Arthritis is a kind of joint degenerative disease, accompanied by the process of cartilage dystrophy. As the disease progresses, the destruction process also involves joint capsules, ligaments, synovium and recent bone structures.
The prevalence of arthritis
Most people with arthritis are elderly people. Disease after 65 is not only the most commonly diagnosed joint pathology, but also the main cause of disability and subsequent disability. In addition, in old age, most women get sick, but among young people, most are men.
The incidence of osteoarthritis varies greatly in different countries. The reason for the widespread dissemination of statistics has not yet been determined.
Causes and risk factors
Osteoarthritis is a primary or secondary disease. If there is no objective reason for the development of pathology, they will say it is the main type. If it is possible to determine the cause of arthritis, they are talking about secondary types.
Secondary arthritis can be triggered by the following negative factors:
- Joint trauma of various natures (frequent falls, sprains, bruises);
- Chronic congenital tissue dysplasia;
- Pathological changes during metabolism;
- Various autoimmune pathologies;
- Non-specific inflammatory process in the joint area;
- Certain pathologies of the endocrine system organs; Degenerative malnutrition type
- process, long-term occurrence;
- Various diseases, accompanied by excessive joint mobility, accompanied by ligament ligaments;
- The existence of hemophilia;
- Certain types of inflammatory processes.
In addition to the direct causes that directly lead to the development of the disease, there are also some predisposing factors. These factors themselves will not cause the disease, but will increase the risk of its development.
Including:
- Over 55 years old;
- Excess weight, therefore, the load on the joints increases;
- Due to improper sports training, the load on any joint or group is too large, requiring special work that needs to stay in one position for a long time;
- History of joint surgery;
- Heredity;
- Hormonal changes in postmenopausal women;
- Continuous low temperature;
- Untreated spinal pathology;
- Insufficient intake of effective trace elements and trace elements in food.
Development mechanism
The mechanism of arthritis is well known. Make sure that the cartilage that the two bones are in normal contact is naturally smooth, without irregularities and roughness, which helps maintain the normal movement of the joints. As the disease progresses, the structure of cartilage changes, becomes rough, and defects appear on it, which reduces the effectiveness of natural sliding.
Due to the unevenness obtained, the cartilage is gradually injured, where it begins to calcify and where it ossifies. In this case, it is possible to separate small particles, which eventually enter the joint fluid and may damage surrounding tissues.
As the pathology worsens, the joint may enter a chronic subluxation state, which will severely impair its motor function.
Degree
Doctors classify arthritis into three main degrees:
- I have a degree.It is characterized by the lack of clear clinical pictures. Patients may rarely complain of joint pain, but usually do not consult a doctor. At the same time, the ligament-muscle device and joint fluid have changed, but there are no visible deformities.
- II degrees.The symptoms of arthritis become more pronounced. The characteristic of pain is tolerable but often occurs. The patient went to see the doctor because he noticed a decline in the quality of life. A typical rattle can be heard in the affected joint. As nerve conduction is disturbed, changes are observed in nearby muscle structures.
- III degrees.is characterized by obvious symbols. The articular cartilage is very thin, and cysts, calcifications or ossification foci can be seen in it. The ligament device becomes shorter, resulting in increased mobility of the affected area, which is accompanied by a significant inflammatory process. The metabolism of surrounding tissues is impaired, which may lead to muscular dystrophy.
In any case, the patient needs to clarify the diagnosis of the attending doctor. This is due to the specificity of the course of the disease, which is characterized by remission and exacerbation stages, alternately replacing each other.
Illness and pain
Joint pain is the most common complaint when patients go to the doctor. Their characteristics are related to the time of day, weather and physical exercise.
In most patients, walking, running, or other types of physical activity targeting the affected joint will exacerbate the pain. Once the load stops, the pain gradually subsides. The fact that cartilage can no longer perform its shock-absorbing function explains their development.
At night, the most uncomfortable conditions are usually caused by blood stagnation in the veins. Another reason is the increase in intraosseous pressure during this period.
One of the main diagnostic criteria is the so-called initial pain, which troubles the patient when the patient first starts active exercise. If you continue physical activity, the initial pain will usually ease. Their occurrence can be explained by the presence of joint deposits (debris) that stimulate nerve endings. Once these deposits are free from the nerves, the pain will disappear.
Symptoms
In addition to pain, the doctor also found other signs of joint disease, based on which suspected pathology.
Including:
- Pain and crisp sound.Lomota mainly appears when the human body is hypothermic. At first the austerity is hardly heard, but as the disease progresses, people around you will be able to hear it without treatment.
- Reduced mobility. In the early stages of pathological development, there is no decline in activity. However, the longer the disease is not treated, the stronger the restriction of joint movement. This can be explained by the reduction of the joint space and the spasm of the nearest muscle structure.
- Joint deformities.It is a characteristic of advanced arthritis, but it is also an important indicator of disease progression. During this period, it has been difficult to treat this disease.
Which doctor treats arthritis?
Who treats arthritis? In most cases, some experts will be involved in the treatment. First, a joint specialist is involved. In addition, patients need to see an orthopedic doctor. If the disease is the result of an inflammatory process, it is recommended to also go to a rheumatologist.
If needed, other experts may be involved during treatment. In most cases, you must turn to traumatologists, physical therapists, chiropractors, surgeons.
Diagnosis
The treatment of arthritis should be started only after the diagnosis and the degree of pathology are confirmed. First, the doctor conducts detailed interviews and checks on the patient. The presence of characteristic complaints and deformities indicates the presence of disease.
X-ray examination of the affected joints is a necessary way to confirm the diagnosis. If the disease affects the knee, take a picture of the knee, and if pathology is found on the hand, search for radiological signs of the disease at that location.
Diagnosis using radiography does not always provide sufficient results to diagnose patients. In this case, he can be sent for MRI examination (which will allow assessment of the state of soft tissue and its involvement in the pathological process) or CT examination (which will make it possible to derive information about the state of the bone and cartilage structure, the pathological processThe conclusion of the participation of the closest anatomical structure).
Treatment
How to treat joint arthritis? The choice of the appropriate treatment technique depends on the severity of the symptoms and the stage of the disease.
The doctor selects a treatment plan after evaluating the patient's overall condition and course of disease. Can use conservative treatment methods and surgical treatment methods.
Drugs
If it is not surgery but medication, how should it be treated?
Conservative therapy is only suitable for patients with early pathology, including the use of three types of drugs:
- Glucocorticoids-Hormone drugs can effectively alleviate the inflammatory process in the process of exacerbation and inject them into the joint cavity;
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugsare mainly injected and injected into the muscles near the joints or directly into the veins. But doctors can also recommend pills, although this method of taking NSAIDs is not advisable due to the negative effects on the gastrointestinal tract.
- Chondroprotectants-This group of drugs can reduce the destruction of cartilage tissue and enhance regeneration, which is particularly effective in the early stages of disease.
Surgery
How to treat arthritis if the disease has advanced enough? In this case, conservative treatment will be ineffective, and doctors can only recommend surgery to patients.
Today, joint replacements are performed in most cases. During the operation, the real joint was replaced with a prosthesis with all the functions of a healthy joint.
In some cases, palliative care options are provided, the main task of which is to reduce the load on the joint surface.
Practice
In the early stages of the disease, it can be treated not only with medication but also with physical therapy. Exercise is an important stage of treatment, helping to maintain joint function and reduce the possibility of further development of the disease.
According to the severity of the pathology and the individual characteristics of the patient, select a group of exercises. The doctor must consider the positioning of the joints, which can have the most effective effect on the affected tissues.
It is not recommended to conduct self-study without medical supervision, especially in the early stages. The movements must be chosen so that they are as smooth as possible and do not move suddenly.
Exercise therapy courses are only effective if the patient spends a little time each day with the recommended complex.
Traditional method
Many people with joint disease refuse to use drugs or surgery until the last minute. In this case, alternative medicines are used as substitutes for medicines.
The most commonly used plants in treatment are:
- Kalanchoe;
- Ginger;
- hell;
- Bay leaf;
- garlic;
- Cinnamon;
- Ponytail and so on.
They are applied to the affected area in the form of of medicine, decoction, and ointment. It is important to remember that using homemade recipes alone cannot completely cure the disease. It is best to combine traditional therapies with traditional medicine.
Prevention
How to reduce the possibility of developing arthritis in old age? Anyone can use simple precautions.
Recommended:
- Moderate daily physical activities: walking, biking, doing some simple fitness exercises, etc.
- Adhere to the basic principles of healthy eating: eat regularly, but eat little by little, avoid fast food, overeating, heavy and high-fat foods, and eat more spices;
- Weight control: weight gain leads to increased pressure on the joints, which leads to arthritis;
- Timely treatment of chronic diseases that cause metabolic disorders;
- If it is considered that the nutrients provided in the food are insufficient, vitamin and mineral complexes should be used.
The difference between arthritis and arthritis
Many people confuse arthritis with arthritis due to the similarity of voices. However, these are completely different diseases.
In most cases, it is impossible to separate arthritis from arthritis independently, because the main symptom is pain, and patients seldom understand the characteristics of each pathology.
It is best to entrust an accurate diagnosis to the attending physician to avoid making mistakes in subsequent disease treatment and prevention.
Arthropathy is a serious pathology, if the patient does not see a doctor in time, it may lead to disability. At the first sign of the disease, it is recommended to contact an expert to confirm the diagnosis and choose the best treatment plan.
If the disease can be contracted in the early stages of development, it can be done even without surgical intervention, which is limited to conservative treatment.