Therapy
Since joint swelling is merely a symptom and not an independent disease, the therapy is based on the underlying cause. If the joint swelling has arisen at the bottom of a trauma, it often helps to spare the joint and, for example, to put the affected knee/ankle up. Sports or pain ointments, which often contain Voltaren as the active ingredient, counteract pain and further swelling.
Cooling can also be useful in these cases. In case of doubt, a doctor should always be consulted to rule out bony damage to the joint, which could otherwise lead to permanent damage. If the cause of the swollen joint lies in chronic joint diseases such as rheumatism or arthrosis, these underlying diseases should be treated. Depending on the stage of the disease, medication is available or physiotherapy and certain exercises can be used to provide relief. In later stages, surgical therapy and joint replacement may become necessary.
Localization of the joint swelling
Swelling of the finger joints can have various causes. A common cause of swelling of the fingers is rheumatoid arthritis (chronic polyarthritis, colloquially often called “rheumatism“). The basic and middle joints of the fingers are particularly affected, which are then swollen and overheated.
A bilateral, often symmetrical affection of the finger joints, in which the complaints last more than 6 weeks, is trend-setting. Furthermore, swollen finger joints can occur in the context of reactive arthritis a few weeks after infection with certain bacteria (e.g. intestinal bacteria such as Salmonella, Shigella). In addition to large joints such as the knee or hip, arthrosis can also affect the finger and wrist joints.
Hard nodules are formed at the middle and end joints of the fingers, which should not be confused with rheumatic nodules. Another conceivable cause is an attack of gout, which typically manifests itself at the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe, but can also affect finger and wrist joints. A ganglion, a benign soft tissue tumor on the hand, can also cause localized swelling.Depending on which structures are compressed by the ganglion, pain, restricted movement or sensation (tingling) may occur.
Since the two knee joints carry almost the entire body weight, they are exposed to a great deal of stress. This is often the reason for a swelling of the knee joint. Prolonged standing or certain sports such as running or jumping, but also overweight, lead to overloading of the structures.
This can damage both the bony structures and the surrounding soft tissue including tendons, ligaments and cartilage. Tiny cracks cause an inflammatory reaction, which leads to increased fluid accumulation in the joint space. This leads to swelling of the joint, which is often already visible from the outside.
Similarly, the joint swelling is caused by rheumatoid arthritis (“rheumatism“), whereby the inflammation here is autoimmune. If an effusion is present, the entire joint is usually swollen and feels soft, and the patella is excessively displaced. An inflammation of the bursa at the knee (bursitis) can also cause swelling.
In addition, traumas such as torn ligaments or broken bones can cause swelling in the knee. In this case the effusion is often bloody, which is also indicated by a bruise (haematoma) around the knee. Wear and tear processes as part of osteoporosis or arthrosis can also lead to swelling of the knee joint.
Similarly, gout (a metabolic disease in which uric acid crystals are deposited in the joints) can also lead to joint swelling. Swelling of the wrist can be the result of a wrist fracture, which is the most common fracture in adults. If the medical history is correct (e.g. accident, fall), an X-ray should be taken to rule out a fracture. Furthermore, the wrist can also be affected by chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis, chronic polyarthritis, gout or reactive arthritis. Furthermore, carpal tunnel syndrome and various tendon sheath diseases (e.g. tendovaginitis stenosans) or changes in connective tissue may be the cause of wrist swelling.