Arthritis, or more correctly called osteoarthritis, is a chronic disease of a dystrophic nature, due to the destruction of cartilage tissue in the joints, so treatment of osteoarthritis is extremely necessary.If such a disease occurs, irreversible inflammatory processes will begin at the ends of the bones and tissues surrounding the joints, leading to their degeneration.In addition, arthropathy also refers to a number of additional degenerative joint diseases, which are characterized by many similar occurrences and progression mechanisms.
Arthritis, according to various statistical information, affects 80% of the inhabitants of our planet, making it the most commonly diagnosed joint disease.And among all diseases, it ranks 3rd.
The older a person is, the higher their risk of developing arthritis.Both sexes are equally susceptible to the disease, except that arthritis of the intercostal joints occurs most often in women.The workforce over 30 years old is most affected.From year to year, the percentage of patients only increases.
Arthritis causes joint disease
The development and causes of joint disease are accompanied by a decrease in joint metabolism, causing cartilage tissue to lose its elasticity.The cause of this may be a complete or incomplete loss of proteoglycans in the cartilage, which is most commonly caused by severe cracks in the cartilage.The loss of these complex proteins can also occur due to disruption in their production by joint cells.
According to experts, cartilage destruction can occur due to: hormonal imbalance, impaired blood flow to the joints, impaired metabolism, for genetic reasons, due to adulthood, injuries and other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and lichen planus.However, the most important cause of joint disease is excessive stress on the joints at a time when they are most vulnerable.
Other causes of arthritis include:
- previous injury;
- excessive body weight;
- inflammation due to the development of a severe form of purulent arthritis;
- poor daily diet;
- hypothermia;
- Libman-Sachs disease;
- systemic intoxication;
- frequent colds;
- Syphilis, tuberculosis, purulent urinary tract infections, spring-summer tick-borne meningitis;
- thyroid disease;
- chronic bleeding (hemophilia);
- Osteochondropathy of the femoral head.
Causes of osteoarthritis are genetic:
- arthritis in the bones and fingers, possibly hereditary;
- dysplasia - caused by abnormal processes in the development of joints and ligaments that occur in the womb - leading to joint wear and osteoarthritis;
- Pathogenic changes in type 2 collagen – when the fibrous protein of connective tissue is damaged.
People with the following professions or hobbies are most susceptible to the disease: bricklayers, fishermen, blacksmiths, porters, athletes.
Symptoms of arthritis occur for many reasons
Symptoms of arthritis can be divided into four groups:
- Painful nature.The appearance of pain in the first place is an early sign of arthritis.Pain can be caused by many different things, but with arthritis it is unique.First, the pain is characterized by sharp manifestations and a person may feel discomfort when moving.The pain will go away with rest.At night, pain can only be felt when turning from side to side.At rest, the pain only becomes constant in severe forms of the disease.In the early stages of the disease, pain is only felt during heavy exertion or when touched.As the condition worsens, the pain increases and more and more rest is required to eliminate it.In severe forms, the pain becomes unbearable, bone spurs appear due to thinning of the cartilage and exposure of the bone.Bad weather and the full moon make the pain worse.
- The emergence of a crisis.This type of symptom is also important when making a diagnosis.It occurs due to friction between the bones, the ends of the bones lose their softness and elasticity.Crepitus may indicate other diseases, or may not be accompanied by them, but with arthritis it has a special feature, distinguished by its “dryness”.This causes pain.
- Impaired joint mobility.This symptom is typical in the advanced stages of arthritis and occurs due to the appearance of bone tumors in the joints, causing spasm and almost filling the joint space.As a result, the joint is partially immobilized.
- Joint deformity.Changes in the shape of the joint occur due to the development of bone spurs on the bones and the penetration of synovial fluid into the joint.This symptom is characteristic of the most advanced forms of the disease.
Arthritis can alternately change from a severe state to a state of remission, which greatly hinders self-diagnosis of the disease.For this reason, a doctor should be consulted to confirm the diagnosis.
Thanks to X-rays, the doctor will be able to identify signs that indicate one of four stages of joint disease:
- Stage 1. The joint lumen may be slightly reduced;No osteoporosis was observed.
- Stage 2. The loss of luminosity may be more pronounced and bone spurs begin to form.
- Stage 3. Clear narrowing of the canal lumen and a large number of osteophytes are observed.
- Stage 4. The joint lumen almost completely disappears, and pathological changes in the shape of the joint begin due to numerous bone spurs.
Methods of treating arthritis
It is best to start treating arthrosis at an early stage of its development, and it should be of a comprehensive and pathogenic nature.Treatment should be aimed at eliminating the causes that aggravate the disease.In addition, it is necessary to eliminate pathogenic changes caused by inflammation and restore joint function.
An integrated approach to the treatment of joint diseases includes the use of medications and physiotherapeutic measures.Sanatorium-resort therapy can be prescribed, since in some cases climate, mineral water and mud have an effective effect.
Treatment of joint diseases includes several basic principles:
- Diseased joints should not be subjected to excessive stress and during treatment they should practically not appear;
- compliance with orthopedic order;
- Participate in recreational physical education;
- conduct physical therapy, including laser, shock wave, electrical and magnetic therapy;
- treatment at medical facilities at least once a year as prescribed by a doctor;
- Oxygen therapy - providing oxygen to the inside of the joint;
- drug treatment;
- bone injection and ultrasonic decompression methods;
- Establish a reasonable nutritional regimen.
Drug treatment includes the use of the following drugs:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.Thanks to an integrated approach, you can not only prevent the development of the disease, but also make your life easier to some extent.In part, drug treatment is aimed at eliminating pain and inflammation inside the joint.For this purpose, non-steroidal drugs are used.Experts advise against using this method of taking these medications because they can cause quite severe stomach pain.In this regard, based on a specific drug, intravenous or intramuscular injection is used.Additional means, such as ointments, are practically not used because their effectiveness is extremely low.
- Endocrine corticosteroids.Such drugs are prescribed in case of exacerbation of the disease.The medicine is injected into the joint.For external use, use patches, tincture or ointment.
- Chondroprotectors.Prescribed to restore cartilage tissue and improve the structural quality of the synovial membrane.Among these drugs, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are most commonly used.The duration of this course may be extended until improvement occurs.However, if the desired results are not achieved within six months, then those medications should no longer be used.In addition, along with chondroprotective drugs, it is recommended to inject drugs into the joint with added hyaluronic acid.These drugs help form joint cartilage cells.
In especially severe cases, the prescription of narcotic painkillers is not excluded.But such drugs are prescribed very rarely, only in cases where other drugs do not bring the desired effect.
Proper nutrition for osteoarthritis
An important role in making the disease worse is having a proper diet.It must be balanced.You can't eat too little, but you also shouldn't eat too much.Due to excess weight, the load on the joints will increase. In case of malnutrition, cartilage tissue will lack important trace elements, so it will degenerate.However, the most important thing is to create a diet that helps you lose excess weight.You will need to give up fast carbohydrates, which are found in sweets and flour products.In addition, the consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially beer, is prohibited.
Fish dishes are welcome, there are practically no restrictions.Only fatty types should be avoided - due to their high calorie content, you may gain the weight back.
Jelly meat is especially valuable in the treatment of joint diseases.It may seem strange, but all doctors without exception recommend using it because it contains a large amount of various trace elements.Collagen contained in jelly is very useful because it is an integral part of connective tissues, so in this case it can replenish the missing amount in the body.As a result, joints have better mobility and cartilage tissue becomes more flexible and elastic.
Vitamins, especially group B, play an important role for the entire body in this disease.It is this group that allows you to normalize metabolic processes in the body.A well-functioning metabolism will allow your joints to feel great.Thiamine, after entering the body from beans or peas, will accelerate the synthesis of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
To increase hemoglobin, you need pyridoxine, which can be obtained from bananas, nuts, potatoes and cabbage.Attention should be paid to green vegetables and beans - they contain folic acid.The body also needs liver, mushrooms, eggs and fermented milk products.Of course, this entire list of vitamins is contained in vitamin complexes, but it's no secret that natural elements are absorbed better, which means that the healing process will be much faster and more effective.
When eating, you should follow these basic simple rules:
- Before going to bed, you should not eat foods that are difficult to digest because it can cause arthritis attacks;
- Food should be taken more often, but in small portions;
- Monitor your body weight at all times so that it does not increase, otherwise a large load on the joints will be guaranteed, buy a good product for weight loss and weight control;
- During the period of remission after eating, go for a walk;
- Daily diet should be balanced and compiled together with the doctor.
It is very important to seek timely help from a doctor.By following some of his instructions, you can not only stop the progression of arthritis but also reverse it, which will give you the opportunity to enjoy a normal life again.