Types of diseases that affect joints and tendons

Musculoskeletal disorders cover all health problems affecting the human movement system. That is why, in addition to disorders of the skeletal system and the human muscular system, diseases that interfere with the function of joints and tendons are also part of the movement system disorders. Then, what diseases and health problems interfere with joints and tendons? Check out the full explanation below.

Diseases of the human joints and tendons

Before you understand the different types of joint and tendon disorders, you must first know how joints and tendons work in the body. The joint is the place where two bones meet. Usually, there are joints in the knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders.

Meanwhile, tendons are fibrous tissues that connect bones to muscles. Tendons can also connect muscles to structures in the body. The job of the tendon is to move the bone or structure.

Unfortunately, the joints and tendons that are often used in everyday life are more susceptible to various types of health problems, so that the joints and tendons can become damaged and cannot function properly.

Various types of joint disorders and diseases

The following are the types of diseases and disorders in the joints that you need to know:

1. Arthritis

Arthritis or what is often referred to as arthritis is a condition characterized by swelling and pain in the joints. In addition, the joints usually feel stiff and difficult to move.

The symptoms that appear usually get worse with age. Even so, these symptoms can come and go, with severity ranging from mild, moderate, to severe. Arthritis is divided into several types:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis. These conditions include degenerative joint problems or diseases that will worsen over time. Usually, osteoarthritis occurs in the hands, waist, and knees.

This condition causes the cartilage in the joints to slowly weaken and become damaged, so that the bones underneath also change. These changes occur slowly but will get worse over time.

Osteoarthritis can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in joints. In fact, this condition can cause your joints to not function properly so that, if you experience them, you cannot do your daily activities properly.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis disease which is equally common is rheumatoid arthritis. You may be more familiar with this condition as rheumatism. This condition can cause inflammation or inflammation of the joints, causing pain.

Rheumatism occurs when the immune system is unable to work properly and attacks the joint wall called the synovium. Usually, this disease attacks the hands, knees or ankles. However, rheumatism can also affect the eyes, heart and lungs.

Rheumatism tends to be more common in women than men. Usually, this condition begins to appear when you have entered old age. If you have family members who experience rheumatism, the potential for experiencing it is greater.

Uric acid

Gout is also a type of arthritis that can affect anyone. One type of joint disease is characterized by attacks of pain that occur suddenly, accompanied by swelling and redness of the joints. Often times, this condition occurs in the joint in the big toe.

In fact, these attacks of pain that arise without warning can keep you awake from a very good night's sleep. The sensation of pain made the big toe feel like it was on fire.

Symptoms of gout may not persist, but there are several ways to treat the symptoms and prevent the appearance of more severe symptoms.

Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a type of joint inflammation that affects people with psoriasis. However, similar to the symptoms of other arthritis diseases, psoriatic arthritis is also characterized by swelling, pain, and stiffness in the joints.

Like psoriasis, this condition is also a long-term disease that can worsen with age. If it is at a severe enough level, there is a chance that the joint will become completely damaged and unusable. This indicates that the patient needs surgery to overcome it.

However, if this condition is diagnosed and treated early, the progression of the disease can be slowed down, so that permanent damage to joints can be minimized or even prevented.

Ankylosing spondylitis

This type of arthritis is classified as a long-term disease that causes inflammation, in particular, of the spine and several other parts of the body. Over time, ankylosing spondylitis can cause the small bones in the spine to fuse and fuse.

These fused and fused bones cause the spine to become inflexible and can cause a posture that tends to bend forward. If the ribs are also present, the patient may have difficulty breathing.

This joint disease cannot be cured, but there are treatments that can be done to reduce symptoms and slow the progress of the disease. Although it can be experienced at any age, this condition is usually experienced during adolescence until adulthood.

Lupus

According to the Lupus Foundation of America, lupus is a chronic disease that causes inflammation and pain in any part of the body. This disease is classified as an autoimmune disease, so that the immune system which is supposed to protect the body from infection actually attacks the healthy tissue in the patient's body.

Usually, lupus can attack the skin, joints, to important organs in the body such as the kidneys and heart. Therefore, this condition is also one type of joint inflammation that you may experience.

Septic arthritis

This condition is a joint disease that causes pain due to infection in the joints. Infection can come from bacteria in the bloodstream that flow from other parts of the body. However, septic arthritis can also occur due to open wounds that make it easier for bacteria to enter the body and attack the joints.

Usually, this condition is experienced by infants or the elderly. In general, the joints in the knee are the most susceptible to infection. Even so, this condition can also affect the hips, shoulders, and joints in other areas.

2. Bursitis

This joint disease is a health problem that attacks one part of the joint, namely the bursae, a bag filled with lubricating fluid that acts as a cushion for the bones, tendons and muscles around the joints.

Bursitis occurs when the bursae becomes inflamed. Usually, this condition occurs in the shoulders, elbows, and hips. However, this condition can also affect the knees, heels, and big toes. Bursitis tends to appear in joints where there are frequent repetitive movements.

3. Sliding joints

Joint dislocation or it can also be called a sliding joint occurs when the bones in the joint separate or detach from their original position. This condition can cause pain and cause the affected joint area to become unstable or even immobile.

A displaced joint can also cause stretching, resulting in muscle or tendon injury. Therefore, you must immediately overcome or undergo treatment if you experience a sliding joint.

4. Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome is a joint disease caused by pressure on the median nerve. Tunnerl carpal is a narrow passage surrounded by bones and ligaments on the palm side.

When the median nerve is compressed, you will experience symptoms such as weakness to numbness in the hands and arms. This condition can be caused by a variety of things, from wrist anatomy, to certain health problems, to repetitive hand movements.

5. Osteochondritis dissecans

Osteochondritis dissecans is a joint problem that occurs when the bone that is located underneath the cartilage is damaged due to a lack of blood flow. This bone and cartilage will break and cause pain, and possibly block the movement of the joint.

This condition often appears in children and adolescents. Symptoms will appear after injury to the joint or after several months of strenuous activity such as jumping and running at high intensity to affect the condition of the joint. Usually, this condition affects the joints of the knees, elbows, ankles, and possibly other areas of the body.

Various kinds of diseases that attack the tendons

In addition to health problems affecting the joints, you also need to know the various diseases that attack the following tendons.

1. Tendinitis

Tendinitis is inflammation or irritation that attacks the tendons, which are the fiber networks that connect the bones to the muscles in the body. This condition can cause pain right around the joint.

Tendinitis can occur in the tendons of any area of ​​the body, but tendinitis often appears in the areas of the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees and heels.

Even so, most cases of tendinitis can be treated with rest, physical therapy, and the use of drugs to relieve pain. However, if your tendinitis is severe enough to cause damage to the tendon, you may need to undergo surgical procedures to treat it.

2. Tennis elbow

As the name implies, tennis elbow is a condition that can cause pain around the elbow of your hand. Medical term for tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis . Often times, this condition occurs after overuse of the muscles and tendons in the arm, affecting the joints in the elbows.

The pain that occurs is usually felt when you grip a small object such as a pencil, when you open a door or open a jar, and lift and bend your arm. If so, get your condition checked by a doctor immediately.

3. Tendon injury

Tendon injuries usually occur after the tendon has been repeatedly damaged or torn as a result of overuse or as part of the aging process. Anyone can experience this one condition, but tendon injuries are more susceptible to people who have to do the same movements over and over, every day.

So, it's no wonder that heavy workers, athletes, or people who have jobs that require them to perform the same movements over and over again are more prone to injury or damage to the tendons.

This condition can occur slowly or little by little, but it can also happen suddenly. You may experience it suddenly if the tendon gets weaker over time.

4. Trigger finger

Trigger finger is a condition when one of your fingers suddenly becomes stiff and cannot move when it is bent. Your finger may bend or return to a straight position suddenly, like a trigger being pulled and released.

This condition occurs when your inflammation narrows the area around the tendon of the affected finger. If this condition is severe, your hand may not be able to return to its original position and continue to be bent.