When joint pain is NOT is by aging

Dr. Libia Mitsuko Soto Vera
Rheumatologist

Our body uses pain as a defense mechanism, simply telling us that something is wrong. Unfortunately, some types of pain can be difficult to diagnose and very complex to treat, ignoring pain or accepting it as part of daily life is not the best option.

Arthritis, especially, is often ignored or minimized thinking that it is only pain and discomfort secondary to aging, something that one has to live with as the years go by. NO ONE should suffer from persistent or disabling arthritis.

It is important to highlight that arthritis is a manifestation that can be present in more than 100 different diseases that affect the joints, connective tissue and can cause disability. It affects millions of people around the world.

Painful joints should not be ignored or taken as a normal part of aging, in fact 2/3 of individuals with arthritis are under 65 years of age. Statistics indicate that rheumatoid arthritis usually develops between the ages of 20 and 40.

Parents of young children should also be alert to any persistent, unexplained pain. Many children suffer from rheumatic diseases, the most common being juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatic diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Osteoarthritis, Lupus and Gout, just to name a few, occur when the immune system wrongly attacks the person's organs, tissues and joints, causing inflammation and damage.

In the joints, the result is an inflammatory process that leads to an increase in volume, a sensation of heat, a change in color in the region and pain that makes it impossible to carry out movements normally. Simple activities such as getting out of bed, buttoning your shirt, combing your hair, and even walking can become extremely painful or even impossible to perform.

Arthritis can be the manifestation of a systemic disease, this means that it not only affects the joints, it can also affect other parts such as the heart, lungs, eyes, kidney and nervous system. The long-term effects of these conditions can be devastating, early intervention and initial treatment by a rheumatologist helps manage pain and avoid disability.

Rheumatologists have specialized training in detecting and treating these complex diseases, they can make the patient improve dramatically and when arthritis is diagnosed in time, offer a good long-term prognosis.

Consult a rheumatologist In the first weeks or months of the onset of symptoms, it can open the range of possibilities to a more effective treatment and in this way there is also a greater opportunity to have adequate control of the disease.

I invite you to become aware of the aforementioned symptoms, listening to our body's alarms is not an easy task, but it is very important to stay healthy and active.