the elbow, hands, wrist and knee.

Treatment

The approach to treating joint inflammation is directed towards decreasing it. This can involve several different strategies. The favoured method will depend upon the extent of the problem as well as the causal factors. In cases of mild inflammation, the general approach is called RICE. This stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.

Rest allows the tissues to recover. If you use the inflamed joint too soon, the tissue damage will increase. Ice helps to reduce the joint inflammation as well as any swelling, bruising and pain. After 72 hours, it is safe to switch from cold to heat. Compression and elevation reduce the swelling and bleeding of the affected area.

Inflammation reduction can also involve the application of different external medications or other substances. There are over-the-counter gels, creams and lotions you can apply to reduce joint inflammation. Most are topical and all provide only temporary relief from the problem.

There are other methods to reduce inflammation. These are pharmaceutical solutions. Among these is the usage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and newer groups of NSAIDs called cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. The former group contains various analgesics such as ASA or acetaminophen as well as ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen and diclofenac. Among the newer NSAIDs are Vioxx and Celebrex.

An alternative to NSAIDs are corticosteroids simply called steroids. They usually provide an instance decrease in inflammation. These mimic the hormones produced in the adrenal glands. Common synthetic steroids include prednisone. Steroids can be taken in a number of ways including orally or through injection directly into the affected joint.

Conclusion

Joint inflammation is the reaction of the body’s tissues to certain actions upon or within it. Whether you get joint inflammation from a physical trauma or the onset of OA, the results are the same – sore, swollen and inflamed joints. Inflammation can be treated. There are several ways to address it. These include simple approaches involving rest, ice, heating pads and certain gels. A more pro-active approach is the ingestion of different types of medication. These range from over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen to prescriptions for Celebrex, other NSAIDs or steroids. All have their place in treating inflamed joints.