One of the joint diseases is arthrosis. During this disease, the cartilage inside the joints is slowly destroyed. After a long period of time, various changes appear, the joint ends of the bones are renewed, the inflammatory process increases, and the periarticular tissues are destroyed. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases in the world. Based on statistics, the disease affects more than 70% of people around the planet. In terms of frequency, joint arthrosis ranks second after 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, arthrosis can develop even in a working-age person older than 30 years.
Why the disease appears
The development of arthrosis is associated with disturbed metabolism in the joints. As a result, the cartilage loses its former elasticity. This can occur due to a 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 a consequence of both metabolic disorders and hormonal failure, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. The most common cause is abnormal loading of the joint, when the cartilage is unable to withstand it.
Also, some factors contribute to the occurrence and development of arthrosis:
- Transmitted trauma. These include dislocations, bruises, fractures, ligament tears, etc.
- Violation of metabolic processes.
- Excessive body weight, due to which the joints are put under additional stress.
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the joint (with acute purulent arthritis).
- Advanced age.
- Non-compliance with proper nutrition.
- Frequent hypothermia.
- Presence of autoimmune diseases. These include lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis.
- With general intoxication of the body.
- Occurrence of frequent colds.
- In syphilis, tuberculosis, encephalitis, gonorrhea.
- With diseases of the thyroid gland.
- If blood clotting is impaired.
Types of diseases
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 suffered severe stress. The disease can develop for many years, and the last stage can lead to immobilization of the knee.
Ankle arthritis occurs in the ankle joint. The development of the disease can be caused by injuries, sprains, dysplasia, gout, diabetes mellitus. In some cases, rheumatoid arthritis may be a causative factor. In most cases, the diagnosis is made to those people whose professional activities are associated with regular excessive loading of the ankles (dancers, athletes, women with high heels).
The presence of congenital defects of the shoulder joint or excessive load can cause shoulder arthrosis. Increased possibility of getting sick from painters, plasterers, etc.
The presence of arthrosis of the hip joint is a severe form of the disease. The main provoking factor is age-related changes in joint tissues. In most cases, such a diagnosis is given to those people whose age exceeds 45 years.
The development of cervical arthrosis occurs due to insufficient mobility of the cervical spine, obesity and trauma. Those people who have a sedentary job are at risk. The main symptoms of this type of arthrosis are limited joint mobility, dizziness, headache and fainting. This is explained by the fact that the vertebral arteries that feed the brain are involved in the pathological process.
In spondylarthrosis, the joints and cartilages of the spine are affected. In most cases, such a diagnosis is given to people whose age is more than 70 years. The main number of cases of such damage from arthrosis is observed in women, because their estrogen levels decrease 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 at rest. Arthrosis pain has something special. There is sharp pain or significant discomfort when performing any motor actions. The location of the pain is where the damaged joint is located. If you stop such movements, the pain disappears.
During sleep, a person has no unpleasant sensations. The condition for this is the adoption of an optimal body position. Pain at rest occurs only when the disease progresses. Such feelings are reminiscent of a toothache. During this period the person cannot sleep. After that, the cartilage thins and the bone is exposed, causing osteophytes to grow. Acute pain does not leave a person, and it intensifies in the presence of various factors.
Another indicative symptom of the disease is creaking. It is heard due to the reduced softness of bone rotation in the joint, friction occurs between them. This is the cause of the characteristic sound. The presence of crunching is also characteristic of other diseases, taking into account healthy joints. However, with arthrosis, a dry sound is heard. As the disease progresses, such sounds become more vivid. In parallel with crunching, a person experiences pain.
Osteoarthritis can be recognized by reduced 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 appear, due to which the joint space disappears. In a person, the limb appears harmless where the joint is affected.
A characteristic sign of arthrosis is joint deformity. They are modified due to the growth of osteophytes on the bone surface and the presence of synovial fluid. Deformity refers to a later symptom, when the disease has significantly affected the joints.
The disease progresses with exacerbations or remissions, so it is difficult to independently determine arthrosis, based only on one's own feelings. This means that the person should see a qualified clinician immediately to clarify the diagnosis. In the medical center, the patient will be sent for an X-ray examination, due to which different stages of the course of the disease are determined:
- In the first phase, 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, there is a narrowing of the joint space, the presence of multiple osteophytes and the beginning of joint deformity.
- In stage 4, the joint space is almost absent, multiple osteophytes and a significant deformity are found.
How to diagnose osteoarthritis
Diagnostic measures begin with examination and examination of the patient. After that, the specialist prescribes an X-ray examination of the affected joint. In most cases, an X-ray is taken in two projections. Because of this, dystrophic changes in the tissues are visualized, and it is also determined how much the cartilage and adjacent bones are affected. In patients with such a disease, there is a narrowing of the joint space and deformation of the bone site. Bone growths, osteophytes, can be observed from such bones. In some cases, there can be a loss of stability in the joint, resulting in subluxations.
The first sign of arthrosis, which is shown in the picture, is osteophytes. First, the articular surface, i. e. its edge, becomes sharp. Then its thickening occurs, and then the presence of growths and spikes is noticed. Taking into account the X-ray image obtained, the doctor makes the following conclusion:
- Suspected arthrosis. This means that it was not possible to determine how much the joint space was narrowed, but the presence of small osteophytes was determined.
- Presence of mild arthrosis. Such a diagnosis means a good visualization of osteophytes, but the narrowing of the joint space is questionable.
- The presence of moderate arthrosis. This can be diagnosed if there is a clear narrowing of the joint space, the presence of osteophytes is not visible. In some cases, if such a diagnosis is made, the bone deformity can be detected on an X-ray.
- Presence of severe arthrosis. With this diagnosis, the joint space is significantly narrowed, and large osteophytes are formed. Complete deformity of the joint will also occur.
Lifestyle with arthritis:
- Relieve the damaged joint from excessive stress.
- Carefully follow the prescribed orthopedic regimen.
- Use physical therapy.
- Take a physiotherapy course.
- Visit a sanatorium.
How to treat?
Medical method
Use of anti-inflammatory drugs. If you start therapeutic actions with an integrated approach, the course of the disease slows down, the patient's quality of life improves significantly. With the help of medicines, you can relieve the pain and remove the inflammatory process that occurs in the joint. In that case, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. An experienced doctor will not recommend oral use of such a drug. This can irritate the stomach walls. This means that the drug is best administered intravenously or intramuscularly. In some cases, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as an aid.
If the disease worsens, the patient is prescribed hormonal corticosteroids. They are applied intra-articularly. This implies the introduction of hydrocortisone or diprospan. As an external remedy, they can prescribe the use of a special plaster, ointment or tincture, the basis of which is hot pepper. In addition, chondroprotectors are included in the treatment of arthrosis. They restore cartilage and improve the quality of synovial fluid. The duration of therapeutic measures depends on the onset of improvement. If the expected result does not appear within 6 months, the drug is discontinued. Protectors are used in parallel with preparations based on hyaluronic acid. Thanks to such drugs, a shell of cells is formed that contribute to the formation of joint cartilage. Effective treatment of arthrosis can supplement the intake of diacerein. Regenerates cartilage tissue. Improvement will come in two or four weeks.
Surgical methods
If conservative methods did not cope with the disease, the patient is scheduled for surgery. One of the methods of surgical intervention is puncture. It serves both as a therapeutic and as a diagnostic method. During the 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. By carrying out such a procedure, the condition of the joints inside is assessed. During the surgical intervention, a qualified specialist removes the unnecessary cartilage, the patient will not suffer pain.
Another method of surgical treatment is periarticular osteotomy. During the operation, the bones of the joint are filed and fixed in the desired position. Thanks to this method, the load on the affected area is reduced and pain is eliminated. The procedure is considered to be a fairly effective treatment for osteoarthritis, but is used in rare cases. This is explained by the introduction of anesthesia and a long recovery period.
If the joint has undergone significant deformation and cannot be restored, the patient is scheduled for arthroplasty. This is a complex 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 situations, it is the only way to help a patient diagnosed with arthrosis, otherwise complete immobility cannot be avoided. Using a high-quality prosthesis will extend its service life up to 15 years.
Physiotherapy methods
The method of shock waves helps the patient to get rid of the resulting osteophytes, i. e. bone processes. Osteophytes are pain provocateurs. With the help of waves, such growths are softened, and after a certain period of time they will completely dissolve. In addition, joint nutrition will improve, metabolic processes will normalize. The effectiveness of this procedure has been proven in the early stages of arthrosis. For shock wave therapy, the patient must have a doctor's prescription. This is explained by the presence of several contraindications.
Another physiotherapeutic method involves myostimulation. Muscles are stimulated by electrical impulses. Myostimulation is prescribed for patients who are bedridden or bedridden after an injury. Since blood flow in the affected area is normalized and muscle tone is increased, this method is rarely used in arthrosis.
The application of phonophoresis involves the influence of an ultrasound wave and medicine on the affected joint. The effectiveness of the procedures lies in the fact that the drugs enter the focus of inflammation. Another treatment for osteoarthritis 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 painful painful sensations, the inflammatory process decreases, the joint becomes more mobile, and the blood circulates normally. This method consists of several treatments. The duration of treatment depends on how severe the stage of the disease is.
Other treatments
An effective method to combat arthrosis is the use of a physiotherapy complex. By performing special exercises, the patient normalizes the blood flow in the affected area, strengthens the muscles. Classes start with simple exercises, and 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 it can be used even by immobilized patients.
An addition to the complex of medical and physical culture is the use of mechanotherapy. In this case, different simulators are used. With their help, the load during classes increases, but the joints will not be damaged. Thanks to mechanotherapy, there will be an increase in blood circulation in the joints, muscles will be toned.
When contacting 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.