Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease characterized by damage to the connective tissue structure of the musculoskeletal system. The disease is characterized by a gradual course, against which the cartilage tissue is gradually destroyed. This pathology is diagnosed in many people over the age of 65, since one of the factors contributing to the formation of this condition is the body's natural aging process.
Causes of disease
Osteoarthritis is commonly referred to as joint disease and destruction of cartilage tissue. This is due to the deterioration of blood circulation, metabolism in the cartilage, trauma. They lose their elasticity, become brittle, deformed. Joint fluid is practically not produced, the joints stop sliding during movement, and friction occurs between them. These factors cause a feeling of pain, inflammation begins.
Causes of Osteoarthritis:
- Great stress on the joints. Osteoarthritis often occurs in athletes and in people with heavy physical labor. Excess weight also significantly increases the load.
- Bad nutrition. In order for cartilage tissues and joints to receive the necessary amount of calcium, potassium and other useful minerals and substances, a person must receive them in sufficient quantities with food.
- Diseases such as scoliosis or flat feet also negatively affect the joints. As the load is distributed unevenly due to a defect in the muscles, the joints suffer. In the joint where the load was greatest, arthrosis will begin to develop.
- Cartilage damage does not go unnoticed. They disrupt metabolism, elasticity and lead to inflammation.
- Prolonged stress disrupts the metabolism of the whole body and joints. in particular, the muscles are in tension. All of this leads to arthritis.
- Age. The closer you get to old age, the more your joints wear out.
- Diseases accompanied by inflammation in the body can lead to arthrosis. These include: tuberculosis, purulent arthritis, syphilis.
- Joint dysplasia caused by the abnormal formation of joints in the uterus.
Many of these traits, such as metabolism and certain diseases, are often classified in a separate group: hereditary causes.
Degrees of development of arthrosis
Osteoarthritis does not occur suddenly, without causes or symptoms. In its development, 3 stages can be traced:
- The pain begins to appear after exercise, when walking long distances. After rest, the pain goes away. At this stage, the cartilage begins to break down, synovial fluid is secreted in insufficient quantities. Muscles undergo changes, weaken.
- Pain is felt not only after exercise, but also at rest. Even a night's sleep does not bring significant relief. Bony growths begin to form on the joints. When the joint moves, a cracking sound is heard. Swelling of the surrounding tissues is visible.
- The muscular apparatus is significantly weakened, synovial fluid is not released due to impaired metabolism, cartilage is deformed. Bony growths during movement cause unbearable pain. The swelling of the periarticular tissues becomes more pronounced and the temperature is elevated.
Unfortunately, many only go to the doctor when the osteoarthritis reaches grade 3. People don't pay attention or try to treat only the symptoms, not the disease itself. Although the treatment is much more effective and faster if you start it at the first signs of the disease.
The main types of diseases
Depending on the area in which the joint is affected, there are several types of osteoarthritis:
- Knee osteoarthritis is an inflammation of the joint tissue of the knee. Most often occurs in people with large body weight or varicose veins. Injuries are also one of the main reasons.
- Arthrosis of the ankle joint - most often occurs due to injuries, dislocations. Athletes and people engaged in physical labor are very susceptible to this type of arthrosis. Overweight people also suffer from pathologies.
- Coxarthrosis - thinning of the connective tissue of the hip joint. It is difficult to notice the onset of the disease. There are no obvious symptoms: no swelling, no lameness, only occasional pain occurs. But, despite the absence of external signs, there are serious internal changes. Muscles weaken, pain intensifies, lameness occurs. Most often, drug treatment at this stage is ineffective. The solution is the joint prosthesis.
- Arthrosis of the shoulder joint occurs when it is worn out due to heavy loads, injuries, disruptions in the endocrine system. It is characterized by severe pain in the shoulder, joint mobility becomes limited. One of the main methods of treatment is exercise therapy.
- Spondylarthrosis - arthrosis of the spine. Most often occurs in people with sedentary work and with loads on their backs (for example, movers). Overweight people with poor posture also suffer from spondylarthrosis, as their cartilage wears out in advance, microtraumas and inflammation are formed. A good way to relieve pain is through exercise therapy, swimming, and acupuncture.
- Uncoarthrosis - destruction of the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine. It occurs due to congenital defects, overweight, low physical activity, injuries. It is dangerous because it causes the loss of certain reflexes, leads to dizziness, fainting and high blood pressure. The treatment of this type of osteoarthritis must be complex: drugs, physiotherapy. Also, to reduce the load on the cervical region, it is recommended to wear a special collar. It also contributes to a slight stretching of the muscles.
For diagnosis, you need to contact an arthrologist or rheumatologist.
Which doctor treats?
How to treat arthrosis, only a doctor will tell. But which doctor to turn to for osteoarthritis depends on the extent of the disease.
- If a person has arthrosis of the 1st degree, the pain is just beginning, and there are no serious changes in the joint, then a rheumatologist should take the treatment. He will prescribe the necessary medications and procedures.
- When the pain becomes more intense and prolonged, changes in internal tissues begin, arthrosis of the 2nd degree occurs, then you need to contact an orthopedist. He, in addition to medication, can prescribe the establishment of a physiotherapy complex and a massage course.
- Then, when osteoarthritis has started and has already reached the 3rd degree, only a surgeon can help. Otherwise, the patient is at risk of disability. Restoring destroyed cartilage and joints is sometimes only possible by resorting to surgery.
In the event that arthrosis occurs after a joint injury, you need to contact a traumatologist. Depending on the injuries, the traumatologist may refer the patient to other profiling specialists.
Prevention
To avoid osteoarthritis, you must take the following measures:
- watch your diet, make it as useful as possible;
- prevent the formation of excess body weight;
- correctly distribute the load on the joints, do not overload them;
- after physical activity, it is necessary to do a massage so that there is no circulatory disturbance.
Such prevention of arthrosis will help to avoid not only diseases of the musculoskeletal system, but also of other systems and organs.
Osteoarthritis treatment
Every person who has been diagnosed with it, first of all wants to get an answer to the question, is it possible to cure arthrosis? Treatment of arthrosis is always a full range of drugs, procedures, exercises, folk methods and a lot of time. Unfortunately, osteoarthritis cannot be cured in two weeks of drug treatment. Even if the pain subsides and some signs of osteoarthritis begin to disappear, this will not mean the start of a full recovery.
Important! Treatment can last six months or more. Therefore, you need to be patient and strictly follow all the doctor's prescriptions.
medical therapy
The treatment of arthrosis with medication takes place in stages. Each step aims to solve a specific problem:
- Pain relief and inflammation relief. Before starting treatment directly on the joint and cartilage, it is necessary to get rid of pain and eliminate inflammation. This is achieved through the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Restoration of cartilage tissue using chondroprotective preparations containing chondroitin.
- Restoration of the joint by injection into the area of the diseased joint. Corticosteroids may also be prescribed. They relieve inflammation (if tablets and ointments did not cope with it) and restore the mobility of the affected joint.
- Filling of the joint cavity with hyaluronic acid. It promotes the production of new fluid and prevents friction from one joint to another.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely restore the joint, even after completing all the treatment indicated above. Additional procedures and methods are required.
Complex of therapeutic and physical culture, gymnastics and massage for osteoarthritis
Exercise therapy is an integral part of the treatment of osteoarthritis. The instructor, based on the diagnosis and recommendations of the attending physician, draws up an individual training program. Since there are several types of osteoarthritis, the exercises will target different muscle groups, developing different joints and ligaments. When compiling a set of exercises, the age of a person with arthrosis, the presence of overweight and other factors should be taken into account.
For example, to develop the muscles and ligaments of the shoulder girdle, there is an effective set of Popov exercises. It is based on the repetition of fluid movements, with a slow increase in amplitude.
It is possible to start performing exercise therapy only after the elimination of pain and inflammation.
Important! During the exacerbation of the disease, exercise therapy, gymnastics and massage are contraindicated!
Gymnastics should be done at home several times a day. It is better to warm it up a little before each load on the sore joint, making light movements up and down, sideways, twisting in a circle.
It is also recommended to start a course of massage after the relief of pain and inflammation. All movements should be light, caressing, without excessive effort and pressure.
Folk methods of treatment
Alternative methods are not a panacea for osteoarthritis, one cannot hope for a cure using only traditional medicine. They are an excellent complement to conservative treatment, but not an independent species.
The most effective folk remedies for arthrosis are compresses and rubs. The following compresses have proven themselves:
- A compress of cabbage juice or cabbage leaf smeared with honey.
- Compress from the root of horseradish, chopped on a grater.
- Compress from boiled oatmeal.
- A compress of freshly mashed potatoes.
Some of the most effective rubs include the following:
- Rub with honey, vinegar (or alcohol), iodine and glycerin. Improves blood circulation, relieves pain.
- Rubbing raw chicken eggs, turpentine and ammonia. Apply 3-4 days before bedtime, no more.
- Scrub based on propolis and vegetable oil (sunflower, olive).
- Alcoholic infusion of eggplant roots.
With arthrosis, some decoctions and tinctures are used orally. They help to improve metabolism and provide necessary substances to the body of a person suffering from arthrosis. Are particularly popular:
- bay leaf decoction;
- a mixture of garlic and olive oil (corn);
- a mixture of charred cottage cheese (homemade), honey and horseradish root.
Taking a bath with hay dust has a positive effect on painful joints. It is also useful to perform exercises to develop muscles and ligaments.
Important! Before starting treatment with medicinal herbs, you need to make sure that there are no allergic reactions to the components of decoctions, tinctures and compresses.
Treatment with stem cells
The human body contains stem cells. The unique ability of these cells is that they can transform into any cell in the body. This property was taken as the basis for the development of a method for treating osteoarthritis of the joints with stem cells. The method consists in the fact that a certain amount of stem cells is isolated from human bone marrow. Then, under special conditions, they are grown for 2 months, sometimes less. After that, they are introduced into the cavity of the diseased joint.
Stem cells improve metabolism and blood circulation in the affected area, relieve inflammation and pain. Thanks to them, cartilage and joint tissue are restored. After a few months, a second injection of stem cells into the joint area will be necessary. After 6 months after this procedure, we can accurately speak about the achieved effect, although improvements are visible almost in the first days after the introduction of the cells.
Surgical treatment
An operative method of treating arthrosis of the joints is used when conservative methods do not bring the expected results: inflammation is not removed, pain is not stopped. The essence of these lies in the introduction of the necessary tools into the area of the affected joint and manipulation, which helps to restore all tissues and their functions. Sometimes this is not enough for full recovery. Then a method such as joint replacement is used. In this case, special metal or plastic plates are installed instead of the cartilage.
Disability due to arthritis
Often with this disease a person is tormented by such severe pain that he is ready to demand that a disability be established. After all, these pains do not allow him to perform work and household chores qualitatively and in the appropriate volume. But doctors are in no hurry with the declaration of disability, because with the correct treatment and the exact implementation of all recommendations, the pain stops, inflammation decreases, and motor activity is restored. If the diagnosis is "1st degree osteoarthritis" or "2nd degree osteoarthritis", then it is almost impossible to get a category.
Important! Disability is allowed only in case of irreversible deformation of the joints.
And yet, with advanced arthrosis, if it is impossible to suppress even the symptoms of the disease, there is hope of becoming disabled. But it will be temporary. You will have to undergo regular re-examinations at the medico-social visit. If the patient has undergone endoprosthetic surgery and his motor functions are fully restored, the disability will be removed.