One of the diseases of the joints is arthrosis. During this disease, the cartilage inside the joints is slowly destroyed. After a long time, various changes appear, the joint ends of the bones are rebuilt, the inflammatory process intensifies, and the periarticular tissues are destroyed. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases in the world. According to statistics, the disease affects more than 70% of people on the entire planet. In terms of prevalence, arthrosis of the joints is second only to oncological and cardiovascular diseases. The older a person is, the more likely they are to develop osteoarthritis. Men and women are equally affected by this disease. In addition, an able-bodied person over 30 years of age can develop arthrosis.
Why does the disease appear?
The development of arthrosis is associated with disturbed metabolism in the joints. As a result, the cartilage loses its previous elasticity. This can be seen due to the complete or partial loss of proteoglycans, which are part of cartilage. Deep cracks in the cartilage contribute to this phenomenon. In addition, doctors say that arthrosis is the result of both metabolic disorders and hormonal failure, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. The most common cause is an abnormal load on the joint when the cartilage cannot resist.
Also, some factors contribute to the occurrence and development of arthrosis:
- Transferred trauma. This includes dislocations, bruises, fractures, torn ligaments, etc.
- Disruption of metabolic processes.
- Excessive body weight, as a result of which an additional load is placed on the joints.
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the joint (with acute purulent arthritis).
- Age forward.
- Failure to observe proper nutrition.
- Frequent hypothermia.
- The presence of autoimmune diseases. These include lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis.
- With general intoxication of the body.
- The appearance of frequent colds.
- With syphilis, tuberculosis, encephalitis, gonorrhea.
- With diseases of the thyroid gland.
- If blood clotting is impaired.
Types of disease
The most common type is knee osteoarthritis. The knee joint suffers. Such a diagnosis can be made to a person who is overweight, has disturbed metabolic processes or has experienced severe stress. The disease can develop for many years, and when it reaches the final stage, immobilization of the knee can occur.
Ankle arthritis occurs in the ankle. Injury, sprain, dysplasia, gout, diabetes mellitus can be caused by the development of the disease. In some cases, rheumatoid arthritis may be the causative factor. In most cases, the diagnosis is made in people whose professional activity is associated with regular excessive stress on the ankles (dancers, athletes, women who wear high heels).
Congenital defects of the shoulder joint or excessive load can cause shoulder arthrosis. Painter, plasterer, etc. increased chance of getting sick from
Having arthrosis of the hip joint is a severe form of the disease. The main provoking factor is age-related changes in the tissues of the joint. In most cases, such a diagnosis is given to people over 45 years of age.
The development of cervical arthrosis occurs due to insufficient mobility of the cervical spine, obesity and trauma. People with sedentary jobs are at risk. The main symptoms of this type of arthrosis are limited joint mobility, dizziness, headache and fainting. This is explained by the involvement of the vertebral arteries feeding the brain in the pathological process.
In spondylarthrosis, the joints and cartilage of the spine are affected. In most cases, such a diagnosis is given to people over 70 years of age. The main number of cases of such arthrosis damage is observed in women, because their estrogen level decreases with age.
How the disease manifests itself
The main symptom of arthrosis is pain when there is a load on the joints. The disappearance of this symptom occurs when the joint is calm. Pain in arthrosis has some characteristics. There is sharp pain or significant discomfort when performing any motor movement. The location of the pain is the location of the damaged joint. If you stop such movements, the pain disappears.
A person does not have unpleasant feelings during sleep. The condition for this is the acceptance of the optimal body position. Pain at rest occurs only when the disease progresses. Such sensations are reminiscent of toothache. During this period, a person cannot sleep. The cartilage then thins and the bone is exposed, resulting in the growth of osteophytes. Acute pain does not leave a person, it is intensified by the participation of various factors.
Another indicator of the disease is a crisis. It is heard due to a decrease in the rotational softness of the bone in the joint, friction occurs between them. This is the reason for the characteristic sound. The presence of a crisis is characteristic of other diseases, considering healthy joints. But with arthrosis, a dry sound is heard. With the development of the disease, such sounds become more vivid. In parallel with wheezing, a person experiences pain.
Osteoarthritis can be defined by a decrease in mobility in the joint. The initial stage is characterized by the absence of such a symptom. However, with the progression of the disease, bone neoplasms sprout, as a result of which the joint space disappears. In a person, a limb is neutralized where the joint is affected.
A characteristic symptom of arthrosis is the deformation of the joints. They are changed due to the growth of osteophytes on the bone surface and the presence of synovial fluid there. Deformation refers to a later symptom when the disease significantly affects the joints.
The disease continues with exacerbation or remission, so it is difficult to independently determine arthrosis based only on your own feelings. This means that a person should immediately consult a qualified clinician to clarify the diagnosis. In the medical center, the patient will be sent for an X-ray examination, according to which different degrees of the course of the disease are determined:
- In the first stage, there will be no osteophytes, there will be a slight narrowing of the joint space.
- The second stage is characterized by the formation of osteophytes.
- At the beginning of the third stage, the joint space narrows, the presence of numerous osteophytes and the beginning of joint deformation are determined.
- In the 4th stage, the joint space is almost absent, many osteophytes and significant deformation are identified.
How to determine arthrosis
Diagnostic measures begin with the patient's inquiry and examination. After that, the specialist prescribes an X-ray examination of the affected joint. In most cases, the X-ray image is taken in two projections. Thanks to this, a dystrophic change in the tissues is visualized and how the cartilage and adjacent bones are affected is also determined. A patient with such a disease has a narrowing of the joint space, deformation of the bone site. Bone growths and osteophytes can be observed from such bones. In some cases, there may be a loss of stability in the joint, resulting in subluxation.
Osteophytes are the first sign of arthrosis seen in the picture. First, the articular surface, that is, the edge, is sharp. Then it thickens, and later the presence of protrusions and spikes is observed. Taking into account the X-ray image, the doctor comes to the following conclusion:
- Suspected arthrosis. This means that it was not possible to determine how much the joint space narrowed, but the presence of small osteophytes was determined.
- The presence of mild arthrosis. Such a diagnosis means good visualization of osteophytes, but the narrowing of the joint space is doubtful.
- The presence of moderate arthrosis. This can be diagnosed if there is a clear narrowing of the joint space, if the presence of osteophytes is not visible. In some cases, if such a diagnosis is made, bone deformation can be detected on X-ray.
- The presence of severe arthrosis. With this diagnosis, the joint space narrows significantly, large osteophytes are formed. Also, there will be complete deformation of the joint.
Lifestyle with arthritis:
- Relieve excess stress on the injured joint.
- Carefully follow the prescribed orthopedic regimen.
- Use physical therapy.
- Take a course of physiotherapy.
- Visit the sanatorium.
How to treat?
Medical method
Use of anti-inflammatory drugs. If you start with an integrated approach to therapeutic measures, the course of the disease slows down, and the patient's quality of life improves significantly. Using drugs, you can relieve pain and eliminate the inflammatory process that occurs in the joint. In this case, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. An experienced doctor will not recommend using such a drug orally. It can irritate the stomach walls. This means that the drug is best given intravenously or intramuscularly. In some cases, as an assistant, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as ointments.
If the disease worsens, the patient is prescribed hormonal corticosteroids. They are applied intra-articularly. Administration of hydrocortisone or diprospan is considered. As an external agent, they can prescribe the use of a special patch, ointment or tincture based on hot pepper. In addition, chondroprotectors are included in the medical treatment of arthrosis. They restore cartilage and improve the quality of synovial fluid. The duration of the course of therapeutic measures depends on the onset of improvement. If the expected result does not occur within 6 months, the drug is canceled. In parallel with preparations based on hyaluronic acid, protective means are used. Thanks to such drugs, a cell shell is formed, which contributes to the formation of cartilage of the joints. Effective treatment of arthrosis can complement the reception of diacerein. Restores cartilage tissue. The upgrade will come in two to four weeks.
Surgical methods
If conservative methods did not overcome the disease, the patient is prescribed an operation. One of the methods of surgical intervention is puncture. It serves both as a therapeutic and diagnostic method. When performing a puncture, a needle is inserted into the affected joint, after which a small amount of fluid is taken. This fluid will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Thanks to this method, the load is removed from the joint, a drug (corticosteroid) is injected.
Another surgical method is arthroscopy. The procedure involves inserting an arthroscope into the affected joint through small incisions. The implementation of such a procedure evaluates the condition of the joints from the inside. During the surgical intervention, a qualified specialist removes unnecessary cartilage, the patient will not suffer from pain.
Another method of surgical treatment is periarticular osteotomy. During the operation, the bones of the joint are filled and fixed in the proper position. Thanks to this method, the load on the affected area is reduced and the pain is eliminated. The procedure is considered a fairly effective treatment for arthrosis, but is rarely used. This is explained by the application of anesthesia and a long recovery period.
If the joint has undergone significant deformation and cannot be restored, the patient is prescribed arthroplasty. This is a complicated and expensive operation. Dentures can be made of ceramic, plastic or metal. After applying this method, the patient will have a long recovery period and pain. In some cases, this is the only way to help a patient diagnosed with arthrosis, otherwise complete immobility cannot be avoided. Using a quality prosthesis will extend its service life up to 15 years.
Physiotherapy methods
The shock wave method helps to save the patient from the resulting osteophytes or bone processes. Osteophytes are pain instigators. With the help of waves, such protrusions are softened, and after a certain time they will completely dissolve. In addition, there will be an improvement in joint nutrition, metabolic processes are normalized. The effectiveness of this procedure has been proven in the early stage of arthrosis. A patient must have a doctor's prescription for shock wave therapy. This is explained by the presence of numerous contraindications.
Another physiotherapeutic method includes myostimulation. Muscles are stimulated by electrical impulses. Myostimulation is prescribed to bedridden patients or those observing bed rest after an injury. Given that the blood flow in the affected area is normalized and muscle tone increases, this method is rarely used for arthrosis.
The use of phonophoresis involves the effect of ultrasound waves and drugs on the affected joint. The effectiveness of the procedures is that the drugs enter the center of inflammation. Another treatment for arthrosis is ozone therapy. With the help of ozone therapy, a gas mixture is injected into the affected joint. As a result, the patient gets rid of unbearable painful sensations, the inflammatory process decreases, the joint becomes more mobile and the blood circulates normally. This method consists of several treatment courses. The duration of treatment depends on how severe the stage of the disease is.
Other treatments
An effective method of combating arthrosis is the use of a physiotherapy complex. By doing special exercises, the patient normalizes the blood flow in the affected area, strengthens the muscles. Classes start with simple exercises, then the load increases.
The use of manual therapy and lymphatic drainage massage helps to reduce pain and improve blood supply to the affected joints. This method is good because even immobilized patients can use it.
In addition to the medical and physical training complex, mechanotherapy is used. In this case, various simulators are used. With their help, the load increases during classes, but the joints will not be damaged. Thanks to mechanotherapy, blood circulation in the joints will increase, muscles will be toned.
When applying to a specialized center, the patient receives the most modern, safe and effective treatment, which will be selected individually depending on the characteristics of his body. In accordance with medical prescriptions, specialists guarantee a positive result at the same time with minimal financial costs for the patient.