Osteoarthritis is a degenerative-dystrophic progressive disease of the joints, characterized by changes in the underlying bone tissue and the gradual destruction of articular cartilage.
This pathology occurs quite often and mainly affects older people. But this does not mean that there are no young patients among those suffering from osteoarthritis.
The disease not only complicates life and worsens its quality, constantly causing joint pain, but also limits the functional capabilities of the sick person, which often leads to disability. Endoprosthesis replacement of hip and knee arthrosis is often a consequence of arthrosis changes occurring in large joints.
For modern rheumatology, the task: how to treat osteoarthritis is considered the number one problem. First of all, the therapy must be so effective that the patient can avoid the need for risky and traumatic surgery.
Today, unfortunately, there are no methods to permanently get rid of osteoarthritis. But if the disease is detected at its initial stage, with the help of complex treatment it is possible to achieve not only normalization of the process, but also its regression.
This article will reveal the main causes of osteoarthritis and methods of its treatment. In addition, readers will receive recommendations on how to adjust their lifestyle to prevent further development of the pathology.
Note! Such an insidious disease as osteoarthritis in the human body can affect all joints and lead to disability.
Standard treatment of osteoarthritis necessarily includes the use of different groups of medications. All medications prescribed by the doctor are necessary to reduce pain symptoms and slow down the process of further damage to diarthrosis.
Drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis are conventionally divided into two large groups:
The drugs included in this group are anti-inflammatory, glucocorticoid, non-steroidal drugs and analgesics.
Important! All these medications do not affect the course of the pathological process. Their action is aimed at temporarily relieving the patient of the painful manifestations of osteoarthritis. Typically, these medications are prescribed during an exacerbation in short courses.
At other times it is undesirable to use them. This is explained by the fact that this group has various contraindications and side effects. Prolonged and uncontrolled use of these drugs is especially dangerous.
The group of analgesics includes both non-narcotic and narcotic drugs. Non-narcotic drugs are often prescribed in combination with NSAIDs during exacerbation of the disease for better pain relief.
Second-line drugs are used for persistent pain syndrome strictly as prescribed by the doctor. They are resorted to when it is no longer possible to relieve pain in any other way. This need usually arises at the last stage of the disease. These medications are prescribed for a short period of time and usually precede surgery.
The most common drugs for eliminating pain and other symptoms of arthrosis are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. More often than others, doctors prescribe:
All these drugs exist in various dosage forms (injection solutions, patches, gels, capsules, ointments, tablets). This allows for effective combined relief of pain, swelling and inflammation.
As additional measures to the main therapy, doctors often prescribe drugs that improve microcirculation processes in the body. This treatment stimulates metabolic processes in the body and provides the hyaline cartilage of the joints with nutrients and oxygen. Medicines in this group include nicotinic acid, chimes, and trental.
In some cases, the therapeutic regimen includes the use of drugs that eliminate the occurrence of skeletal muscle spasms. This is especially true when large diarthroses are affected, for example, hip ones.
It turns out that the exacerbation of the process is accompanied by a defense mechanism, which causes a spasm of the skeletal muscles. But this manifestation only increases the pain, so it needs to be removed with the use of medications. For this purpose, Sirdalud and Mydocalm are used.
Sometimes complex treatment includes drugs of the glucocorticoid group, which have powerful anti-edematous and anti-inflammatory effects that relieve pain. But their use, especially systemically, is associated with huge risks of severe side effects.
For this reason, these drugs are used in short courses and most often these are intra-articular injections. Doctors usually prescribe Hydrocortisone, Flosterone, Diprospan, Kenalog.
The modifying group of drugs includes chondroprotectors. Without these medications, it is impossible to relieve osteoarthritis. Treatment in this case is based on the content of the main components of joint cartilage tissue (chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine) in the preparations.
With osteoarthritis, the formation of these substances in the body slows down and their deficiency occurs. Through intra-articular, intramuscular injections and orally, it is possible to provide cartilage with the main “building material” and completely prevent or significantly stop the progression of the pathology. Here are the most popular chondoprotective drugs today:
Note! Chondoprotectors do not have an analgesic effect and cannot stop the inflammatory process. But with their long-term use, the incidence of exacerbations decreases and the function of the diseased joint improves.
The disease osteoarthritis - the reasons for its development lie in an unhealthy lifestyle and an unbalanced diet. Therefore, doctors recommend that all patients with this pathology follow a special regimen. The essence of these measures is to unload the affected joints.
The patient should not stand or walk for too long. If the joints of the hands are affected, long stereotypical movements are not recommended. Moreover, the patient is prescribed bed rest. Physical activity must be suspended for a while and physical therapy exercises performed.
In very severe cases, in order to unload the joints, they use the traction method and prescribe the use of specific orthopedic devices: orthoses, splints, and a walking cane. Thanks to the cane, the patient is able to reduce the load on the affected joint and prevent its further destruction.
Osteoarthritis does not require a special diet. The only thing that is required is to enrich the diet with foods high in microelements and vitamins. If the patient is overweight, the diet should not be high in calories. This is necessary to normalize body mass index.
It's no secret that every extra kilogram is an additional load on sore leg joints.
The basic rule for performing therapeutic exercises for arthrosis is that training should not be performed during exacerbations. If there is pain in the joints, any physical activity is excluded.
In each individual case, a set of exercises should be selected by a doctor. Taken into account:
Basic principles of physical therapy for osteoarthritis:
With the help of exercise therapy, the patient can strengthen the muscles of the body, including the muscular frame of patients with diarthrosis, which is a good supporting apparatus. During exercise, the load on damaged joint cartilage is reduced. Exercise therapy is not only a method of treating arthrosis, but also an excellent prevention.
An integral part of the comprehensive treatment of arthrosis are various physiotherapeutic procedures. They relieve pathological muscle spasm, improve microcirculation, eliminate inflammation, swelling and pain, and help restore the affected cartilage tissue structure.
The most effective physical procedures:
General strengthening therapeutic massage is carried out exclusively in the absence of exacerbation of arthrosis. This method helps improve the tone of the muscles that are involved in maintaining damaged joints, improve blood flow in them, and eliminate pathological muscle spasms.
Non-traditional or alternative methods of treating osteoarthritis are very popular today, despite the lack of clinical evidence of their effectiveness. However, alternative medicine has helped more than one thousand patients.
There are a huge number of folk remedies, both for external and internal use, which are very effective for joint diseases. The only condition is that when choosing any folk remedy, you should definitely consult a doctor. It is quite possible that a particular case has contraindications.
This is the use of bee products and bee venom. Bee death treatment and stinging procedures are used. But the patient should not be allergic to bee stings.
Use of medicinal leeches. These living organisms release a substance called hirudin into the blood. Hirudin, in turn, eliminates inflammation, pain and swelling; improves the rheological properties of blood and microcirculation; improves metabolic processes.
Hirudotherapy is contraindicated for people with increased bleeding, hypersensitivity to hirudin, and pregnant women.
Patients with severe osteoarthritis, in the absence of results from conservative therapy, are prescribed surgery. The main indications for its implementation are pain, which cannot be controlled with medication, and restrictions on a person’s motor activity.
Operations can be organ-preserving or arthroplasty (the joint itself is preserved, but its correction is carried out). If there is a need to replace a joint with an artificial implant, endoprosthetics is prescribed and most often this is an artificial hip joint.
Every day our joints experience enormous stress. Therefore, it is not surprising that they wear out over time. The human body is not a car; you cannot replace a part immediately after passing a technical inspection. The same goes for the knee joint: it is subject to dislocations, pathological processes, and cracks. The most common disease affecting this part of the body is deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative pathology. Under load, the nutrition of the cartilage that lines the intra-articular surfaces of the bones changes. Over time, cracks appear on it, the cartilage is destroyed. This pathological process is accompanied by inflammation.
Lack of treatment leads to thinning of the cartilage and mechanical irritation of the bone tissue, its hardening. As a result, bone growths - osteophytes - are formed. The disease is accompanied by severe pain and stiffness of movement, especially during physical activity. Gradually, a person loses the ability to perform daily work.
Doctors classify the disease osteoarthritis of the knee joints into a separate group. Typically, this pathology is observed as part of deforming polyarthrosis, when several areas of the body are affected simultaneously. The disease is more often diagnosed in older people, and the higher risk group includes representatives of the fair sex. Damage to the knee joint is often observed in young and active people involved in sports.
Osteoarthritis usually develops in several stages:
In this article we will talk in more detail about the difference between grade 1 osteoarthritis of the knee joint, the treatment of which in most cases leads to a complete recovery.
Certain factors, both external and internal, are considered to be prerequisites for the development of this disease. Together they have a destructive effect on the articular area.
The knee is made up of bones that are lined with cartilaginous plates. This anatomical feature facilitates the friction process, while simultaneously performing shock absorption functions. The cells that make up the joint membranes continuously produce synovial fluid. The secretion produced prevents damage to the cartilage plates.
A decrease in the volume of synovial fluid in grade 1 knee osteoarthritis is due to the following reasons:
As the body ages, the ability to restore cartilage tissue decreases, so this disease rarely occurs in young people. Doctors also consider hereditary predisposition to be a risk factor. If close relatives previously had problems with the musculoskeletal system, it is possible that with age similar problems will appear in children.
Obesity is considered the main prerequisite for the development of the disease. Excess body weight puts constant pressure on the lower extremities, which can result in osteoarthritis. In a short period of time, the disease becomes more complicated and significantly worsens a person’s quality of life.
A dystrophic disease caused by damage to cartilage leads to the appearance of cracks and loss of the usual elasticity of tissues. The onset of the pathological process is accompanied by micro-level changes in the articular cartilage area, which entails disruption of cell nutrition and their death.
The disease at the initial stage of its development is usually characterized by the following symptoms:
On an x-ray, you can see a slight narrowing in the area of the articular cavity. As the disease progresses, the cartilage wears away, which leads to the formation of bone growths. The pathology is accompanied by joint deformation, and this is already typical for grades 2 and 3 of osteoarthritis.
Deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint requires a competent and qualified approach to treatment. When the first symptoms indicating illness appear, you should consult a therapist or orthopedist. To confirm the final diagnosis, the specialist prescribes a comprehensive examination:
Based on the results of all tests, the doctor confirms the diagnosis and selects the most effective methods of treating osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
Treatment of the disease pursues several goals simultaneously: elimination of pain discomfort, restoration of affected structures and resumption of motor activity. It is possible to obtain a positive result with timely initiation of therapy. Otherwise, knee replacement may be required.
Where does treatment usually begin? First of all, if the cause of the disease is known, it is necessary to try to eliminate it. Overweight patients are advised to lose weight; if there are problems with hormonal levels or metabolism, every effort should be made to restore health. If the pathology is associated with excessive physical exertion, it is better to change your field of activity for a while and give up playing sports.
Treatment of knee osteoarthritis involves taking analgesics. The drugs are usually prescribed in courses to reduce joint discomfort. For severe inflammation of the synovium and severe pain, corticosteroids are used. These medications have a pronounced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect than non-hormonal analgesics. To relieve spasms, muscle relaxants (Mydocalm, Sirdalud) are used.
In patients diagnosed with grade 1 osteoarthritis of the knee joint, treatment should also be aimed at improving the nutrition of cartilage tissue. For these purposes, vasodilators and antioxidants are used. The main role in conservative therapy belongs to the so-called chondrotectors (“Chondrolon”, “Structum”). These drugs contain natural cartilage components - chondroitin and glucosamine sulfate.
To reduce the load on a sore joint, doctors recommend moderate physical activity. Skiing, swimming, cycling - daily activity helps strengthen muscles and improve blood circulation.
Therapeutic exercises are also useful for grade 1 osteoarthritis of the knee joint. The most effective exercises for eliminating pain discomfort are listed below.
It is recommended to start the exercises with a short warm-up. The number of repetitions should be increased gradually, without loading the damaged joint. Classes can end with a massage. Pain should not accompany exercise. If you experience any discomfort, it is better to consult a doctor.
We have already told you how to treat osteoarthritis of the knee joint with medications. Now let's talk about what the diet should be for patients with this disease.
Strict dietary restrictions are not recommended for this disease. The main goal of the diet is to lose weight. The diet will be slightly different from traditional nutritional principles. For example, doctors advise eating as much jellied meat as possible. The thing is that when its ingredients are cooked, it releases collagen, which is necessary for the restoration of cartilage tissue.
Considering that the diet is aimed at losing weight, you should be especially careful about cleansing and fasting. Before changing their diet, older people should consult a doctor to take into account the possible vagaries of concomitant ailments.
Dairy products (cottage cheese, cottage cheese) are useful for strengthening bone tissue. Protein has a positive effect on cartilage restoration. It is found in large quantities in fish and meat, as well as lentils and beans.
To saturate the body with energy, carbohydrates are needed. Active vitality is impossible without these substances. It is better to choose so-called slow carbohydrates rather than fast carbohydrates. The latter are found mainly in sweets and baked goods. Slow carbohydrates do not allow fat to be deposited in problem areas, but at the same time saturate the body with energy (vegetables, fruits, cereals).
To maintain normal metabolic processes, it is necessary to consume vegetable fats. For the entire duration of treatment, doctors recommend stopping drinking alcohol, as it increases the feeling of hunger. To suppress appetite, food must be taken in small portions, but often.
This diet helps normalize metabolism in the body, improves blood circulation and has a positive effect on the restoration of cartilage tissue. Changing your diet in combination with drug therapy allows you to overcome osteoarthritis of the knee joint at an early stage.
It is appropriate to supplement the main therapy of the disease with the recipes of our grandmothers. For these purposes, a variety of tinctures, rubs, compresses and decoctions are used. The action of the latter is aimed at preventing inflammation and removing toxins from the body.
To treat osteoarthritis, you can prepare a healing ointment. To do this, you will need to mix 200 g of salt and the same amount of mustard, add a little paraffin until a creamy consistency is formed. The next day, the ointment can be rubbed into the affected area with light massaging movements.
Collections based on herbs and medicinal plants, as well as beekeeping products, have an excellent healing effect. It is important to note that before using any product at home, it is important to consult a doctor.
Surgical treatment at the initial stage of development of this disease is extremely rarely required. It may be due to a noticeable decrease in working capacity.
Surgical intervention involves two options for the operation: knee replacement (endoprosthetics) and removal of osteophytes.
Endoprosthetics involves replacing the entire joint or part of it with an artificial implant. Typically, this operation is performed for grade 2 or 3 osteoarthritis. In some cases, its help has to be resorted to at the initial stage of the disease, when drug therapy is ineffective. Knee replacement is a complex operation that requires a long recovery.
Arthroscopy is usually used to remove osteophytes. The entire procedure is carried out under video control. The doctor has the opportunity to polish the altered cartilage covering and remove osteophytes. As a result, the patient’s pain disappears and the quality of life improves.
The choice of a specific surgical option depends on the clinical picture and the presence of complications. At the initial stage of the disease, surgical intervention is usually not required. If a patient is diagnosed with grade 3 osteoarthritis of the knee joint, treatment involves surgery.
To prevent the development of this disease, doctors advise constantly monitoring body weight and promptly treating obesity. Regular physical exercise is also an excellent prevention of osteoarthritis. Those sports where there is no pronounced load on the knee joint are suitable: swimming, yoga. In case of inflammatory diseases or injuries, it is necessary to promptly seek qualified help.
If you are not bothered by pain, but the doctor has diagnosed “grade 1 osteoarthritis of the knee joint,” treatment should begin immediately. Taking medications and a course of exercise therapy will help slow down the progression of the disease and avoid serious surgery.
What is arthrosis? This is the name for a disease of the musculoskeletal system, in which degenerative-dystrophic processes occur in the joints. Unlike arthritis, this joint disease is not inflammatory. Since all articular and then periarticular structures, including subchondral bone tissue, are involved in the pathological process, it is also customary to call this disease osteoarthrosis, that is, arthrosis of the bones. At a late stage of the disease, deformation of the joint occurs, so it is often characterized as deforming osteoarthritis. From this article you will learn everything about arthrosis: what causes the disease and what symptoms it manifests itself, how to diagnose and treat this disease.
A wide group of diseases falls under the definition of osteoarthritis of the joints. Arthrosis is classified according to etiology, localization, and the diagnosis also indicates the degree (stage). Osteoarthritis deformans is a chronic disease that occurs with periodic exacerbations. According to the severity of symptoms during osteoarthritis, acute, subacute and remission periods are distinguished. In the acute period, the symptoms are most pronounced; in the remission phase, the manifestations are almost invisible. The course of deforming osteoarthritis can be rapidly or slowly progressive. The prognosis is most favorable if arthrosis of the joints occurs without noticeable progression. Sluggish osteoarthritis may not cause much concern for years; it is diagnosed only at a late stage.
The following types of disease are distinguished in different classifications:
For reasons, deforming osteoarthritis is divided into:
For secondary osteoarthritis, a more detailed classification has been developed. ICD-10 considers post-traumatic arthrosis of the joints in a separate block, contrasting it with secondary and primary, but usually post-traumatic osteoarthritis is classified as secondary.
Osteoarthrosis of peripheral joints is arthrosis of the extremities and the only movable joint of the skull – the temporomandibular joint. Among osteoarthrosis of the extremities, a distinction is made between arthrosis of small joints (hands, feet) and large ones (hip, knee, ankle, elbow, wrist, shoulder). Osteoarthrosis of the spine is otherwise called arthrosis of the central joints, spondyloarthrosis. Most often it is localized in the cervical and lumbar, lumbosacral regions, less often in the thoracic region. When the process is localized in the unpaired joint, which is located between the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae, they speak of arthrosis of the Cruvelier joint. In addition to facet arthropathy, that is, damage to the intervertebral (facet) joints, spondyloarthrosis usually includes:
Usually, when making a diagnosis, the name of the joint is used to clarify the location. Often it consists of the names of the articulating bones (ankle, hip, acromioclavicular), sometimes it indicates the location (elbow, humerus, knee). When describing arthrosis of small joints of the hands and feet, they resort to numbering, the thumb is considered first. At its base lies the first carpometacarpal joint, the disease of which has its own name - rhizarthrosis, as well as osteoarthrosis of the hip and knee joints - coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis. Spondyloarthrosis of different parts of the spine also have their own names:
To clarify the localization, they resort to alphanumeric designations of the vertebrae, for example, spondyloarthrosis L5 S1 is localized in the lumbosacral joint, L4 L5 - between the most loaded vertebrae of the lumbar region, 4 and 5. Some vertebrae have their own names. So, the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae are the atlas and axis. In addition to the paired joints, between them there is an unpaired median atlantoaxial (Cruvelier’s joint), which connects the anterior arch of the atlas with the axis tooth. Congenital anomaly of the vertebrae leads to habitual subluxation and the development of arthrosis of the Cruvelier joint.
Depending on how many joints are involved in the process, monoarthrosis and polyarthrosis are distinguished. If less than 3 different joints or joint groups are affected, joint osteoarthritis is called local. It is contrasted with generalized (arthrosis disease). What it is? We can say that this is arthrosis of all joints at the same time, but there are several hundred joints in the human body, and their simultaneous damage is unlikely. Generalized is called deforming osteoarthritis, in which 3 or more articular groups are involved in the process. For the generalized form (Kellgren's disease), simultaneous damage to the arms and legs, several parts of the spine, and small and large joints is typical.
In the generalized form, the lesion is always symmetrical, bilateral. If only one pair of joints is affected, it is customary to classify such arthrosis as monoarthrosis. But more often monoarthrosis is left- or right-sided.
Kellgren, who first described generalized osteoarthritis, distinguishes its variety as nodular arthrosis of the small joints of the hands, namely the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints. This is due to the specific, nodular nature of the deformations, which are called Heberden-Bouchard nodes. Nodular arthrosis occurs three times more often in women than in men. There are types of arthrosis (uncovertebral, jaw), which develop according to one of two scenarios - with a predominance of osteophytosis or osteosclerosis. They are divided into 2 types: arthrosis deformans and sclerosing. But usually the diagnosis of DOA, that is, deforming osteoarthritis, is completely equivalent to the diagnosis of arthrosis.
The etiology of arthrosis, that is, their origin, is not fully understood. It is well established that the disease arthrosis is polyetiological, that is, it is caused by different causes. But it is not always possible to establish the cause of the disease in a particular patient. If a degenerative-dystrophic process develops in a previously healthy joint, and this cannot be associated with an existing disease, they speak of primary osteoarthritis. What is idiopathic arthrosis? This is another name for primary osteoarthritis, that is, a disease for which the cause is unknown. It more often affects older people, and develops at a young age in those who regularly subject their joints to intense stress. Cases of arthrosis in adolescents are associated with unfavorable heredity, injuries, dysplasia and static disorders.
Coxarthrosis is often dysplastic, gonarthrosis is post-traumatic, the development of spondyloarthrosis is caused by osteochondrosis, vertebral instability, and jaw arthrosis is caused by dental and orthodontic problems. By and large, arthrosis of all joints has the same causes: a discrepancy between the load to which the articular cartilage is exposed and its strength limit. The following options are possible:
Secondary deforming osteoarthritis can be caused by the following reasons:
To understand what deforming arthrosis is and why it is called that, you need to understand what processes occur in this disease. A synovial joint is a movable joint of bones limited by the articular capsule. The joint capsule consists of an outer and an inner membrane, the latter is also called synovial. It produces synovial (intra-articular) fluid that fills the joint cavity. The articulating ends of the bones are usually congruent, that is, they match each other in shape. They are covered with elastic cartilage, which vaguely resembles a sponge. It is saturated with synovial fluid and receives nutrients from it. When the bones move, the cartilage releases lubricant under pressure, allowing free, pain-free movement.
Osteoarthritis of the joints develops in the following sequence:
Schematic pictures depicting deformed bones, worn-out cartilage, photos of patients at a late stage of the disease give a clear idea of what deforming arthrosis is and what the diseased limbs look like. In adolescents, a pathology occurs that is accompanied by deformation of the tibia near the knee joint - Schlatter's disease or osteochondropathy of the tibial tuberosity. But arthrosis deformans and Schlatter’s disease are different diseases. Arthrosis progresses throughout life, and osteochondropathy, when uncomplicated, goes away when the growth zones of the bones close.
The question of what deforming arthrosis is can be answered this way: it is a disease in which degenerative-dystrophic processes occur in the articular cartilage, followed by the processes of osteosclerosis and osteophytosis in the bone tissue, which ultimately leads to joint deformation. Pathological processes increase gradually, the clinical picture of osteoarthritis at the early and late stages differs significantly. In accordance with radiological signs, 4 stages in its development are distinguished. The changes that x-rays reveal at each stage can be characterized as follows:
Currently, the most widely used classification is according to Kosinskaya, distinguishing 3 stages of osteoarthritis.
At an early stage, we can talk about compensated arthrosis, since the functions of the joint are preserved. Then their limitation and severity of pain increases. There is a statement that the difference between the diseases arthrosis and osteoarthritis is that with arthrosis only cartilage tissue is affected, and with osteoarthritis it also affects bone tissue. If you adhere to this point of view, then when asked what osteoarthritis is, you will have to answer that it is arthrosis of the 2-3 degree joints. But in practice, such a division is not carried out. The concepts of arthrosis and osteoarthrosis, that is, arthrosis of the bones, are used as synonyms. In the same way, the diagnosis of DOA is made at any stage, although deformities are a sign of advanced, decompensated arthrosis.
For older people, patients who have a history of dysplasia, injuries, or whose relatives suffer from joint diseases, it is important to know what arthrosis is and how it manifests itself. The risk group includes athletes, people engaged in heavy physical labor, as well as those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
The main clinical manifestations of arthrosis deformans are pain and limited mobility, but at an early stage they often go unnoticed. The following symptoms should alert you:
Over time, the symptoms become more pronounced: pain occurs in response to a slight load and does not go away for a long time, its intensity increases. At a later stage they are almost permanent. The mobility of the joint is limited, to the point that it is only possible to perform rocking movements. Extraneous sounds (crepitus) during movements become rough and distinct. The periarticular tissues often swell, the skin turns red, this indicates the addition of synovitis. If deformation is noticeable, the bones protrude through the soft tissue, which means that the DOA of the joints has reached the last stage.
Even when the first symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor who knows how to determine the cause of joint pain and stiffness. He examines the patient's history and family history, asks to describe the symptoms, asks how long ago and under what circumstances they appeared, evaluates the appearance of the joint and palpates it. After a survey and examination, the doctor asks you to perform a series of movements to assess their amplitude and compare them with the norm. Then x-rays and tests are prescribed that make it possible to distinguish arthrosis from arthritis. To clarify the diagnosis, ultrasound, CT, MRI, and arthroscopy can be performed.
It’s good if the doctor not only makes a diagnosis and prescribes treatment, but explains what arthrosis is, what reasons led to its development, and justifies the prescriptions. How to treat this disease depends on its stage and severity of symptoms. At stages 1–2, chondroprotectors are mandatory, which slow down the destruction of cartilage tissue. At a late stage, when the cartilage is destroyed, chondroprotectors are ineffective. In acute cases, it is necessary to take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that help relieve pain and inflammation. If NSAIDs do not provide relief, intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids are prescribed.
Therapy is not limited to taking medications. Having diagnosed arthrosis in a patient, he is recommended to adhere to a diet, especially if his weight exceeds the norm. It is necessary to limit the load on the joints, sometimes it is necessary to use orthopedic products for this. Laser, magnetic, shock wave therapy, electrophoresis and other physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed. At home, you can make compresses, take medicinal baths; for small joints of the hands and feet, local baths are sufficient. A mandatory component of treatment is exercise therapy; exercises must be performed daily, selecting the load in accordance with the stage of the disease and general health.
With severe articular deformation, limited mobility, and intense pain, conservative treatment is ineffective. If large supporting joints are affected, the patient is at risk of disability. All that can be done in such a situation is to replace the destroyed, deformed joint with an endoprosthesis. If the operation and postoperative rehabilitation are successful, the functions of the limb will be restored. Minimally invasive, arthroscopic operations are also performed at stage 2 of arthrosis, but they give a temporary effect; after 1–2 years the symptoms return. The endoprosthesis lasts 10–15 years, sometimes longer, after which a repeat operation (revision) is required.
Osteoarthritis is a common disease in which joints slowly but steadily deteriorate. Treatment allows you to slow down its progression, but not stop it completely, and it is impossible to reverse degenerative-dystrophic processes. Arthrosis is often accompanied by an inflammatory process in the joint - synovitis; in its advanced form it can develop into ankylosis, in which the bones grow together motionlessly. The insidiousness of arthrosis is that it can occur for several years without significant symptoms, while the cartilage is destroyed in the meantime. Sometimes the disease is diagnosed at a stage when only surgery can help.
Good day, dear readers! Here we will look at the topic of arthrosis using the example of deforming osteoarthritis , what it is, and learn general recommendations for its prevention and treatment.
Effective tips and recipes are offered on how and how to treat and cure arthrosis at home using folk remedies; at the end of the article you will find medications, tablets and medicines for the treatment of dystrophy and degeneration of the joint surface and cartilage damage.
Arthrosis deformans ( osteoarthrosis ) is a progressive pathology leading to dystrophy and degeneration of articular surfaces and damage to cartilage, until its complete destruction in the joint area. Mostly middle-aged and elderly people are affected. The disease is characterized by a long and persistent course with frequent exacerbations.
The causes of this disease are not fully known. Arthrosis deformans can affect one or many joints. In its development, the main role is played by overloads and malnutrition of the cartilage. As a result, some of the cartilage cells die, the elasticity of the cartilage is lost, and clouding and cracks of the cartilage tissue appear.
In the initial stages, patients complain of crunching in the joints and mild pain during physical activity. They become sensitive to changes in weather and changes in atmospheric pressure.
Later, there is limited mobility of the joint and sharp pain when rotating or abducting the limb. Lameness and shortening of the limb develop. During this period, the pain is intense and almost constant. In elderly people, some shortening (up to 10 cm) of the limb may be due to a pronounced decrease in the height of the articular cartilage and muscle wasting.
Factors influencing the development of osteoarthritis are divided into:
General recommendations for treatment are the same as for arthritis and polyarthritis, set out on the page: Treatment of arthritis and polyarthritis.
Traditional home medicine has a large arsenal of medicinal products, compositions, tips and recipes in order to cure arthrosis or significantly alleviate the patient’s condition.
Dandelion officinalis. Decoction of herbs and roots. Pour 1 tablespoon of dry crushed raw materials into a glass of water, boil for 10 minutes, let sit for 1 hour, strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.
Fresh dandelion herb can be used as an external compress.
Infusion of the herb berenets (saxifrage). Pour 3 tablespoons of dry herb into 500 ml of boiling water, leave for 1 hour. Strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
Creeping wheatgrass. Pour 4 tablespoons of dry finely crushed wheatgrass rhizomes into 1 liter of water, boil until the volume is reduced to one-fourth. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
Creeping thyme. Pour 3 tablespoons of chopped herbs into 500 ml of boiling water. Leave for 1 hour, strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day.
Stinging nettle. Pour 1 tablespoon of dry crushed nettle with a glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes. Strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
Spring primrose. Pour 15 g of dry crushed herb into 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes. Strain. Take half a glass 3 times a day. Fresh herbs can be used in first and second courses.
Osokor (black poplar). Infusion and tincture of black poplar are taken for arthritis, polyarthritis, and radiculitis. Preparation of infusion: 2 teaspoons of dry crushed buds, pour 300 ml of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain. Take one third of a glass 3 times a day.
Tincture : 100 g of vodka per 2 teaspoons of buds. Leave for 7 days. Take 20 drops 3 times a day.
Locally, kidney infusion or oil is used as a rub for radiculitis, gout, and rheumatism.
The sequence is tripartite. Pour 2 tablespoons of chopped herbs into 300 ml of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day.
For external use : 15 g of herb per glass of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, use for compresses.
St. John's wort. 1 tablespoon of dry chopped herbs into a glass of boiling water. Leave for 1 hour, strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day. The infusion can be applied externally.
Pharmaceutical camomile. Pour 2 tablespoons of dried inflorescences into 300 ml of boiling water, leave for 1 hour. Strain. Take 50 ml 3 times a day. The infusion can be used externally.
Tomato juice. Tomato juice enhances metabolic processes in the body, so it is useful to drink for gout, arthritis and polyarthritis.
Marsh rosemary. Pour 1 teaspoon of crushed leaves and young shoots of wild rosemary into 300 ml of water. Leave for 1 hour, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day. For external use, take 4 teaspoons per 300 ml of boiling water. Bring to a boil, leave for 1 hour.
Treatment of arthrosis is symptomatic and aimed at relieving pain. It is carried out on an outpatient basis or in a sanatorium. The most effective are various thermal procedures, radon and hydrogen sulfide baths, ultraviolet irradiation, Bernard currents, and ultrasound.
Novocaine and alcohol-novocaine blockades give good results, especially in combination with unloading of the diseased limb (while walking, relying on a stick or crutches). Among the medications, various painkillers are used - Tempalgin, Ketonol, Butadione, adrenocorticotropic drugs.
Massage is useful, and after acute symptoms are relieved, therapeutic exercises. In especially severe cases, indications for surgery arise (arthroplasty, arthrodesis).
Treatment is provided by traumatologists and orthopedists. Treatment methods for arthrosis depend on the degree of joint involvement in the process, the duration of the lesion and the presence of pain. First of all, conservative therapy is used:
Treatment is complemented by the use of quinolone drugs (ofloxacin), anti-inflammatory therapy (diclogen, ibuprofen, indomethacin).
If there is inflammation in the joint, a course of hormones is indicated - hydrocortisone inside the joint.
Deforming arthrosis of the joints: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of the disease
General information on deforming arthrosis of the joints. In what cases is disability assigned? What is deforming arthrosis of the joints? Is it possible to cure arthrosis deformans? Also the degree of deforming arthrosis.