Osteoarthritis of the joints

Arthrosis of the joints is a chronic joint disease that develops due to metabolic disorders. As a result, degenerative and dystrophic changes and destruction of cartilage tissue occur.

It occurs imperceptibly, but often grows very quickly. A person begins to feel pain in the joints when moving, there is stiffness and reduced mobility, especially in the morning, when he is still "not out of tune". If discomfort appears and periodic pain occurs during uncomfortable movements or loads, it is very important to understand that this will not go away, and without intervention the situation will only worsen.

Osteoarthritis symptoms

Arthrosis of large and medium joints seriously changes the way of life of a person, worsens the quality and imposes restrictions. The development of the disease is like an avalanche, and treatment is most often associated with unbearable pain, which is a clear sign of joint wear.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis of the joints depend on the degree of damage to the joint, cartilage tissue and surrounding tissues.

At the initial stages, arthrosis can be determined quite accurately, treatment in this case is sparing and does not require serious intervention and expensive drugs for the treatment of arthrosis.

Types of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of the joints is classified according to several criteria. Depending on the degree of arthritic changes in the cartilage tissue, 4 stages of arthrosis are distinguished. Osteoarthritis is also divided into primary and secondary. The cause of the development of primary arthrosis is age-related changes. Secondary osteoarthritis is caused by injuries and diseases of the joints (for example, traumatic osteoarthritis or rheumatoid osteoarthritis). The disease can also develop slowly over years or lead to the destruction of the joint in just a few years (progressive osteoarthritis).

There is alsotypes of osteoarthritis according to the affected area:

• – osteoarthritis of the knee joint – osteoarthritis of the hip joint
• Uncovertebral osteoarthritis - osteoarthritis of the cervical vertebrae
• Spinal osteoarthritis - damage to the spine
• Patellofemoral osteoarthritis is a type of knee osteoarthritis in which the patella and part of the femur suffer.

The degree of disease is determined by the degree of damage to the cartilage tissue.

Arthrosis of the 1st degree - the cartilage tissue is slightly damaged, the person does not feel discomfort;

Arthrosis degree II - osteophytes appear, the space between the cartilages decreases, situational pain occurs with awkward movements;

Arthrosis of the III degree - the cartilage tissue is destroyed in places and exposes the bone tissue, the gap between the cartilages decreases, the pain is frequent and intense;

Arthrosis of the IV degree - a significant part of the cartilage tissue is destroyed up to 60%, there is no space between the bones, patients feel constant severe pain, hyperthermia of the area aboveof the joint occurs.

• A characteristic crunch during movement and a slight background pain;
• Limitation of joint mobility, discomfort during full physical activity;
• "jumping" blood pressure indicators;
• Headaches and dizziness;
• Convulsive syndrome and often muscle spasms;
• Visually observed deformity of the joint;
• Swelling, hyperthermia or redness of the skin over the diseased joint;
• Violation of motor function.

Why does the disease appear

Osteoarthritis of the joints can manifest in any department, but more often than not, patients turn when osteoarthritis of the knee or hip is felt. In the professional field, with a special and specific load on the hands, arthrosis of the shoulder can be observed.

The lesions differ in men and women.The stronger half often suffers from temporomandibular, wrist, ankle and lumbar arthritis. Women complain more of the thoracic and cervical regions, as well as the joints of the fingers and big toes.

The type of disease is determined by the location of the lesion. There are the following types:

• arthrosis of the hip joint - coxarthrosis;
• arthrosis of the knee joint - gonarthrosis;
• damage to the patella and part of the femur - patellofemoral arthrosis (a type of gonarthrosis);
• spinal disease - spinal arthrosis;
• damage to the cervical spine - uncovertebral arthrosis.

The main reasons are:

• inflammatory process;
• professional sports;
• Overweight;
• non-standard professional load, for example, squatting or kneeling;
• previous (post-traumatic) joint injuries;
• hypothermia;
• heredity;
• age changes.

Osteoarthritis can appear as an independent disease or can be the result of an already ongoing disease, so it is important to know a person's history.

Diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the joints

Osteoarthritis of the joints is detected by X-rays. The X-ray image shows how the joint is deformed and how much the joint space is narrowing. It may also be necessary to undergo an MRI or arthroscopy, but only in particularly complex and ambiguous cases. Usually, X-rays of the joints are enough to diagnose the disease.

To understand the presence of the disease, its severity, as well as the disorders that led to the disease, a comprehensive diagnosis is carried out.

First, with the helpx-ray in different projectionsreceive information about the degree of damage to the joint.

Computed or magnetic resonance tomography helpsexclude tumor processes.

Third, you needto pass teststo understand whether arthrosis is an independent disease or a complication, as well as to determine the general condition of a person.

The complex of studies is the most informative and gives a clear idea of degenerative-dystrophic changes and helps to choose the optimal treatment plan.

Osteoarthritis treatment

As stated above, osteoarthritis can develop due to many factors, and the treatment plan is developed based on an understanding of the underlying causes and medications for the treatment of osteoarthritis are selected based onresult.

Treatment should be developed individually, depending on the results of diagnosis. Be sure to take into account the condition of the person, his existing diseases.

Restoration of the articular surface and cartilage tissue is not rapid. Effective drugs are prescribed that have side effects. And taking medication to achieve the desired result lasts up to 6 months, so it is important to maximally protect your health from side effects.

Medical treatment of osteoarthritis

The main goal of such therapy is to eliminate the manifestations of arthrosis. Drug treatment of arthrosis of the joints includes:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. With arthrosis, a person feels pain, the joint becomes inflamed. To eliminate unpleasant symptoms and stop inflammation, this group of drugs is prescribed.
• Hormonal injections into the joint. Corticosteroids are most often given in the acute stage of osteoarthritis.
• Chondroprotectors. The main task of these drugs is to stop degenerative processes in the cartilage tissue in order to prevent its further destruction.
• Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid preparations are similar to synovial fluid, which allows free, smooth sliding and movement in the joint. With arthrosis, synovial fluid is not secreted enough, which is why orthopedists often prescribe injections of hyaluronic acid (injections into the joint with arthrosis).
• Biological therapy for osteoarthritis (PRP and cytokine therapy). A new, innovative method of treating osteoarthritis, which has recently come into practice, but is gaining popularity. This is the use of drugs based on the patient's blood plasma enriched with platelets. Thanks to biological therapy, the blood supply to the joint is activated, the production of intra-articular fluid is activated, and the cartilage tissue is supplied with nutrients.

Important!Drug treatment of osteoarthritis is effective in the early stages of the disease. Also, experts point out that drug therapy is not able to restore a damaged joint, but it will eliminate symptoms and slow the progression of arthrosis.

Physiotherapy and other conservative treatments for osteoarthritis

In the fight against arthrosis, physiotherapy is also used. Various procedures are prescribed (laser, phonophoresis, electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, UVT) and exercise therapy to improve metabolic processes and blood circulation, strengthen muscles.

In addition, with osteoarthritis, you just need to make a few adjustments to your lifestyle:

• Avoid overload - it is important to evenly distribute the activity and take breaks so as not to overload the joint
• Take care of your diet and watch your weight - since being overweight only exacerbates the problem of the joints, you must review your diet and reduce your body weight
• Remember to be careful and avoid injury as much as possible
• Use extra support for movement - in the later stages of osteoarthritis, independent movement becomes questionable, so you need to use a cane or crutches. For a more comfortable walk, you can also use orthopedic insoles - they will reduce the load on the joint.

There are also many folk recipes that "will help to overcome arthrosis. "However, home treatment of osteoarthritis does not always bring results. In addition, the use of all kinds of lotions and ointments of their own preparation most often causes only allergic reactions and does not affect the health of the joint.

Surgical treatment of osteoarthritis

How to treat osteoarthritis if all the above methods do not work? In this case, surgical treatment of arthrosis is prescribed. Depending on the degree of damage to the joint, the individual characteristics of each patient, a type of operation is selected.

Joint arthroscopy is a minimally traumatic intervention, an intra-articular operation by several micro-punctures in the joint. With arthrosis, it is used as a temporary measure to "clean the joint": removing parts of cartilage, osteophyte growths that interfere with free movement. Such treatment reduces pain in the joint, but is not a solution to the problem of osteoarthritis.

Osteotomy is an operation to align the axis of the joint. The fact is that with arthrosis, as a rule, one part of the joint suffers more (it has a large load). Following the osteotomy, the load on the joint is redistributed. It should be noted that osteoarthritis is a progressive disease of the joints. Therefore, osteotomy is a way to delay further treatment, but not to avoid it.

Joint arthroplasty is an effective, and in some cases the only, method of treating osteoarthritis of the joints. The essence of the operation is the removal of a joint destroyed by the disease and the implantation of an artificial stent in its place. The artificial joint is selected individually, perfectly adapted to each patient and fully restores the functions of the damaged joint after a period of rehabilitation.

Contraindications to osteoarthritis

What you need to pay attention to in arthrosis of the joints:

Joint loads- with arthrosis, you need to abandon weight lifting, excessive static loads. A rod can be used to unload the joint. Shoes – Properly fitting shoes reduce stress on the joint. It is advisable to avoid high-heeled shoes.

The weight- being overweight is another factor in the development of osteoarthritis. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy weight and eat a balanced diet.

Sportsshould also be reviewed. With arthrosis, it is necessary to exclude sudden jerky movements (contact sports, wrestling), running long distances, lifting weights. But this does not mean that physical activity should be completely stopped. Moderate activity will only benefit the joint.

In addition to medical treatment, physiotherapy is actively used. These are magnetotherapy, electrotherapy, thermotherapy. Additionally, physiotherapy exercises are recommended to strengthen the muscles around the affected joint and improve blood supply.

A radical method of deforming arthrosis, which led to a deterioration in the quality of life, is often surgical intervention. In this case, arthroscopy or arthroplasty is performed.

Arthroscopy is a procedure in which the worn top layer of a joint is removed and a partial denture is placed in its place. This allows you to get rid of pain and restore mobility.

An endoprosthesis is the replacement of a joint by a prosthesis. It is suitable for serious destruction, when the seal itself does not make sense to save. The prosthesis has artificial cartilage, which anatomically perfectly matches that of humans.

Treatment of the disease at the initial stage consists in providing high-quality nutrition to the cartilage tissue. For this purpose, the use of chondroprotectors, preferably of natural origin, flavonoids is recommended. Motor load is also necessary to improve blood supply to bones and perichondrium.

Deforming osteoarthritis of the knee

Deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint(gonarthrosis, DAK) is a chronic progressive disease of articular cartilage. It is characterized by the destruction of articular structures, which is accompanied by pain, inflammation and a characteristic curvature of the limb ("legs with a wheel" or X-shaped deformation).

Causes of knee deforming osteoarthritis

Without adequate lubrication, the joint "drys up", cracks and loses height, exposing the heads of the bones. In this case, the closing plate of the articular surface of the bone remains defenseless; the re-irritation of the many nerve endings therein causes pain and discomfort.

The following factors or their combination can become the cause of deforming osteoarthritis of the knee:

• the presence of diseases of the joints (and the knee - in particular) in relatives;
• genetic disorders associated with the formation of abnormal and unstable cartilage cells or their accelerated death;
• congenital and acquired malformations of the musculoskeletal system (flat feet, joint hypermobility, dysplasia, scoliosis, kyphosis and others);
• excessive professional, domestic or sporting loads;
• microtraumas and injuries of the knee joint and meniscus, operations on it, fractures of the legs;
• circulatory disorders (varicose veins, atherosclerosis, thrombosis and other vascular diseases), their consequences (osteochondritis dissecans), as well as other causes of prolonged spasms in the legs;
• inflammatory diseases of the joints and periarticular tissues (synovitis, bursitis, tendinitis, arthritis), incl. autoimmune nature (rheumatoid, psoriatic arthritis);
• metabolic disorders (gout, diabetes mellitus);
• age-related processes of joint aging and calcium leaching from bones;
• hormonal disturbances and changes in the hormonal background (for example, associated with a lack of estrogen in women);
• hypovitaminosis;
• overweight (observed in ⅔ of patients);
• physical inactivity.

But the main reason deforming osteoarthritis of the knee is so common is its structure. The knee joint has only one axis (plane) of motion. Therefore, the range of allowed movements is very limited. A clumsy bend can injure the periarticular tissues and trigger osteoarthritic changes - after all, the sore knee will be under daily stress.

The causes of the development of deforming arthrosis of the knee can be a large number of factors.

Symptoms of deforming arthrosis of the knee joint

Gradual increase in pain in the area of the knee joint. At first, the pain is noticeable only when moving - for example, with a sharp straightening or bending of the leg, there is a feeling of "unfortunately stepping on the foot". At first, the pain may be episodic or so mild that it feels like an annoyance. Then the pain intensifies after physical exertion or a long stay in the same position. The skin also becomes sore - it reacts sensitively to any touch, incl. and clothes.

There are 3 specific types of pain in deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint:

• starting (lasts 15-30 minutes after the joint emerges from a long state of rest);
• mechanical (noticeable during physical activity and disappearing after rest);
• blockade (sensation of a sharp pinching in the knee).

Symptoms of deforming arthrosis of the knee, as a rule, develop slowly due to the fact that the disease is not characterized by rapid progression. This is the insidiousness of arthrosis - gradually getting used to the discomfort of the disease, the patient "gets used to" the pain, does not notice the deterioration and postpones the visit to the doctor.

Knowing the main symptoms of deforming arthrosis of the knee will help to recognize the disease in time

Treatment of deforming arthrosis of the knee joint

Treatment of deforming arthrosis of the knee joint consists of the complex use of drugs, a dosed load on the joint, physiotherapy procedures and the use of orthopedic devices.

During treatment, it is extremely important to alternate loading and unloading, to avoid static loading of the knee. Orthopedic insoles, specialized shoes, canes, crutches, walkers, ergonomic chairs for work and rest also help to slow down the disease. Particularly effective are orthoses with variable stiffness, which make it possible to model the physiological axis of the leg and to compensate for the deformation.

In the early stages of deforming osteoarthritis of the knee, the goal of treatment is to restore the destroyed joint and ligament apparatus, relieve pain, and increase the range of voluntary movement. In the last - to relieve the patient's condition. For this, sanation arthroscopy (washing with antiseptics) is performed when a piece of osteophyte is broken, corrective osteotomy (correction of a bent bone), endoprosthesis (replacement) of the joint.

In addition to the orthopedist, physiotherapists and chiropractors, specialists in exercise therapy and therapeutic massage, as well as surgeons will tell you how to treat deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint.

Treatment of deforming osteoarthritis of the joints is a complex and long process that requires an integrated approach.

Physiotherapy

Among other physiotherapeutic methods for the treatment of deforming arthrosis of the knee joint, the following are used:

• laser and magnetic therapy;
• microwave therapy;
• shock wave therapy;
• amplipulse;
• ultrasound therapy;
• electrophoresis with analgin, novocaine, chymotrypsin, etc. ;
• phonophoresis with glucocorticoids;
• paraffin and ozocerite applications;
• cryotherapy;
• acupuncture;
• joint traction and physiotherapy;
• balneotherapy.

Massage for deforming arthrosis of the knee joint

Therapeutic and lymphatic drainage massage for deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint, as well as manual therapy, are performed by a specialist after the inflammation of the joint has been relieved. For self-massage at home, stroking and rubbing are recommended, as well as movements aimed at stretching muscles and ligaments, deep warming up (carried out last, after a warming effect). Self-massage goes well with local irritants and essential oils. Remember that with deforming arthrosis of the knee joint, massage is performed on both joints, even if only one of them is affected.

Exercises for deforming arthrosis of the knee joints

Therapeutic gymnastics (exercise therapy) for deforming arthrosis of the knee joint is carried out while sitting or lying down, water aerobics is also effective. An individual set of exercises for deforming arthrosis of the knee joint is compiled by an instructor. Below we offer a short warm-up aimed at strengthening the leg muscles.

1. Sit on the floor with your legs straight, emphasizing the hands behind your back. Bend and unbend your toes.
2. The starting position is the same, slowly bend your leg, at the end of the movement, put your toe on the floor. Repeat with the foot behind the other foot.
3. Continue in the same starting position, raise the extended leg in front of you, toe towards you.
4. Without changing the starting position, we pull our hands to the toes of the straight legs.
5. Sitting on the floor, squeeze your bent knee together and try to lift the other leg above the floor.
6. Sitting on the floor, spread your legs shoulder-width apart. Turn your legs in turn so that the toe moves 180 degrees.
7. Sit on the floor, legs bent. Roll your foot from heel to toe, feeling the work in the back of your thighs.

Excellent! Perform exercises for deforming arthrosis of the knee joint at least 3-6 times a day.

Medicines for deforming osteoarthritis of the knee

Drug treatment of deforming arthrosis of the knee joint allows you to quickly stop acute pain, reduce inflammation and swelling, and improve the nutrition of the joint. Therefore, drugs are used at all stages of the disease and help restore knee mobility.

Chondroprotectors

Chondroprotectors in the form of tablets, capsules, sachets and injections are used to regenerate and maintain synovial cartilage.

Anti-inflammatory

Steroidal and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint. They are prescribed in the form of tablets, injections, sachets, creams, ointments and other products for external and internal use.

Anti-inflammatory drugs can be used in conjunction with anesthetics, which are injected into the joint cavity as a blockage.

Antispasmodics

Elimination of spasms is necessary to return the patient to normal activities and the normal supply of nutrients to the tissues.

Angioprotectors

To deform arthrosis of the knee joint, preparations based on horse chestnut and others are used.

warming

Among the warming agents, it is worth highlighting preparations based on natural ingredients: snake and bee venom, hot pepper, mustard.

All of these drugs improve blood supply to tissues and divert attention from pain.

Nutrition for deforming osteoarthritis of the knee

A healthy diet for deformed osteoarthritis of the knee joint includes dishes that are reduced in trans fats and "fast" carbohydrates. It is necessary to favor lean meats and fish, seafood and vegetables, steamed, in foil or simmered under the lid. Fruits, berries and drinks rich in antioxidants are also useful - wild plants, blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries, green tea and high-quality coffee. You can also eat whole grains, legumes.
But potatoes, white bread, sweets, ready meals, fast food and alcohol should be excluded.

If you're overweight with osteoarthritis of the knee, consider low-carb diet options.