Stiff, painful, cracking joints warn of progressive degeneration. Delayed treatment can lead to cartilage damage and joint damage that is difficult to recover.
Arthritis is a condition in which there is no or insufficient production of lubricant for joint cartilage to function. Over time, the cartilage layer is eroded, cracked, the bone ends in the joints are inflamed, damaged, and bone spurs develop. “Dry joints are like an engine without lubricant, not directly affecting life but silently damaging the joints,” said M.D. Nguyen Van Tu, Department of Musculoskeletal Internal Medicine, Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7. , adding that this is the reason why many people are subjective and do not seek medical attention and treatment early.
Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City every day receives more than 100 cases of musculoskeletal examination showing signs of joint stiffness and dry joints. Common initial signs are pain, stiffness, cracking sounds when moving the joint… Over time with increased activity, the joint becomes more damaged and difficult to treat. Many patients face the risk of prolonged pain, joint deformity, muscle atrophy, and loss of mobility.
Like Mrs. Hanh, 61 years old, for many years now, when she wakes up in the morning, she hears clicking sounds when she moves her joints and her knee joints ache. She thought this was a common disease in the elderly so she did not go to the doctor. Her condition got worse and worse, causing her to wake up in the middle of the night in pain and unable to walk. The results of a 3 Tesla MRI scan at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City showed that she had severe dry joints, severely damaged knee joints, and large amounts of cartilage that had dried out, cracked, and almost no longer covered the bone surface.
As for Mr. Chanh, 40 years old, abnormal signs appeared in his knee and groin joints several years ago. Every time he changes position, he often hears a clicking sound and feels slight pain, but thinks it’s because he plays soccer so he doesn’t go see a doctor. Recently, my hip joint was painful and stiff in the early morning when I first woke up. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with dry hip joint.
Dry joints are common in middle-aged and elderly people, office workers, heavy workers, overweight and obese people, and people with a history of joint injury. Joints that often get dry are the hip, shoulder, arm, and especially the knee. Depending on whether the case is severe or mild, doctors provide appropriate treatment such as medication, injections, surgery, and physical therapy.
Doctor Tu explains bone and joint health conditions to patients. Image: Tam Anh General Clinic District 7
Ms. Hanh was assessed by the doctor as having a serious illness, with severe pain and reduced mobility, and was prescribed Medial Pivot knee replacement surgery. This type of artificial knee joint is made of high-quality alloy material, has a structure similar to a natural knee joint, and moves like the real thing. After a 90-minute surgery, Ms. Hanh had no pain, improved knee function, and was discharged from the hospital two days later.
For Mr. Chanh, the doctor tried conservative treatment, using pain relievers, reducing inflammation and increasing mucus secretion combined with physical therapy. Physical therapy with exercises designed specifically for each patient helps increase strength and flexibility of musculoskeletal joints. When improving the mobility of bones and joints, the fluid regulation in the joints will be more regular, thereby effectively reducing joint dryness from the inside. If the condition does not improve, he will be prescribed artificial joint replacement surgery.
Dr. Tu said that Hyaluronic Acid lubricant injection is also a commonly used treatment solution for dry joints, reducing friction on bone ends, helping joints operate more smoothly and reducing pain. This lubricant is only effective for a short time, so the patient is forced to re-inject it many times.
Doctors replaced Ms. Hanh’s knee joint. Image: Tam Anh General Hospital
When unusual symptoms appear, warning of dry joints lasting more than a week, the patient should soon go to a musculoskeletal specialist for examination to avoid letting the disease progress silently.
To reduce the risk of dry joints and rapid joint degeneration and damage, in daily activities, each person needs to maintain movement with appropriate intensity and avoid sitting in one place for too long. Control weight, massage to relax and stimulate increased mucus secretion in joints. Eat scientifically, increase vitamin C, vitamin D, omega-3, antioxidants and calcium… Regular bone and joint health checks help proactively prevent and treat joint diseases promptly.