Causes, symptoms and treatment of arthrosis

Arthrosis is a disease whose symptoms everyone should know.This dangerous and very common pathology can be almost invisible at an early stage, however, as it progresses, it can cause unbearable pain and even lead to disability.We will talk about how to avoid this in our article.

Why does arthrosis appear and when should you start treating it?

Painful sensations in the joints, "clicks" during movement and reduced mobility of the limbs often go unnoticed: 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 that involves the destruction and thinning of articular cartilage tissue.In this case, the joint tissue loosens and grows, eventually leading to bone spurs and inflammation within the joint.

At an early stage, patients experience slight discomfort when moving, which they may not pay attention to.In the second stage of the disease, severe pain appears, leading to limited movement of the joints.The third stage, in addition to pain, is accompanied by complete or almost complete destruction of the articular cartilage tissue.

You can significantly slow down the development of arthrosis, help preserve the mobility of the limbs and avoid serious surgical intervention with the help of timely therapy - that is why it is so important to consult a rheumatologist at the first symptoms.

Treatment of arthrosis

From the point of view of European medicine, the treatment of such a serious disease as arthrosis requires an integrated approach, taking into account the symptoms at different stages of the disease.The complex of therapeutic measures, in addition to taking medications, includes measures for weight loss, 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 a whole range of actions aimed at combating the manifestations of the disease.

Drug treatment

The first task that arises in the treatment of arthrosis is the relief of pain and inflammation in the joints.For this purpose, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are prescribed, such as ibuprofen, ketorolac, piroxicam, diclofenac and their derivatives - in the form of tablets, injections, gels, ointments or rectal suppositories.Remember that the use of this group of drugs only relieves the main symptoms of the disease.In addition, 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's pain.Unlike NSAIDs, analgesics relieve inflammatory processes to a lesser extent, but are more effective in combating pain.If muscle spasms occur, antispasmodics are prescribed, such as Mydocalm.Both groups of drugs are most often used in the form of injections to relieve the symptoms of arthrosis, but they are ineffective in fighting the disease itself.

Chondroprotectors are one of the most important components of drug treatment for arthrosis: they saturate cartilage tissue with nutrients, stimulating cell growth.The group of chondroprotectors includes, for example, glucosamine, 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 if the disease has reached the third, more severe stage.

Vasodilators are used to improve blood flow and also to relieve spasms of small vessels.Taking such drugs in combination 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 us to eliminate one of the main causes of pain: spiny bone processes - osteophytes.Under the influence of ultrasonic waves, the "spike" softens and dissolves over time, improving 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 advisable mainly for bedridden patients, as well as in the presence of severe injuries, when the necessary physical exercises are contraindicated.Although electromyostimulation is not the most common goal of 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 - ultrasonic waves and medications.As a result, phonophoresis allows you to significantly increase the effect of drugs: thanks to ultrasound, their substances are distributed to the "target" cells and absorbed by them much 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 a course of several injections, depending on the severity of the disease.

Methods of traditional Chinese medicine

In Chinese medicine, the restoration of joint health begins with diagnosis, during which the general condition of the body is assessed and the main cause of arthrosis is identified.Then the doctor designs a program to influence the biologically active points.The complex treatment of arthrosis includes the following TCM methods:

• acupuncture (acupuncture) - placement of the finest needles in points in a certain combination;
• phytocompresses - "squeezes" from medicinal herbs;
• moxa therapy - heating with wormwood cigars;
• Tuina acupressure.

In this case, the main attention is paid to acupuncture as the most effective method of treatment in traditional Chinese medicine.The results of the therapy depend mainly on the qualifications of the specialist.Being in the hands of a skilled doctor, the patient will soon be able to notice an improvement in well-being, accompanied by pain relief, 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 exercises.Exercise therapy for arthrosis is considered an excellent way to improve blood circulation in the affected joint area, as well as to strengthen the 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.The equipment allows you to increase the load during gymnastics (due to different weights), protecting the injured joint from damage.Like exercise therapy, mechanotherapy helps improve blood circulation and increase muscle tone.
• Common attraction.The essence of the procedure is the mechanical "stretching" of the joint using a special apparatus for 15-20 minutes.This allows you to reduce the load on the joints, slow down the development of arthrosis and significantly reduce the patient's pain.A course consisting of 10-12 sessions is carried out approximately once every six months to improve and consolidate the result.
• Lymphatic drainage and warming massage.These procedures help to warm the diseased area, relieve spasm and pain, and improve blood circulation in the joint.Lymphatic drainage and heating massage can also be used if the patient has limited mobility.
• Dietary nutrition recipe.Weight correction is one of the ways to significantly reduce the load on the joints and slow down the development of arthrosis.Of course, maintaining a diet in itself does not contribute to recovery, but in combination with other procedures it can give a certain effect.
• Lifestyle correction.To fight arthrosis, the patient will have to significantly revise the usual way of life and start wearing only comfortable shoes, using only comfortable furniture, and women will have to give up high heels.It is also advisable to get rid of bad habits and eliminate excessive physical activity.In some cases, wearing an orthosis and regular visits to the pool and sauna will be helpful.A comprehensive list of recommendations can be obtained from the attending physician, which he will draw up 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, removing part of the fluid - this allows you to take material for analysis, reduce the load on the capsule and, if necessary, also inject corticosteroid drugs directly into the site of inflammation.
2. Diagnostic arthroscopy.Arthroscopy involves inserting a special arthroscope apparatus through micro-incisions in the skin.This allows you to fully examine the joint, as well as remove separate fragments of cartilage, eliminating the causes of the inflammatory process and pain.
3. Corrective osteotomy.The essence of this surgical procedure is to assemble the patient's bones and then adjust them at a different angle.The operation allows you to reduce the load on the joint and eliminate pain for a long period.Such a radical effect is rarely described - the load on the patient's body is too great and the rehabilitation period is too long.
4. Endoprosthetics.In cases where other types of treatment have not helped, and the disease has completely or almost completely destroyed the joints, they are replaced with prostheses made of plastic, metal or ceramic.Endoprosthesis replacement is a difficult and expensive operation that requires long-term rehabilitation.Many patients experience pain for several months after surgery.However, endoprosthetics for the patient is often the only option for the possibility 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 features of the treatment of arthrosis of different types

Despite the common features in the symptoms, arthrosis of different joints has its own signs and features of treatment.For example, the use of ointments for arthrosis of the hip joint is ineffective because of muscle tissue and fat, which prevents the medicine from reaching the site of inflammation.But the same ointments work well when applied to the knee or elbow joint.Let's see which symptoms are typical for arthrosis of the joints (ankle, knee, elbow, shoulder, fingers and hips) and what treatment is suitable for each case.

• Treatment of arthrosis of the wrists (fingers).At an early stage, the disease appears only as a slight crackling and slight pain when moving the hands, but in the absence of treatment it becomes visually apparent: visible thickenings appear on the phalanges in the joint area.The pain intensifies and becomes constant, a burning and throbbing sensation appears in the fingers.NSAIDs and corticosteroids are used to relieve pain and inflammation;massage, chondroprotectors, and finger traction are used to slow cartilage destruction.
• Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint.Painful spasm of the muscles, decreased mobility of the arms, "lumbago" when lifting and moving them to the sides - all these are symptoms of arthrosis of the shoulder joint.Massage and physical therapy are prescribed in combination with the use of antispasmodics and intra-articular injections of sedatives.
• Treatment of arthrosis of the elbow joint.Symptoms of elbow joint disease include a loud cracking sound when you bend your elbows and move your hands, "shooting" pain and weakness in the muscles.To get rid of this type of arthrosis, physiotherapeutic procedures, compresses and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of ointments are used.
• Treatment of arthrosis of the hip joint.Osteoarthritis of the hip joint is characterized by a "soft" crackling of the joints, painful or uncomfortable sensations in the lower back when moving or severe fatigue.During the treatment of 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.With gonarthrosis, patients complain of cracking sounds when moving, pain in the calf area, especially with heavy loads, and an increase in the size of the joint.Complex therapy includes: shock wave therapy, joint traction, physical therapy, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ointments) and the use of compresses.
• Treatment of ankle arthrosis.A tingling sensation, redness, tingling, clicking in the leg area, rapid fatigue while walking - these symptoms indicate the development of arthrosis of the ankle joint.Physiotherapy, massage and therapeutic baths are effective in the treatment of this disease.You should also reduce the load on the ankle.

To avoid the appearance of arthrosis, especially if there is a predisposition, you should adhere to simple rules: wear comfortable shoes, maintain physical activity, taking precautions during exercise, avoid injuries and hypothermia.To prevent the disease, it is especially important to maintain a normal weight, because every extra kilogram increases the load on the joints.