Physiotherapy can help you in post-viral arthritis
How to get rid of the joints pain after viral fever?
Viral fever outbreaks can be seen commonly now a days. Most of the viral fevers are associated with symptoms of joint pains also known as arthralgia. Viral fever usually reveals as joint pains affecting small and large joints of both upper and lower extremities. In some cases, the joint pain may persist even after the fever is resolve, this is known as post-viral arthritis.
Viral arthritis resolved in few days commonly but sometimes it causes crippling symptoms or may mask other forms of arthritis.
Viral arthritis has been increasing rapidly since the last few years. These cases mostly reported mostly in the months of June to October.
What cause viral arthritis?
Dengue virus,
Alpha viruses including the infamous chikungunya virus,
Parvovirus B1,
Mumps and rubella viruses,
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Hepatitis viruses including A, B and C viruses,
Enteroviruses,
herpes simplex virus,
Epstein Barr virus,
cytomegalovirus,
Unknown viruses.
Differential diagnosis :
Acute rheumatic fever,
Sjogrens Syndrome,
Lupus Rheumatoid arthritis,
Undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy.
The two phases of Viral Arthritis:
Early Phase (First 10 Days)
Patient complains of fever, myalgias (muscle pains), symmetric polyarthralgias (multiple joint pain), transient rash, and conjunctivitis.
Poly arthralgia involves mainly the wrists, hands, ankles and toes.
Swelling of the joints is a characteristic clinical finding in these patients.
During this phase, elevation of liver enzymes (AST, ALT and J-glutamyltransferase) and muscle enzymes (creatine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase) is observed in 50% of the patients, accompanied by cytopenias -reduction in blood cell numbers (thrombocytopenia which is a fall in platelet numbers, and leucopenia which is a fall in WBC numbers). In some cases minute haemorrhages under the skin can be seen.
Medicine play important role at this stage to reduce morbidity and complications.
Pharmaceutical agents used to treat patients suffering from viral arthritis include non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Medicines including anti malarials,
interferons,
corticosteroids,
immunoglobulins,
anti neoplastic agents,
other anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics may be required.
Later Phase (After 10 Days)
In This phase there is no associated fever or rash complained by patients.
Most patients comes with pain and swelling of the joints in both their hands and legs. Some patients may complains of having stiffness in these joints in the mornings.
The potential benefits of drugs should be weighed against their potential risks and it is prudent to seek specialist help if symptoms are prolonged and do not respond to simple measures.
Physiotherapy is the solution to prevent morbidity in post viral arthritis
As per studies all cases of such viral attacks are nondestructive for joints and not develop in to the chronic condition.
So contact your nearest Physiotherapist today and get rid off all your Post viral arthritis related problems..
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How to get rid of the joints pain after viral fever?
Viral fever outbreaks can be seen commonly now a days. Most of the viral fevers are associated with symptoms of joint pains also known as arthralgia. Viral fever usually reveals as joint pains affecting small and large joints of both upper and lower extremities. In some cases, the joint pain may persist even after the fever is resolve, this is known as post-viral arthritis.
Viral arthritis resolved in few days commonly but sometimes it causes crippling symptoms or may mask other forms of arthritis.
Viral arthritis has been increasing rapidly since the last few years. These cases mostly reported mostly in the months of June to October.
What cause viral arthritis?
Dengue virus,
Alpha viruses including the infamous chikungunya virus,
Parvovirus B1,
Mumps and rubella viruses,
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Hepatitis viruses including A, B and C viruses,
Enteroviruses,
herpes simplex virus,
Epstein Barr virus,
cytomegalovirus,
Unknown viruses.
Differential diagnosis :
Acute rheumatic fever,
Sjogrens Syndrome,
Lupus Rheumatoid arthritis,
Undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy.
The two phases of Viral Arthritis:
Early Phase (First 10 Days)
Patient complains of fever, myalgias (muscle pains), symmetric polyarthralgias (multiple joint pain), transient rash, and conjunctivitis.
Poly arthralgia involves mainly the wrists, hands, ankles and toes.
Swelling of the joints is a characteristic clinical finding in these patients.
During this phase, elevation of liver enzymes (AST, ALT and J-glutamyltransferase) and muscle enzymes (creatine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase) is observed in 50% of the patients, accompanied by cytopenias -reduction in blood cell numbers (thrombocytopenia which is a fall in platelet numbers, and leucopenia which is a fall in WBC numbers). In some cases minute haemorrhages under the skin can be seen.
Medicine play important role at this stage to reduce morbidity and complications.
Pharmaceutical agents used to treat patients suffering from viral arthritis include non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Medicines including anti malarials,
interferons,
corticosteroids,
immunoglobulins,
anti neoplastic agents,
other anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics may be required.
Later Phase (After 10 Days)
In This phase there is no associated fever or rash complained by patients.
Most patients comes with pain and swelling of the joints in both their hands and legs. Some patients may complains of having stiffness in these joints in the mornings.
The potential benefits of drugs should be weighed against their potential risks and it is prudent to seek specialist help if symptoms are prolonged and do not respond to simple measures.
If it is a typical viral arthritis then there is no need of specialists and patients should be reassure that symptoms are self limiting and it is unlikely to develop in to a worse or serious condition.
In this phase physiotherapy can play a better role.
As per studies all cases of such viral attacks are nondestructive for joints and not develop in to the chronic condition.
- Physiotherapy prevent morbidity of such conditions very efficiently.
- To prevent the side effects of excess use of painkillers the physiotherapy modalities like TENS (nerve stimulation) and IFT (interferential therapy) are efficient and have no side-effects.
- Morning stiffness can be prevented with the help of contrast bath, auto stretching and A PROM exercises.
- Ultra sonic therapy and positioning with exercises protocol can prevent the swelling in such patients.
- Muscle strength and Range of motion can be easily achieved with the help of Physio therapeutic exercises.
- Relaxation can be achieved through various breathing and relaxation techniques.
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