Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease in which there is a lesion in the connective tissue structure of the musculoskeletal system. The disease is characterized by a progressive 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 natural aging process in the body.
Causes of the disease
Osteoarthritis is commonly referred to as joint disease and destruction of cartilage tissue. This is due to the deterioration of blood circulation, cartilage metabolism, trauma. They lose their elasticity, become brittle, deform. Joint fluid is practically not produced, the joints cease to slide during movement, and friction occurs between them. These factors cause a sensation of pain, inflammation begins.
Causes of osteoarthritis:
- Great stress on the joints. Osteoarthritis often occurs in athletes and people with intense physical labor. Excess weight also significantly increases the load.
- Bad nutrition. In order for the 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. Since the load is unevenly distributed due to a defect in the muscles, the joints suffer. In the joint where the load was greatest, osteoarthritis will begin to develop.
- Cartilage injuries do not go unnoticed. They interfere with 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 that are accompanied by inflammation in the body can lead to osteoarthritis. These include: tuberculosis, purulent arthritis, syphilis.
- Joint dysplasia caused by abnormal joint formation in the uterus.
Many of these traits, such as metabolism and some diseases, are often classified as a separate group: hereditary causes.
Degrees of development of arthrosis
Osteoarthritis does not come on suddenly, without causes and symptoms. In its development, 3 phases can be traced:
- Pain begins to manifest itself after exercise, walking long distances. After rest, the pain disappears. 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 of sleep does not bring significant relief. Bone growths begin to form on the joints. When the joint moves, a creak is heard. Some swelling of the surrounding tissues is visible.
- The muscular apparatus is noticeably weakened, the synovial fluid is not released due to impaired metabolism, the cartilage is deformed. Bone 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 osteoarthritis reaches grade 3. People do not pay attention or try to treat only the symptoms, but not the disease itself. Although the treatment will be much more effective and faster if you start it at the first sign of the disease.
The main types of the disease
Depending on the area in which the joint is affected, there are different types of osteoarthritis:
- Gonarthrosis is inflammation of the joint tissue of the knee. Most often it occurs in people with a high body weight or with varicose veins. Injuries are also one of the main reasons.
- Arthrosis of the ankle joint - occurs most often due to injuries, dislocations. Athletes and people engaged in physical labor are very susceptible to this type of osteoarthritis. Overweight people also suffer from pathology.
- Coxarthrosis - thinning of the connective tissue of the hip joint. It is difficult to notice the onset of the disease. There are no noticeable symptoms: no swelling, no lameness, pain only occasionally 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 way out is joint prostheses.
- Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint occurs when it is worn out due to heavy loads, injuries, disruption of the endocrine system. It is characterized by severe pain in the shoulder, joint mobility becomes limited. One of the main methods of treatment is physical therapy.
- Spondyloarthrosis - osteoarthritis of the spine. Most often it occurs in people with sedentary work and with loads on the back (for example, movers). Overweight people with poor posture also suffer from spondylarthrosis, as their cartilage wears out early, microtrauma and inflammation are formed. A good way to relieve pain is physical therapy, swimming, and acupuncture.
- Uncoarthrosis - destruction of the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine. It occurs due to congenital malformations, overweight, poor physical activity, injuries. It is dangerous because it causes the loss of some reflexes, leads to dizziness, fainting and high blood pressure. Treatment of this type of arthrosis should be complex: drugs, physiotherapy. In addition, 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 the diagnosis, it is necessary to contact an arthrologist or a rheumatologist.
Which doctor is treating?
How to treat osteoarthritis, only a doctor will tell. But which doctor to turn to for osteoarthritis depends on the extent to which the disease has reached.
- If a person has 1st degree osteoarthritis, the pain has only just begun, and there are no severe changes in the joint, a rheumatologist should begin treatment. He will prescribe the necessary medications and procedures.
- When the pain becomes more intense and prolonged, changes in the internal tissues begin, 2nd degree arthrosis occurs, so it is necessary to contact an orthopedist. He, in addition to drugs, can prescribe the implementation of a physiotherapy complex and a massage course.
- So, when osteoarthritis has started and has already reached the 3rd degree, only a surgeon can help. Otherwise, the patient is at risk of disability. Restoration of destroyed cartilage and joints is sometimes only possible by resorting to surgery.
In the event that osteoarthritis occurs after a joint injury, a traumatologist should be contacted. Depending on the injury, the traumatologist may refer the patient to other profiling specialists.
Prevention
To avoid osteoarthritis, the following measures should be taken:
- monitor 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 other systems and organs.
Treatment of arthrosis
Every person who has been diagnosed with this, first of all wants to get an answer to the question, is it possible to cure osteoarthritis? Treatment of arthrosis is always a whole range of medicines, procedures, exercises, folk methods and a huge amount of time. Unfortunately, osteoarthritis cannot be cured in a two-week course of medication. 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 for six months or more. Therefore, you should be patient and constantly follow all the doctor's prescriptions.
Medical therapy
Treatment of osteoarthritis with drugs occurs in several stages. Each phase is aimed at solving a specific problem:
- Pain relief and inflammation relief. Before starting treatment directly on the joint and cartilage, it is necessary to eliminate pain and eliminate inflammation. This is achieved through the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Restoration of cartilage tissue with the help of chondroprotective preparations containing chondroitin.
- Joint restoration by injection in the area of the diseased joint. Corticosteroids may also be prescribed. They relieve inflammation (if compresses and ointments did not address this problem) and restore the mobility of the affected joint.
- Filling of the joint cavity with hyaluronic acid. Promotes the production of new fluid and prevents friction from one joint to another.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to fully restore the joint, even after going through the entire course of treatment indicated above. Additional procedures and methods are required.
Complex of therapeutic and physical culture, gymnastics and massage for osteoarthritis
Physical therapy is an integral part of the treatment of osteoarthritis. Based on the diagnosis and recommendations of the attending physician, the instructor draws up an individual training program. Since there are different types of osteoarthritis, the exercises will target different muscle groups, the development of different joints and ligaments. When compiling a set of exercises, it is necessary to take into account the age of a person suffering from osteoarthritis, the presence of overweight and other factors.
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 physical therapy only after the pain and inflammation are removed.
Important! During the exacerbation of the disease, physical 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 aching joint, making light movements up and down, to the sides, turning in a circle.
It is also recommended to start a massage course after pain and inflammation relief. All movements should be light, stroked, 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 addition to conservative treatment, but not an independent species.
The most effective folk remedies for osteoarthritis are compresses and rubbing. The following tablets have proven themselves best:
- A compress of cabbage juice or cabbage leaf smeared with honey.
- Compress from horseradish root, chopped on a grater.
- Boiled oatmeal compress.
- A wrap of fresh mashed potatoes.
Among the rubbings the most effective are the following:
- Rub with honey, vinegar (or alcohol), iodine and glycerin. Improve blood circulation, relieve pain.
- Rubbing of raw chicken eggs, turpentine and ammonia. Apply 3-4 days before bedtime, no more.
- Rubbing from propolis and vegetable oil (sunflower, olive).
- Alcoholic infusion of elecampane roots.
With osteoarthritis, some decoctions and tinctures are used orally. They help improve metabolism and provide the necessary substances to the body of a person suffering from osteoarthritis. Particularly popular are:
- decoction of bay leaf;
- a mixture of garlic and olive oil (corn);
- a mixture of calcined cottage cheese (homemade), honey and horseradish root.
Bathing with hay dust has a positive effect on aching joints. Exercising to develop muscles and ligaments is also helpful.
Important! Before starting treatment with medicinal herbs, it is necessary to make sure that there are no allergic reactions to the components of decoctions, tinctures and compresses.
Stem cell treatment
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 the treatment of osteoarthritis of the joints with stem cells. The method consists in the fact that a certain amount of stem cells are isolated from the human bone marrow. Then, under special conditions, they are grown for 2 months, sometimes less. Subsequently, 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 will be needed in the joint area. After 6 months from this procedure, we can accurately talk about the effect obtained, although the improvements are visible almost in the first days after the introduction of the cells.
Surgical treatment
An operative method is resorted to for the treatment of arthrosis of the joints when conservative methods do not bring the expected results: the inflammation is not removed, the pain is not stopped. The essence of them lies in the introduction of the necessary tools in the area of the affected joint and manipulation, which helps to restore all tissues and their functions. Sometimes this isn't enough for a full recovery. Then a method such as joint replacement is used. In this case, special metal or plastic plates are installed instead of cartilage.
Disability due to arthritis
Often, with this disease, a person is tormented by such severe pain that he is ready to ask for a disability to be established. After all, these pains do not allow him to perform work and household functions qualitatively and in the right volume. But doctors are in no hurry with the declaration of disability, because with the right 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", it is almost impossible to get a category.
Important! Disability is allowed only for irreversible changes in the deformity of the joints.
And yet, with advanced osteoarthritis, if it is impossible to remove even the symptoms of the disease, there is hope of getting a disability. But it will be temporary. You will need to undergo regular re-examination in the medical and social exam. If the patient has undergone endoprosthetic surgery and his motor functions have been fully restored, the disability will be removed.