Arthritis, or joint inflammation, is the most
common complication of ulcerative colitis. Twenty-five percent of people with
ulcerative colitis suffer from it, and it is often found in young patients. In
addition to joint pain, arthritis also causes swelling and stiffness (stiffness
in the joint). With ulcerative colitis, arthritis can manifest itself in two
different forms: Peripheral arthritis usually affects large joints of the hands
and feet, including elbows, wrists, knees and ankles. Pain can
"migrate" from one joint to another and last from a few days to
several weeks. The more intense the inflammatory process in the colon, the more
pronounced arthritis. To date, there are no special tests to confirm ulcerative
colitis-associated arthritis. This diagnosis can be made only by eliminating
other causes of pain in the joints. Fortunately, such peripheral arthritis
usually does not cause a significant change in the function of the joint.
Spondyloarthritis (arthritis of the intervertebral joints) causes pain and
stiffness in the lower part of the spine and sacroiliac joints. In young
people, these symptoms may appear much earlier than intestinal manifestations.
Unlike peripheral arthritis, spondyloarthritis can lead to a significant
deterioration in the function of the spine, as the amount of movement in the
intervertebral joints decreases. Spondylitis usually appears at the age of
about 35-45 years. In most cases, the symptoms of peripheral arthritis decrease
with the disappearance of inflammation in the large intestine. After a course
of drugs such as prednisolone or sulfasalazine, joint pain usually disappears.
The use of Infliximab (Remicade ®) for the treatment effectively reduces
inflammation and swelling of the joints. Unlike peripheral arthritis,
unfortunately, in spondyloarthritis there is no such clear relationship between
the disappearance of signs of inflammation in the intestine and the
disappearance of joint symptoms. In such patients, non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to relieve pain and swelling of the
joints. However, these drugs should be used under the supervision of a doctor,
as they can provoke an exacerbation, since they irritate the intestinal mucosa.
To prevent a decrease in the volume of movement in the joints it is very
important to engage in exercise therapy.
Birincil Dil | İngilizce |
---|---|
Konular | Mühendislik |
Bölüm | Makaleler |
Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 19 Ağustos 2018 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2018Sayı: 2 |