Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disease that affects 1% of the world's population. Although this figure seems small, almost 60 million people suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
Naturally, it is extremely difficult for every person who is overtaken by such a disease. Moreover, it can occur in any inhabitant of the planet and at any age. Recently, cases of rheumatoid arthritis are becoming more common. This happens due to a sedentary lifestyle, a person suffers from physical inactivity since childhood, does not experience proper physical activity, spends a lot of time in a static state and, as a result, joint disease does not take long to appear.
Feelings of one's own inferiority.
Diseases of internal organs developed against the background of arthritis: heart. kidneys, liver. lungs, blood vessels and even intestines. The disease affects almost the entire body.
As medical practice shows, if rheumatoid arthritis is left unattended, then after a very short time, about five years, a healthy and thriving person may end up in a wheelchair.
As for treatment, not a single magic pill has yet been created that would completely rid a person of this disease forever. Scientists have developed medications that can relieve pain and other unpleasant symptoms of arthritis. which are able to slow down the development of the disease and prevent the development of exacerbations, but cannot completely cure the insidious disease. In this case, you will have to take anti-inflammatory drugs for quite a long time, perhaps even for life, which cannot but affect the condition of the body as a whole. This also requires constant medical supervision.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious disease, a disorder of the immune system. Why this disease comes, doctors still cannot say. The situation is exactly the same with the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. All currently existing officially recognized methods of treating this disease only stop the deterioration of the patient’s condition and slightly improve it. In addition, the degree of side effects is somewhat reduced.
Few patients know that there are methods for such treatment. This method was introduced three decades ago by a Japanese scientist. Previously, it was believed that affected joints should be kept warm and worked as little as possible. The Japanese did the opposite. They treated sore spots with ice-cold gas (temperature minus one hundred and eighty degrees). They started talking about this technique on our continent only twenty-five years later. And in the late nineties, cryosauna tests began in the northern capital.
Patients who have been trying to overcome the disease for decades have benefited from cryotherapy procedures. One procedure was enough to allow a person to leave the wheelchair for eight hours. Exposure of the body to extreme cold shakes up the body and forces the immune system to “get on with its direct responsibilities” rather than look for an enemy within the body itself.
Unfortunately, doctors involved specifically in the treatment of joints, for some reason, ignore cryotherapy as a method of treating rheumatoid arthritis, although it has long been recognized by dermatologists. and therapists and traumatologists.
Before use, you should consult a specialist.
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Tatyana April 18, 2013 04:39
I have grade 3 arthritis of the joints. They gave an intra-articular injection into the knee joint with Diprospan in the hospital. It didn't help at all. I started looking for treatment on the Internet and found a cryosauna. Took 11 procedures. There was relief, but not for long, literally for five days. Then again a sharp, strong, unbearable pain. Now I'm desperate, I don't know what to do.
Sergey May 10, 2009 10:25
Home » Phlebology » Cryotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis
Cryotherapy has been successfully used in both the acute and chronic phases of rheumatoid arthritis. This treatment is practically harmless and has almost no contraindications, but, unfortunately, it is expensive. Improvement after cryotherapy is observed in 60-70% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Diseases of the lower extremities, more details.
Innovative technologies of the 21st century - cold treatment: neurodermatitis, psoriasis, menopause, cellulite, obesity. Innovative technologies of the 21st century - cold treatment: rheumatoid arthritis, polyarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, venous dilation, rehabilitation after injuries. Innovative technologies of the 21st century - cold treatment: intervertebral hernia, multiple sclerosis, migraine, osteochondrosis, insomnia, chronic fatigue syndrome. Innovative technologies of the 21st century - cold treatment: prevention of colds, increasing immunity, reducing pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis (polyarthritis) is not just a disease of the joints, but a systemic inflammatory disease of the entire body. And the disease is dangerous, first of all, because of the complications that it gradually gives to all internal organs.
In rheumatoid arthritis, the soft connective tissues surrounding the joint become inflamed. At first, arthritis usually affects small joints - arthritis of the fingers and toes (“rheumatoid hand”, gout). Over time, the disease can “spread” to larger joints: ankles, knees, elbows, cervical spine, and then, in the absence of adequate treatment, to other organs: lungs, heart, liver, kidneys. Rheumatoid polyarthritis develops, a disease that affects the area of several joints at once.
Rheumatoid arthritis can develop over years, gradually weakening your health. Therefore, anyone who suffers from joint pain, inflammation and swelling should be especially careful.
Often the disease begins with slight morning stiffness in the joints. In the morning, the fingers or toes (interphalangeal joints, wrists or base of the foot), knees, elbows become stiff, as if stiff. By the time I got up, washed, got dressed, had breakfast - everything seemed to go away. And the disease is gaining strength. The joints begin to swell, turn red, the pain lasts longer and longer, locally the temperature may even rise, sweating and fatigue appear. Over the years, joints become deformed and limit a person’s physical capabilities.
For the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, doctors have not yet come up with anything better than hormones, corticosteroids and other immunosuppressants, the main task of which is to suppress the body’s immune reactions.
But this gives only a temporary effect and is associated with a huge number of side effects. It is therefore not surprising that rheumatoid arthritis is considered incurable. People suffer for decades, and the “treatment” lasts until heavy synthetic drugs, together with the disease, completely destroy the person’s body.
For example: the use of expensive glucocorticoid hormones is fraught with the development of severe complications, including osteoporosis, increased susceptibility to infections, hypertension, an increasing risk of heart attacks and strokes, and obesity.
Our Center offers a real safe and effective alternative to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis - cryotherapy, which has been successfully used for almost 30 years in large clinics around the world, primarily in Japan and Germany.
Cryotherapy, as a therapeutic method, originated directly to combat rheumatoid joint diseases. The inventor of cryotherapy, Japanese scientist Dr. Toshimo Yamauchi, in the 1970s discovered the healing effects of cooled liquid nitrogen vapor on sore, inflamed joints. And if before this the diseased joints were warmed, then in the Japanese clinic they were blown with cryogenic gas at temperatures down to -140 C. Moreover, starting with individual joints, they quickly became convinced that it was more effective to cool the entire surface of the skin. This is how cryosaunas appeared, in which a person is immersed almost completely - up to the level of the neck. It is this type of general cryotherapy, and not local cold treatment, that can treat severe systemic diseases of the body.
Today, the Toshimo Yamauchi Clinic on the island of Kyushu successfully treats diseases such as arthritis, polyarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatism, ankylosing spondylitis, Baker's cyst, and various arthrosis. Out of 100 patients who come to the clinic in a wheelchair, 80 leave it, moving independently .
Today, cryosauna is a real alternative to hormones, antibiotics and surgical interventions - such as pumping out inflammatory fluid from the joint, curettage, cleaning and removal of joint elements and arthroscopy.
All non-infectious inflammations are of an autoimmune nature. What does it mean? This means that our immunity has begun to attack its own cells and tissues. Arthritis, and primarily rheumatoid arthritis, is a chronic autoimmune disease. And cryotherapy is the best modern means of combating immune problems.
As recent studies have shown, the main result of cryogenic therapy is the mobilization and training of the immune system. Increasing immune status largely ensures progress in the treatment of arthritic joints.
Scientists have proven that cold can restore normal immune function, so cryosauna is primarily used as a means of treating inflammatory and autoimmune processes in joints and throughout the body - arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Baker's cyst, gout, psoriasis, allergies and any others rheumatoid and autoimmune diseases.
Cryosauna can replace expensive hormonal medications. In this case, neither the liver nor the digestive organs are affected, as when using drugs, and most importantly, the action of the immune system is not inhibited.
Cryotherapy is an effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent that increases blood circulation, restores microcirculation in tissues, and the elasticity of muscle-ligamentous structures. Cryotherapy has a restorative effect on all functional systems of the human body.
Stress caused by ultra-low temperatures provokes the release of adrenal hormones - steroids. And steroid therapy is one of the successful methods in the fight against rheumatoid arthritis. Only, thanks to the cryosauna, hormones are formed by the body itself, and are not introduced from the outside, which means the body heals in a natural way, without the side effects of heavy synthetic drugs.
The effect of cold treatment on the body is much stronger than that of any new-fangled medicine. Unlike drugs, cryotherapy does not destroy the body’s self-regulation system, but, on the contrary, improves it many times over.
After completing a course of treatment, we tell our patients that if they want to live and work normally, they must constantly develop their joints and not let them “rust.” To achieve the best result, it is advisable to use the kinesitherapy technique during the treatment process - movement treatment
In our Center at Saidasheva, building 11, you can undergo full-fledged sessions in the cryosauna under the supervision of specialists who will select an individual program depending on the characteristics of the body and the assigned tasks. Appointment by phone: (843) 570-55-25, 570-55-80, 8-900-326-17-18.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disease that affects 1% of the world's population. Although this figure seems small, almost 60 million people suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
The quality of life in this case suffers first of all, while people suffer from:
Painful sensations and inability to perform usual actions.
Diseases of internal organs developed against the background of arthritis: heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, blood vessels and even intestines. The disease affects almost the entire body.
As for treatment, not a single magic pill has yet been created that would completely rid a person of this disease forever. Scientists have developed medications that can relieve pain and other unpleasant symptoms of arthritis, which can slow down the progression of the disease and prevent the development of exacerbations, but cannot completely cure the insidious disease. In this case, you will have to take anti-inflammatory drugs for quite a long time, perhaps even for life, which cannot but affect the condition of the body as a whole. This also requires constant medical supervision.
Doctors immediately inform their patients that, most likely, they will need surgical treatment in the near future, since medications are not always effective in combating this disease. This far from rosy prospect opens up for every person who is first faced with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
But patients should not panic and set themselves up for a joyless existence, since an effective method of combating rheumatoid arthritis has existed for decades. This method is called cryotherapy, which was first used three decades ago in Japan by local scientist and physician T. Yamauchi.
It differs from standard methods of treating arthritis in that the affected joints are affected not by the usual heat, but by cold. They were blown with cryogenic gas, which has a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius. Scientists have noticed that the greatest effect has the effect of cold not locally on the affected joint, but on the entire surface of the skin. Therefore, over time, special devices called cryosaunas are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
A quarter of a century ago, people learned about cryotherapy in Europe, and already in 1998, patients with rheumatoid arthritis had the opportunity to experience the effects of a cold sauna in one of the hospitals in St. Petersburg.
Doctors still recall with slight excitement the feelings they experienced when using cryotherapy for the first time in their own practice. But their fears were completely unfounded, because the effect that was achieved exceeded even the wildest expectations. Even the most seemingly hopeless patients of retirement age, who had suffered from this disease for 30 years, came to life before our eyes. People got up from their wheelchairs and began to move, which seemed impossible before the cryotherapy session. At the same time, their condition improved time after time, with each new session people blossomed and looked younger, which was noticeable even to a non-professional eye.
Doctors still remember one woman who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for several decades and was the leader of the society among people affected by this disease. She ended up in the St. Petersburg hospital by pure chance, which turned out to be lucky for her. After all, in just a few sessions, the woman’s body coped with the disease, which for a long time disrupted her quality of life and undermined her body.
So, the doctors rejoiced - after all, a way to combat rheumatoid arthritis had been found and now millions of people living not only in Europe and Japan, but also in Russia can help themselves. But their joy was in vain, since in rheumatology this method is still not officially recognized and is not used in traditional medicine. Cryotherapy is widely used in a variety of areas, such as: for the treatment of burns and injuries, for the treatment and prevention of bronchial asthma and psoriasis, but not for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Although it was precisely for the purpose of treating this disease that Japanese scientists developed this method. But, unfortunately, out of the two hundred cryosaunas that domestic medicine had at its disposal, not a single one ended up in a center specialized in treating people for rheumatoid arthritis.
For unknown reasons, this safe, effective physiological method is simply ignored, and patients with a terrible diagnosis have to hear that at the moment there are no adequate methods to combat the disease. At the same time, if you compare two concepts, such as rheumatoid arthritis and crotherapy, they will logically complement each other. After all, cryotherapy is considered a generally accepted way to boost immunity and fight concomitant diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis is defined as an autoimmune disease. Isn’t it logical to fight autoimmune diseases using crotherapy? But, unfortunately, no one in domestic medicine can still give an adequate answer to this rhetorical question.
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The essence of the cryotherapy method is that the entire surface of the skin or a certain area of it is exposed to cold for a short period of time. The source of low temperatures can be various substances, such as liquid nitrogen, helium or carbon dioxide called “dry ice”. They all have different temperatures, the lowest for helium is up to minus 269 degrees, and the “highest” for carbon dioxide is up to minus 79 degrees.
The procedure consists of several sequential steps:
The patient is taken into a cryochamber, so that only the head remains on the surface that is not subject to cooling.
Gas at a low temperature begins to flow into the “capsule”; nitrogen is most often used for this procedure.
Body temperature begins to drop sharply, which triggers a natural immunological response and stimulates the thermoregulatory system.
After a maximum of 3 minutes, the patient is removed from the cryosauna.
Under the influence of nitrogen, the body’s natural defense mechanisms are activated and come into so-called combat readiness; the immune system begins to fight diseases in the body, and first of all, it “deals” with rheumatoid arthritis. To combat the disease, all internal reserves that were previously in a “dormant state” are activated. Since rheumatoid arthritis is considered a rather serious disease, the patient’s course of visiting cryosaunas can reach 4 procedures per day. Treatment lasts approximately a month.
In addition to the fact that a patient with rheumatoid arthritis is cured of his illness and ceases to experience painful sensations, in addition to this, cryotherapy provides a number of the following benefits:
Blood circulation improves, which has a positive effect on all organs without exception.
The biochemical composition of the blood is approaching the standards.
The body stops experiencing oxygen starvation.
The immune system is activated, as evidenced by studies of the level of complex immune proteins after visiting a cryosauna.
Tissue regeneration occurs and their nutrition improves.
Pain sensations disappear.
A person experiences a surge of energy, which is why cryotherapy is prescribed to treat symptoms of chronic fatigue.
In addition to rheumatoid arthritis, you can simultaneously get rid of a lot of accompanying ailments, for example, skin lesions (warts, acne, dermatoses, etc.), radiculitis and bronchial asthma, as well as burns and allergies.
It should be understood that the use of cryotherapy, although a fairly safe and effective method, nevertheless, it has a number of contraindications. These are periods of exacerbation of acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections and influenza, febrile states, in particular, elevated body temperature, as well as individual cold intolerance (we are talking about the body’s increased sensitivity to low temperatures).
The cryotherapy method should be used with caution in women in the menstrual phase and in adolescents, as they are especially susceptible to the effects of low temperatures. Naturally, for a complete cure for rheumatoid arthritis, one course will not be enough and, as prescribed by a doctor, it will be necessary to carry out repeated maintenance sessions in order to avoid exacerbation of the disease.
A huge number of patients who went against traditional medicine and trusted the accumulated experience of fighting rheumatoid arthritis through the use of cryosaunas successfully coped with their illness and live a full life. All of them are happy to share their impressions not only of the long-awaited effect obtained, but also of the sensations from the procedure itself.
So, one of the women who suffered from arthritis for several years.
I completed a two-day course of cryotherapy. The first of them consisted of 30 sessions, and the second of 10. I was placed in a kind of flask without a top and was doused with liquid nitrogen at -180 degrees for 3 minutes. During the procedure, I stood and felt cold and “goosebumps” all over my body, but the procedure was tolerable.
After the session ends, the skin turns red, and the mood improves significantly. Many patients even report some slight euphoria, when they want to run and move. Moreover, it is really possible to do this, because the joints “come to life” after the cryochamber. As for this patient, she was treated during an exacerbation of the disease, in the winter, when she had difficulty falling asleep at night from pain and putting on boots on her swollen feet.
After the cryosauna, the swelling subsided and the pain went away, and after the first 20 sessions the patient began to fall asleep calmly at night. After completing the first course of a full 30 procedures, the woman completely ceased to feel stiffness and, in her own words, “came to life.” After two months of rest, the patient underwent another 10 procedures in the cryosauna and is now awaiting the birth of her child. After pregnancy, she gathers again for the preventive purpose of allowing her joints to improve their health with the help of cold.
Many people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis are advised not to become hostage to the disease, but to try to cope with it with the help of a cryosauna. After all, in order to defeat the disease, you don’t need much, just decide on a cold treatment procedure, and then maintain the achieved effect with preventive sessions and a healthy and active lifestyle, and the disease will recede forever.
Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna, general practitioner
Our life is made up of millions of movements made possible thanks to the smooth functioning of our joints. And we don’t think about the fact that we need to bend our knee to take a step or our elbow joint to bring the spoon to our mouth. But all this as long as the joints are healthy.
And how painful those ten steps become to walk to the bathroom in the morning if your knees or hip joints or foot joints hurt . How difficult it is to comb your hair if a sore shoulder does not allow you to raise your arm up.
And in search of relief from joint pain, we go to great lengths. That is, to the clinic. And there... It doesn’t matter which joint hurts. Please be kind - for an X-ray, an MRI (options are possible). Done? Bah! Yes, you have arthrosis! Or not - arthritis. Or all together. What's the difference. There is only one treatment: painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, warming compresses, warming ointments, physiotherapy, etc. Oh, the swelling doesn’t go away, the fluid in the joint needs to be pumped out and hormones administered. Here you go. Now fine! If you get sick again, come and we’ll give you another injection. And so on until the function of the joint is completely lost. And then, excuse me, we need to change the joint to an artificial one. How do you like this prospect? I don’t like it, you say. What to do? - a natural question. Let's figure it out.
Cryosauna - a modern method of cold treatment - is most effective in the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis of the joints. Already today, in many clinics around the world, cryotherapy replaces expensive and harmful drugs for relieving pain and inflammation. A session in a cryosauna is a completely comfortable, affordable procedure that has no side effects, but, on the contrary, contributes to the natural healing of the body.
Cryotherapy, as a therapeutic method, originated directly to combat joint disease. The inventor of cryotherapy is Japanese scientist Dr. Toshimo Yamauchi. In the 1970s, he discovered the healing effects of cooled liquid nitrogen vapor on sore joints. Today, in his clinic on the island of Kyushu, diseases such as arthritis, polyarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatism, ankylosing spondylitis, Baker's cyst, and various arthrosis are successfully treated. Out of 100 patients who come to the clinic in a wheelchair, 80 leave it, moving independently.
A session in a cryosauna literally relieves pain, swelling, and inflammation in the joints right before your eyes. In response to temperature stress, all protective and restorative processes are activated, natural painkillers are released, blood circulation in the tissues around the joint, microcirculation and metabolism, and nutrition of bone, cartilage, and muscle tissue are enhanced. The mobility of the joint is almost completely restored. By the way, the more pronounced the inflammatory processes, swelling, redness, pain, the more stringent the regime is used and the better the effect.
For people who have back and joint pain, cryosauna has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, which, unlike drugs and injections, is absolutely harmless to the body.
Patients with joint disease, especially the elderly, are the most grateful group of people who always express great gratitude to the treating staff of our Center.
Cryosanua is an effective alternative to such unsafe and unpredictable methods of traditional medicine as surgery and medications.
For joint diseases, especially of an inflammatory nature, such as arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, treatment is often prescribed with a huge number of side effects. Heavy hormonal drugs, immunosuppressants that suppress the immune system and gradually destroy the body. Unpleasant and unsafe surgical interventions - pumping out fluid from the joint, curettage, injection of antibiotics into the joint. All these remedies are unpleasant, unsafe, and at the same time they only eliminate the external manifestations of the disease, but do not provide a therapeutic effect.
Our Center offers a fundamentally different method of treating joint diseases, primarily arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis - cryotherapy. This is a safe and effective alternative to medications and surgeries, which is successfully used in the largest clinics in Europe, Israel, Japan and the USA.
To begin with, we would like to note that today there are different types of cryo-procedures: cryomasks, cryomassages, cryo-peelings, cauterization with liquid nitrogen, etc. All of them act locally, on certain areas of the body, and are prescribed for cosmetic purposes. And only general cryotherapy, namely sessions in a cryosauna, into which a person is immersed almost completely (up to the shoulders), is used to treat severe systemic diseases of the body, primarily arthritis, inflammation of the joints, rheumatoid and autoimmune diseases.
How does a cryosauna treat joints? During your stay in the cryosauna - no more than 2-3 minutes - the body is blown with vapors of liquid nitrogen, cooled to minus 140 degrees, thus the body is exposed to short-term exposure to extremely low temperatures (only the most superficial layers of the skin, in which temperature receptors are located, are cooled, the body at this does not have time to supercool).
Stress caused by ultra-low temperatures provokes the release of adrenal hormones - steroids. And steroid therapy is one of the successful methods in the fight against rheumatoid arthritis. Only, thanks to the cryosauna, hormones are formed by the body itself, and are not introduced from the outside, which means the body heals in a natural way, without the side effects of heavy synthetic drugs.
Cryotherapy allows you to reduce the dose of medications and, accordingly, side effects.
The effect of cold treatment on the body is even stronger than that of any new-fangled medicine. Unlike drugs, cryotherapy does not destroy the body’s self-regulation system, but, on the contrary, improves it many times over.
Scientists have proven that cold can restore normal immune function, so cryosauna is primarily used as a means of treating inflammatory and autoimmune processes in joints and throughout the body - arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Baker's cyst, gout, psoriasis, allergies, asthma, neurodermatitis, and any other rheumatoid and autoimmune diseases.
Cryosauna can replace expensive hormonal medications. In this case, neither the liver nor the digestive organs are affected, as when using drugs, and most importantly, the action of the immune system is not inhibited.
Cryotherapy is an effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent that increases blood circulation, restores microcirculation in tissues, and the elasticity of muscle-ligamentous structures. Cryotherapy relieves muscle spasms, improves immunity and has a restorative effect on all functional systems of the human body.
Successful practice since 2010 allows us to outline the main principle of work: “high efficiency without harm.” Cryosauna has virtually no contraindications and can be prescribed to older people and children over three years of age. Treatment is carried out after consultation and under the supervision of a cryotherapist.
Cryotherapy is an effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent that increases blood circulation, restores microcirculation in tissues, and the elasticity of muscle-ligamentous structures. Cryotherapy relieves muscle spasms, improves immunity and has a restorative effect on all functional systems of the human body.
The methods of kinesiotherapy used additionally in the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis , help speed up the recovery process, reducing pain, increasing blood flow, making ligaments softer and more flexible. kinesitherapy method allows you to shorten the treatment period and completely restore the function of the affected area, significantly reducing the risk of worsening the condition . The use of strength exercises allows you to engage all layers of muscles - from superficial to deep, and improve nutrition of the joint and surrounding areas.
— By 1998, I had stage IV rheumatoid arthritis, which is considered incurable, and stage IV osteoporosis. The process raged almost continuously, and I had no medicine. During 19 hospitalizations, they could not find me either a basic (mandatory) or an anti-inflammatory medication; each sample caused a severe allergy. And when I was in critical condition, my friends sent me to the hospital against my will. From the first days I began to undergo intensive therapy. On the fourth day, I first entered the cryochamber for 60 seconds at a temperature of minus 100 degrees Celsius. An incredible thing happened that is hard to believe!
On the same day, the mobility of the joints sharply increased, and the pain disappeared. I was amazed. For an hour and a half I felt just great. That day, for the first time in many years, I managed to sleep on my back virtually the entire night. Until that moment, I could not lie even for a few minutes, either on my back or on my side. My doctor friends were stunned by the results (I recorded this in writing for them). After 2-3 cryoprocedures, I calmly entered and exited the chamber with normal blood pressure. The fifth time I calmly took this procedure for 1.5 minutes at a temperature of minus 140 degrees. Your health is improving every day! It is hard to believe. After the cryochamber, I gained strength and a desire to take care of myself. I feel that my immune system has improved, pain has sharply decreased, and joint mobility has increased significantly, although I am unable to do gymnastics. My life has changed, the opportunity to take care of myself has appeared. My attending physician (she is the leading rheumatologist in the city) was amazed to learn what an intensive course of treatment I had undergone.
Lyudmila S., five months after treatment:
— Late autumn is the most difficult time for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, weather changes, winds and dampness outside... I don’t know how I got through all this if chance hadn’t given me a chance to feel human again. After taking this unique course in May, I came to life. It became easier not only for me, but also for my loved ones, especially my son’s family. Now I not only can, but also want to serve myself. I have been sick for a long time, so I know many patients who are just as seriously ill as myself. I told them about my successes and, to my delight, the new method helped them too.
Asia H. 67 years old, rheumatoid arthritis:
“I’ve been sick since I was 37, unfortunately, I didn’t immediately understand the severity of my illness. The deterioration at the age of 50 put everything in its place. I realized that the disease must be fought. Fight desperately! Since then, I constantly took painkillers, the pills “ate” my stomach, and after the operation only a third of it remained. I got into cryotherapy by accident, on the advice of a friend. I had heard about this <foreign> method before. But all this was perceived as some kind of fabulous exoticism. And suddenly, here in St. Petersburg, I was presented with such an opportunity. In August I underwent 15 procedures.
First half a minute, and at the end up to two minutes. From the first time the procedure gave me pleasure. I did not experience any fear or feelings of loneliness, and the cold did not seem excessive even with maximum exposure. Because after the procedure, there was a feeling that wings had grown. The whole body feels light and joyful. Having sufficient treatment experience, I knew that sooner or later the remission would end and the course would have to be resumed. But it’s already November, most of autumn is behind us, and I don’t feel such a need. Although I would gladly repeat the course. Cryotherapy, in my opinion, is a very pleasant procedure.
Marina L. 28 years old, ankylosing spondylitis:
— The first diagnosis was rheumatoid arthritis, then reactive arthritis, and since 2003, ankylosing spondylitis. The state of health was constantly changing, ROE ranged from 58 to normal. Before starting cryprocedures, I experienced severe pain in the pelvic area, back, and jaws. She constantly took anti-inflammatory medications. She underwent 20 cryoprocedures in August 2011. Now, 4 months later, I feel good, the pain has not returned. I no longer take anti-inflammatory drugs. I hope that the remission will be long-lasting.
I will now post one article describing the effect of cryotherapy, then I will tell you how I experienced it on myself and what the effect is
“Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune systemic inflammatory disease of connective tissue with predominant damage to the joints of the type of erosive-destructive progressive polyarthritis. The disease affects 0.5-1% of the population. Around the world, about 58 million people suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
Behind the dry lines of a quote from a medical reference book lies the sad story of the illness of many people. With a modern lifestyle with insufficient physical activity and the same type of movements during work, there is no chance of keeping joints in order. The result is sad rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that knows no age or racial boundaries. A disease with which people live, or rather survive, for decades...
In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, joint mobility is sharply reduced. Patients lose the ability to perform usual activities, they are tormented by pain and awareness of their own weakness. If the disease is not stopped in time, within five years the person may end up in a wheelchair. And that is not all. Having spoiled the joints, rheumatoid factor will very soon take over the internal organs. Complications of the disease can include rheumatic lesions of the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, blood vessels and intestines.
Medical books and the Internet report with sympathy that, unfortunately, scientists have not yet invented magic pills that will relieve patients from rheumatoid arthritis quickly and forever. However, the disease can and should be treated... At the same time, it is directly stated that modern remedies for rheumatoid arthritis only slow down the development of the disease, relieve unpleasant symptoms and prevent complications. Anti-inflammatory drugs relieve inflammation and reduce pain. Antirheumatic drugs are used during exacerbations. It is necessary to keep in mind that you will have to take all these drugs for a very, very long time, perhaps even for the rest of your life. In addition, they often cause adverse reactions, so it is advisable to take them only under the supervision of a doctor... Here's a perspective...
By communicating this sad information, specialists prepare the patient for many years of treatment and even surgery. At the same time, nowhere can I find even a mention of the fact that an alternative to traditional palliative treatment has existed for 30 years...
Even 30 years ago in Japan, the doctor T. Yamauchi used a fundamentally new method - cryotherapy - to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis. If before this the diseased joints were warmed and protected, then in the Japanese clinic they were blown with cryogenic gas at a temperature of -180 °C. Moreover, starting with individual joints, they quickly became convinced that it was even more effective to cool the entire surface of the skin; the devices in which people were treated with cold were called cryosaunas. 25 years ago, people learned about the magical effects of cryotherapy in Europe. 10 years ago, in 1998, the first patients underwent trial procedures in the domestic cryosauna of Hospital No. 32 in St. Petersburg...
In the anniversary year for domestic cryotherapy, I remember the anxiety with which we began the first sessions of cryotherapy. The reality exceeded our expectations... Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, most of them elderly people, simply blossomed before our eyes... And this after 10 -20 years of unsuccessful treatment! After the cryosauna session, the patients got up from the wheelchair and moved freely 6-8 times. And with each procedure, the condition improved more and more... I especially remember patient B., a woman at that time who headed the society of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. She ended up in hospital No. 32 by luck and before our eyes she simply came back to life. It seemed that everything had been decided, not only the Japanese and residents of Western Europe, but also our citizens would finally receive long-awaited help in the unequal fight against the insidious disease... But the method remained unclaimed by rheumatologists. Today, cryotherapy is used to treat anything: psoriasis, bronchial asthma, burns, fractures, etc., etc. And only in rheumatology, the field for which the method was created, does cryosauna remain unclaimed. Of the 200 domestic cryosaunas, not a single one ended up in specialized rheumatology centers.
The physiological, effective method is simply not noticed, and patients are reassured by arguments about the lack of adequate therapy. While the practice-proven effectiveness of cryotherapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis follows from the definition of the disease. If rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease, then cryotherapy is the best known means of combating immune problems... Everything is so obvious that there is not even anything to argue about. But the conspiracy of silence continues.
I have not escaped the fate of many, and recently went through the delights of rheumatoid arthritis. But, he passed, and did not become his hostage for the rest of his life... Two cryosauna sessions per day, for 20 days. Plus an exercise bike, plus swimming, and for 5 years now I’ve been talking about illness in the past tense. I periodically visit the cryosauna for the purpose of prevention and live without pills. I wish the same for you...”
Often rheumatoid arthritis, caused by a herpes virus, manifests itself as articular syndrome. The pathological manifestations of the disease do not become apparent immediately, but only a few days after the virus has infected the body. The first sign of the disease is an inflammatory process in the joints of the fingers of the extremities. Arthritis caused by herpes is characterized by symmetrical damage to the extremities. The treatment of such a disease consists of eliminating the inflammatory process in the joints and infection at the same time.
The main cause of the disease is the influence of the viral factor on the body. The root cause of the development of the disease is the dysfunctional functioning of the body’s protective function, which is aimed at destroying its own cells. Often, the herpes virus enters the joints through the blood from another infected area as a result of injury or surgery. Causes of rheumatoid arthritis caused by herpes include:
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Herpes is a viral disease that invades the genetic apparatus of the body's cells and remains there for life. Up to 90% of the planet's inhabitants are infected with the virus. Herpesvirus has a detrimental effect on joints. In advanced stages of rheumatoid arthritis, it causes irreversible deformation and destruction of joint tissue. The immune system, attacking infected cells with the virus, destroys its own healthy ones, which contributes to the development of further inflammation. Penetrating into the joint tissues, herpes provokes inflammation and swelling in them, which causes severe pain in a person. The first and main symptom of viral arthritis is “mirror joint syndrome.”
Rheumatoid arthritis at the initial stage affects small joints, which is accompanied by swelling. A feature of the disease is mirror damage to articular tissues. The patient feels pain in the morning. When arthritis caused by herpes worsens, the pain can continue for days. Redness and a local increase in temperature appear in the affected areas. As the disease progresses, pathological processes affect larger joints - the shoulder and knee. At this stage, body temperature rises significantly, which is accompanied by apathy and loss of appetite.
An important sign is the appearance of subcutaneous “balls” that may disappear from time to time. Arthritis deforms joints and muscles, and blood circulation is impaired. The person becomes inactive. The disease may accompany:
The last stage is dangerous and can cause the following pathological abnormalities:
Rheumatoid arthritis caused by herpes cannot be cured at home. Most treatment takes place in a hospital department. Standard therapy consists of combating the cause and eliminating symptoms. In the early stages of the disease, pain is managed by cooling the damaged areas and bed rest. The choice of treatment method depends on the stage, complexity and speed of development of arthritis. For mild initial manifestations of the disease, good nutrition and traditional medicine methods are effective.
It is important to remember that self-medication will not get rid of the cause. Only the methods of a professional doctor will lead to a positive result.
Antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat the disease. Exercise therapy is used as an auxiliary local therapy. The most effective is to take medications in combination with therapeutic exercises. Cryotherapy is sometimes used to promote rapid regeneration of damaged joint tissue.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease characterized by symmetrical damage to the joints and inflammation of the internal organs.
The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. The probable cause may be various viruses, bacteria, trauma, allergies, heredity and other factors.
The frequency of occurrence is 1% in the general population. The predominant age is 22–55 years. The predominant gender is female (3:1).
Symmetry of joint damage is an important feature of rheumatoid arthritis (for example, the right and left elbow joints or the right and left knee joints are affected)
Damage to periarticular tissues
Tenosynovitis in the area of the wrist and hand (inflammation of the tendon, characterized by swelling, pain and a distinct creaking sound during movement).
Bursitis, especially in the elbow joint.
Damage to the ligamentous apparatus with the development of increased mobility and deformities.
Muscle damage: muscle atrophy, often drug-induced (steroid, as well as while taking penicillamine or aminoquinoline derivatives).
Rheumatoid nodules are dense subcutaneous formations, in typical cases localized in areas that are often subject to trauma (for example, in the area of the olecranon, on the extensor surface of the forearm). Very rarely found in internal organs (for example, in the lungs). Occurs in 20–50% of patients.
Anemia due to a slowdown in iron metabolism in the body caused by impaired liver function; decreased platelet count
Felty's syndrome, including a decrease in neutrophils in the blood, an enlarged spleen,
Sjögren's syndrome – dryness of the mucous membrane of the eyes and mouth.
Also, with rheumatoid arthritis, signs of osteoporosis (this is a loss of bone tissue) and amyloidosis may appear.
Ulcers on the skin of the legs and inflammation of the arteries are common.
In general and biochemical blood tests:
The joint fluid is cloudy, with low viscosity, and the number of leukocytes and neutrophils is increased.
Rheumatoid factor (antibodies to immunoglobulin class M) is positive in 70–90% of cases.
An increase in creatinine, serum urea (assessment of renal function, a necessary stage in the selection and control of treatment).
American Rheumatological Association Diagnosis Criteria for Rheumatoid Arthritis (1987). Presence of at least 4 of the following:
Drug therapy includes the use of three groups of drugs:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Representatives of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are
These drugs have minimal side effects and retain high anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.
At the beginning of treatment, when the inflammatory process is active, meloxicam (Movalis) is prescribed at 15 mg/day, and later switched to 7.5 mg/day. as maintenance therapy.
Nimesulide is prescribed at a dose of 100 mg twice a day.
Celecoxib (Celebrex) is prescribed 100–200 mg twice daily.
For elderly people, selection of the dosage of the drug is not required. However, in patients with a body weight below average (50 kg), it is advisable to start treatment with the lowest recommended dose.
The combination of two or more non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided as their effectiveness remains unchanged and the risk of side effects increases.
Basic drugs are recommended to be used immediately after diagnosis.
The main drugs for basic therapy of rheumatoid arthritis are:
Basic drugs that are ineffective for 1.5–3 months should be replaced or their combinations with hormones in small doses should be used, which can reduce the activity of rheumatoid arthritis.
Six months is a critical period, no later than which effective basic therapy must be selected.
During treatment with basic drugs, disease activity and side effects are carefully monitored.
The use of high doses of hormones (pulse therapy) in combination with slow-acting agents can increase the effectiveness of the latter.
Systemic enzyme therapy is used in therapy, most often the drug Wobenzym.
The drug has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and secondary analgesic effects. This allows it to be widely used for rheumatoid arthritis in combination with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, basic drugs, and hormones.
Prescribe 7-10 tablets 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals; Take the tablets with a glass of water without chewing. Maintenance therapy – 3–5 tablets 3 times a day.
With a high degree of inflammation activity, hormones are used, and in cases of systemic manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis - in the form of pulse therapy (hormones alone or in combination with a cytostatic - cyclophosphamide), without systemic manifestations - in the form of a course of treatment.
Hormones are also used as maintenance anti-inflammatory therapy when other medications are ineffective.
In some cases, hormones are used as local therapy. The drug of choice is diprospan, which has a prolonged effect.
Ointments, creams, gels based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, piroxicam, ketoprofen, diclofenac) are used in the form of applications to inflamed joints.
To enhance the anti-inflammatory effect, applications of the above-mentioned ointment forms of drugs are combined with applications of a dimethyl sulfoxide solution at a dilution of 1:2–1:4.
Moderate disease activity with insufficient effectiveness of other treatment methods requires the administration of hormones in small maintenance doses (5–7.5 mg per prednisolone equivalent) in combination with other medications, primarily with systemic enzyme therapy (Wobenzym 3–5 tablets 3 times/ day).
In the absence of a response to standard drug treatment in patients with highly active rheumatoid arthritis, plasmapheresis and lymphocytapheresis are used.
An important point in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is the prevention of osteoporosis - restoration of the disturbed calcium balance in the direction of increasing its absorption in the intestine and reducing excretion from the body.
For this purpose, a diet with a high calcium content is used.
Sources of calcium are dairy products (especially hard cheeses, as well as processed cheese; to a lesser extent cottage cheese, milk, sour cream), almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts, etc., as well as calcium supplements in combination with vitamin D or its active metabolites.
A drug that can be classified as a basic antiosteoporetic agent is myacalcic. It is available for intramuscular administration at 100 IU and as a nasal spray; is prescribed according to the regimen together with calcium preparations (calcitonin) and vitamin D derivatives.
Laser therapy is also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Especially for severe exacerbations of rheumatoid arthritis, extracorporeal treatment methods (primarily hemosorption and plasmapheresis) have been widely used in recent years.
Laser therapy is especially indicated at an early stage of the process. The course does not exceed 15 procedures.
In order to reduce pain and eliminate spasm of periarticular tissues, cryotherapy (cold treatment) is used for a course of 10–20 procedures.
In order to influence allergic processes, improve tissue nutrition and eliminate inflammation, other physical treatment methods are also used.
In the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, ultraviolet irradiation of the affected joints, electrophoresis of dimethyl sulfoxide, calcium, and salicylates are recommended.
If more persistent changes in the joints appear and in the absence of signs of high activity, hydrocortisone phonophoresis, magnetic therapy, and pulsed currents are prescribed.
Physical therapy and massage are prescribed to all patients in order to relieve muscle spasms and quickly restore joint function.
All patients with rheumatoid arthritis should be systematically observed and examined by a rheumatologist.
Patients with a slowly progressive course without damage to internal organs should see a rheumatologist once every 3 months. If there is damage to internal organs, patients are examined by a rheumatologist once every 2–4 weeks.
Spa treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis is recommended annually outside the exacerbation phase.
In case of a benign course of the process without pronounced changes in the joints, the use of radioactive baths in Tskhaltubo and Belokurikha is indicated; for a typical progressive process - treatment with hydrogen sulfide baths in Sochi, Sernovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Kemeri; for severe deformities and contractures - treatment with mud applications in Evpatoria, Saki, Pyatigorsk, Odessa.
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