Osteoarthritis is a joint degenerative pathology, accompanied by processes of cartilage dystrophy. As the disease progresses, the joint sac, ligament apparatus, synovial membrane, and nearest bone structures are also involved in the destructive process.
Prevalence of osteoarthritis
Most people with osteoarthritis are elderly. The disease after the age limit of 65 is not only the most commonly diagnosed joint pathology, but also the main reason for disability with subsequent disability. Moreover, the elderly are mostly sick women, but among the young most of the patients are men.
The incidence of osteoarthritis varies greatly from country to country. It has not yet been possible to determine the reasons for the widespread dissemination of statistics.
Causes and risk factors
Osteoarthritis is a disease that can be primary or secondary. If there are no objective reasons for the development of pathology, they speak of the primary type. If it was possible to determine the causes of arthrosis, they speak of a secondary type.
Secondary osteoarthritis can be triggered by the following negative factors:
- traumatization of joint joints of different nature (frequent falls, sprains, bruises);
- chronic congenital tissue dysplasia;
- pathological changes in metabolic processes;
- various autoimmune pathologies;
- nonspecific inflammatory processes in the joint area;
- some pathologies of the endocrine system;
- processes of degenerative-dystrophic type, which occur chronically;
- various diseases, accompanied by excessive joint mobility, together with a weak ligament apparatus;
- presence of hemophilia;
- a specific type of inflammatory process.
In addition to the immediate causes, the action of which leads to the development of arthrosis, there are also predisposing factors that do not cause the disease per se, but can increase the risk of its development.
These include:
- is over 55;
- excess weight, which increases the load on the joints;
- excessive workload of one joint or group in case of improper sports training, a specific job that requires a long stay in one position;
- history of joint surgery;
- heredity;
- hormonal changes in the female body in postmenopause;
- constant hypothermia;
- spinal pathologies that are not treated;
- Insufficient intake of useful micro- and macroelements with food.
Development Mechanism
The mechanism of arthrosis development is well known. Cartilage, which ensures normal contact between the two bones, is naturally smooth, free of irregularities and roughness, which helps maintain normal movement in the joints. With the disease, the structure of the cartilage changes, it becomes rough, and defects appear on it that reduce the efficiency of natural sliding.
Due to the acquired unevenness, the cartilage is gradually injured, in some places it begins to calcify, and in some places it ossifies. In this case, it is possible to separate small particles that end up in the joint fluid and can injure the surrounding tissues.
As the pathology worsens, the joint may become chronic subluxated, which will significantly impair its motor function.
Degrees
Doctors divide osteoarthritis into three main stages:
- I degree.It is characterized by the absence of a clear clinical picture. The patient may file rare complaints of pain in the affected joint, but generally does not consult a physician. At the same time, there are changes in the ligament-muscle apparatus and in the joint fluid, but there are no visible deformations yet.
- II degree.The symptoms of osteoarthritis are becoming more pronounced. The pain is characterized as tolerable, but occurs regularly. The patient goes to the doctor because he notices a decline in quality of life. A characteristic crunch can be heard in the affected joint. The changes are observed in nearby muscle structures because nerve conduction is impaired.
- III degree.Characterized by pronounced characters. The articular cartilage is very sparse, cysts, foci of calcification or ossification can be found in it. The ligament apparatus becomes shorter, which leads to an increase in mobility in the affected area, which is accompanied by a restriction due to a pronounced inflammatory process. The metabolism of the surrounding tissues suffers, which can lead to muscular dystrophy.
In any case, the patient will have to clarify the diagnosis from the attending physician. This is due to the specificity of the course of the disease, which is characterized by phases of remission and exacerbation, alternating with each other.
Pain with disease
Arthrosis pain is the most common complaint that patients go to the doctor with. Their characteristic feature is the connection with the time of day, time, physical activity.
In most patients, the pain is aggravated by walking, running, or other type of physical activity directed at the affected joint. As soon as the load stops, the pain gradually subsides. Their development is explained by the fact that the cartilage is no longer able to perform its shock-absorbing functions.
At night, discomfort most often occurs as a result of blood stagnation in the veins. Another reason is the increase in intraosseous pressure during this period.
One of the main diagnostic criteria is the presence of so-called initial pains that torment the patient at the moment when he has just started active movement. The initial pain usually subsides if physical activity continues. Their appearance is explained by the presence of joint deposits (detritus) that irritate the nerve endings. As soon as these deposits move away from the nerves, the pain disappears.
Symptoms
In addition to pain, doctors identify other signs of osteoarthritis, on the basis of which pathology can be suspected.
These include:
- Painful and crunchy sound.A lump usually occurs when a person has hypothermia. Crunching will be barely audible at first, but as the disease progresses without therapy, it will become audible to people around.
- Reduced ability to move. In the early phase of pathology development, there is no decrease in mobility. However, the longer the disease remains untreated, the stronger the restriction of movement in the joint becomes. This is explained by the narrowing of the joint space and the spasm of the nearest muscle structures.
- Joint deformity.It is characteristic of the late stage of arthrosis, but is also an important indicator of the course of the disease. During this period, it is already very difficult to treat the disease.
Which doctor treats osteoarthritis?
Who treats osteoarthritis? In most cases, several specialists are involved in the therapy. First of all, an arthrologist, a joint specialist, is involved. In addition, the patient will also need to visit an orthopedist. If the disease is the result of an inflammatory process, then it is recommended to visit a rheumatologist.
If necessary, other specialists may be involved during the treatment period. Most often you have to resort to the services of a traumatologist, physiotherapist, masseur, surgeon.
Diagnostics
Treatment of arthrosis of the joints begins only after confirmation of the diagnosis and determination of the degree of pathology. First of all, the doctor interviews the patient in detail and conducts an examination. The presence of characteristic complaints and deformities suggests that there is a disease.
X-rays of the affected joint are a mandatory way to confirm the diagnosis. If the disease affects the knee, then a picture of the knee is taken, if the pathology is found in the hand, then the radiological signs of the disease are searched there.
Diagnosis by radiography does not always give sufficient results for the diagnosis of the patient. In that case, it can be sent for MRI (this will enable the assessment of the condition of soft tissues and their involvement in the pathological process) or CT (this will enable conclusions to be drawn about the condition of bone and cartilage structures, involvement of the nearest anatomical formations in the pathological process).
Treatment
How to treat arthrosis of the joints? The choice of the appropriate therapeutic technique depends on the severity of the symptoms and the stage of the disease.
The physician selects the treatment regimen after assessing the patient's general condition and course of the disease. Both conservative and surgical methods of treatment can be used.
Medications
How to treat the disease if it is desirable not surgery, but the use of drugs?
Conservative therapy is suitable for patients only in the early stages of pathology, and will include the use of three main groups of drugs:
- glucocorticosteroids- hormonal drugs that effectively alleviate the inflammatory process during exacerbation, are injected into the joint cavity;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugswhich are mainly injected and injected into the muscles near the joint or directly into a vein. But doctors may also recommend pills, although this option for taking NSAIDs is undesirable because of the negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract;
- chondroprotectors- drugs of this group can reduce the destruction of cartilage tissue and enhance regeneration, they are especially effective in the initial stages of disease formation.
Surgical
How to cure osteoarthritis if the disease has gone far enough? In this case, conservative therapy will be ineffective, and doctors can only recommend surgery to the patient.
Today, in most cases, the joint is replaced. During the operation, the right joint is replaced with a prosthesis that has all the functions of a healthy joint.
In some cases, palliative therapy options are provided whose main task is to reduce the load on the joint surfaces.
Exercise
In the early stages of the disease, it is not only treated with medication, but also with physiotherapy exercises. Exercise is an important phase of therapy that helps maintain joint function and reduces the likelihood of further disease progression.
Depending on the severity of the pathology and the individual characteristics of the patient, a set of exercises is selected individually. The physician must consider the localization of the arthrosis that allows for the most effective effect on the affected tissues.
Self-study without medical supervision is not recommended, especially in the initial phase. Exercises must be chosen to be as smooth as possible, without sudden movements.
Exercise therapy classes are only effective if the patient devotes some time daily to the recommended complex.
Traditional methods
Many people suffering from osteoarthritis refuse to use medication or surgery until the last minute. In this case, alternative medicines are used as a substitute for medicines.
The most commonly used herbs in therapy are:
- Kalanchoe;
- ginger;
- hell;
- bay leaf;
- garlic; cinnamon;
- horsetail and others.
They are used in the form of tinctures, decoctions, compresses on the affected area. It is important to keep in mind that a complete treatment of the disease using only home-made recipes is impossible. It is best if traditional therapies are combined with traditional medicine.
Prevention
What can be done to reduce the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis in old age? Simple preventative measures are available to everyone.
Recommended:
- moderate daily physical activity: walking, cycling, performing simple exercises like a charge and so on;
- adherence to the basic principles of a healthy diet: eat often, but little by little, avoid fast food, overeating, heavy and fatty foods, eating a lot of spices;
- weight control: weight gain leads to increased stress on the joints, which can lead to osteoarthritis;
- timely treatment of chronic diseases leading to metabolic disorders;
- use of vitamin and mineral complexes in case the amount of nutrients supplied with food is considered insufficient.
The difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis
Many people confuse arthritis and osteoarthritis because of the similarity of the sound. However, these are completely different diseases.
Arthritis is not a dystrophy and degeneration in the joint tissues, but any inflammatory reaction that can develop in the joint cavity, regardless of its cause. Inflammation most often affects not only the joint, but also the muscles closest to it, bones and ligament structures. Arthritis pain is not related to physical activity, it can bother the patient even at rest, and there is no cramping in the joints at all.
In most cases, it is impossible to independently distinguish arthritis from osteoarthritis, because the main symptom is pain, and patients rarely have an idea of its characteristics for each of the pathologies.
It is better to entrust the establishment of an accurate diagnosis to a doctor so that he does not make mistakes in the subsequent treatment and prevention of the disease.
Osteoarthritis is a serious pathology that can lead to disability if the patient does not go to the doctor on time. At the first signs of the disease, it is recommended to contact a specialist in order to confirm the diagnosis and choose the most optimal treatment.
If the disease can be contracted at an early stage of development, it will certainly be possible to do so without surgery, limiting itself to conservative treatment.