Due to the absence of pain and other symptoms, the initial signs of the disease often go unnoticed by patients. They turn to specialists for more severe pathology, having arthrosis of the second degree. At the same time, there are distinct changes on the x-ray. This condition requires comprehensive and systematic treatment to prevent serious complications in the future.
Arthrosis is a joint disease, the main cause of which is the destruction of cartilage tissue and adjacent areas of bone. The pathology most often occurs in older people, as well as after injuries, infectious diseases, against the background of autoimmune and immunodeficiency conditions.
The second stage of arthrosis is characterized by moderate destruction of the cartilage surface and changes in bone tissue (signs of subchondral osteosclerosis). Particularly affected are those areas of the joint that bear the maximum load. With deforming arthrosis, the changes on the x-ray are more noticeable.
Is it possible to cure arthrosis of the 2nd degree? With timely and adequate treatment, it is quite possible to normalize the patient’s condition and stop the progression of the disease.
The main goal of treatment at this stage is to restore joint mobility, eliminate pain and stop further destruction of cartilage. For this, an integrated approach is used, including medication, physiotherapy, lifestyle correction, physical therapy, and, if necessary, surgical treatment (therapeutic arthroscopy).
Medicines are prescribed to reduce pain, relieve inflammation and restore cartilage tissue.
At the second stage, the following drugs related to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs successfully relieve pain and inflammation:
These medications can be taken orally as tablets, capsules, or used as intramuscular injections. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can damage the gastric mucosa, especially with prolonged and uncontrolled use. Therefore, they are taken in short courses.
In the presence of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in parallel, the doctor prescribes drugs that reduce the acidity of gastric juice and accelerate the restoration of the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. Sometimes doctors prescribe analgin or paracetamol to reduce pain.
Corticosteroid hormones are another group of drugs used to relieve inflammation. They are prescribed when NSAIDs do not provide significant relief. In the case of knee arthrosis, they can be administered intra-articularly, and in case of damage to the hip joint, they can be taken orally or injected into the surrounding tissues.
The most commonly used drugs are:
Indirectly, cartilage restoration is facilitated by drugs that dilate blood vessels and improve blood circulation. These are Eufillin and Pentoxifylline.
However, chondroprotectors, which successfully act in the first and second stages of arthrosis, directly restore cartilage tissue. These medications are represented by several generations:
Hyaluronic acid preparations are also injected into the joint cavity as a substitute for intra-articular fluid, thereby improving lubrication and reducing friction of joint surfaces.
Of all surgical interventions in the second stage of the disease, only therapeutic arthroscopy is usually used. This is a microsurgical operation during which the surgeon removes damaged areas of cartilage, performs plastic surgery and injects medications into the joint cavity. Most often performed for arthrosis of the knee joint.
During the period of exacerbation of the disease, physical procedures are indicated to reduce pain and relieve inflammation of joint tissues, and during remission, they increase joint mobility, stimulate blood circulation, and also strengthen muscles.
The following physiotherapeutic procedures have an analgesic effect:
The most popular procedures:
During the period of remission of the disease, special exercises for the hip and knee joints are necessary. They are aimed at increasing the range of motion, strengthening the muscles of the lower extremities, and normalizing intra-articular metabolic processes.
It is recommended to adhere to the following measures:
You should also make sure that your daily diet is varied and contains all the necessary microelements, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats and minerals.
Comprehensive treatment of second-degree arthrosis significantly slows down the progression of the disease, allowing you to maintain your ability to work for many years and have a high quality of life. However, this requires some effort and discipline on the part of the patient. Regular medical examinations, following specialist recommendations and normalizing body weight are also necessary.
Coxarthrosis (deforming arthrosis of the hip joint) is on the list of the most common diseases. This disease most often affects people after their 40th birthday. The method of treating coxarthrosis is determined by the doctor depending on the form and degree of development of the disease.
When treating coxarthrosis as it develops, the following methods are used:
When self-treating, you must follow the therapeutic recommendations:
Swimming has a beneficial effect on joint mobility.
Using exercises to treat coxarthrosis of the hip joint is the easiest way, provided that an individual course of exercise therapy is developed and prescribed by the attending physician. For the course to be beneficial, the exercises from it must be performed correctly:
Shocking statistics! According to recent studies, more than 80% of Russians have severe joint damage. However, most people are not even aware of the danger they are exposed to.
Many who already have characteristic symptoms of joint damage simply do not pay attention to it, thinking that there is nothing special about it. However, according to doctors, any pain and discomfort in the joints is a sign that the joint has begun to deteriorate.
The main symptoms of joint destruction include: swelling, numbness, crunching and pain in the joint (first with stress and bad weather, and then constant), lumbago in the lower back, frequent headaches, impaired motor activity of the toes and hands, and many others. At least one of the listed symptoms indicates the presence of joint problems.
Many doctors call the innovative drug “Artropant” a real salvation for joints. After all, it allows you to completely restore the joint and eliminate the risk of further development of dangerous pathologies in just a few weeks.
Therefore, it is not surprising that this particular cream was chosen as the main product during the Federal Healthy Joints program, which started 1.5 months ago.
During this program, any resident of the country will be able to purchase Arthropant at a discounted price!
We asked the country's leading orthopedist and rheumatologist, a doctor of the highest category, Professor Mikhail Vladimirovich Zavyalov, to tell us more about the federal Healthy Joints program. Read more "
Treatment of coxarthrosis of the hip joint is impossible without medications. Their use not only relieves symptoms, but also has a healing effect on the disease itself. In modern medicine, a variety of medications are used to relieve pain, eliminate inflammation, and alleviate the condition during exacerbations.
Under no circumstances should you choose your own medications.
Such treatment can lead to dire consequences. They differ not only in cost, but also in the therapeutic effect they provide and, most importantly, in contraindications. For treatment, you should use medications prescribed by a doctor after a complete examination of the patient.
(NSAIDs) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the list of which is quite wide today: Pirovsikam, Diclofenac, Indomethocin, Ketoprofen. They are made on a non-hormonal basis and are effective in reducing pain.
The following methods are used in non-drug therapy:
There is little benefit from the use of physiotherapeutic techniques in the treatment of the hip joint, since using these methods to reach the joint “hidden” by coxarthrosis is not easy.
But in the early stages of the disease, physiotherapy helps relieve the primary symptoms. The methods of laser, shock wave, magnetic therapy and electrophoresis are much more often used. After several sessions, this therapy can reduce pain and eliminate swelling.
In the arsenal of traditional medicine there are many recipes for lotions, compresses, tinctures, and decoctions for treating joints. They can be used for:
A well-known specialist in the field of joint treatment (S. M. Bubnovsky) recommends a combination of gymnastics with cold procedures for the treatment of hip joints. Gymnastics should be performed in the evening to better stretch overworked muscles and increase blood flow to the joint, thereby improving its nutrition.
When all treatment options have been exhausted, but no improvement in the patient’s condition is observed, surgery is prescribed to transplant the joint to an artificial analogue. The operation is not simple and it is expensive, so when prescribing it, the age of the patient is taken into account, since if the outcome is unsuccessful, repeated surgery is undesirable.
However, even if the transplant is successful, the patient remains disabled and must follow the rules for using a hip implant. Your doctor can recommend ways to improve your future life.
In a very advanced state, coxarthrosis becomes incurable. This does not mean that a full life is over; there are many opportunities to continue a normal life, despite the limited capabilities of the hip joint. And it’s even better not to experience all the “delights” of coxarthrosis at all.
To reduce the risk of coxarthrosis of the hip joint, you must: