Deforming gonarthrosis (arthrosis of the knee joint) is a disease in the hyaline knee cartilage caused by an inflammatory degenerative-dystrophic process. This disease affects the condyles of the tibia and femur.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint develops slowly. The primary signs of this disease are pain and stiffness of movement. This type of arthrosis, such as gonarthrosis, is the most common in comparison with other types (arthrosis of the phalanges of the fingers, hip arthrosis, elbow or shoulder arthrosis).
This disease most often manifests itself in middle-aged people (40-45 years old), mainly in women. The cause of arthrosis in young people can be any serious injury or heavy load (for example, among athletes).
The cause of deforming arthrosis of the joints cannot be one; it is usually a combination of circumstances and many catalyzing factors that eventually lead to the development of the disease. In medicine, the causes of arthrosis are divided into:
Primary arthrosis develops in older people due to the natural aging (wearing) of the cartilage tissues of the body in combination with associated complications. Complications include problems such as:
Secondary deforming arthrosis includes 30% of all cases of disease in the knee joint. This form of arthrosis develops as a result of various injuries:
Symptoms of secondary arthrosis appear with a great delay - after 3-4 years, but in case of serious injuries, signs of the disease are detected after 3-4 months.
The risk group for developing gonarthrosis includes people who, after 40 years of age, begin to actively engage in sports or other physical activity. Running, squats, or push-ups give age-worn joints extra work. Such activities can lead to the rapid development of degenerative and dystrophic processes in the joints.
There are frequent cases of the development of arthrosis due to the patient’s concomitant diseases:
The reasons for the development of deforming arthrosis directly in the knee joint include:
The risk of receiving a diagnosis such as gonarthrosis increases if the patient has injuries to the vertebral bones, various neurological diseases, metabolic disorders, diabetes mellitus and (in 3-5%) cases a genetic predisposition due to weakness of the ligamentous apparatus.
Often (50-60%) the development of deforming arthrosis of the knee joint occurs due to muscle spasm of the anterior surface of the thigh. This spasm does not appear until pain occurs in the knees. Disadvantages include mild lower back pain, heaviness in the legs and fatigue.
If the iliopsoas and rectus femoris muscles are constantly in a state of spasm, as the patient ages, the patient will develop “tight” knees, which will significantly limit motor function.
Belgian orthopedic surgeons from the city of Leuven recently discovered a previously unknown and completely unstudied ligament ALL, which is localized in the human knee. This ligament was given the name "anterolateral" or "anterolateral".
The study, which lasted for 4 years, was confirmed by rare cases in which patients, after successful surgery due to ligament ruptures or knee injuries, did not disappear from pain during physical activity, and instability of the knee joint was observed.
About 40 patients were involved in the research, which made it possible to discover this very ligament, about which doctors had no data at all. As it turned out, the main function of the anterolateral ligament is the rotational movements of the tibia.
When the knee was injured, doctors did not even realize that it was necessary to correct it during surgery.
Often the disease develops in only one knee joint. Taking into account the intensity of the development of pathological processes, doctors distinguish 3 degrees of gonarthrosis:
There are several diseases similar in their symptoms to knee arthrosis:
Knee block and meniscus block. This disease is developing rapidly. With a sudden movement, a crunching sensation occurs in the knee, accompanied by an attack of acute pain, which goes away after 10-15 minutes. A day later, swelling of the kneecap forms.
Various types of arthritis (rheumatoid, psoriatic, reactive), articular rheumatism, ankylosing spondylitis, gout. These diseases can be distinguished from arthrosis using a blood test.
Inflammation of the knee tendons. This disease mainly affects women over 40 years of age. Pain occurs when lifting heavy objects or going down stairs. The pain affects the inner surface of the knee, but the functionality of the joint is not limited.
Vascular pain in the knee joints. This is a symmetrical lesion of the joints, affecting both knees at the same time. It occurs mainly in the younger generation due to accelerated bone growth. Pain syndrome is noted:
Defined as aching pain (twisting).
In the first stage, the affected knee joint is no different in appearance from a healthy one.
What is the reason for this?
At the initial stage of development of arthrosis in the joint, there is a disruption of small intraosseous vessels and blood circulation in general, on which the nutrition of hyaline cartilage depends.
With further development of the disease (second stage), the symptoms intensify. The pain is determined in the anterior-internal side of the joint and worries even with light loads, receding at rest and returning with the slightest movement.
With deforming arthrosis of the knee joint of the third degree, significant deformation of the articular bones is observed. They are pressed into each other, the cartilage tissue is practically destroyed, and functional limitations increase. The pain syndrome does not subside even for a minute, regardless of the tension or resting state in which the joint is located. Flexion and extension of the limb is difficult.
The joint is severely deformed, the legs are bent into an O- or X-shape, the gait becomes unstable and waddles. Quite often the patient has to move around with the help of crutches or a cane.
Hello, dear friends!
The idea for this post was suggested to me by one of our readers. She asked for advice on what to do to prevent pain in her knee joints. I thought that many people would be interested in the answer to this question. I decided to write an article - “What is deforming arthrosis of the knee joints?”
What will you learn today?
1. What are the causes of arthrosis.
2. What symptoms does the disease manifest?
3. 1, 2 and 3 degrees of severity of deforming arthrosis.
4. Treatment and prevention.
Age-related changes in joints. Friends! Osteoarthritis of the knee joints is a disease of mature people. After 50 years, joint pain begins to bother many people. Women are more often affected. Now the disease has become younger. After 40 years, knee pain is also common.
Normally, the articular surface looks white-pink, smooth, and shiny. It consists of moisturized elastic cartilage tissue. 5% of it is occupied by cells - chondrocytes. They produce collagen, protein glycans and hyaluronic acid. This, in fact, is cartilage tissue. Between adjacent articular surfaces there is an intra-articular gap filled with lubricant - intra-articular fluid. Lubricant protects joint surfaces from contact and friction.
The outside of the knee joint is covered with a powerful connective tissue capsule. Strengthened by muscles, ligaments, patella. There are no vessels inside the joint. How then are the knee joints nourished?
Human joints are designed in a special way. They work like a sponge. If you squeeze a sponge in your fist, liquid flows out of it. If you unclench your fist, the sponge absorbs the liquid. Same thing in the knee joints! When we get up and start walking, the weight of the body brings the cartilage surfaces closer together and squeezes out the joint fluid. It enters the venous vessels and is carried by the blood stream to the liver for cleansing.
As soon as we sit down to rest or lie down, the attraction of the articular surfaces decreases and all the beneficial substances from pure arterial blood are absorbed into the joint. They are used by chondrocytes to synthesize cartilage tissue and intra-articular fluid. This is how almost all of our joints work from birth to the end of life.
With age, degenerative processes develop in the joints. They, figuratively speaking, dry up. There are fewer chondrocytes, elastic collagen tissue is replaced by rough fibrous tissue.
The articular surface becomes uneven, lumpy, and spiky. The edges of the bone on which the cartilage is located grow, forming osteophytes, unsightly protrusions. The amount of intra-articular fluid decreases.
The surfaces of the joints rub against each other, like on a washboard. The pain is terrible. The person spares the joint and tries to make fewer movements. Stiffness soon develops. The joints become swollen and inflamed. The pain intensifies. And age-related changes continue to increase. If this process is not stopped, the outcome will be very sad.
The pain will intensify. Can you imagine what it’s like to live with constant pain! Movement in the legs will become so difficult that endoprosthetics will be required. Then you have to work out your joints and walk all the time. The weight of the body is pressing, the pain will still remain.
It’s better not to push yourself through surgery. Our task is to learn prevention. Systematic conservative treatment started in time will help many people preserve their joints. We must learn to take care of them properly.
Overweight. Everything is clear here. The greater a person's weight, the greater the load on the knee joints. This leads to premature wear and tear and severe pain. The only way out is to lose weight in every available way.
Increased loads on the lower limbs. Athletes (running, jumping, basketball), loaders, builders, salesmen, and couriers have an increased risk of developing deforming arthrosis of the knee joints with age. The reason is regular microtraumas, which lead to cracks and tuberosity of the cartilage surface, thinning of the intra-articular space.
Sedentary lifestyle. If you have an office job, sit in one place for 8 hours a day. If you spend a lot of time at home working at the computer, you may also be at risk for deforming arthrosis. The knee joints are motionless, poorly supplied with blood, and do not receive nutrients, because the “absorbent sponge” mechanism is not turned on. The result is deforming arthrosis of the knee joints in adulthood.
Various injuries to the knee joints (dislocations, fractures, damage to the menisci and ligaments at any age) can also lead to arthrosis. This can occur soon after the injury as a result of the formation of post-traumatic scars and prolonged stay in a cast. In this case, people then suffer for years from pain in the damaged joint. Joints ache when the weather changes.
Pain can appear many years after the injury, because the metabolism in the injured tissues is disrupted, their blood supply is worse, and age-related degenerative changes occur.
Metabolic and circulatory disorders contribute to the appearance of deforming arthrosis. These are diabetes mellitus, kidney and liver diseases, digestive system disorders, thyroid diseases, cardiovascular diseases, varicose veins.
Symptoms of I degree of severity.
Dear friends! It is very important not to be dismissive of the appearance of the very first signs of deforming arthrosis of the knee joints. What are these symptoms? After a night's sleep or when you have been in a stationary position for a long time, it is difficult to start the first movements. They are given with pain. You have to walk around for a while. Unpleasant sensations and slight pain, stiffness in the joints can occur after physical activity. Sometimes my knees ache at night.
The causes of pain may be friction of uneven surfaces of the joint against each other, slight inflammation - periarthritis, disruption of venous outflow through the veins of the legs.
If you stop the progression at the initial stage, you can completely recover from deforming arthrosis of the knee joints. Provided, of course, constant support for knee health.
Symptoms of II degree of severity. Here you no longer have to “listen” to your feelings. The pain is loud! In the mornings it’s pure torture. The pain is intense. A person's knees hurt more often than not. They begin to swell and become deformed. Loss of motor activity begins. After a long walk, the pain in the knee joints intensifies. There is a crunching sound and lameness when walking.
Symptoms of III degree of severity. Pain, tightening, and crunching in the joints are constant. Walking is difficult, lameness gets worse. The legs almost do not bend at the knee joint, the knees are deformed and swollen. In practice, this is a stage of disability. With further progression, immobility threatens. Therefore, at this stage the only option left is endoprosthetics.
Now imagine this picture. Let’s say you are already 72 years old. You have II – III degree of deforming arthrosis of the knee joints. The doctor asks you: “When did the pain first appear?” You answer: “Oh, a long time ago, doctor! Somewhere shortly before age 50.” The doctor asks: “Have you been examined? How were you treated? You answer: “Whatever, doctor! Everyone's knees hurt! No time to go to the doctors! I made lotions and rubbed myself with folk ointments.”
Understand, dear friends! You can undergo joint replacement surgery at 72! But rehabilitation, I’m afraid, will be unsuccessful. It is very difficult to recover with knee prostheses, given your advanced age.
There is only one conclusion - DON’T PUT YOURSELF TO THE EXTREME! Start treatment at the first stage of the disease. As soon as you feel pain in your knee joints, consult a doctor and undergo an examination: X-ray, MRI, ultrasound of the knee joints.
If the diagnosis is confirmed and you have the initial manifestations of deforming arthrosis of the knees, treatment will not be difficult.
To eliminate pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, voltaren, meloxicam will help you here. They will relieve inflammation and pain. Very fast. You won't take them for months. So there is nothing to be afraid of the side effects of these drugs, which always scare people.
To restore cartilage tissue and intra-articular fluid. Long-term use of chondroprotectors is indicated: glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, natural vitamin C, organic sulfur. The course will have to be completed over 3 to 4 months. Then repeat for a month twice a year. These drugs are expensive. But you just read about the outcomes of deforming arthrosis! Are you going to save on your health to buy yourself something new? I hope that you are a reasonable person!
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On the use of traditional medicine. At the first and partially at the second stage, you will certainly need ointments, compresses, and rubbing. Thanks to their action, blood circulation in joints, muscles, and ligaments will increase. The joints will warm up, and metabolic processes in them will increase. All this will contribute to the restoration of cartilage tissue.
To attract non-drug treatments. Massage, physiotherapy, manual therapy should be added during exacerbations of the disease. Physical therapy should be done continuously for many years. First under the guidance of a doctor. In the future, you will begin to understand it well, and you will have your own set of exercises. The main thing is not to abandon them. Perform constantly.
Deforming arthrosis of the knee joints is a degenerative-dystrophic process that occurs with age in every person. Some people are more susceptible to it, others less. Consult a doctor if initial signs of illness appear. Start conservative treatment promptly. This way you will protect your joints from destruction.
Friends! In the next article we will discuss in detail the most effective traditional medicine recipes. Now watch a video about what exercises are needed to strengthen your joints. Never perform exercises with force. Do it the best you can. As functions improve, the scope of gymnastic exercises will expand.
Until we meet again, dear readers, Natalia Bogoyavlenskaya
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The term osteoarthritis refers to joint pathology, which is accompanied by damage to cartilage and its premature destruction. The process, as a rule, also involves bone tissue, ligaments, articular membrane and muscles. Women aged 45-55 years are more prone to osteoarthritis, while the total number of people suffering from it is about 15%. Osteoarthritis of the ankle joint is not the most typical form of this disease, but it occupies one of the first places in terms of severity of impaired motor function.
There are three main causes of deforming arthrosis of the ankle:
Trauma is the most common cause.
Congenital disorder of the formation of joint tissue (dysplasia).
Chronic inflammation, which leads to the development of secondary osteoarthritis (that is, arising against the background of another pathology).
In addition to the direct causes of the development of the disease, several risk factors can be identified:
One of the characteristic symptoms of deforming arthrosis of the ankle joint is pain, which increases with exertion, while walking or playing sports, and decreases when at rest. At night, the pain can become aching and dull, which is associated with stagnation of venous blood in the deteriorating bone tissue. In the morning, when getting up, an intense, sharp, so-called starting pain usually appears, which then gradually decreases - it arises due to the friction of the deformed articular surfaces against each other.
Stiffness and limitation of mobility in deforming osteoarthritis are usually associated with the presence of destroyed fragments of cartilage and bone tissue in the articular cavity. For the same reason, limb jamming in certain positions may occur.
With concomitant inflammation, redness, swelling and increased skin temperature in the ankle joint may occur. As arthrosis progresses, bone tissue grows, which leads to deformation and even greater functional changes.
The photo shows a deformed right ankle joint
Treatment of deforming arthrosis of the ankle is aimed at:
The first thing to do during treatment is to reduce the load on the damaged joint by reducing body weight, limiting physical activity and long walking. In severe cases, temporary use of a crutch or cane is acceptable.
The most commonly used medications are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They reduce pain and eliminate signs of inflammation, but do not address the immediate cause of osteoarthritis. They can be used in the form of ointments, gels or tablets. Since this group can destroy the gastric mucosa, long-term use should consult a doctor.
Local remedies in the form of ointments and gels based on NSAIDs are widely used in the treatment of the disease.
In the early stages of the disease, drugs that restore the structure of cartilage - chondroprotectors - can be effective. It is possible to administer them intra-articularly together with glucocorticosteroid hormones.
Physiotherapeutic treatment is aimed at restoring mobility in the ankle joint, improving its nutrition and blood supply. Most often used for arthrosis:
In the treatment of arthrosis, physical therapy is very important, which should be done daily.
To strengthen the ligamentous apparatus in cases of deforming osteoarthritis, orthopedists prescribe therapeutic exercises. Here are some useful ankle exercises:
Starting position: lying on your back, both legs are relaxed. It is necessary to turn your feet toward and away from you with minimal amplitude without sudden movements.
In the same position, alternately rotate your feet clockwise and counterclockwise.
Sitting on a low chair, imitate walking, lowering and raising your heels and toes in turn.
Standing with your toes on a slight elevation, lower your heels below it, and then rise onto your toes. At the same time, it is advisable to hold on to something so as not to lose your balance.
Do not squat deeply, without lifting your toes and heels from the floor. Your knees should be pointing straight forward.
To achieve and maintain the therapeutic effect, exercises must be performed daily at least three times a day.
In severe cases, with significant deformation and proliferation of bone tissue, surgical treatment methods are resorted to. Unlike the hip and knee joints, the ankle joint is rarely replaced with prosthetics. Much more often, conventional mechanical removal of excess tissue is performed.
Treatment of deforming arthrosis of the ankle with traditional methods can be effective in the initial stages of the disease: it can reduce pain and inflammatory changes. You can prepare several types of ointments at home:
Recipes for decoctions for oral administration:
Remember that if treatment for arthrosis of the ankle joint is not started in a timely manner, the destruction of cartilage and bone will progress rapidly . Therefore, at the first symptoms you should consult a doctor. In addition, it is important to always monitor your health (and not just during illness): control your weight and exercise regularly.
Identifying the cause of arthrosis is an important task in the prevention and control of a disease that affects the joints. Osteoarthritis is caused by various factors. The disease is characterized by a thinning of the hyaline cartilage layer, resulting in damage to the articular membrane, as well as a disruption in the production of synovial fluid.
This disease is usually divided into primary and secondary, based on the characteristics of the causes of occurrence. Primary arthrosis deformans is diagnosed when the etiology is unknown. This type of osteoarthritis may also be called idiopathic or subtle. Primary arthrosis is accompanied by destruction of the structure of cartilage and the joint capsule; changes occur in the tissues of the joint and connective tissue (matrix).
Secondary arthrosis has a clear etiology: it develops as a result of injury, metabolic disorders, and is the result of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus and even tuberculosis. It is difficult to trace a clear line between primary and secondary osteoarthritis due to the parallel occurrence of destructive processes and metabolic system disorders, which are characterized by increased pressure on specific problem areas.
Etiology (from the Greek science about the causes of something) of arthrosis:
In the first place among the causes of osteoarthritis are injuries received by a person during his life. Our joints and their cartilaginous shells tolerate injury, sprains, subluxations, bruises, and fractures very poorly. This especially applies to the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Damage to joint tissue causes degenerative dystrophic processes in the body, overload on the musculoskeletal system.
Congenital deformities in the structure of joints are called dysplasia and are the next common cause of arthrosis. A child born with disorders of bone articulations, weakened ligament structure, or other abnormalities is at risk of developing osteoarthritis.
Inflammatory processes occurring in the body are the third main cause of the formation of secondary arthrosis. Inflammation can be caused by autoimmune and infectious diseases of the body. This can be caused by rheumatoid arthritis, staphylococcus, syphilis, or an encephalitis tick bite.
The risk group for primary arthrosis includes:
Professions that involve heavy physical labor affect the occurrence and progression of arthrosis. This is the work of miners, masons, ice and cold sea fishermen, builders who work with jackhammers, blacksmiths and metallurgists.
The incidence of some types of osteoarthritis is much higher among women, and some types of osteoarthritis affect men more often. There has been so much talk about the dangers of excess weight that there is no point in repeating it. However, it is true that excess body weight has a detrimental effect on a person’s joints, increasing the load on the musculoskeletal system. And this, in turn, is a catalyst for degenerative processes in cartilage tissue.
Based on the genetic risk factor, scientists identify the following causes of arthrosis:
Among the causes of non-genetic, acquired osteoarthritis are:
We have already talked about the negative role of excess weight. You need to monitor it regularly - this will have a beneficial effect on the hip, knee joints, as well as on the condition of the ankle.
Elderly people are the main group for arthrosis statistics. The fact is that with age, the hyaline layer of cartilage becomes thinner, and the quality of the joint fluid deteriorates. If under 45 years of age the number of patients with arthrosis is about 6%, then over 65 years of age already two-thirds of older people suffer from various types of osteoarthritis.
During menopause, a woman's body lacks estrogen, which contributes to the development of various diseases. In particular, osteoporosis, which is common after 50 years among women, affects the occurrence of arthrosis.
We will discuss in detail about poor nutrition as a cause of arthrosis in a separate article. Briefly, we can mention the increase in the number of patients in the last quarter of the 20th century. And this is directly related to the deterioration in the quality of food products. Meat products especially negatively affect the health of joints that were raised using the injection technique, adding steroids and growth hormones to the food.
Thus, the causes of arthrosis are different, determined by many factors both in the structure of the cartilage apparatus and joints, as well as lifestyle, quality of nutrition, nuances in the course of processes between men and women, the specificity of professions and excess body weight.
Osteoarthritis refers to dystrophic changes in the joints, which are characterized by the destruction of cartilage. With this disease, inflammatory processes slowly develop and degeneration of periarticular tissues occurs. According to statistics, arthrosis is the most common disease in people aged 30 years and older; it affects all segments of the population, regardless of gender; at the moment, 80% of the entire population of our planet has this pathology.
Arthrosis of the joints begins due to disruption of metabolic processes directly in the joints. This may be due to habitual hormonal imbalances, hereditary factors, and old age. But doctors also identify the most possible reasons for the development of the process in question:
The fact of poor nutrition should not be ruled out - this can lead to metabolic disorders, which is the main cause of the development of arthrosis. There is a high probability of occurrence of the pathological process in question among miners, blacksmiths, metallurgists and all people who regularly experience heavy physical activity. The doctor talks about the mechanism of development of deforming arthrosis of the joints:
The main symptom of the disease in question is pain - it occurs with excessive physical exertion on specific joints, can subside at rest, and periodically, against the background of pain, hyperemia (redness of the skin) and swelling may occur in the area of the joint affected by the inflammatory process. In general, doctors identify 4 main groups of signs of developing arthrosis:
Please note : the pathological process in question develops very slowly, therefore, at the beginning of its course, arthrosis only bothers you with periodic pain in the joints exclusively under excessive loads. At night, patients are not bothered by pain and sleep is not disturbed. Then, as arthrosis progresses, morning pains begin to appear - they are characterized by patients as “lumbago”, are short-lived and occur only in the early morning.
If arthrosis is in an advanced state, then the pain syndrome becomes acute and permanent - even strong painkillers cannot reduce its intensity.
The X-ray picture of arthrosis at each of the 4 degrees is shown below:
A specialist talks about the symptoms of arthrosis in more detail:
Please note: the course of the disease in question is very slow and at the first stage may not be characterized by any symptoms at all, and intermittent joint pain and increased fatigue can be characteristic of even healthy people during heavy physical exertion. Therefore, self-diagnosis of arthrosis is almost impossible.
The processes occurring in the tissues of the joints at each stage of arthrosis are depicted in the diagram:
The following medications should be used in combination with drug therapy:
Very often, in the process of treating arthrosis, specialists prescribe Diacerein - it promotes the degradation of cartilage tissue. But doctors warn their patients that they should not expect a quick effect after taking Diacerein - noticeable positive changes will begin no earlier than two weeks after taking the drug.
Please note: if the patient was hospitalized with arthrosis at the most severe stage of development and doctors cannot relieve the pain syndrome with any painkillers, then, as an exception, narcotic analgesics can be prescribed, but this is done extremely rarely.
The importance of proper nutrition for arthrosis is difficult to assess - if the patient ignores the recommendations of nutritionists, then the treatment of the pathological process in question may drag on for years, and the results will not be very good.
What you need to remember for those patients who are forced to undergo therapy against arthrosis:
There are several dozen traditional methods for treating arthrosis, but all of them will only relieve unpleasant symptoms, but will not eliminate either inflammation or the main cause of the development of the disease. Of course, compresses and applications, ointments and gels with horse chestnut, cabbage leaves and lilac tinctures will have a pain-relieving effect and will even allow the patient to return to their normal rhythm of life for a while. But you will definitely need to consult a doctor:
To get more information about the causes, symptoms of arthrosis and methods of treating arthrosis, watch this video:
Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category.
5,948 total views, 6 views today
With arthrosis, pain increases after exercise
Deforming osteoarthritis - this is how this diagnosis sounds correctly; in everyday life it is called “salt deposition”, but for brevity we will use the term “arthrosis”. What are the causes of arthrosis, and what consequences can it ultimately lead to?
We will not consider joint injuries as the causes of arthrosis, since they are usually accidental. Let's look at the reasons that will LEGALLY lead to this very arthrosis if they are not stopped in time. And this, fortunately, is quite within our power.
Articular cartilage, like all representatives of connective tissue, consists of water, special types of proteins and complex carbohydrates. We have already considered the role of water and movement in the fate of joints. Now let's talk about its main components: the proteins COLLAGEN and ELASTIN, which, after combining with COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES, create an elastic and slippery glycoprotein framework (glycoprotein-sugar, protein-protein) of all parts of our body, including the spine and joints.
Collagen and elastin are animal proteins that we heat-treat: meat, eggs, dairy products, fish. It is known that boiled (denatured) protein cannot be completely absorbed. Scientists have found that this absorption sometimes does not reach 30%. Moreover, the products of its incomplete digestion cause putrefactive processes in the intestines and, being absorbed into the blood, overload the liver, which eventually disables it. As a result, the body is deprived of a reliable filter.
IN LIVER DISEASES, the joints are the first to send alarm signals. Patients feel pain in the joints and spine EARLIER than other symptoms of failure of the cleansing function of the liver. This is understandable, since the joints are already in an extreme situation with nutrition, and then they receive poorly purified blood. The appearance of irritating chemical impurities in the joint fluid causes a pain reaction and RAPID DESTRUCTION OF ARTICULAR CARTILAGE, which is the essence of arthrosis. Add here lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol, smog in large cities, food preservatives, etc.
Further, patients with a diseased liver are overwhelmingly OVERWEIGHT and HIGH BLOOD SUGAR NUMBERS. It is possible to “catch” this increase only when the liver is filled with adipose tissue, which has the medical name “fatty hepatosis.” And only then does a record of diagnosed diabetes appear on the card.
Oh, if only there was a third hand!
Why these details? In the described situation, several damaging factors act on the joints at once. FIRST: excess weight, constantly putting pressure on the elastic articular cartilage, itself creates a nutritional deficiency in it. Dear housewives, remember your feelings when you have to carry some kind of load, those same bags from the market. How easy it becomes when you finally free yourself from them. Excess weight is the same load that, alas, our skeleton, including the delicate and plastic tissue of articular cartilage, cannot throw off, just as we throw off heavy luggage.
SECOND: with this type of diabetes, which usually begins with fatty liver, there is a lot of sugar in the blood and its metabolic products - ACIDS. Increased blood acidity is a powerful chemical factor that destroys tissue. In this case, absolutely all tissues die faster and require a change in cell generation. By this point, a person becomes the “owner” of countless medical diagnoses, the main one of which is ATEROSCLEROSIS with its inevitable companions: a persistent increase in blood pressure, and sometimes, myocardial infarction or stroke. Against this background, sore joints sometimes fade into the background, as more serious health problems appear.
All of these factors are the causes of early aging of articular cartilage - that same deforming arthrosis. Due to the heavy load, the knees and joints of the hands are more often affected.
This is how articular cartilage is destroyed
The process of cartilage destruction is maintained by periodic penetration of a microscopic piece of destroyed cartilage into a narrow joint space. This piece, which has become a foreign inclusion, like a grain of sand in the eye, immediately causes a response in the form of excessive production of joint fluid to wash out this foreign body. Remember the violent lacrimation when a grain of sand gets into your eye. But, as for the eyes, excess tear fluid is freely removed along with a grain of sand. But in a closed joint cavity this cannot be done quickly.
The joint swells, movements become extremely painful, i.e. The body's typical inflammatory response develops. Painkillers are used, all of them extremely toxic to the liver, lotions and poultices. During this period, due to pain, a person is deprived of the last opportunity for movement, which, as you now understand, further aggravates the position of the articular cartilage.
Gradually, a piece of the torn cartilage resolves, the pain subsides and the joint takes its previous shape. We are designed in such a way that we quickly forget everything. We continue our usual way of life: we eat what we want, drink what we have to, don’t remember about exercise, gain weight... until the next attack.
It can be seen that the cartilage is completely destroyed. This is grade 3 arthrosis, which can only be helped by replacing the joint with an artificial one.
Over time, the deformation of the joints becomes fixed, and on x-rays the joint space progressively decreases over the years. The opportunity to freely sit down somewhere disappears and, bending over to put on our shoes, we “look, what else could we do at this moment?” - this phrase is not mine, but someone’s humorous, but very accurate definition of old age, and in our example it is the calling card of diseased joints of the lower extremities and spine, especially its lumbar region.
So look at how the joints and tissues of the spine can be healthy: our connective tissue does not receive a single full-fledged component from its three components. Water and proteins are not enough either in quantity or quality. Sweet and refined foods have replaced plant fiber. It turns out that the joint tissues do not have a complete structure or adequate load. And the most unpleasant thing is that in such patients, movements in the joints become impossible due to pain. At this point, the nutrition of the already diseased cartilage is further disrupted, which, as you understand, aggravates the problem.
What to do? If arthrosis has developed, its condition can only be improved by a set of measures.
1. Helping the liver in its cleansing function, for which you simply do not need to eat something that causes its overload. This is primarily an excess of simple sugars and overheated fats. This measure alone will reduce the aggressive components in the joint fluid, as well as reduce weight and blood sugar levels.
2. Strong daily movements are necessary, in case of pain - in a lying position.
3. Use products that improve cartilage metabolism: collagen hydrolyzate, D-glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, as well as hyaluronic acid - the main component of joint fluid and cartilage cells. Products with calcium (preferably citrate) and magnesium are also indicated. All of the above can be found in the assortment of chain companies, pharmacies or sports nutrition stores. It is simply IMPOSSIBLE to get the required amount of collagen and elastin from ordinary and familiar food. And if you are offered to eat jellied meat regularly, remember how many hours it takes to cook?
4. And yet, we must not forget that the “queen” of our metabolism is WATER