In the twentieth century, in connection with the development of transport services and an increase in the number of personal vehicles, the lifestyle of an individual becomes more and more sedentary. As a result, a person walks a short distance from home to transport and from transport to the workplace. Of course, this is not enough to keep the musculoskeletal system in good shape, therefore, as a result of this lifestyle, its functionality decreases. Together with the peculiarities of nutrition and a number of other factors, the likelihood of developing various diseases of the musculoskeletal system increases dramatically, which we can observe in developed countries.

The article brought to your attention gives an idea of ​​the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal system and describes the main methods of self-diagnosis.

In the first place in terms of prevalence are intervertebral osteochondrosis and deforming spondylosis, which is the most common cause of pain in the spine. With this disease, degenerative-dystrophic changes develop in the intervertebral cartilage discs, which leads to their deformation and convergence of the vertebral bodies. At the edges of the vertebrae with a long-term disease, small growths of bone tissue appear – osteophytes. Most often, the spinal segments that experience the greatest functional load are affected: the cervical and lumbar. The pain may be unilateral or bilateral, or central. It is aggravated by movement, heavy lifting, or prolonged standing. At rest, the pain does not bother. On palpation of the spine, it is possible to detect areas of palpation soreness, more often in the region of the spinous processes. There may be limited mobility of the spine mainly in one direction. Intervertebral osteochondrosis may be accompanied by radicular syndrome (sharp pain along the course of the spinal nerve), which develops when the root of the spinal nerve is infringed, either due to a strong convergence of the vertebral bodies, or when compressed by osteophytes.

The defeat of the spinal column also occurs in Bechterew’s disease (ankylosing spondylitis). With Bechterew’s disease, an inflammatory lesion of the intervertebral joints and spinal ligaments develops, which is accompanied by the development of pain syndrome. Pain widespread, along the entire length of the spine or in the projection of the affected section, is characterized by constancy, intensifies after prolonged rest, depends on weather conditions. Pain часто сочетается со скованностью в области поражённого отдела и более выражена утром. A radicular syndrome may develop when the roots of the spinal nerves are infringed as a result of the convergence of the vertebral bodies. With the progression of the disease, there is a deformation of the spine and a change in the posture of the patient: either the “posture of the petitioner” or the “board-like back” is formed.

The next most common intervertebral osteochondrosis can be called deforming osteoarthritis – a chronic, slowly progressive disease in which degenerative-dystrophic changes develop in the hyaline cartilage due to a mismatch between the load experienced by the cartilage and its ability to resist it. This discrepancy is caused either by an excessive load on the cartilage (with excess body weight, features of professional activity – loaders, professional athletes), or by a functional inferiority of the cartilage itself due to damage to the synovial membrane of the joint (responsible for the nutrition of hyaline cartilage), a violation of cartilage trophism (in some metabolic diseases, endocrine, neurological and occupational diseases, in which the joints are involved in the pathological process). At the beginning of the disease, usually large supporting joints are affected: knee and hip, – the process is usually asymmetrical. Pain in the joint occurs with excessive stress on it, intensifies by the end of the day. There is no pain at rest. In the first stage of the disease, the joint is outwardly unchanged. With the progression of the disease and the development of synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane of the joint), the pain becomes constant, the joint may be swollen, hot and painful on palpation. During the course of the disease, joint deformity develops. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis (see below), there is no morning stiffness, although there may be some stiffness in the joints after prolonged rest. Symptoms in osteoarthritis increase in the evening, and in rheumatoid arthritis, the maximum severity of symptoms is in the morning. With a long-term illness, some limitation in joint mobility, a crunch may occur during passive movements.

Another disease in which joint damage occurs is rheumatoid arthritis – a chronic systemic immune-inflammatory disease of the connective tissue, in which erosive-destructive polyarthritis develops, affecting mainly the small joints of the hand and foot. The etiology of the disease is unknown. At an early stage of the disease, a symmetrical polyarthritis of the small joints of the indicated localization develops. Much later and not in all cases, large joints are involved in the process. The least affected are the hip and shoulder joints, sometimes the temporomandibular and atlanto-axial joints. Pain in the joints is pronounced, aching, constant, more pronounced at night and in the morning, aggravated by active and passive movements, may subside during the day. Outwardly, there is swelling of the joints, possibly limited mobility in the joint, due to pain. A characteristic symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is morning stiffness throughout the body or only in the affected joints. This state lasts at least half an hour and passes after active movements. With further progression of the disease, atrophy of the muscles adjacent to the affected joints joins. The disease is characterized by steady progression and the development of seasonal exacerbations, in which temperature rises, an increase in inflammatory changes and pain in the affected joints, and the involvement of new joints in the process are possible. As the disease progresses, the joints become deformed, persistent contractures develop, and significant limitation of mobility develops. The most characteristic is the deformation of the hand in the form of walrus flippers. Perhaps the formation of instability in the joints and subluxations.

Among metabolic diseases leading to joint damage, gout is the most significant. The disease is much more common in men over 40 years of age than in other age and sex groups. This disease is characterized by a violation of the metabolism of uric acid, which accumulates in the form of microcrystals of sodium monourate in the joint cavity. The course of the disease is crisis, the exacerbation of the disease is called “gouty attack” and is due to the formation of new monourate crystals in the joint cavity. A gouty attack often begins at night, on the eve of possible overeating of meat, stress, trauma, alcohol abuse. In typical cases, the disease begins with acute arthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Within a few hours, a pronounced swelling of the joint develops, redness, the skin becomes glossy, hot to the touch, tense. There is a burning excruciating pain. Fever and deterioration of health develops. The duration of the attack is from several hours to several days. The subsidence of the attack occurs faster when taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Over the years, the frequency of attacks may increase, new joints are involved in the pathological process. The long and severe course of the disease is characterized by generalization of gouty changes with spread to the spine, sternoclavicular joints, tendons. Gradually, the pain becomes permanent, contractures occur, the joints become deformed. Changes in the joints of the hand may resemble changes in rheumatoid arthritis. The distinction between these diseases is carried out according to the features of the clinical picture.

The considered diseases are the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Having this information about them, you can independently diagnose this or that disorder in yourself. But it is always worth bearing in mind that in some cases the clinical picture is atypical and for an accurate diagnosis it is necessary to consult a doctor.