Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, accompanied by processes of cartilage tissue dystrophy. As the disease progresses, the articular bursa, ligament apparatus, synovial membrane and closest bone structures are also involved in the destructive process.
Prevalence of osteoarthritis
Most people with osteoarthritis are elderly. The disease after the age of 65 is not only the most frequently diagnosed joint disease, but also the main reason for disability resulting in disability. Moreover, in old age, most women are ill, but among the young most of the sick are men.
In different countries, the incidence of osteoarthritis varies greatly. It has not yet been possible to establish the reasons for the widespread dissemination of statistical data.
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 talk about the primary type. If it was possible to identify the causes of arthrosis, it is called a secondary type.
Secondary osteoarthritis can be triggered by the following negative factors:
- traumatization of the articular joints of various kinds (frequent falls, sprains, bruises);
- chronic congenital tissue dysplasia;
- pathological changes in metabolic processes;
- various autoimmune diseases;
- nonspecific inflammatory processes in the joint area;
- some pathologies of the organs of the endocrine system;
- chronically occurring degenerative-dystrophic processes;
- various diseases, accompanied by excessive joint mobility, associated with a weak ligament apparatus;
- presence of hemophilia;
- specific type of inflammatory processes.
In addition to the immediate causes, the action of which leads to the development of arthrosis, there are also predisposing factors that do not in themselves cause the disease, but can increase the risk of its development.
These include:
- is over 55 years old;
- excess weight, due to which the load on the joint joints increases;
- excessive load on a joint or group in case of improper sports training, specific work that requires a long stay in one position;
- history of joint surgery;
- inheritance;
- hormonal changes in the postmenopausal female body;
- constant hypothermia;
- spinal pathologies that are not treated;
- insufficient intake of useful micro and macro elements with food.
Development Mechanism
The mechanism of development of osteoarthritis is well known. The cartilage, which ensures the normal contact of two bones, is naturally smooth, free from irregularities and roughness, which helps maintain normal joint movement. With a disease, the structure of the cartilage changes, it becomes rough, defects appear that reduce the effectiveness of natural sliding.
Due to the acquired irregularity, the cartilage is gradually damaged, 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 damage the surrounding tissues.
With worsening of the disease, the joint can enter a state of chronic subluxation, which will significantly impair its motor function.
Degrees
Doctors divide osteoarthritis into three main degrees:
- I degree.It is characterized by the absence of a clear clinical picture. The patient may have rare disorders of the affected joint, but generally does not consult a doctor. At the same time, there are changes in the ligamentous-muscular apparatus and joint fluid, but there are still no visible deformities.
- II degree.The symptoms of osteoarthritis become more pronounced. The pain is characterized as being bearable but occurs regularly. The patient goes to the doctor, as he notices a decrease in the quality of life. A characteristic crunch may be heard in the affected joint. Changes in nearby muscle structures are observed, as nerve conduction is disturbed.
- III degree.Characterized by pronounced signs. Articular cartilage is very thin, cysts, foci of calcification or ossification can be found in it. The ligamentous apparatus shortens, which leads to an increase in mobility in the affected area, which is accompanied by a limitation due to a pronounced inflammatory process. The metabolism of the surrounding tissues suffers, which can lead to muscular dystrophy.
In any case, the patient must clarify the diagnosis by the attending physician. This is due to the specificity of the course of the disease, which is characterized by stages of remission and exacerbation, which alternately replace each other.
Pain with disease
Pain in osteoarthritis is the most common complaint with which patients go to the doctor. Their characteristic is their connection with the time of day, weather, physical activity.
In most patients, pain is aggravated by walking, running, or other types 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 due to stagnation of blood in the veins. Another reason is the increase in intraosseous pressure during this period.
One of the main diagnostic criteria is the presence of the so-called initial pains that bother the patient when he has just started active movement. Initial pains usually subside if physical activity continues. Their presence is explained by the presence of joint deposits (debris) that irritate the nerve endings. As these deposits move away from the nerves, the pain disappears.
Symptoms
In addition to pain, doctors identify other signs of osteoarthritis, from which the presence of pathology can be suspected.
These include:
- Aches and crunchy sound.Lomota mainly appears when a person has hypothermia. The crunch will be barely audible at first, but as the disease progresses without therapy, it will become audible to people around.
- Decreased range of motion. At an early stage of the development of the pathology, 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 closest muscle structures.
- Joint deformity.It is characteristic of the advanced stage of osteoarthritis, but it 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 is involved, a joint specialist. In addition, the patient will also have to visit an orthopedist. If the disease is a consequence of an inflammatory process, it is recommended to also visit a rheumatologist.
If necessary, other specialists may be involved during the treatment period. Most often, you have to resort to the services of traumatologists, physiotherapists, massage therapists, surgeons.
Diagnostics
Treatment of osteoarthritis of the joints begins only after the diagnosis has been confirmed and the degree of pathology has been established. First of all, the doctor interviews the patient in detail and conducts an examination. The presence of characteristic disorders and deformities suggests that there is a disease.
Radiography of the affected joint is a mandatory way to confirm the diagnosis. If the disease affects the knee, an image of the knee is taken, if the pathology is found in the hand, then the radiological signs of the disease are looked for specifically.
X-ray diagnostics does not always provide sufficient results to diagnose the patient. In this case, he can be sent for MRI (this will allow to assess the state of soft tissues and their involvement in the pathological process) or CT (this will allow to draw conclusions about the state of bone and cartilage structures, about the involvement of structuresanatomical structures in the pathological process).
Treatment
How to treat osteoarthritis of the joints? The choice of the appropriate therapeutic technique depends on the severity of the symptoms and the stage of the disease.
The doctor selects the treatment regimen after evaluating the general condition of the patient and the course of the disease. Both conservative and surgical methods of treatment can be used.
Medication
How to treat a disease if it is preferable not surgery, but the use of drugs?
Conservative therapy is suitable for patients only at an early stage of the formation of the pathology and will include the use of three main groups of drugs:
- glucocorticosteroids- hormonal drugs that effectively relieve the inflammatory process during an exacerbation, are injected into the joint cavity;
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugswhich are mainly injected and injected into muscles near the joint or directly into a vein. But doctors can also recommend pills, although this option for taking NSAIDs is not desirable due to the negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract;
- chondroprotectors- drugs of this group can reduce the destruction of cartilage tissues and improve regeneration, they are especially effective in the early stages of the disease.
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, joint replacement is performed in most cases. During the operation, the real joint is replaced with a prosthesis, which has all the functions of a healthy joint.
In some cases, palliative therapy options are provided, the main task of which is to reduce the load on the articular surfaces.
Exercise
In the early stages of the disease, it is treated not only with drugs, 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, the set of exercises is selected individually. The doctor must take into account the localization of arthrosis, which allows the most effective effect on the affected tissues.
Individual study without medical supervision is not recommended, especially in the initial phase. Exercises should be selected so that they are as smooth as possible, without sudden movements.
Physical therapy classes are only effective if the patient devotes some time each day to the recommended complex.
Traditional methods
Many people who suffer from osteoarthritis refuse to use drugs or surgery until the last moment. In this case, alternative medicines are used as substitutes for medicines.
The plants most commonly used in therapy are:
- Kalanchoe;
- ginger;
- hell;
- bay leaf;
- garlic;
- cinnamon;
- horsetail and others.
They are used in the form of tinctures, decoctions, compresses in the affected area. It is important to keep in mind that a complete treatment of the disease using only homemade 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? All simple preventive measures are available.
Recommended:
- moderate daily physical activity: walking, cycling, doing simple exercises such as bulking and so on;
- adherence to the basic principles of healthy eating: eat often, but little by little, avoid fast food, overeating, heavy and fatty foods, eat 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;
- the use of vitamin and mineral complexes in the event that the amount of nutrients supplied with food is considered insufficient.
Difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis
Many people confuse arthritis and osteoarthritis due to the similarity of sound. However, these are completely different diseases.
Arthritis is not called dystrophy and degeneration in the joint tissues, but any inflammatory reaction that can develop in the joint cavity, regardless of its cause. Inflammation very often affects not only the joint, but also the muscles closest to it, bone and ligament structures. Pain in arthritis is not associated with physical activity, it can disturb the patient even at rest, and there is no crunch in the joints at all.
In most cases, it is impossible to independently distinguish arthritis from arthrosis, since 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 the attending physician in order not to make a mistake with the subsequent treatment and prevention of the disease.
Osteoarthritis is a serious disease that can lead to disability if the patient does not go to the doctor in time. At the first signs of the disease, it is recommended to contact a specialist to confirm the diagnosis and select the most optimal treatment.
If it is possible to contract the disease at an early stage of development, then it will certainly be possible to do without surgery, limiting itself only to conservative treatment.