One of the diseases of the joints is arthrosis. During this disease, the cartilage inside the joints slowly breaks down. After a long period of time, various changes appear, the joint ends of the bones are restored, the inflammatory process intensifies and the periarticular tissues are destroyed. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases in the world. According to statistics, the disease affects more than 70% of people all over the planet. In terms of prevalence, arthrosis of the joints is in second place after oncological and cardiovascular diseases. The older the person, the greater the likelihood of osteoarthritis. Men and women are equally affected by this disease. In addition, arthrosis can develop in an able-bodied person over the age of 30.
Why does the disease occur?
The development of arthrosis is associated with impaired metabolism in the joints. As a result, the cartilage loses its former elasticity. This may be 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 collapse, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis. The most common cause is an abnormal load on the joint when the cartilage cannot withstand it.
Also, some factors contribute to the appearance and development of arthrosis:
- Transmitted trauma. This includes dislocation, contusion, fracture, torn ligaments, etc.
- Disturbance of metabolic processes.
- Excess body weight, as a result of which there is an additional load on the joints.
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the joint (with acute purulent arthritis).
- Old age.
- Failure to observe proper nutrition.
- Frequent hypothermia.
- The presence of autoimmune diseases. These include lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis.
- With general intoxication of the body.
- The occurrence of frequent colds.
- In syphilis, tuberculosis, encephalitis, gonorrhea.
- In diseases of the thyroid gland.
- If blood coagulation is impaired.
Varieties of the disease
The most common type is osteoarthritis of the knee. The knee joint suffers. Such a diagnosis can be given to a person who is overweight, has impaired metabolic processes or has experienced severe stress. The disease can develop over many years, and reaching the final stage, immobilization of the knee can occur.
Ankle arthritis occurs in the ankle joint. The development of the disease can be provoked by the resulting injury, sprain, 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 activity is associated with regular excessive load on the ankles (dancers, athletes, women wearing high heels).
The presence of congenital defects of the shoulder joint or excessive load can provoke the appearance of shoulder arthrosis. Increased chance of getting sick from painter, plasterer, 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 the tissues of the joint. In most cases, such a diagnosis is given to people over the age of 45.
The development of cervical arthrosis occurs due to insufficient mobility of the cervical spine, obesity and trauma. At risk are those people who have a sedentary job. The main symptoms of this type of arthrosis are limited joint mobility, dizziness, headache and fainting. This is explained by the fact that the spinal 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 exceeds 70 years. The main number of cases of such arthrosis damage is observed in women, because with age, estrogen levels decrease.
How the disease manifests itself
The main symptom of arthrosis is pain when loading the joints. The disappearance of this symptom occurs when the joint is at rest. Arthritis pain has certain characteristics. 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 optimal position of the body. Pain at rest occurs only when the disease progresses. Such sensations are reminiscent of a toothache. During this period one cannot sleep. The cartilage then thins and the bone is exposed, resulting in the growth of osteophytes. Acute pain does not leave a person and intensifies in the presence of various factors.
Another telltale symptom of the disease is crunching. It is heard due to the reduced softness of the rotation of the bone in the joint, friction occurs between them. This is the reason for the characteristic sound. The presence of crunch is inherent in other diseases, taking into account healthy joints. However, with arthrosis, a dry sound is heard. As the disease progresses, such sounds become louder. In parallel with the crunch, a person feels pain.
Osteoarthritis can be recognized by the reduced mobility of the joint. The initial stage is characterized by the absence of such a symptom. But with the progression of the disease, bone neoplasms appear, as a result of which the joint gap disappears. In humans, the limb is immobilized at the point where the joint is affected.
A characteristic sign of the disease arthrosis is the deformation of the joints. They are modified due to the growth of osteophytes on the surface of the bone and the presence of synovial fluid there. 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 your own sensations. This means that a person should immediately visit a qualified clinician to clarify the diagnosis. In the medical center, the patient will be sent for an X-ray examination, due to which different degrees of the course of the disease are determined:
- At the first stage, 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, the joint gap narrows, the presence of numerous osteophytes and the beginning of joint deformation are established.
- At stage 4, the joint is almost absent, numerous osteophytes and significant deformity are identified.
How to diagnose arthrosis
Diagnostic measures begin with a survey and examination of the patient. After that, the specialist prescribes an X-ray examination of the affected joint. In most cases, the X-ray is taken in two projections. Therefore, a dystrophic change in the tissues is visualized, and it is also determined how much cartilage and adjacent bones are affected. In a patient 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 may be a loss of stability in the joint, leading to subluxations.
The first sign of arthrosis, which is visualized in the photo, is osteophytes. First, the articular surface, namely its edge, becomes sharp. After that, its thickening is obtained, and subsequently the presence of growths and spikes is observed. Considering the obtained X-ray, the doctor makes the following conclusion:
- Suspected arthrosis. This means that it is not possible to determine how narrowed the joint space is, but the presence of small osteophytes is detected.
- The presence of mild arthrosis. Such a diagnosis means a good visualization of osteophytes, but the narrowing of the joint space is questionable.
- 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, a bone deformity can be detected on an X-ray.
- The presence of severe arthrosis. In this diagnosis, the joint is significantly narrowed and large osteophytes are formed. There will also be complete deformity of the joint.
Lifestyle with arthritis:
- Relieve the damaged joint from excessive stress.
- Carefully follow the established orthopedic regimen.
- Use physical therapy.
- Take a course in physical therapy.
- Visit a sanatorium.
How to treat?
Medical method
The 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. Using drugs, you can relieve pain and eliminate the inflammatory process that occurs in the joint. In this case, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. An experienced doctor will not recommend the use of such a drug orally. This can irritate the stomach lining. This means that the drug is best administered intravenously or intramuscularly. In some cases, as an adjuvant, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as an ointment.
If the disease worsens, the patient is prescribed hormonal corticosteroids. They are applied intra-articularly. The introduction of hydrocortisone or diprospan is implied. As an external remedy, they may prescribe the use of a special patch, ointment or tincture, the basis of which is hot pepper. In addition, chondroprotectors are included in the medical treatment of arthrosis. They restore cartilage and improve the quality of synovial fluid. The duration of the course of therapeutic measures depends on the onset of improvement. If the expected result does not occur within 6 months, the drug is canceled. The protectors are used in parallel with preparations based on hyaluronic acid. Thanks to such drugs, a shell of cells is formed, which contribute to the formation of joint cartilage. Effective treatment of arthrosis can complement the intake of diacerein. Regenerates cartilage tissue. Improvement will occur in two to four weeks.
Surgical methods
If conservative methods did not cope with the disease, the patient is appointed for surgery. One of the methods of surgical intervention is a puncture. It serves both as a therapeutic and as a diagnostic method. When performing a puncture, a needle is inserted into the affected joint, after which a small amount of fluid is taken. This fluid will be sent to the 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. When performing such a procedure, the condition of the joints from the inside is assessed. During surgical intervention, a qualified specialist removes unnecessary cartilage, the patient will not be tormented by pain.
Another method of surgical treatment is periarticular osteotomy. During the operation, the bones of the joint are filed and fixed in the required position. Thanks to this method, the load on the affected area is reduced and soreness is eliminated. The procedure is considered a fairly effective treatment of arthrosis, 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 assigned arthroplasty. This is a complicated and expensive operation. Dentures can be made of ceramic, plastic or metal. After the application of this method, the patient will have a long period of recovery and pain. In some situations, this is the only way to help a patient with diagnosed arthrosis, otherwise complete immobility cannot be avoided. Using a high-quality prosthesis will extend its life up to 15 years.
Physiotherapy methods
The shock wave method helps to free the patient from the resulting osteophytes or bone processes. Osteophytes are provocateurs of pain. With the help of waves, such growths are softened and after a certain period of time they completely dissolve. In addition, there will be an improvement in the nutrition of the joint, metabolic processes are normalized. The effectiveness of this procedure has been proven in the early stage of arthrosis. For shock wave therapy, the patient must have a doctor's prescription. This is explained by the presence of many contraindications.
Another physiotherapeutic method includes myostimulation. Muscles are stimulated with electrical impulses. Myostimulation is prescribed for bedridden patients or those who observe bed rest after an injury. Given that blood flow in the affected area is normalized and muscle tone increases, this method is rarely used in arthrosis.
The use of phonophoresis involves the impact of an ultrasound wave and a drug 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 excruciating pain, the inflammatory process decreases, the joint becomes more mobile and the blood circulates normally. This method consists of several courses of treatment. The duration of treatment depends on how severe the stage of the disease is.
Other treatments
An effective method of combating arthrosis is the use of a physiotherapy complex. Performing special exercises, the patient normalizes the blood flow in the affected area, strengthens the muscles. Classes start with simple exercises, then the load increases.
The use of manual therapy and lymphatic drainage massage helps to reduce pain, improve blood supply to the affected joints. This method is good because even immobilized patients can use it.
An addition to the medical and physical cultural complex is the use of mechanotherapy. In this case, different simulators are used. With their help, the load increases during classes, but the joints will not be damaged. Thanks to mechanotherapy, blood circulation in the joints will increase, muscles will be toned.
When you contact 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 compliance with medical prescriptions, specialists guarantee a positive result at the same time with minimal financial costs for the patient.