What Are the Treatments for Arthritis Stiffness?

Joint stiffness (joint stiffness), refers to the normal joint function (such as flexion and extension, rotation, etc.) occurs to varying degrees of obstacles, manifested in reduced range of motion. It is very different from joint stiffness which is completely lost. The treatment is based on the primary disease. Local massage, physical therapy, external application of traditional Chinese medicine, joint function exercisers, and manual release are used as appropriate, and even joint adhesion release is performed.

Basic Information

English name

joint stiffness

Visiting department

orthopedics

Common locations

joint

Common causes

Adhesive edema, repeated injury, passive traction, infection, long-term plaster fixation, and arthritis

Common symptoms

Reduced range of joint motion

Causes of joint stiffness and common diseases

1. The cause of joint adhesion is also the cause of joint stiffness

Such as edema, repeated injuries, passive stretching, manual release, infection, foreign body irritation, long-term plaster fixation, incorrect steel needle internal fixation, steel plate internal fixation, surgical trauma, untimely treatment after bumps, swelling does not disappear Failure to exercise in time after the fracture has healed can cause joint stiffness.

2. Joint disease

Joints that have arthritis, especially rheumatoid atrophic arthritis, are most likely to be fixed around and cause stiffness. Such as acute suppurative inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, septic arthritis and bone tuberculosis caused by bone tuberculosis and so on.

Joint stiffness examination

1. Examine the range of active and passive joint movements and record muscle atrophy and strength.

2. X-ray examination: observe joint space, articular surface, bone density, and the presence or absence of bone inflammation such as bone hyperplasia.

Differential diagnosis of joint stiffness

Need to identify with traumatic joints. Both have limited joint movements. The former is less painful and the joint movement is more severe. The latter is more painful. The joints are swollen and the joint dysfunction is lighter. X-ray examination: the former joint space is normal or slightly narrow, the latter joint space is narrow, the joint surface is rough and uneven, increased bone density or bone hyperplasia such as bone hyperplasia.

Joint stiffness treatment principles

Mild patient

Local massage, physical therapy, external application of traditional Chinese medicine, joint function exercisers, and manual release can be used. Non-surgical therapy is also suitable for those who have contraindications to surgery and auxiliary treatment before and after surgery.

2. Severe patients

Arthroplasty should be performed. For patients with fracture healing, the deformity should be corrected first, and those with local soft tissue defects should be repaired. Active and active joint function training should be started as early as possible, so that the stiff joints can return to function as soon as possible. Joint function exercises are painful, but joint function exercises must still be performed after joint adhesion release surgery.