treatment of joints and spine
?We may not be curable, but we can slow down, even stop progress, and even reverse it a little - I know such people, you just need patience, faith and time! Good luck!?
?against the background of rheumatoid arthritis, the patient may have chronic inflammatory processes, and so they can be successfully sanitized with the help of physiotherapy.?
?It is still worth taking into account all the results, taking into account the symptoms, the results of special studies and tests performed, for example, the detection of anemia or kidney disease. An exception is the detection of rheumatoid factor, since in more than 30 percent of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid factor is not detected. Therefore, you should still refuse to use these tests, since there is a high probability of obtaining incorrect results and confusion.?
You can get arthritis at different ages, both young and old. Indeed, degenerative diseases (osteoarthritis) quite often occur in elderly patients, although in many cases the same patients aged 70 years and older do not experience arthrosis, or have only minor manifestations.?
?Treatment is completed, as a rule, in sanatoriums. This is done to normalize metabolism, improve the condition of the affected joint (shoulder, knee, etc.) in order to prevent subsequent exacerbation. An important function of spa treatment is to improve the psychological state of the patient.?
?In this section we will talk about some popular medications for rheumatoid arthritis and their groups.?
?Rheumatoid arthritis is a very insidious disease; it can develop inside any joint in the body (shoulder, hip, knee, etc.). Many patients wonder whether rheumatoid arthritis can be cured in principle? Let's try to answer this question, let's see how and with what to treat rheumatoid type arthritis.?
?try iodine-bromine baths, it helped me a lot.?
?Thus, this method of treatment has a number of undeniable advantages. Many people suffering from arthritis may also note that this method is cheap, since the course will not cost anything due to the fact that it can be completed within the walls of a city clinic. At the moment, physiotherapy is widely used both for rheumatoid arthritis and for a huge number of other ailments. The vast majority of patients note a significant reduction in pain after the first procedure. By the way, the course of treatment usually lasts ten days. If necessary, it can be repeated, but after a couple of weeks. Depending on the patient’s condition, the entire course can be coordinated. Before the first procedure, it will be necessary to consult with a physiotherapist who can make any adjustments to the therapy.?
Methotrexate deserves special attention. This drug is aimed at curing cancer. It would seem that there could be something in common between an antitumor drug and rheumatoid arthritis. But this remedy copes well with arthritis, but they resort to its help in exceptional cases when conventional therapy is powerless. The list of contraindications for this drug is quite serious, so self-medication is categorically undesirable. Methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis is capable of releasing folic acid, which actually affects the course of the disease. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with methotrexate is possible only under the supervision of the attending physician. The cost of this remedy is not small, but the effect will be simply amazing if it is properly treated.?
?There are several types of arthritis, each of which has its own characteristics. Of course, a competent specialist knows about the characteristics of each type. A serious issue for any rheumatologist is the differentiated diagnosis of arthritis and arthrosis, since these two similar ailments can be confused.?
?There may be periods of improvement followed by exacerbation of the disease. The latter occur after stress and infectious diseases.?
?In response to such changes in cells, altered antibodies are formed - class G immunoglobulins, but since they are changed, antibodies are also formed to them - anti-immunoglobulins G (they are called “rheumatoid factor”). The latter antibodies act destructively on the joint capsule - their inflammation and arthritis develop. The body's immune response is triggered in such a way that the joint tissues become covered with cells that interfere with the normal flow of metabolic processes in the joint.?
?As you know, there are a large number of different types of arthritis, so diagnosis is important in selecting treatment. Indeed, the drugs used to treat different types of arthritis are not optimal: but they often do not cure the disease, can cause side effects, or are simply very expensive.?
?Also, different types of arthritis, which also include rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, are less common than similar diseases in adults, and the course of the disease is more complicated because it affects the formation of bones, joints and psychological state.?
?Experts from Harvard Medical School described the 10 most common misconceptions regarding arthritis. Joint pain and arthritis are very common in a large number of people. These two concepts are often misinterpreted. Below are the 10 most common mistakes.?
Methotrexate is a very common drug for rheumatoid arthritis. When using this medicine, it is important to remember that it should not be used at the same time as anti-inflammatory drugs. Methotrexate is a fairly effective medicine. Its main advantages are its relatively fast action, the first results appear within one and a half to two months, simple administration and low price. It has a favorable toxicity profile and effectively reduces the severity of disease symptoms. Patients tolerate methotrexate well. Basic treatment involves only one dose of medication per week. On the day you are scheduled to take methotrexate, you should not take NSAIDs.?
?Treatment must be comprehensive. Therapy is selected depending on the etiology of the disease. The therapeutic complex is aimed at suppressing the development of degenerative processes. Can rheumatoid arthritis be cured? This largely depends on when to start treatment of the diseased joint from a qualified specialist. It is important to remember that you cannot self-medicate, because advanced rheumatoid arthritis can lead to dire consequences, including disability (for example, immobilization due to joint deformation). This is especially true for rheumatoid arthritis of the knee or shoulder joints, which provide normal motor activity. Therefore, there is no need to wait for an exacerbation to occur; it is much better to prevent it. Rheumatoid arthritis must be treated by a qualified doctor.
?When wondering how to treat rheumatoid arthritis, you can turn to traditional medicine, but if you focus only on this method, then there may not be a good positive effect. Medicines for rheumatoid arthritis, according to an entire army of herbalists and healers, should be based on pine needles. It is the needles that can have a beneficial effect on joint tissues, protecting them from the harmful effects of progressive disease. The needles can be infused with vodka or alcohol. The resulting tincture can be used both internally and as a lotion for sore joints. For hands and feet with sore joints, you can make special baths by adding the same pine needle tincture to them. The pain will go away after twenty minutes of this procedure. If the disease has affected the joints of the legs, then you should think about regular, daily baths, which can relieve accumulated tension. To do this, you can add a decoction of chamomile or string. Ordinary sea salt is also great for helping the leg muscles relax; how much to add is up to your discretion?
Folinic acid in rheumatoid arthritis, just like folic acid, can have a beneficial effect on the course of the disease, significantly slowing down the process of joint destruction. By the way, folinic acid is a derivative of folic acid. It is available in a number of drugs.?
?As for diagnostic methods, nothing unusual or fundamentally new is used in diagnosis. First of all, the result of a biochemical blood test and bacteriological analysis of urine will be needed. Either result will indicate to the doctor the presence of an inflammatory process and a lack of one or another microelement in the blood.?
?Rheumatoid arthritis leaves behind persistent deformities of the hands in the form of “walrus fins” or “swan necks”. Therefore, if the hand changes its shape due to “inverted” joints, a person has this particular disease.?
?A striking example of rheumatoid arthritis?
?Today, treatment methods are quite safe, and research into this disease makes it possible to create promising new treatment methods. For example, medications used to neutralize the causes of tumor necrosis also effectively help patients with rheumatoid arthritis; This conclusion was reached after another discovery: individual cells of the joints of these patients produce a very large amount of the above substance; it is precisely involved in inflammation. For many patients suffering from arthritis, it is possible that a treatment regimen will be developed, using which the patient’s condition will significantly improve.?
?This is partly true, but more often osteoporosis is painless. With this disease, bone strength decreases and there is a risk of fractures, but until fractures occur, the disease is painless. After a fracture, pain appears and disappears after a few weeks. Also, with osteoporosis, pain can occur when nerves are compressed, as the spine is curved, due to degenerative joint diseases, which can be a consequence of fractures.?
In reality, there are more than 100 types or factors that cause arthritis, including diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and systemic lupus erythematosus. The causes of many diseases are known. For some diseases, special treatment methods have been developed that allow you to completely get rid of the disease. Many types of arthritis can be cured in almost the same way with the help of analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs (ortofen, diclonate, naclofen, roxicam, paracetomol, etc.). Also, can arthritis be inherited (i.e. genetically predetermined)?
Treatment with gold preparations, in other words aurotherapy, has not lost its relevance since 1929, when such drugs were first used to get rid of rheumatoid arthritis. Autotherapy is good at the initial stage of the disease, as well as for rapidly progressing disease, accompanied by severe pain. Gold preparations are used for damage to the shoulder joint, knee and others, if there is morning stiffness that does not disappear within several hours, rheumatoid nodules and in the absence of positive results after taking NSAIDs. For early bone erosions and high levels of rheumatoid factor, aurotherapy is also prescribed. They can be used even for cancer and various chronic effects. An additional advantage of gold preparations is their antifungal and antibacterial effect.?
?Treatment of shoulder or knee rheumatoid arthritis, like damage to any other joint, can be carried out using various groups of medications. Let's look at them in more detail.?
?It is no longer possible to cure it completely, but it can be significantly alleviated, depending on what country you are in and what opportunities you have. There are medications based on glucose, they help, but again, not for everyone, but it’s worth a try. But you need to try it for at least a month according to the instructions, and only then will you understand whether it helps you or not. For details, write in a personal message.?
?The joints in your toes may swell, which is not a pleasant sensation. Pain can be present both during the day and at night, so you will have to forget about the usual rhythm of life. So, foot baths or a full bath will relieve fatigue from the body and, to some extent, remove swelling from the legs.?
?Since the beginning of the 20th century, gold preparations began to be used for rheumatoid arthritis. They perfectly soothe joint pain, and for a long time. At the moment, you can find such products in any pharmacy. They are used for pain, which is sometimes simply unbearable. It is worth saying that taking such medications should be accompanied by regular blood and urine tests. Self-medication should be excluded, since the consequences of incorrect administration can lead to a total failure of organ systems.?
?Calcium, zinc and magnesium are directly related to all bones and cartilage in the body. Calcium in the proper amount prevents bones from being fragile, i.e. reduces the risk of osteoporosis. It is worth saying that in older people, in 70% of cases, arthritis progresses against the background of osteoporosis. Simply put, if a biochemical analysis reveals a deficiency of calcium and zinc, then it will be necessary to coordinate nutrition and take fortified complexes in order to quickly fill this gap. Low levels of calcium threaten a person with serious consequences, so the level of trace elements in the body must be regularly monitored through diagnosis.?
?To prevent and treat osteoporosis, you do not need to wait for symptoms to occur, since in most cases symptoms appear in advanced stages. Many patients (according to some doctors, these include mainly women at the age corresponding to menopause) need screening, which includes determining bone density in order to timely determine the occurrence of the disease and prevent fractures.?
Oddly enough, joint pain (arthralgia) is not necessarily a sign of arthritis (inflammation of the joints). More often, joint pain can be caused by such reasons as: tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon); bursitis (inflammation of the thin joint capsule covering large joints, such as the shoulder or hip); osteoarthritis (degenerative joint diseases); injuries caused by mechanical stress on the joints, such as ligament or cartilage ruptures, a consequence of a sports injury (for example, a ruptured knee ligament), also non-articular diseases, such as fibromyalgia (a disease that causes pain in the joints and muscles), including influenza.?
?Cytostatics, or immunosuppressants, are used for the basic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Due to possible serious side effects, cytostatics should be taken with caution under the close supervision of a physician. Immunosuppressants help well, for example, with severe progressive damage to the knee or shoulder joint. This group of drugs for rheumatoid arthritis includes methotrexate, Remicade, cyclosporine, Arava, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide and chlorbutin. They are prescribed when the disease is actively developing. However, it is worth remembering that cytostatics do not act instantly. The effect becomes noticeable only after one and a half to two months and can intensify up to 6 months. Of all the above drugs, Arava, Remicade and methotrexate are most often prescribed, since they are slightly less likely to provoke any side effects.?
?Anti-inflammatory drugs. These include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that inhibit cyclooxygenase (abbreviated as COX), an enzyme in the metabolism of arachidonic acid. Typically, tissues contain a very small amount of cyclooxygenase, but its amount increases significantly during any inflammatory processes in the body, including a disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. So, with different localization of arthritis, COX can accumulate in the area of the knee joint, shoulder, etc. To overcome this problem, the doctor may prescribe treatment with naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac sodium, indomethacin and piroxicam.?
?See also the article about the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.? ?Drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can be seen in any pharmacy. Conservative treatment can be very expensive for the patient. Of course, you simply cannot do without some medications, but do not forget about some folk remedies and physical therapy, which can also help in the fight against arthritis.?
?Unlike rheumatism, which is a process triggered by the bacterium streptococcus, the causes of this disease are not completely clear. The following predisposing factors are noted:?
?Any municipal medical institution can offer devices for physiotherapeutic treatment, and this is good news. At the moment, UHF currents are widely used, since they perfectly relieve inflammation from the affected area. Physical therapy is widely used in the treatment of childhood or juvenile arthritis. This is explained quite simply. The fact is that physiotherapeutic procedures have a minimum of contraindications for a young body. But there are still some conditions in which such procedures are not recommended. First of all, it is a high body temperature. Regardless of the age of the patient, therapy should not occur against the background of the patient’s serious condition and high temperature.?
?We also note that recently patients have been offered to take another test - ACCP. If the x-ray does not show the presence of the disease, but according to all other indicators arthritis is still present, an ACCP test may be prescribed - a new thing in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It will detect antibodies to arthritis. Only on the basis of all of the above will he be able to make the only correct diagnosis.?
?There are lesions of internal organs.?
?Sometimes, especially in young children, joint pain is accompanied by a rise in temperature to high numbers, the appearance of a rash very similar to an allergic one, and an increase in a large number of lymph nodes.?
?genetic predisposition: the descendants of those people who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis are affected;?
?It has been proven that obesity can trigger the occurrence of gout. Today it has been noticed that those medications that are used for hypertension, as well as diseases such as kidney disease, etc., can cause an attack of gout, and not diet.?
?Arthritis is an autoimmune disease. The factors that cause the occurrence of many types of arthritis remain not entirely clear. There are a large number of theories, and possible causes of arthritis are also being studied. For example, types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis - which is a degenerative form, can occur after various injuries, be inherited, or a consequence of obesity. However, it remains unknown why some people develop this disease and others do not.?
?Other popular basic drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis are sulfonamides: salazopyridazine and sulfasalazine. They are slightly weaker than methotrexate and gold drugs, but stronger than antimalarials. Even children can take sulfonamides, since complications with prolonged use are extremely rare. Improvement in the condition of the diseased joint (most often the knee or shoulder) is observed only after 3 months; the greatest effectiveness is seen when taken for 6 months.?
?Complex drugs for rheumatoid arthritis inhibit COX only selectively. Complex drugs also include those drugs that combine an anti-inflammatory effect with a disease-modifying effect. An example of a drug of the first type is meloxicam, the second is tenidap.?
?The patient's diet should always contain foods rich in calcium. These are, first of all, cheese and dairy products. You need to drink fruit drinks made from cranberries and lingonberries, which perfectly wash the kidneys and remove excess liquid, preventing swelling from appearing. Vegetables should always be on the table, since they are the year-round “sip of summer.” They contain a colossal amount of essential vitamins.?
?Let's outline the three main reasons why you should resort to physiotherapy:?
?There are a huge number of drugs that can significantly reduce the symptoms of arthritis, but there are only a few drugs that can completely and quickly get rid of the disease.?
?Under the skin and in the internal organs (most typically, near the elbow joint), “rheumatoid nodules” are formed - painless compactions of small size.?
?The most common onset of the disease - subacute - looks like this: one joint begins to hurt and swell. More often it is the knee or ankle. There may be no pain, but the inability to move the joint in the morning for more than 30 minutes is a mandatory symptom. Only by this sign can one suspect rheumatoid arthritis. It has been described as “tight gloves or socks”, “tight corset”, “stiffness of the body or joints”.?
? infectious diseases (viral) and impaired response to vaccinations against viral diseases. A special role is given to infectious mononucleosis, which is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, measles virus and hepatitis B virus;?
?In fact, all these tests help diagnose fractures that occur after trauma, also help identify signs of tumors in patients with suspected cancer, or diagnose possible relapses.?
?Which refers to inflammatory diseases, rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus, these diseases are related to autoimmunity, when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, this helps explain the clinical and laboratory findings in these patients (this also includes the presence of antibodies to the body's own tissues ).?
?To the question, is it possible to cure rheumatoid arthritis, the answer is definitely yes! In addition, we can say that the disease will recede in the case of complete and comprehensive treatment. The rehabilitation period, which will not be short in duration, deserves special attention. You can rehabilitate and restore your body with the help of some folk remedies and physiotherapy. But we must not forget about the period of “calm”, which many confuse with a cure for the hated arthritis. The disease may not make itself felt for several years, and then strike the body with renewed vigor. The main enemies of arthritis are alcohol and tobacco, so the patient needs to exclude them from his daily life, otherwise, he needs to be prepared for regular unbearable pain.?
This course of treatment can significantly reduce pain, since the inflammatory process will be completely under control. Joints are susceptible to diseases due to malnutrition, so it is with the help of an electric field that microcirculation can be improved;?
?As already mentioned, therapy should be comprehensive and complete. Hopes that it will be possible to recover in a matter of days can be immediately discarded, since arthritis is not easy to treat. Let's look at several drugs that can help fight this disease.?
?When asked whether rheumatoid arthritis can be cured, official medicine gives the following answer: “Perhaps in 80% of cases if treatment is started early and aggressive.” That is, you can be cured if the drugs are not selected from simple to complex, but the tactics of using the most effective therapy are immediately adopted. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, it is mandatory to use cytostatics (methotrexate, imuran and others) at the very beginning of the disease.?
?It is also important to know that at the onset of the disease, rheumatoid arthritis does not affect the following joints: distal interphalangeal (the last joints of the fingers closest to the nails), the joint of the little finger closest to the hand, the “bone” on the big toe (the first metacarpophalangeal joint) . In this case, rheumatoid arthritis affects more than three joints.?
But still, this type of research is not used to determine possible factors for the occurrence of joint pain (and diseases such as tendonitis, gout, bursitis, degenerative joint diseases, back pain, systemic lupus erythematosus, fibromyalgia, and early stages of rheumatoid arthritis). Since tendons, ligaments and cartilage are practically invisible on x-rays. And also, some people have congenital changes in which pain does not occur. For example, if you have back pain, you undergo an X-ray or NMR examination, which reveals changes; this is not a fact that these two circumstances are related. In this regard, this type of research is suitable and is prescribed selectively, not for every patient. Research often turns out to be useless, and can also mislead the doctor and the patient.?
Still, the factors for the development of many types of arthritis have been identified: the cause of gout is the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints; Infectious arthritis is promoted by bacteria and other microorganisms, which leads to inflammation of the joint. And again, it remains unclear why some patients develop arthritis and others do not.?
?Rheumatoid arthritis must be treated comprehensively. Often, in addition to a set of medications, additional procedures are required. A proper diet is very important to ensure adequate nutrition for the body. A balanced diet helps avoid complications of the disease. Hirudotherapy and mud therapy are also used. It is convenient to carry out such procedures locally, for example, directly in the area of the sore shoulder or knee joints.?
?Treatment of any patient begins with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, especially with the articular form of rheumatoid arthritis, which is minimally or moderately active. How to treat rheumatoid arthritis largely depends on the characteristics of the patient. For example, for children and the elderly, medication treatment is selected especially carefully, taking into account all possible side effects. If rheumatoid arthritis develops aggressively, and also if the patient has any extra-articular manifestations, treatment is usually carried out with the help of cytotoxic antidepressants.?
?Comprehensive and properly formulated treatment will allow you to get rid of arthritis a year after its onset. But this is only if treatment began at the very beginning of the disease.?
?there will also be an impact on the immune system, since all metabolic processes in the body will be noticeably stimulated;?
?Sulfasalazine is an anti-inflammatory drug that has a narrow list of indications for use. First of all, it works great for Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The wonderful effect is due to the fact that aminosalicylic acid is released from the drug, which is able to destroy the source of inflammation. It is worth noting that this acid is released in the intestines and only in it. The connective tissue of the intestine accumulates the drug and breaks it down into its components. Sulfasalazine is often used for rheumatoid arthritis, even at the very beginning of the disease. The drug has a number of serious contraindications, so it is not recommended to treat it on your own.?
?Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis should also be comprehensive, not only taking medications is important, but also exercise therapy and physiotherapy.?
?The third sign that makes it possible to suspect rheumatoid arthritis, and not other joint damage, is the symmetry of their damage: both on the right and on the left (this applies to both arms and legs).?
?X-ray of rheumatoid arthritis?
While there are tests that are accurate, there are also limitations to the use of routine blood tests to diagnose arthritis. For example, determining ESR will help diagnose inflammation, and rheumatoid factor (RF) will help determine rheumatoid arthritis, antinuclear antibodies help in diagnosing systemic lupus erythematosus. Unfortunately, there is a risk of getting a false-positive result when, in the absence of disease, test results show a violation. According to statistics, more than 30 percent of healthy people have antinuclear antibodies in their blood, and ESR increases with a simple cold.?
To understand what rheumatoid arthritis is, what its causes are and how modern medicine fights it and how much it costs the state, I present a complete article by another specialist on this disease.
Head of the Rheumatology Department of the Scientific Center for Children's Diseases of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Professional Education of Pediatricians of the Moscow Medical Academy named after. I.M. Sechenova, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Ekaterina Alekseeva shows this using the example of one disease.
– Ekaterina Iosifovna, what kind of disease is this, rheumatoid arthritis?
– The patient’s immune system begins to perceive its cells, organs and tissues as foreign. Instead of fighting bacteria and viruses, it destroys joints. The child cannot get out of bed in the morning, sit on the potty, get dressed... He experiences severe pain. In fact, he hangs in his mother's arms and becomes disabled.
– This is not a hereditary disease, but it is genetically predetermined. Some kind of breakdown occurs in the genes, and they begin to incorrectly regulate the functioning of the immune system. Up to a certain point, the child is healthy, but then something triggers the disease... For example, the child suffered from the flu or went to the sea, and there the sun acted as a provocateur of the autoimmune process... Or suffered mental trauma. Or fell on his knee. And someone simply went to bed healthy and woke up sick.
– So, no one’s children and grandchildren are insured against this disease?
– No one – neither an adult nor a child – is immune from the development of rheumatoid arthritis. We don't know our genetic predisposition.
– Can a child with such a diagnosis be made healthy or will treatment last a lifetime?
– Unfortunately, it is now impossible to say that we will cure rheumatoid arthritis. We will not remove the gene whose faults triggered this whole process. You can achieve remission: there will be no pain, the process of joint destruction will slow down... And the longer the remission lasts, the more chances the child has to grow up, get an education, a profession, start a family, give birth to children.
- Do not hurry. Here the child fell ill with unknown causes. If he goes to a good hospital, he is given the correct diagnosis. But it is not easy to diagnose, because oncology is often hidden under the guise of rheumatic diseases. Then everything depends on the local doctors. There is a treatment protocol. Competent doctors treat with immunosuppressants - drugs that will suppress the excessive activity of the immune system so that it stops destroying its tissues. But other doctors prescribe glucocosteroids - synthetic hormones. However, rheumatoid arthritis is a hormone-dependent disease. When our patient is given prednisone, he initially begins to feel well, but then, when the medicine is discontinued, a sharp deterioration occurs. They are prescribed him again and again they cancel him... As a result, the disease progresses, the child develops a severe addiction, close to a drug addiction.
– Why is this happening – there are no specialists in the regions?
- Hardly ever. There is also no system for training pediatricians in narrow specialties. Adults with rheumatoid arthritis are not treated by a GP or GP. Why shouldn’t there be narrow specialists in pediatrics as well? There will be a specialist - there will be someone to blame for incorrectly prescribed treatment.
Every year we hold a school for pediatric rheumatologists. We have a course in pediatric rheumatology - the faculty of postgraduate professional education of pediatricians at the Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy operates on the basis of the Scientific Center for Children's Medicine of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Now we have established distance education to train doctors from remote regions. But the chief doctors of hospitals ask a reasonable question: “Will you give the pediatrician who took your course a certificate?” - “No, we won’t, because there is no specialty “pediatric rheumatologist.” - “You won’t? Then we cannot send doctors to you.” Everything is confined to paper.
– What if the child is lucky: he gets to you right away?
– I’ll show you a film - what kind of children come to us and what they become after treatment. Our department is unique. We have the most modern drugs. We can create miracles. If rheumatoid arthritis is treated correctly from the very beginning, a sick child will not differ in appearance from healthy peers. Our former patients knit, paint, and here is Lisa’s painting – just Van Gogh. She suffers from severe rheumatoid arthritis and stayed with us for 8 months. But in order for the child to come to us, there must be a desire from doctors in the territories, they must understand when they cannot cope and it is better to send the child to Moscow.
Watch the movie. Here's Katka. She has been sick for a long time, 11 years, and she is 12. Here she is carrying her legs, she cannot walk because she has pain in her joints. He can’t twist his arms... And so Katka waves her arms, doesn’t walk, but flutters like a moth.
- Treatment is expensive. Medicines that work wonders are produced abroad, obtained through genetic engineering. One course costs about 15,000 euros per year, and the cost of one hospitalization for a seriously ill patient with rheumatoid arthritis is more than 300 thousand rubles.
– It turns out that very few families can treat a child at their own expense. How is treatment paid for?
– The first stage is stationary. High-tech medical care. According to quotas, patients receive it free of charge. After discharge from the hospital, children must take expensive medications. Those who were hospitalized with us receive these drugs from us free of charge. They come to us once every 2 weeks, once every 8 weeks, once every six months... In most territories these drugs are not bought, there is no experience in administering them, there is no understanding of who needs them and who does not.
– Are the drugs they need on the DLO list?
- Yes, but there is no way to get them. Only in Moscow they are given and in one or two other territories. Instead of original immunosuppressants, substitutes are offered - generics. But not a single generic drug matches the original drug in its structure. That's why it's cheaper. When our children receive generics, firstly, the effect of treatment goes away, and secondly, toxic reactions develop, damage to the liver and kidneys.
Let's take another situation. A child who has just fallen ill and has not had time to register for disability receives qualified treatment from us and is discharged in good condition. But in order to live normally, he needs to constantly take 2 or 3 medications. We write that disability registration is shown. A child comes to MSEC, and they tell him: you are not disabled, if you sit in a wheelchair, then we will give you a disability. The patient loses the right to free medicines, to all benefits, including free travel, and this is a very important benefit - he regularly comes to us for the next course of treatment. It is necessary that children receive free medications in accordance with their serious diagnosis, and not according to their disabled status.
Another point is quotas. In order for patients to come to us and receive maintenance therapy, they must receive a quota for high-tech care in their territories. But there are territories, for example the Chelyabinsk Region, Tyumen Region, Primorsky Territory, Altai Territory, to which not a single quota was allocated.
- Well, why are there no patients? At the beginning of the year, a child came to us from the Chelyabinsk region without a quota; he simply died from respiratory failure. We took him. We don't refuse anyone.
– We have created a draft federal target program for rheumatic diseases. It was approved by the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Health Committee of the State Duma. This is a holistic system of providing care to both children and adults with rheumatic diseases. But 2 years have passed and no movement is visible. If our program were adopted or it became part of the program on socially significant diseases, the issue would at least somehow begin to be resolved. If we trained 500-600 pediatric rheumatologists, there would be enough for the whole country.
Among our patients, 90% of children were unable to obtain the right to receive preferential medications.
Experts from Harvard Medical School described the 10 most common misconceptions regarding arthritis. Joint pain and arthritis are very common in a large number of people. These two concepts are often misinterpreted. Below are the 10 most common mistakes.
In fact, there are more than 100 types or factors that cause arthritis, including diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and systemic lupus erythematosus. The causes of many diseases are known. For some diseases, special treatment methods have been developed that allow you to completely get rid of the disease. Many types of arthritis can be cured in almost the same way with the help of analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs (ortofen, diclonate, naclofen, roxicam, paracetamol, etc.) Arthritis can also be inherited (i.e. genetically predetermined)
Oddly enough, joint pain (arthralgia) is not necessarily a sign of arthritis (inflammation of the joints). More often, joint pain can be caused by such reasons as: tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon); bursitis (inflammation of the thin joint capsule covering large joints, such as the shoulder or hip); osteoarthritis (degenerative joint diseases); injuries caused by mechanical impact on the joints, such as ligament or cartilage ruptures, a consequence of a sports injury (for example, a ruptured knee ligament), also non-articular diseases, such as fibromyalgia (a disease that causes pain in the joints and muscles), including influenza.
Of course, it is very good to have no arthritis at all. But many of them are still mild forms; as a result, a person’s quality of life deteriorates, but does not lead to disability or severe suffering. And a disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, which is considered severe, leads to disability. It turns out that medical articles and manuals are misleading, in which they mainly consider complex types of arthritis, and not mild ones.
Rheumatoid arthritis (or polyarthritis) is a chronic disease that can affect absolutely anyone, regardless of their age, lifestyle and health status.
It has been established that most often middle-aged women (36-45 years old) suffer from polyarthritis
At older ages, the level of the disease decreases.
In the 70-80s of the last century, rheumatoid arthritis was considered a disease mainly of young people (from 20 to 40 years old).
Today this can no longer be said.
A person can get sick at 50, at 70, and even at 80.
Young children (mostly from one to 3 years old) also suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. however, to a much lesser extent than adults.
Joint pain is not the first symptom of rheumatoid arthritis.
It all starts with a seemingly banal cold.
First, there is general malaise, fatigue, and weight loss.
Gradually, these symptoms are joined by aching muscle pain, sweating, and fever.
And after this, pain in the joints appears.
Moreover, the disease can affect any joint.
In addition to articular symptoms, other manifestations are possible polyarthritis
For example, thinning or brittle nails, weakening of skeletal muscles, development of pleurisy, damage to lung tissue.
Many of these manifestations are accompanied by the formation of rheumatoid nodules - small lumps consisting of connective tissue.
They may appear in the area of the affected joints and can be felt under the skin in the form of dense balls.
The main symptom of polyarthritis is damage to the joints of the fingers.
Based only on this symptom, a diagnosis can already be made.
But if the knee joint is sick, there is no need to rush into a diagnosis, as this may be a signal of other diseases.
The second characteristic sign of the disease is a symptom of morning stiffness, when a person, waking up in the morning, cannot clench his hand.
He has to work out his hand for a long time, and sometimes it lasts until the evening.
Unfortunately, the true causes of polyarthritis have not been established.
If doctors discover arthritis, what should you do? A number of questions immediately arise that concern patients who are worried about their future. The most important thing: how is arthritis treated? How to relieve the pain that accompanies every movement, and how to get rid of it for life? The first signs and manifestations of arthritis, such as swelling and redness of the joints, cannot be ignored. They are accompanied by pain and “crunching” when moving. Let's find out if arthritis can be cured. Today this is a fairly common disease.
There is a misconception that arthritis is a disease of older people. This is inflammation of the joint complex. Polyarthritis is a condition that affects multiple joints. The causes of this disease include a sedentary lifestyle, poor environment, poor diet, infections, and hereditary predisposition.
As soon as you notice the first signs of the disease, begin treating arthritis immediately.
Since, depending on its type, internal organs may be affected and the effect on the body is irreparable.
The causative agent of rheumatoid arthritis is considered to be a staphylococcal infection. It can appear a couple of weeks after a sore throat. The joints immediately swell, redness forms over them, and pain appears, which intensifies at night. All this is accompanied by general weakness and fever. In acute rheumatoid arthritis, even a light touch causes severe pain. But the worst thing is that, in addition to joints, this disease affects internal organs: heart, liver, kidneys. At the first signs, immediately contact an arthrologist. This disease also occurs in children, so parents should monitor the child’s condition after a sore throat.
Inflammation of the joint, which is caused by the proliferation of granulation tissue in the synovium of the joint, is rheumatoid arthritis. There are traditional and non-traditional methods of treating this disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis: Treatment with folk remedies is an effective treatment that has been used since ancient times.
Can rheumatoid arthritis be cured?
To date, there is no complete cure for rheumatoid arthritis. This disease is chronic. Treatment with traditional methods can give a result in which the disease progresses very slowly. The pain caused by arthritis will become mild or disappear completely for a while when treated with folk remedies.
Folk remedies for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Cinquefoil tincture helps relieve pain well. To prepare it, you need to grind the roots of this plant and fill half a 0.5 liter bottle with them. Pour vodka over the cinquefoil and leave for 3 weeks in a dark place at room temperature. This tincture should be rubbed into the joints and taken orally (1 tablespoon 5 times a day).
The following ointment helps with rheumatoid arthritis. Whisk thoroughly 1 yolk, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of turpentine. Thoroughly rub the prepared mixture into the sore spot.
Infusion of spruce branches. To prepare it, you need to pour boiling water over freshly cut spruce branches. Leave until the temperature of the infusion drops to 40 degrees. Make a compress from this infusion and wrap it warmly. Keep for an hour. Do this procedure twice a day for a week.
Compresses with radish and honey. To prepare it, you need to mix 1/3 cup of radish, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of alcohol. Apply this mixture at night as a compress. Cover with film and wrap. Do compresses for 10 days.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a very insidious disease; it can develop inside any joint in the body (shoulder, hip, knee, etc.). Many patients wonder whether rheumatoid arthritis can be cured in principle? Let's try to answer this question, let's see how and how to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Treatment must be comprehensive. Therapy is selected depending on the etiology of the disease. The therapeutic complex is aimed at suppressing the development of degenerative processes. Can rheumatoid arthritis be cured? This largely depends on when to start treatment of the diseased joint from a qualified specialist. It is important to remember that you cannot self-medicate, because advanced rheumatoid arthritis can lead to dire consequences, including disability (for example, immobilization due to joint deformation). This is especially true for rheumatoid arthritis of the knee or shoulder joints, which provide normal motor activity. Therefore, there is no need to wait for an exacerbation to occur; it is much better to prevent it. Rheumatoid arthritis must be treated by a qualified doctor.
Treatment of shoulder or knee rheumatoid arthritis, like damage to any other joint, can be carried out using various groups of medications. Let's take a closer look at them.