Along with arthritis, osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases, especially in the second half of life.In the absence of timely and high-quality treatment, this disease can lead to limb disability.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints, which is based on the process of degenerative changes in cartilage that develop as a result of a deterioration in its nutrition (trophism) or an alteration in its configuration, for example, after an injury.
Osteoarthritis-arthritis is a disease characterized not only by degenerative processes that occur in the joint, but also by its inflammation.
Deforming osteoarthritis is osteoarthritis, one of whose manifestations is the proliferation of bone tissue, which causes deformation of the ends of the bones that form the joint.
Periarthrosis is a dystrophic process in which degenerative changes are observed not only in the joint itself, but also in adjacent tissues (for example, tendons, ligaments).
Hemarthrosis is bleeding into the joint cavity.
Causes of osteoarthritis
The main cause of the development of osteoarthritis is a metabolic disorder that occurs in cartilage tissue.As a result, cartilage loses its elasticity and begins to gradually deteriorate.
The causes of metabolic disorders and the development of degenerative changes in the joints are varied.These could be:
- hormonal disorders,
- female,
- Loss of proteoglycans by cartilage tissue.
- aging of the body,
- increased stress on the joints due to performing a certain type of activity or being overweight,
- various chronic diseases.
In women, osteoarthritis of the ankle and foot joint can occur due to prolonged wearing of narrow and uncomfortable shoes, including high heels.Changes in the joints of the hands are mainly observed in representatives of those professions where a significant part of the load falls on the hands (while osteoarthritis is much more common in women).
In addition, osteoarthritis of the knee, hip or ankle joint is caused by various injuries (post-traumatic osteoarthritis).
Types and symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is classified according to the degree of joint damage:
- 1st degree - the joints retain their mobility, there are practically no visible changes on an x-ray.The patient may only be bothered by a slight crunch or slight pain.
- 2nd degree: a person suffering from osteoarthritis experiences a feeling of discomfort in the joint area, the mobility of the limb is impaired, periodic pain becomes more pronounced and prolonged, the first signs of joint deformation are detected by x-ray or ultrasound.
- Grade 3 - movements in the joint are limited, the patient experiences severe pain (even at rest), characteristic changes are observed on x-rays.
Sometimes experts also distinguish the fourth degree of osteoarthritis, characterized by intense pain and severe deformations of this area.
rheumatoid osteoarthritis
Most often, this term refers to degenerative and destructive changes in the joint that developed as a result of another disease - rheumatoid arthritis.Rheumatoid arthritis itself changes the configuration of the articular surfaces, which leads to a violation of their congruence and the aggravation of degenerative processes in the articular and periarticular tissues.
Uncovertebral osteoarthritis
This is the appearance of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cervical spine.The main symptoms of osteoarthritis of this location:
- crisp sound pronounced when turning the head,
- pain in the neck (especially after sitting or standing for a long time),
- headache,
- dizziness,
- fluctuations in blood pressure.
X-ray examination may reveal subluxation of the cervical joints.
Additionally, osteoarthritis is distinguished:
- knee (gonarthrosis),
- hip joint (coxarthrosis),
- ankle joints (crushatron),
- other areas of the spine,
- temporomandibular joint, etc.
How and with what to treat osteoarthritis?
Before deciding how to treat it at home, it is worth visiting a doctor and determining the exact cause of this disease.To do this, the doctor usually examines the patient and prescribes a number of additional instrumental and laboratory tests, including various biochemical blood tests (for example, acute phase reactions, presence of rheumatoid factor, etc.), as well as x-rays, ultrasound, MRI or CT scans of the joints.If necessary, the examination is complemented by diagnostic arthroscopy.
The doctor then makes an accurate diagnosis and prescribes the appropriate treatment for the joint.
What principles is the treatment of osteoarthritis based on?
- Elimination of the cause of the disease.In the case of rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, the underlying disease is treated, achieving stable remission.
- Normalization of joint nutrition, metabolism and blood circulation.For this, chondroprotectors, hyaluronic acid preparations, medications that improve local and systemic blood flow, antiplatelet agents and vitamins are used.
- Symptomatic therapy.As a rule, for severe pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, which have a good analgesic effect.
Ointments, gels, creams that have an anti-inflammatory and distracting effect are applied locally to the joint area 2-3 times a day, compresses with dimexide are applied and rubbed.
Physiotherapy
To relieve pain and inflammation, ultraviolet irradiation in erythema doses, laser therapy, UHF, microwave, electro- and phonophoresis are widely used.In addition to physiotherapy procedures, regular therapeutic joint exercises and spa treatments are useful in osteoarthritis.
Surgical treatment
Usually this is a partial or complete replacement of the joint or its plastic surgery.It can be performed traditionally, as well as through endoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, including arthroscopy.Surgeries are indicated in cases where conservative treatment does not produce the desired effect, as well as in cases of severe deformation of the joint and loss of mobility.
Prevention
First, preventing osteoarthritis includes diet, exercise, and avoiding hypothermia.
Diet
Nutrition for osteoarthritis does not require significant restrictions.In general, this is a balanced diet, including all the main food groups, drinking enough fluids, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits.Many experts recommend periodically including jellied meats, rich broths and other similar dishes in the menu, unless contraindicated by a doctor.The only major limitation is the calorie content of the food.It is necessary to control body weight, because excess weight accelerates the wear and tear of the joints.
Hot and spicy food alone does not have a significant effect on osteoarthritis, but it is worth remembering that many people suffering from this disease are forced to use pain relievers and anti-inflammatories, most of which negatively affect the gastric mucosa.It is also advisable to limit foods rich in cholesterol and that increase blood viscosity, so that the blood supply to the joint is not affected.For these reasons, it is advisable to exclude these dishes from your daily menu if you suffer from osteoarthritis.
exercise
Exercise and physical activity improve blood circulation and blood supply to joint tissues and also strengthen muscles.The most useful exercises for osteoarthritis are swimming, walking and skiing.For coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis in combination with excess weight, cycling or exercising on a stationary bike has worked well.
Avoid hypothermia
The joints “love” when a person dresses for the weather, evenly protecting all parts of his body from the cold.Any local hypothermia causes a weakening of the body's defenses, which can lead to subsequent inflammation of the joints and the development of degenerative processes in them.