Osteoarthritis is a pathological process in the joints, which can have different causes.All of them lead to disruption of the function and structure of one or more joints.This disease is the most common cause of chronic joint pain.It affects millions of people.In each case, the symptoms and treatment of arthrosis are individual and require observation by a qualified orthopedist.
What is osteoarthritis?
The basis of the disease is the progressive loss of cartilage, which normally covers adjacent bone sections and ensures their sliding relative to each other.Under the influence of various reasons, cartilaginous tissue begins to collapse, immature stem cells are activated in the underlying bone, it becomes denser and cavities (cysts) and protrusions (osteophytes) form in it.
The gap between the articular surfaces gradually narrows, and then disappears completely, and the limb stops moving.In osteoarthritis, all joint tissues are affected, including nearby muscles, ligaments and the joint capsule.Therefore, treating joint osteoarthritis is a difficult task and in the later stages, only surgery can help the patient.
The most common form of pathology is deforming arthrosis, affecting large joints of the lower extremities, as well as the hands.
Causes of osteoarthritis
Possible reasons for the development of arthrosis:
- endocrine diseases - diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, acromegaly, obesity;
- injuries, both large (bone fractures, with displacement of their articular surfaces from the normal axis), and microscopic, but permanent (during hard work, constant professional or sports load);
- inflammatory processes: infectious arthritis, gout, rheumatoid diseases;
- metabolic disorders in the body: Paget's disease and Wilson-Konovalov disease;
- congenital developmental anomalies, for example, different limb lengths;
- genetic defects in collagen structure, for example, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome;
- neuropathies of different origins: diabetic, alcoholic;
- hemophilia with frequent hemorrhages in the joint cavity.
To successfully treat osteoarthritis of the joints, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that caused it.
Symptoms and stages of osteoarthritis
The disease is accompanied by the following complaints and external signs:
- intense pain and difficulty with mobility in one or more joints;
- painful sensations intensify after exercise, often at night, and in severe stages of arthrosis they become permanent;
- a dangerous complication is the immobility of the joints, the inability to move and take care of oneself.
Frequent forms of the disease:
- damage to the interphalangeal joints of the fingers and the base of the thumb, they can increase, swell, sometimes become painful and inflammation develop in them;
- osteoarthritis of the hip joint: more common in men, associated with heavy physical work;the main cause of this disease in women is obesity;
- osteoarthritis of the knee joint: more often associated with professional activities in a kneeling and squatting position;
- osteoarthritis of the spine: accompanied by the formation of bone spurs that compress the nerve roots, resulting in pain, weakness, decreased sensitivity in the limbs and constant pain in the lower back.
There are such degrees of arthrosis:
- 1st degree: slight mobility limitation.
- 2nd degree: significant limitation of mobility, crushing during movements, moderate atrophy of nearby muscles.
- 3rd degree: deformation of the joint with almost total absence of movement.
Depending on the degree of dysfunction and the stage of the pathology, doctors of different profiles - therapists, physiotherapists, rheumatologists, neurologists and orthopedists - are involved in treating the disease.
Osteoarthritis treatment
The goal of treatment is to eliminate risk factors and pain and restore joint function.For this, several methods of influence are used:
- non-pharmacological: informing the patient about their disease and preventing complications, physiotherapy, weight loss, physiotherapy, use of auxiliary devices (ortheses, canes, crutches);
- osteoarthritis medications: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, mainly new generation - selective COX-2 inhibitors;To alleviate chronic pain, the use of atypical antidepressants is indicated;slow-acting symptomatic drugs have only auxiliary value, since their effect on slowing down the destruction of cartilage has not been proven;
- with concomitant inflammation and severe pain, traumatologists perform intra-articular injections of glucocorticoid hormones;
- The most effective method is surgery, which eliminates pain and restores mobility.
Different types of surgery can be performed:
- arthroscopy - examination of the inner surface of the joint using a small video camera (endoscope), removing fragments of cartilage that block the joint;
- arthroplasty – replacement of the cartilaginous surface with artificial material;
- osteotomy - cutting or removing part of the bone to restore the normal axis of the joint;
- arthroscopic surgery – surgical restoration of cartilage integrity;
- arthrodesis – artificial creation of immobility in a joint (most often the ankle) to relieve the patient of constant pain;
- endoprosthetics - removal of damaged articular ends of bones and replacement with an artificial joint.
Prevention
There is no guaranteed way to prevent the disease.Prevention of arthrosis involves eliminating excess load on the joints and timely treatment of diseases that contribute to the destruction of cartilage.Treating osteoarthritis with folk remedies does not slow down the progression of the disease, but helps to temporarily relieve joint pain.It can only be considered as a complement to traditional drug therapy or surgery.
Time is a negative factor for a patient with osteoarthritis.The sooner therapy is started or surgery is performed, the better the results.Therefore, if symptoms of osteoarthritis appear, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor.