Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease in which there is a lesion in the structure of the connective tissues 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, because 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, metabolism in cartilage, trauma. They lose their elasticity, become brittle and deform. The joint fluid is practically not produced, the joints stop sliding during movement and friction occurs between them. These factors cause pain and inflammation.
Causes of osteoarthritis:
- Great stress on the joints. Osteoarthritis often occurs in athletes and people with heavy physical labor. Excess weight also significantly increases the load.
- Poor 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 affect the joints. Joints suffer because the load is unevenly distributed due to a defect in the muscles. Osteoarthritis will begin to develop in the joint where the load is greater.
- Cartilage damage does not go unnoticed. They disrupt metabolism, elasticity and cause inflammation.
- Prolonged stress disrupts the metabolism of the whole organism and joints. especially the muscles are tense. All this causes arthritis.
- Age. As you get older, your joints wear out more and more.
- Diseases associated with inflammation in the body can cause osteoarthritis. These include: tuberculosis, purulent arthritis, syphilis.
- Joint dysplasia caused by abnormal formation of joints in the womb.
Some of these symptoms, such as metabolic and certain diseases, are often classified as a separate group: hereditary causes.
Degrees of development of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis does not occur suddenly, without cause and symptoms. There are 3 stages in its development:
- Pain begins to appear after exercise and long walks. The pain disappears after rest. At this stage, the cartilage begins to break down, and insufficient synovial fluid is secreted. Muscles undergo changes and weaken.
- The pain is felt not only after exercise, but also at rest. Even a night's sleep does not bring significant relief. Bone growths begin to form in the joints. When moving together, a squeak is heard. The surrounding tissues appear slightly swollen.
- The muscular apparatus is significantly weakened, synovial fluid is not released due to impaired metabolism, cartilage is deformed. Bone growth during movement causes unbearable pain. Swelling of the periarticular tissues becomes more pronounced and the temperature rises.
Unfortunately, many people only see a doctor when their osteoarthritis reaches grade 3. People do not pay attention or try to treat only the symptoms, not the disease itself. However, if you start treatment at the first signs of the disease, the treatment will be much more effective and faster.
The main types of the disease
There are several types of osteoarthritis, depending on the area affected by the joint:
- Gonarthrosis is an inflammation of the joint tissue of the knee joint. It often occurs in people who are overweight or have varicose veins. Injuries are also one of the main reasons.
- Osteoarthritis of the ankle joint - most often due to injuries, dislocations. Athletes and people engaged in physical labor are very sensitive 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 mark the onset of the disease. There are no obvious symptoms: no swelling, no lameness, only occasional pain. However, despite the absence of external signs, there are serious internal changes. Muscles weaken, pain intensifies, and lameness develops. Often, drug treatment is ineffective at this stage. The way out is joint prostheses.
- Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint occurs when worn due to heavy loads, injuries, disorders of the endocrine system. It is characterized by severe pain in the shoulder, limited joint mobility. One of the main treatments is exercise therapy.
- Spondyloarthritis - osteoarthritis of the spine. It most often occurs in people who are sedentary and have back loads (for example, those who are moving). Cartilage wears out prematurely, and overweight people with poor posture also suffer from spondylosis due to microtrauma and inflammation. Exercise therapy, swimming and acupuncture are good ways to relieve pain.
- Uncoarthritis - destruction of the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine. It occurs due to birth defects, overweight, low physical activity, injuries. It is dangerous because it causes loss of some reflexes, dizziness, fainting and high blood pressure. Treatment of this type of osteoarthritis should be complex: medication, physiotherapy. In addition, it is recommended to wear a special collar to reduce the load on the cervical region. This helps the muscles to stretch a bit.
You should contact an arthrologist or rheumatologist for diagnosis.
Which doctor treats?
Only a doctor will tell you how to treat osteoarthritis. However, which doctor to consult for osteoarthritis depends on the extent of the disease.
- If a person has grade 1 osteoarthritis, if the pain is just beginning and there are no serious changes in the joint, a rheumatologist should start treatment. Will prescribe the necessary medications and procedures.
- When the pain is more intense and prolonged, changes in the internal tissues begin, second-degree osteoarthritis occurs, then you should contact an orthopedist. In addition to medication, he can prescribe a physiotherapy complex and a course of massage.
- Then, when osteoarthritis begins and has already reached grade 3, only a surgeon can help. Otherwise, the patient is at risk of disability. Restoration of damaged cartilage and joints is sometimes possible only with surgery.
If osteoarthritis develops after a joint injury, you should contact a traumatologist. Depending on the injuries, the traumatologist may refer the patient to other specialists.
Prevention
You should take the following measures to prevent osteoarthritis:
- follow your diet, make it as healthy as possible;
- to prevent the formation of excess body weight;
- distribute the load evenly on the joints, do not overload them;
- After physical activity, it is necessary to massage to prevent circulatory disorders.
Such prevention of osteoarthritis will help to avoid not only diseases of the musculoskeletal system, but also diseases of other systems and organs.
Treatment of osteoarthritis
Everyone who is diagnosed with this disease, first of all, wants to know the answer to the question of whether it is possible to treat osteoarthritis. Treatment of osteoarthritis is always a series of medications, procedures, exercises, folk remedies and a lot of time. Unfortunately, osteoarthritis cannot be treated with a two-week course of medication. Even if the pain subsides and some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis begin to disappear, this is not the beginning of a full recovery.
It is important! The treatment can last six months or more. Therefore, you should be patient and patiently follow all the doctor's prescriptions.
Medical therapy
Drug treatment of osteoarthritis occurs in stages. Each stage is aimed at solving a specific problem:
- Eliminates pain and inflammation. For treatment of direct joint and cartilage, it is necessary to get rid of the pain and eliminate the inflammation before starting. This is achieved through the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Reconstruction of cartilage tissue with the help of chondroprotective drugs containing chondroitin.
- Reconstruction of the joint by injection into the diseased joint area. Corticosteroids may also be prescribed. They eliminate inflammation (if tablets and ointments do not cope with it) and restore the mobility of the affected joint.
- Filling the joint cavity with hyaluronic acid. Promotes the production of new fluid and prevents friction from one joint to another.
Unfortunately, even after all of the above courses of treatment, it is not possible to completely restore the joint. Additional procedures and methods are needed.
Therapeutic and physical training complex for osteoarthritis, gymnastics and massage
Exercise therapy is an integral part of the treatment of osteoarthritis. The instructor develops an individual training program based on the diagnosis and recommendations of the attending physician. Because there are several types of osteoarthritis, the exercises will focus on different muscle groups and the development of different joints and ligaments. When designing a number of exercises, the age, overweight and other factors of a person suffering from osteoarthritis should be taken into account.
For example, there is an effective set of Popov exercises to develop the muscles and ligaments of the shoulder girdle. It is based on the repetition of smooth movements with a slow increase in amplitude.
Exercise therapy can be started only after the pain and inflammation have been eliminated.
It is important! Exercise therapy, gymnastics and massage are contraindicated in case of exacerbation of the disease!
Gymnastics should be done at home several times a day. It is better to warm the painful joint a little before each load, to make light movements up and down, to the sides, in a circle.
It is also recommended to start a massage course after relieving pain and inflammation. All movements should be light, smooth, without excessive effort and pressure.
Folk remedies
Alternative methods are not a panacea for osteoarthritis, you can not expect treatment 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 rubs. The following compresses have proven to be the best:
- Cabbage juice smeared with honey or a compress of cabbage leaves.
- Squeeze the horseradish root, chopped on a grater.
- Boiled oatmeal compress.
- Fresh mashed potatoes compress.
The most effective of the friction are:
- 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, not more.
- Rub with propolis and vegetable oil (sunflower, olive).
- Alcohol infusion of elecampane roots.
Some decoctions and tinctures are used orally with osteoarthritis. They help to improve metabolism and provide the body of a person suffering from osteoarthritis with the necessary substances. Especially popular ones:
- bay leaf decoction;
- a mixture of garlic and olive (corn) oil;
- a mixture of calcined cottage cheese (home-made), honey and horseradish root.
Taking a bath with straw powder has a positive effect on painful joints. Exercise is also helpful to develop muscles and ligaments.
It is important! Before starting treatment with herbs, you should make sure that there are no allergic reactions to the components of decoctions, tinctures and compresses.
Treatment with stem cells
There are stem cells in the human body. The unique ability of these cells is that they can transform into any cell in the body. This feature was the basis for the development of a method for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the joints with stem cells. The method involves isolating a certain amount of stem cells from the human bone marrow. Then it is grown for 2 months in special conditions, sometimes less. After that, they are inserted 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. In a few months, a second injection of stem cells into the joint area will be required. We can say for sure about the effect obtained after 6 months after this procedure, although improvements are visible almost in the first days after cell application.
Surgical treatment
When conservative methods do not give the expected results, operative treatment of osteoarthritis of the joints is used: inflammation is not eliminated, pain is not stopped. The essence of this is to include the necessary tools in the affected joint and the area of manipulation, which helps to restore all the tissues and their functions. Sometimes this is not enough for a full recovery. Then a method such as joint replacement is used. In this case, special plates made of metal or plastic are installed instead of cartilage.
Disability due to arthritis
Often a person with this disease suffers from so much pain that he is ready to demand a diagnosis of disability. After all, these pains do not allow him to perform work and household functions qualitatively and in the required amount. However, doctors are not in a hurry with the statement of disability, because with proper treatment and strict implementation of all recommendations, the pain stops, inflammation is reduced and motor activity is restored. If the diagnosis is "grade 1 osteoarthritis" or "grade 2 osteoarthritis", then it is almost impossible to get a category.
It is important! Disability is allowed only in the case of irreversible deformation changes in the joints.
And still, with advanced osteoarthritis, there is hope of getting a disability, even if it is not possible to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. But this will be temporary. You will have to undergo regular medical and social examinations. If the patient has undergone endoprosthetic surgery and his motor functions have been fully restored, then the disability will be eliminated.