Causes, symptoms and treatment of arthrosis

Arthrosis is a disease that everyone should know the symptoms of.This dangerous and very common pathology can be almost invisible in the early stages, but as it progresses, it can cause unbearable pain and even cause disability.We will talk about how to avoid this in our article.

Why does arthrosis occur and when should treatment be started?

Painful sensations in the joints, "clicks" during movement and reduced mobility of the limbs are often ignored: most people do not pay attention to such signals from the body.Meanwhile, these symptoms can indicate a serious disease - arthrosis.

Arthrosis deformans is a disease involving destruction and thinning of articular cartilage tissue.In this condition, the joint tissue loosens and enlarges, resulting in the appearance of bone spurs and inflammation within the joint.

In the early stage, patients feel a slight discomfort when moving, they do not pay attention to it.In the second stage of the disease, severe pain occurs, which leads to limitation of joint mobility.The third stage, in addition to pain, is accompanied by complete or almost complete destruction of the articular cartilage tissue.

With timely therapy, you can significantly slow down the development of arthrosis, help maintain limb mobility and avoid serious surgical intervention - therefore, it is very important to consult a rheumatologist at the first symptoms.

Treatment of arthrosis

From the point of view of European medicine, the treatment of a serious disease such as arthrosis requires a complex approach, taking into account the symptoms at different stages of the disease.In addition to taking medication, the complex of therapeutic measures includes weight loss measures, kinesiotherapy, physiotherapy and, if necessary, surgical intervention is prescribed.The treatment program is drawn up by a rheumatologist taking into account the localization of the disease, the characteristics of the patient's body, but necessarily includes all measures aimed at combating the manifestations of the disease.

Drug treatment

The first task in the treatment of arthrosis is to eliminate pain and inflammation in the joint.For this purpose, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, ketorolac, piroxicam, diclofenac and their derivatives are prescribed - in the form of tablets, injections, gels, ointments or rectal suppositories.Remember that the use of this group of drugs only removes the main symptoms of the disease.Moreover, long-term use of NSAIDs can accelerate the process of cartilage destruction, so they should be used very carefully and only as prescribed by a doctor.

The use of analgesics is another way to relieve the patient from pain.Unlike NSAIDs, analgesics relieve inflammatory processes to a lesser extent, but are more effective in combating pain.If muscle spasms occur, antispasmodics, such as Mydocalm, are prescribed.Both groups of drugs are most often used in the form of injections to relieve the symptoms of arthrosis, but are ineffective in combating the disease itself.

Chondroprotectors are one of the most important components of drug treatment for arthrosis: they saturate cartilage tissue with nutrients and stimulate cell growth.The group of chondroprotectors includes, for example, glucosamine, which is produced in the form of tablets or capsules.You should not expect a quick effect from the use of chondroprotectors: an improvement in the condition of the cartilage can be observed only after long-term use of the drugs.In addition, they will not help when the disease reaches the third, most severe stage.

Vasodilators are used to improve blood flow and also relieve spasm of small vessels.Taking such drugs together with chondroprotectors increases the effect of the latter: nutrients enter the cartilage tissue in a larger volume.

Physiotherapy

1. Shock wave therapy.The use of shock wave therapy (SWT) for arthrosis allows to eliminate one of the main causes of pain: spiny bone processes - osteophytes.Under the influence of ultrasound waves, "spike" softens and dissolves over time, increasing the efficiency of blood flow and metabolic processes.Despite all its advantages, shock wave therapy is effective only in the early stages of arthrosis and has many contraindications, so it is prescribed with caution.
2. Automated electromyostimulation with verticalization.The use of electrical impulses for muscle contraction is recommended primarily for bedridden patients, as well as in case of severe injuries, when necessary physical exercises are a contraindication.Although electromyostimulation is not the most common goal for arthrosis, its use helps to increase muscle tone and improve blood circulation, which has a positive effect on the dynamics of recovery.
3. Ultraphonophoresis.This procedure combines two types of effects - ultrasound waves and drugs.As a result, phonophoresis allows to significantly increase the effect of drugs: thanks to ultrasound, their substances are delivered to the "target" cells and absorbed by them more actively.
4. Ozone therapy.Injecting a gas mixture into the joint capsule reduces pain and inflammation, helps restore joint mobility, and improves blood circulation.As a rule, ozone therapy is prescribed in several injection courses, depending on the severity of the disease.

Traditional Chinese medicine methods

Restoration of joint health in Chinese medicine begins with diagnostics, during which the general condition of the body is assessed and the root cause of arthrosis is determined.Then the doctor designs a program to influence the biologically active points.Complex treatment of arthrosis includes the following TCM methods:

• acupuncture (acupuncture) - placement of the thinnest needles at points in a certain joint;
• phytocompresses - "squeeze" from medicinal plants;
• moxa therapy - heating with wormwood cigars;
• Tuina acupressure.

At this time, the main focus is on acupuncture as the most effective treatment method in traditional Chinese medicine.The results of the therapy mainly depend on the specialist's qualifications.In the hands of a competent doctor, the patient will soon be able to observe the improvement of well-being accompanied by the elimination of pain, restoration of joint mobility, strengthening of the immune system, normalization of blood circulation and metabolism[2].

Other methods of non-surgical treatment of arthrosis:

• Therapeutic exercise.Exercise therapy for arthrosis is considered an excellent way to improve blood circulation in the affected joint area, as well as strengthen muscles.As a rule, the doctor recommends starting with simple exercises and gradually increasing the number of repetitions.
• Mechanotherapy.Physical therapy can be supplemented with mechanotherapy - exercises using special simulators.Devices allow you to increase the load during gymnastics (for different weights), and at the same time protect the painful joint from damage.Like exercise therapy, mechanotherapy helps improve blood circulation and increase muscle tone.
• Joint traction.The essence of the procedure is the mechanical "stretching" of the joint using a special apparatus for 15-20 minutes.This allows to reduce the joint load, slow down the development of arthrosis and significantly reduce pain in the patient.To improve and strengthen the result, a course consisting of 10-12 sessions is held approximately once every six months.
• Lymphatic drainage and warming massage.These procedures help to warm up the diseased area, relieve spasm and pain, and improve blood circulation in the joints.Lymphatic drainage and warming massage can also be used when the patient's movement is limited.
• Diet nutrition recipe.Weight correction is one of the ways to significantly reduce the load on the joint and slow down the development of arthrosis.Of course, dieting alone does not help recovery, but it can have a certain effect in combination with other procedures.
• Lifestyle correction.To fight arthrosis, the patient will have to significantly revise his usual lifestyle and start wearing only comfortable shoes, using only comfortable furniture, and women will have to give up high-heeled shoes.It is also advisable to get rid of bad habits and eliminate excessive physical activity.In some cases, wearing an orthosis, regular visits to the pool and sauna will be helpful.You can get a comprehensive list of recommendations from the attending physician, who will compile them based on the patient's condition.

Surgical treatment

1. Puncture (minimally invasive intervention).It is also used to diagnose the disease.A needle is inserted into the joint capsule taking part of the fluid - this allows obtaining material for analysis, reducing the load in the capsule and, if necessary, administering corticosteroid drugs directly to the inflammation.
2. Diagnostic arthroscopy.Arthroscopy involves inserting a special arthroscope device through micro-incisions in the skin.This allows for a comprehensive examination of the joint, eliminating the causes of the inflammatory process and pain, as well as removing detached fragments of cartilage.
3. Corrective osteotomy.The essence of this surgical procedure is to file the patient's bones and then straighten them at a different angle.The operation allows to reduce the load on the joint and relieve pain for a long time.Such a radical effect is rarely prescribed - the burden on the patient's body is too great and the rehabilitation period is too long.
4. Endoprostheses.In cases where other types of treatment do not help and the disease destroys the joints completely or almost completely, they are replaced with prostheses made of plastic, metal or ceramics.Endoprosthesis replacement is a difficult and expensive operation that requires long-term rehabilitation.Many patients experience pain for several months after surgery.However, for the patient, endoprosthetics are often the only alternative to the prospect of immobilization.The service life of modern prostheses reaches twenty years, and during all these years the patient will be able to live a full life.

Symptoms and treatment features of different types of arthrosis

Despite common features in symptoms, arthrosis of different joints has its own symptoms and treatment features.For example, the use of ointments for arthrosis of the hip joint is ineffective due to muscle and fatty tissue, which prevents the drug from reaching the site of inflammation.However, the same ointments work well when applied to the knee or elbow joint.Let's consider what symptoms are characteristic of arthrosis of the joints (ankle, knee, elbow, shoulder, fingers and hip) and what treatment is suitable for each situation.

• Treatment of arthrosis of hand (finger) joints.In the early stage, the disease manifests itself only as a slight crunch and slight pain when moving the hands, but in the absence of treatment, it is visually noticeable: noticeable thickening of the phalanges in the joint area is visible.The pain intensifies and becomes constant, a burning sensation and pulsation appear in the fingers.NSAIDs and corticosteroids are used to relieve pain and inflammation;massage, chondroprotectors and finger stretching are used to slow down the destruction of cartilage.
• Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint.Painful spasms of the muscles, reduced mobility of the arms, "lumbago" when lifting them and moving them to the sides - all these are symptoms of arthrosis of the shoulder joint.Massage and physical therapy are prescribed together with the use of antispasmodics and intra-articular injections of pain relievers.
• Treatment of arthrosis of the elbow joint.Symptoms of elbow joint disease include a loud cracking sound, pain and weakness in the muscles when bending the elbows and moving the hands.Physiotherapy procedures, compresses and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of ointments are used to get rid of this type of arthrosis.
• Treatment of arthrosis of the hip joint.Arthrosis of the hip joint is characterized by "soft" crunching of the joints, painful or uncomfortable sensations in the lower back when moving or during severe fatigue.When treating the disease, painkillers are prescribed in the form of injections, capsules or tablets, compresses with anti-inflammatory solutions.
• Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint.Patients with gonarthrosis complain of crackling sounds when moving, pain in the lower leg, especially with heavy loads, and an increase in the size of the joint.Complex therapy includes: shock wave therapy, joint traction, physical therapy, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ointments) and use of compresses.
• Treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint.Tingling sensation, redness, crunching, clicking in the leg area, rapid fatigue when walking - these signs indicate the development of arthrosis of the ankle joint.Physiotherapy, massage and therapeutic baths are effective in the treatment of such diseases.You should also reduce the load on your ankle.

To prevent the development of arthrosis, especially if there is a tendency, you should follow simple rules: wear comfortable shoes, continue physical activity, take precautions when exercising, avoid injuries and hypothermia.To prevent the disease, it is especially important to maintain a normal weight, because each extra kilogram increases the load on the joints.