Joint Fluid - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment (fluid In The Knee, Elbow, And Ankle)

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Fluid in joints

The accumulation of fluid in the joints is a problem that requires the immediate intervention of a specialist. The absence of acute pain and other pronounced symptoms is not yet a reason to take the problem lightly. The importance of timely diagnosis and surgical treatment is that many diseases, both direct ones, such as arthritis, and those that seem to have nothing to do with the joints, such as viral diseases, can become the cause of fluid accumulation in the joints.

Moreover, most of the pathologies affecting the joints, with untimely treatment, can leave an indelible mark on the health and normal life of a person: they can cause chronic pain, discomfort in movements.

To prevent this, you need to monitor the health of the joints, not to test the body with unbearable physical exertion, try to avoid injuries, do therapeutic exercises and preventive procedures. And in case of a problem, immediately seek help from specialists.

Content:

• Symptoms of fluid accumulation in the joints
• Causes of fluid accumulation in the joints
• Fluid in the knee joint
• Elbow fluid
• Ankle fluid
• Treatment methods

Symptoms of fluid accumulation in the joints

Depending on the cause of the accumulation of fluid and on which joint it has accumulated, symptoms may differ in each case.

Common symptoms include the following:

• pain of a different nature: acute, aching, dull;
• swelling of the joint area: can be very pronounced or almost invisible;
• constrained movements: if a large amount of fluid has accumulated, movements become difficult, and sometimes completely impossible;
• increased body temperature: can be both local, in the area of the damaged joint, and general;
• subcutaneous induration in the joint area;
• redness of the skin;
• sometimes headaches or even chills may be present if fluid accumulation is caused by an infection.

Causes of fluid accumulation in the joints

There are several different infectious diseases that can cause fluid to accumulate in the joints. Do not underestimate a simple bruise, which can lead to serious complications.

A general list of causes of fluid accumulation in the joints is as follows:

1. Joint bursitis is a disease that can be caused by injury or infection. Bursitis provokes the onset of an inflammatory process in the synovial (periarticular) bursa, which is accompanied by the accumulation of fluid. The disease is divided into several types depending on which joint is affected.

   Thus, there is:

   • ulnar bursitis;
   • hip bursitis;
   • knee;
   • shoulder, etc.

   Bursitis is a disease that can be classified as "professional". It often affects people whose activities are associated with constant stress on individual joints. This primarily applies to athletes, miners, jewelers, watchmakers, some musicians, etc.

2. Arthritis is the general name for a group of joint diseases. A common feature of arthritic diseases is the inflammatory form.

   Arthritis occurs for the following reasons:

   • allergic reaction;
   • infection;
   • mental trauma;
   • the consequences of mechanical damage to the joint;
   • immune disorder;
   • constant loads on one muscle group.

   At risk are people who do not eat properly, lead a sedentary lifestyle, are overweight and live in areas with poor ecology.
3. Arthrosis is a disease of the joints that can occur for two reasons: natural aging of the body and wear and tear of the joints, or a previous injury. Arthrosis occurs in two stages. At the first, painful sensations arise and the amount of fluid near the joint is significantly reduced. In the second, on the contrary, the fluid begins to accumulate and sometimes excessively, forming swelling around the damaged joint.

4. Synovitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the synovial membrane of the joint and provokes the appearance of painful symptoms and fluid accumulation.

   Synovitis can occur for the following reasons:

   • Aseptic inflammation occurs in most cases due to an injury, hypothermia, or as a result of an infectious disease. The fluid that accumulates in the joint, due to aseptic inflammation, does not contain any purulent or viral microorganisms.
   • Immune inflammation with the release of synovial fluid occurs mainly as a consequence of past illnesses or severe allergic reactions.

   • Purulent inflammation occurs after the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the joint. Depending on the type of harmful bacteria, there are chlamydial, tuberculous, dysentery, gonorrheal and staphylococcal purulent inflammation.
5. Joint bone fracture. This severe damage also results in fluid formation in the joint and swelling.
6. Hemarthrosis is an internal hemorrhage in a joint. In this case, it is not effusion that accumulates in the joint, but blood. This pathology may occur due to mechanical damage.

Fluid in the knee joint

Fluid in the knee joint can occur for many reasons. In the first place - injuries, since the knee is most often subjected to serious stress, and is also one of the most mobile joints.

Fluid in the knee joint can accumulate for the following reasons:

• damage to the meniscus;
• fracture;
• arthrosis;
• arthritis;
• hemarthrosis;
• synovitis;
• bursitis.

As mentioned above, there are many reasons for the development of each of these diseases. In the case of the knee, it most often comes with injury or unbearable loads.

Having damaged the knee joint once, in most cases, the patient will acquire one of the chronic diseases for life, since the joint can never be completely restored. But this does not mean that the patient will constantly experience discomfort, since in the chronic form of the disease they usually do not have painful and pronounced symptoms.

To prevent exacerbations of diseases, you need to follow the doctor's recommendations and be careful about the health of the joints in the future.

The most common knee joint disorder characterized by fluid accumulation is damage to the meniscus. This problem occurs not only among athletes, as many believe. Serious stress is only one of the reasons for the development of the disease. Much more often the meniscus occurs due to injury, and no one is immune from this.

Elbow fluid

Among the most common diseases leading to the accumulation of fluid in the elbow joint are epicondylitis and bursitis. If bursitis is a disease that occurs due to the accumulation of fluid in the articular bag, then epicondylitis is caused by damage to muscle tissue in those places where it connects to the epicondyle.

These pathologies can develop in the following cases:

• prolonged mechanical pressure on the joint area;
• injuries, sprains (most often occur during sports training, hard physical work);
• excessive unbearable loads on the joint, which last for a long time or are repeated repeatedly;
• an occupational disease that occurs due to the chronic position of the joint, for example, in musicians, drivers.

For successful treatment, diagnosis is first carried out. With its help, the specialist determines the pathology, the cause of development, as well as the nature of the disease.

Diagnostics consists of the following activities:

• inspection;
• Ultrasound;
• x-ray;
• general analyzes;
• if necessary, a puncture of the joint (if during the diagnosis purulent or blood fluid content is detected).

After the diagnosis, individual treatment is prescribed, the methods of which are similar to the therapy of damaged ankles, knees and other joints.

Ankle fluid

Ankle swelling can be caused by many more pathologies than in the case of fluid accumulation in the elbow or knee. The fact is that damage to the ankle joint and, as a consequence, its swelling can occur due to various diseases of the veins. In addition, the aforementioned pathologies, fracture, internal hemorrhage can also cause fluid accumulation.

Among the common vein diseases that lead to the accumulation of fluid in the ankle joint are the following:

• acute and chronic thrombophlebitis;
• phlebothrombosis;
• phlebeurysm.

The force of gravity has led to the fact that the accumulation of fluid in the ankle joint is most noticeable in the area of the transition of the ankle to the foot.

It is very easy to determine if there is excess fluid in the ankle joint. To do this, simply press down on the swelling with your thumb. If, after removing your finger, there is a dent for a while, you should immediately consult a doctor.

If the cause of edema is venous disease and fluid accumulation occurs regularly, then when a relapse occurs, it is recommended to lie on your back and put something under your feet so that your feet are above your head. This will help relieve swelling for a while. Then you should visit your doctor.

Treatment methods

Regardless of the reason for the accumulation of fluid in the joints, it is necessary to organize a comprehensive treatment to maximize the elimination of the disease and the removal of painful symptoms.

Modern medicine is capable of providing 2 treatment options.

• Operative intervention.
• Conservative treatment methods.

Depending on the degree of neglect of the disease, an appropriate method of treatment is prescribed. However, in any case, it will be complex, since even after surgery, it takes a long time for rehabilitation with physiotherapy exercises, manual therapy, and vitamin therapy.

Surgical treatment consists of the following procedure. The doctor inserts a special needle into the cavity of the affected joint, after which the liquid is pumped out with a syringe. In most cases, the procedure is performed without anesthesia. After the fluid is completely pumped out, the doctor injects an antibiotic into the affected area. Pharmacopuncture is mandatory, even if the nature of the inflammation is not infectious.

Conservative treatment involves the following activities:

• Anti-inflammatory therapy: drug treatment (taking antibiotics), local treatment (pharmacopuncture, application of anti-inflammatory ointments, gels and other agents).
• Immunostimulating therapy: taking immunostimulating and restorative drugs, vitamins, calcium.
• Physiotherapy and reflexology.
• Manual therapy, especially acupressure and acupuncture.
• Physiotherapy.

For some diseases, for example, with bursitis or fracture, the first aid provided by doctors is immobilization, that is, immobilization of the damaged joint. Simply put, a traumatologist applies a cast.

In the case of open lesions, the affected area is treated with an antiseptic, and the patient takes an antibiotic to prevent the development of an infectious and purulent disease.

If we are talking about a chronic disease with regular relapses, then complex treatment should become an integral part of the patient's life. In order to avoid exacerbations of the chronic form and prevent the accumulation of fluid in the joints again, the patient is prescribed a special diet, a set of exercise therapy exercises. The patient should regularly take health courses in medical and preventive sanatoriums.

It is important to understand that fluid accumulation in joints is a problem that can be a symptom of very serious medical conditions. Therefore, self-medication and folk methods in this case are not appropriate. Traditional medicine can only be used in combination with conservative methods of therapy and after consultation with the attending physician.

Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist

Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.