One of the diseases of the joints is arthrosis. During this disease, the cartilage in the joints is slowly destroyed. After a long time, various changes occur, the articular ends of the bones are rebuilt, the inflammatory process increases, and the periarticular tissue is destroyed. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases worldwide. According to statistics, the disease affects more than 70% of people around the world. Arthrosis of the joints ranks second in terms of prevalence after oncological and cardiovascular diseases. The older the person is, the higher the likelihood of osteoarthritis. Men and women are equally affected by this disease. In addition, osteoarthritis can develop even in a non-disabled person over the age of 30.
Why does the disease appear
The development of arthrosis is associated with a disturbed metabolism in the joints. As a result, the cartilage loses its former elasticity. This can be due to the total or partial loss of proteoglycans that are part of cartilage. Deep cracks in the cartilage contribute to this phenomenon. In addition, doctors say that osteoarthritis is a consequence of both metabolic disorders and hormonal failure, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. The most common cause is abnormal stress on the joint when the cartilage cannot withstand it.
Some factors also contribute to the formation and development of osteoarthritis:
- Transferred Trauma. These include dislocations, bruises, fractures, torn ligaments, etc.
- Violation of metabolic processes.
- Overweight of the body, which puts additional stress on the joints.
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the joint (in acute purulent arthritis).
- Advanced age.
- Non-compliance with proper nutrition.
- Frequent hypothermia.
- The presence of autoimmune diseases. These include lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis.
- With general intoxication of the body.
- The occurrence of frequent colds.
- With syphilis, tuberculosis, encephalitis, gonorrhea.
- In diseases of the thyroid gland.
- When blood clotting is disturbed.
varieties of the disease
The most common type is knee osteoarthritis. The knee joint suffers. Such a diagnosis can be made in case of obesity, metabolic disorders or severe stress. The disease can develop over many years, and in the last stage there may be immobilization of the knee.
Ankle osteoarthritis occurs in the ankle joint. The development of the disease can be provoked by the resulting injury, sprain, dysplasia, gout, diabetes mellitus. In some cases, rheumatoid arthritis may be the causative factor. In most cases, the diagnosis is made in those people whose professional activity involves regular overloading of the ankle joints (dancers, athletes, women with high heels).
The presence of congenital defects of the shoulder joint or excessive loading can provoke the occurrence of shoulder arthrosis. Increased risk of getting sick from a painter, plasterer, etc.
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint is a severe form of the disease. The main provoking factor is age-related changes in the tissues of the joint. In most cases, such a diagnosis is made in people whose age exceeds 45 years.
The development of cervical arthrosis occurs due to insufficient mobility of the cervical spine, obesity and trauma. People who are sedentary are at risk. The main symptoms of this arthrosis are limited mobility of the joints, dizziness, headaches and fainting. This is explained by the fact that the vertebral arteries that supply the brain are involved in the pathological process.
Spondylarthrosis affects the joints and cartilage of the spine. In most cases, such a diagnosis is made in people whose age exceeds 70 years. The majority of cases of such osteoarthritis damage are seen in women because their estrogen levels decrease with age.
How the disease manifests itself
The main symptom of osteoarthritis is pain when the joints are under pressure. The disappearance of this symptom occurs when the joint is calm. Osteoarthritis pain has some special features. There is a sharp pain or significant discomfort when performing motor actions. The pain localization is the place where the damaged joint is located. If you stop such movements, the pain will go away.
During sleep, a person does not experience any unpleasant sensations. The prerequisite for this is the adoption of an optimal posture. Pain at rest only occurs as the disease progresses. Such sensations are reminiscent of a toothache. During this period, a person cannot sleep. After that, the cartilage thins and the bone is exposed, causing osteophytes to grow. Acute pain does not leave a person and intensifies in the presence of various factors.
Another clue symptom of the disease is a crunch. It is heard due to the reduced softness of the rotation of the bone in the joint, friction appears between them. This is the cause of the characteristic sound. The presence of a crunch is also inherent in other diseases, taking into account healthy joints. However, with arthrosis, a dry sound is heard. As the disease progresses, such sounds become more vivid. In parallel with the crunch, a person experiences pain.
Osteoarthritis can be recognized by restricted mobility in the joint. The initial stage is characterized by the absence of such a symptom. However, as the disease progresses, bone neoplasms sprout, causing the joint space to disappear. In a human, a limb is rendered harmless at the point where the joint is affected.
A characteristic sign of osteoarthritis is the misalignment of the joints. They are modified by the growth of osteophytes on the bone surface and the presence of synovial fluid there. The deformity refers to a later symptom when the disease has significantly affected the joints.
The disease proceeds with exacerbations or remissions, so it is difficult to independently determine arthrosis based only on your own feelings. This means that a person should immediately consult a qualified clinician to clarify the diagnosis. In the medical center, the patient is sent for an X-ray examination, based on which different degrees of the course of the disease are determined:
- In the first phase there are no osteophytes, there is a slight narrowing of the joint space.
- The second stage is characterized by the formation of osteophytes.
- At the beginning of the third stage, the joint space narrows, the presence of multiple osteophytes and the beginning of joint deformity are noted.
- At stage 4, the joint space is almost absent, multiple osteophytes and significant deformity are noted.
How do you recognize osteoarthritis?
Diagnostic measures begin with interviewing and examining the patient. After that, the specialist prescribes an X-ray examination of the affected joint. In most cases, an X-ray image is taken in two projections. This will visualize a dystrophic change in tissue and also determine how badly the cartilage and adjacent bones are affected. In a patient with such a disease, there is a narrowing of the joint space and deformation of the bone site. Bone proliferations, osteophytes, can be observed from such bones. In some cases, there can be a loss of stability in the joint, leading to subluxations.
Osteophytes are the first sign of arthrosis visible in the image. First, the articular surface, namely its edge, becomes sharp. Then its thickening occurs, and subsequently the presence of outgrowths and spines is observed. Taking into account the X-ray obtained, the doctor comes to the following conclusions:
- Doubtful osteoarthritis. This means that it could not be determined how narrow the joint space was, but the presence of small osteophytes was determined.
- The presence of mild arthrosis. Such a diagnosis means good visualization of osteophytes, but narrowing of the joint space is questionable.
- The presence of moderate arthrosis. This can be diagnosed when there is a clear narrowing of the joint space, the presence of osteophytes is not visible. In some cases, with such a diagnosis, bone deformity can be detected on an X-ray.
- The presence of severe arthrosis. With this diagnosis, the joint space is significantly narrowed and large osteophytes form. There will also be a complete deformity of the joint.
Lifestyle with osteoarthritis:
- Relieve the damaged joint from excessive stress.
- Carefully observe the established orthopedic regime.
- Use physical therapy.
- Take a physical therapy class.
- Visit a sanatorium.
How to treat
medical method
The use of anti-inflammatory drugs. If you start therapeutic measures with an integrated approach, the course of the disease will slow down, the patient's quality of life will improve significantly. Medications allow you to relieve pain and eliminate the inflammatory process in the joint. In this case, the doctor prescribes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. An experienced doctor will not recommend oral use of such a drug. This can irritate the stomach walls. This means that the drug is best administered intravenously or intramuscularly. In some cases, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as an ointment as an adjuvant.
If the disease worsens, the patient is prescribed hormonal corticosteroids. They are administered intra-articularly. The introduction of hydrocortisone or diprospan is implied. As an external remedy, they can prescribe the use of a special plaster, ointment or tincture, the basis of which is paprika. In addition, chondroprotectors are included in the medical treatment of osteoarthritis. They restore cartilage and improve the quality of synovial fluid. The duration of the course of therapeutic measures depends on the onset of improvement. If the expected result does not occur within 6 months, the drug is canceled. Protectors are used in parallel with preparations based on hyaluronic acid. Thanks to such drugs, a cell envelope is formed, which contributes to the formation of cartilage in the joints. An effective treatment of osteoarthritis can complement the intake of diacerein. It regenerates cartilage tissue. Improvement will occur within two to four weeks.
surgical methods
If conservative methods have not coped with the disease, the patient undergoes surgery. One of the methods of surgical intervention is a puncture. It serves as both a therapeutic and a diagnostic procedure. With a puncture, a needle is inserted into the affected joint, after which a small amount of fluid is taken. This liquid is sent to the laboratory for analysis. Thanks to this method, the joint is relieved and a drug (corticosteroid) is injected.
Another surgical method is arthroscopy. The procedure involves inserting an arthroscope into the affected joint through small incisions. With such a procedure, the condition of the joints is assessed from the inside. During the surgical intervention, a qualified specialist removes unnecessary cartilage, the patient is not tormented by pain.
Another method of surgical treatment is periarticular osteotomy. During the operation, the bones of the joint are filed and fixed in the desired position. Thanks to this method, the load on the affected area is reduced and pain is eliminated. The procedure is considered quite effective treatment of osteoarthritis, but it is used in rare cases. This is explained by the introduction of anesthesia and a long recovery period.
If the joint has been significantly deformed and cannot be restored, the patient is scheduled for arthroplasty. This is a complex and expensive process. Prostheses can be made of ceramic, plastic or metal. After using this method, the patient has a long recovery period and pain. In some situations, this is the only way to help a patient diagnosed with osteoarthritis, otherwise complete immobility cannot be avoided. The use of a high-quality prosthesis extends the lifespan to up to 15 years.
methods of physiotherapy
The shock wave method helps to free the patient from the emerging osteophytes or bone processes. Osteophytes are pain provocateurs. With the help of waves, such outgrowths are softened and after a certain time they completely dissolve. In addition, the nutrition of the joint improves, metabolic processes are normalized. The effectiveness of this procedure has been proven at an early stage of arthrosis. The patient must have a doctor's prescription for shock wave therapy. This is explained by the presence of several contraindications.
Another physiotherapeutic method is myostimulation. Muscles are stimulated with electrical impulses. Myostimulation is prescribed to bedridden patients or those on bed rest after an injury. Since blood flow in the affected area is normalized and muscle tone is increased, this method is rarely used for osteoarthritis.
The use of phonophoresis involves the action of an ultrasonic wave and a drug on the affected joint. The effectiveness of the procedures lies in the fact that the drugs get into the focus of inflammation. Another treatment for osteoarthritis is ozone therapy. With the help of ozone therapy, a gas mixture is injected into the affected joint. As a result, the patient is relieved of excruciating pain sensations, the inflammatory process decreases, the joint becomes more mobile, and blood circulation is normal. This method consists of several treatment cycles. The duration of treatment depends on how severe the stage of the disease is.
other treatments
An effective way to combat arthrosis is to use a physiotherapy complex. Through special exercises, the patient normalizes blood flow in the affected area and strengthens muscles. Classes begin with simple exercises, then the load increases.
The use of manual therapy and lymphatic drainage massage helps relieve pain and improve blood supply to the affected joints. This method is good because even immobilized patients can use it.
An addition to the medical and physical cultural complex is the use of mechanotherapy. Various simulators are used for this. With their help, the load during classes increases, but the joints are not damaged. Thanks to mechanotherapy, blood circulation in the joints increases, muscles become more toned.
When contacting a specialized center, the patient receives the most modern, safe and effective treatment, which is selected individually depending on the characteristics of his body. At the same time, subject to medical prescription, specialists guarantee a positive result with minimal financial outlay for the patient.