Arthrosis, more correctly called osteoarthrosis, is a chronic disease of a dystrophic nature, caused by the destruction of the cartilaginous tissue of the joint, therefore the treatment of arthrosis of the joints is extremely necessary.If such a disease occurs, irreversible inflammatory processes begin at the ends of the bones and in the tissues around the joints, leading to their degeneration.In addition, arthrosis refers to a number of additional degenerative joint diseases, which are characterized by numerous causes of occurrence and similar mechanisms of progression.
Osteoarthritis, according to various statistical information, affects up to 80% of the inhabitants of our planet, which makes it the most diagnosed joint disease.And among all diseases it is in 3rd place.
The older a person gets, the greater the chance of developing osteoarthritis.Both sexes are equally susceptible to it, except that arthrosis of the interphalangeal joints occurs more often in women.The active population over 30 years of age is the most affected.From year to year, the proportion of patients only increases.
Causes of arthrosis of a diseased joint
The development and causes of arthrosis are accompanied by a deterioration in the metabolism of the joint, as a result of which the cartilaginous tissue loses its elasticity.The reason for this may be the complete or incomplete loss of proteoglycans in the cartilage, which most often occurs due to severe cracks in the cartilage.The loss of these complex proteins can also occur due to an interruption in their production by joint cells.
According to experts, the destruction of cartilage can occur due to: hormonal imbalances, deterioration of blood flow in the joint, deterioration of metabolism, for hereditary reasons, due to mature age, injuries and other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and lichen planus.However, the most important cause of osteoarthritis is excessive stress on joints at a time when they are most vulnerable.
Additional causes of joint osteoarthritis include the following:
- previous injuries;
- excessive body weight;
- inflammation due to the development of a severe form of purulent arthritis;
- poor daily diet;
- hypothermia;
- Libman-Sachs disease;
- intoxication of the whole body;
- frequent colds;
- syphilis, tuberculosis, purulent inflammation of the urinary tract, tick-borne meningoencephalitis in spring-summer;
- thyroid diseases;
- chronic bleeding (hemophilia);
- osteochondropathy of the femoral head.
The causes of osteoarthritis are genetic:
- osteoarthritis of the bones and fingers, which can be hereditary;
- dysplasia - as a result of abnormal processes during the development of joints and ligaments that occur in the uterus - leads to joint wear and arthrosis;
- pathogenic change in type 2 collagen – when the connective tissue fibrillar protein is damaged.
People who have the following professions or hobbies are more susceptible to the disease: bricklayer, fisherman, blacksmith, loader, athlete.
Osteoarthritis symptoms for various reasons
The symptoms of osteoarthritis can be divided into four groups:
- Painful in nature.The occurrence of pain indicates, first of all, the initial symptoms of osteoarthritis.Pain can be caused by many reasons, but in osteoarthritis it is special.Firstly, the pain is characterized by acute manifestations and the person may feel some discomfort when moving.The pain disappears with rest.At night, the pain can only be felt when turning from side to side.At rest, the pain becomes constant only in severe forms of the disease.In the early stages of the disease, pain is only felt during heavy exertion or on palpation.As the condition worsens, the pain intensifies and more and more breaks are needed to eliminate it.In severe forms, the pain becomes unbearable, osteophytes appear due to the thinning of the cartilage and exposed bone.Bad weather and a full moon aggravate the pain.
- The appearance of a crisis.This type of symptom is also very important in the diagnosis.It occurs due to friction between rotating bones, whose ends have lost softness and elasticity.The crisis may indicate other diseases, or may not be accompanied by them, but in osteoarthritis it has a special character, which is distinguished by “dryness”.This causes pain.
- Deterioration of the motor functions of the joint.This symptom is typical of the advanced stages of osteoarthritis and occurs due to the appearance of bone tumors in the joint, which cause spasms and almost completely fill the joint space.The result is partial immobilization of the joint.
- Joint deformity.A change in the shape of the joint occurs due to the growth of osteophytes in the bones and the entry of synovial fluid into the joint.This symptom is characteristic of more advanced forms of the disease.
Arthrosis can alternately pass from a state of exacerbation to a state of remission, which greatly interferes with diagnosing the disease on your own.For this reason, it is recommended that you consult a doctor to confirm the diagnosis.
Thanks to x-rays, the doctor will be able to determine signs that indicate one of the four stages of osteoarthritis:
- Stage 1. The joint lumen may be slightly reduced;no osteophytes are observed.
- Stage 2. The decrease in lumen may be more pronounced and osteophytes begin to form.
- Stage 3. A narrowing of the lumen is clearly observed and a large number of osteophytes are present.
- Stage 4. The articular lumen almost completely disappears and a pathological change in the shape of the joint begins due to many osteophytes.
Treatment methods for arthrosis
It is best to start treatment for arthrosis at the initial stage of its development, and it should be comprehensive and pathogenetic in nature.Treatment should aim to eliminate the causes that worsen the disease.In addition, it will be necessary to eliminate pathogenic changes caused by inflammation and restore the functionality of the joint.
An integrated approach to the treatment of joint diseases consists of the use of medications and physiotherapeutic measures.It is possible to prescribe sanatorium-resort therapy, since in some cases the climate, mineral waters and mud have an effective effect.
Treatment of joint arthrosis consists of several basic principles:
- diseased joints should not experience excessive stress and should be practically absent during treatment;
- adhere to the orthopedic order;
- practice recreational physical education;
- carrying out physiotherapy, consisting of laser, shock waves, electro and magnetic therapy;
- undergo treatment in spas at least once a year, as prescribed by a doctor;
- oxygen therapy - feeding the inside of the joint with oxygen;
- drug treatment;
- method of intraosseous drug administration and metaepiphysis decompression;
- establish adequate nutrition.
Drug therapy consists of using the following medications:
- Anti-inflammatory medications.Thanks to an integrated approach, you can not only prevent the development of the disease, but also make your life easier to some extent.In part, drug treatment aims to eliminate pain and inflammation inside the joint.For this purpose, non-steroidal medications are used.Experts advise not to use the oral method of administering these medications as they can cause severe stomach pain.In this regard, based on a specific drug, intravenous or intramuscular injections are used.Additional means, such as ointments, are practically not used, as their effectiveness is extremely low.
- Hormonal corticosteroids.These drugs are prescribed in case of exacerbation of the disease.Drugs are injected into the joint.For external use, use a patch, tincture or ointment.
- Chondroprotectors.Prescribed to restore cartilaginous tissue and improve the quality of the synovial structure.Among these medicines, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are most preferred.The duration of this course may be significant until improvement occurs.However, if the required result is not observed within six months, these medications should no longer be taken.Also, along with chondroprotectors, it is recommended to inject medications into the joint with the addition of hyaluronic acid.These medications help in the formation of articular cartilage cells.
In especially severe cases, the prescription of narcotic analgesics is not excluded.But these drugs are prescribed very rarely, only in cases where other drugs have not had the desired effect.
Proper nutrition for arthrosis
An important role in the worsening of the disease should be attributed to proper nutrition.It must be balanced.You can't eat too little, but you shouldn't eat too much either.Due to excess weight, the load on the joints will increase, and in case of malnutrition, the cartilaginous tissue will lack important microelements, as a result of which it will degrade.However, the main thing is to create a diet that will help you lose excess weight.You will need to give up fast carbohydrates, found in sweets and flour.Furthermore, the consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially beer, is prohibited.
Fish dishes are welcome, there are practically no restrictions.Only fatty varieties should be avoided - due to their high calorie content, you can gain excess weight again.
Jellied meat is especially valued in the treatment of arthrosis.It may seem strange, but all doctors, without exception, recommend using it because it contains a large amount of different microelements.The collagen found in jellied meat is useful because it is an integral part of connective tissues, therefore, in this case, it is able to replenish the missing amount in the body.As a result, the joints gain better mobility and the cartilaginous tissue becomes more resistant and elastic.
Vitamins, especially group B, play an important role for the body as a whole in this disease.It is this group that allows you to normalize metabolic processes in the body.A properly functioning metabolism will allow your joints to feel good.Thiamine, after entering the body from beans or peas, accelerates the synthesis of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
To increase hemoglobin, you need pyridoxine, which can be obtained from bananas, nuts, potatoes and cabbage.It is advisable to pay attention to greens and beans - they contain folic acid.The body also needs liver, mushrooms, eggs and fermented milk products.This entire list of vitamins is, of course, contained in vitamin complexes, but it's no secret that natural elements are better absorbed, which means the healing process will be much faster and more effective.
When eating, you must follow simple basic rules:
- Before going to sleep, you should not eat foods that are difficult to digest, as they can cause an osteoarthritis attack;
- food should be eaten more frequently, but in small portions;
- Monitor your body weight at all times so that it does not increase, otherwise heavy loads on the joints will be guaranteed, buy a good product to lose weight and control weight;
- during periods of relief from the disease after eating, go for walks;
- The daily diet must be balanced and prepared together with the doctor.
It is very important to seek help from a doctor in time.By following some of his instructions, you will not only be able to stop the development of osteoarthritis, but also reverse it, which will give you the opportunity to enjoy your normal life again.