One of the joint diseases is arthrosis. During this disease, the cartilage in the joint is slowly destroyed. After a long period, various changes appear, the articular ends of the bones are rebuilt, the inflammatory process increases, and the periarticular tissue is destroyed. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases worldwide. Based on statistics, this disease affects more than 70% of people around the planet. In terms of prevalence, joint arthrosis is the second after oncological and cardiovascular diseases. The older a person is, the higher the likelihood of osteoarthritis. Both men and women are affected by this disease. In addition, arthrosis can also develop in people over 30 years old.
Why does the disease appear?
The development of arthrosis is associated with impaired metabolism in the joints. As a result, cartilage loses its former elasticity. This may appear due to the complete or partial loss of proteoglycan, which is part of cartilage. Cracks in the cartilage contribute to this phenomenon. In addition, doctors say that arthrosis is the result of both metabolic disorders and hormonal failure, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis. The most common cause is an abnormal load on the joint, when the cartilage cannot withstand it.
Also, several factors contribute to the appearance and development of arthrosis:
- Transferred trauma. These include sprains, bruises, fractures, torn ligaments, etc.
- Violation of metabolic processes.
- Excess body weight, as a result, additional load is placed on the joints.
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the joints (with acute purulent arthritis).
- Old age.
- Not following a proper diet.
- Frequent hypothermia.
- The presence of autoimmune diseases. These include lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis.
- With general intoxication of the body.
- Frequent colds.
- With syphilis, tuberculosis, encephalitis, gonorrhea.
- With thyroid gland disease.
- If blood clotting is affected.
Disease varieties
The most common type is knee osteoarthritis. The knee joint suffers. Such a diagnosis can be made to a person who is overweight, metabolic processes are disturbed, or severe stress has been experienced. 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 this disease can be provoked by resulting injuries, sprains, dysplasia, gout, diabetes mellitus. In some cases, rheumatoid arthritis may be a contributing factor. In most cases, the diagnosis is made to people whose professional activities are associated with frequent excessive pressure on the ankle (dancers, athletes, women who wear high heels).
The presence of congenital defects of the shoulder joint or excessive load can trigger the occurrence of shoulder arthrosis. Increases the chance of getting sick from painters, plasterers, 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 joint tissue. In most cases, such a diagnosis is made to people whose age is over 45 years.
The development of cervical arthrosis occurs due to insufficient mobility of the cervical spine, obesity, and trauma. At risk are those who have inactive jobs. The main symptoms of this type of arthrosis are limited joint movement, dizziness, headache, and fainting. This is explained by the fact that the vertebral artery that feeds the brain is involved in the pathological process.
In spondylarthrosis, the joints and cartilage of the spine are affected. In most cases, such a diagnosis is made to people whose age is over 70 years. The main number of dangerous cases of such arthrosis is observed in women, because with age their estrogen levels decrease.
How the disease manifests itself
The main symptom of arthrosis is pain when there is a load on the joint. The disappearance of these symptoms occurs when the joints are calm. Pain in arthrosis has several peculiarities. There is a sharp pain or significant discomfort when performing any motor action. The localization of pain is where the damaged joint is located. If you stop such movements, the pain will disappear.
During sleep, a person does not have unpleasant sensations. The condition for this is taking the optimal body position. Pain at rest occurs only when the disease progresses. Such a sensation is reminiscent of a toothache. During this period, one cannot sleep. After this, the cartilage thins and the bone is exposed, as a result of which osteophytes grow. Acute pain does not leave a person, and intensifies in the presence of various factors.
Another symptom indicative of this disease is dryness. It is heard due to a reduction in the softness of the rotation of the bones in the joint, friction occurs between them. This is the cause of the characteristic sound. The presence of crunch also exists in other diseases, taking into account healthy joints. However, with arthrosis, a dry sound is heard. As the disease progresses, such sounds become more pronounced. In parallel with the crunch, a person experiences pain.
Osteoarthritis can be identified by reducing mobility in the joints. The initial stage is characterized by the absence of such symptoms. However, with the progression of the disease, bone neoplasms sprout, as a result of which the joint space disappears. In a person, the limb becomes harmless in the place where the joint is affected.
A characteristic sign of the disease arthrosis is joint deformation. They are modified due to the growth of osteophytes on the bone surface and the presence of synovial fluid there. Disability refers to later symptoms, when the disease has significantly affected the joints.
The disease continues with exacerbation or remission, so it is difficult to independently determine arthrosis, based only on your own feelings. This means that a person should immediately visit a qualified doctor to clarify the diagnosis. In the medical center, the patient will be sent for an X-ray examination, by which the various stages of the course of the disease are determined:
- In 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 space narrows, the presence of various osteophytes and the beginning of joint deformities are determined.
- At stage 4, the joint space is almost absent, various osteophytes and significant defects are determined.
How to diagnose arthrosis
Diagnostic steps 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, X-ray images are taken in two projections. Due to this, dystrophic changes in the tissue are visualized, and it is also determined how the adjacent cartilage and bone are affected. In patients with such diseases, there is narrowing of the joint space, and deformation of the bone base. From the bones, bone growths, osteophytes, can be observed. In some cases, there may be a loss of stability in the joint, resulting in subluxation.
The first sign of arthrosis, which is depicted in the picture, is osteophytes. First, the articular surface, i. e. the edge, becomes sharp. Then its thickening occurs, and subsequently the presence of growths and spikes is observed. Taking into account the x-ray images obtained, the doctor made the following conclusions:
- Doubtful arthrosis. This means that it is not possible to determine how narrow the joint space is, however, the presence of small osteophytes is determined.
- The presence of mild arthrosis. Such a diagnosis means a good visualization of osteophytes, but the narrowing of the joint space is questionable.
- The presence of moderate arthrosis. This can be diagnosed if there is a clear narrowing of the joint space, the presence of osteophytes cannot be seen. In some cases, if such a diagnosis is made, bone defects can be detected on x-rays.
- The presence of severe arthrosis. With this diagnosis, the joint space narrows significantly, and large osteophytes are formed. There is also a complete deformity of the joint.
Lifestyle with arthritis:
- Relieves joints damaged by excessive pressure.
- Carefully observe the prescribed orthopedic regimen.
- Use physical therapy.
- Take a physiotherapy course.
- Visit a sanatorium.
How to treat?
Medical methods
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 joints. In this case, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Experienced doctors will not recommend the use of the drug orally. This can irritate the stomach wall. This means that the drug is best given intravenously or intramuscularly. In some cases, as an assistant, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as ointments.
If the disease worsens, the patient is given hormonal corticosteroids. They are given intraarticularly. The introduction of hydrocortisone or diprospan is implicit. As external agents, they can prescribe the use of special patches, ointments or colored, 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 results do not occur within 6 months, the drug is canceled. The protector is used in parallel with preparations based on hyaluronic acid. Thanks to the drugs, a cell shell is formed that contributes to the formation of joint cartilage. Effective treatment of arthrosis can supplement the intake of diacerein. It regenerates cartilage tissue. Improvements will come in two or four weeks.
Surgical method
If conservative methods do not overcome the disease, the patient is scheduled for surgery. One of the methods of surgical intervention is puncture. It works as a therapeutic and diagnostic method. When performing a puncture, a needle is inserted into the affected joint, after which a small amount of fluid is taken. This liquid will be sent to the laboratory for analysis. Thanks to this method, the load is removed from the joint, medicine (corticosteroid) is injected.
Another surgical method is arthroscopy. This procedure involves inserting an arthroscope into the affected joint through a small incision. Carrying out such a procedure, it is assessed in what condition the joint is from the inside. During surgical intervention, a qualified specialist removes unnecessary cartilage, the patient will not be tormented by pain.
Another surgical treatment method is periarticular osteotomy. During the operation, the joint bone is filed and fixed in the required position. Thanks to this method, the load on the affected area is reduced and the pain is eliminated. This procedure is considered a relatively effective treatment for arthrosis, but it is used in rare cases. This is explained by the introduction of anesthesia and a long recovery period.
If the joint has undergone significant and irreversible deformation, the patient is scheduled for arthroplasty. This is a complex and expensive operation. Prostheses can be made of ceramic, plastic or metal. After using this method, the patient will experience a long recovery period and pain. In some situations, this is the only way to help patients with diagnosed arthrosis, otherwise complete immobility is inevitable. Using a high-quality prosthesis will extend its service life up to 15 years.
Physiotherapy methods
The shock wave method helps rid the patient of the resulting osteophytes, or bone processes. Osteophytes are pain provocateurs. With the help of waves, such growths are softened, and after a certain period they will dissolve completely. In addition, there will be an increase in joint nutrition, metabolic processes are normalized. The effectiveness of this procedure has been proven in the early stages of arthrosis. For shock wave therapy, patients must have a doctor's prescription. This is explained by the presence of various contraindications.
Other physiotherapeutic methods include myostimulation. Muscles are stimulated with electrical impulses. Myostimulation is prescribed for bedridden patients, or those observing bed rest after injury. Since blood flow in the affected area is normalized and muscle tone increases, this method is rarely used for arthrosis.
The use of phonophoresis involves the effect of ultrasonic waves and drugs on the affected joints. The effectiveness of the procedure 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 painful sensations, the inflammatory process decreases, the joints become more mobile, and the blood circulates normally. This method consists of several courses of treatment. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
Other treatments
An effective method of combating arthrosis is the use of a physiotherapy complex. Performing special exercises, the patient normalizes 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 massages help reduce pain, improve blood supply to the affected joints. This method is good because even immobile patients can use it.
An addition to the complex of medical and physical culture is the use of mechanotherapy. In this case, various simulators are used. With their help, the load increases during class, but the joints will not be damaged. Thanks to mechanotherapy, there will be an increase in blood circulation in the joints, the muscles will tone.
When contacting 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. Subject to medical prescription, specialists guarantee positive results at the same time with minimal financial costs for the patient.