Osteoarthritis is one of the diseases of the joints. During this disease, the cartilage inside the joints is slowly destroyed. After a long time, various changes appear, the articular ends of the bones are rebuilt, the inflammatory process increases, and the periarticular tissues are destroyed. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases in the world. According to statistics, the disease affects more than 70% of people all over the planet. In terms of prevalence, joint osteoarthritis comes second only to oncological and cardiovascular diseases. The older the person, the higher the risk of osteoarthritis. Men and women are equally affected by this disease. In addition, osteoarthritis can also develop in an able-bodied person over 30 years old.
Why does the disease appear
The development of arthrosis is associated with impaired metabolism in the joints. As a result, the cartilage loses its former elasticity. It can appear due to the total or partial loss of proteoglycans, which are part of the cartilage. Deep fissures in the cartilage contribute to this phenomenon. Also, doctors say that arthrosis is a consequence 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 is not able to withstand it.
In addition, some factors contribute to the emergence and development of arthrosis:
- Transferred trauma. This includes dislocation, bruising, fractures, ruptured ligaments, etc.
- Violation of metabolic processes.
- Excess weight, as a result of which an additional load is placed on the joints.
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the joint (with acute purulent arthritis).
- Advanced age.
- Non-compliance with proper nutrition.
- Frequent hypothermia.
- The presence of autoimmune diseases. These include lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis.
- With general intoxication of the body.
- The appearance of frequent colds.
- With syphilis, tuberculosis, encephalitis, gonorrhea.
- With diseases of the thyroid gland.
- If blood clotting is impaired.
Varieties of the disease
The most common type is osteoarthritis of the knee. The knee joint is in pain. 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 for many years and, reaching the last stage, immobilization of the knee may occur.
Ankle arthritis occurs in the ankle joint. The development of the disease can be provoked by the resulting injury, sprain, dysplasia, gout, diabetes mellitus. In some cases, rheumatoid arthritis may be the causative factor. In most cases, the diagnosis is made to people whose professional activities are associated with regular excessive stress on the ankles (dancers, athletes, women wearing high heels).
The presence of congenital anomalies of the shoulder joint or excessive load can provoke the development of arthrosis of the shoulder. Increased risk of getting sick from a painter, plasterer, etc.
The presence of osteoarthritis of the hip joint is a serious form of the disease. The main provoking factor is age-related changes in the tissues of the joint. In most cases, such a diagnosis is made to people whose age exceeds 45 years.
The development of cervical arthrosis is due to insufficient mobility of the cervical spine, obesity and trauma. People at risk are those who have a sedentary job. The main symptoms of this type of osteoarthritis are limited joint mobility, dizziness, headaches and fainting. This is explained by the fact that the vertebral arteries that supply the brain are 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 exceeds 70 years. The main number of cases of such damage of arthrosis is observed in women, since with age their estrogen level decreases.
How the disease manifests
The main symptom of arthrosis is pain when there is a load on the joints. The disappearance of this symptom occurs when the joint is calm. Pain in osteoarthritis has a certain peculiarity. There is a sharp pain or significant discomfort when performing any motor action. The location of the pain is where the damaged joint is. If you stop such movements, the pain goes away.
During sleep, a person does not have unpleasant sensations. The condition for this is the adoption of an optimal body position. Pain at rest only occurs when the disease progresses. Such sensations are reminiscent of a toothache. During this period, a person cannot sleep. After that, the cartilage thins and the bone is exposed, as a result of which osteophytes develop. Acute pain does not leave a person and intensifies in the presence of various factors.
Another symptom indicative of the disease is a seizure. It is understood due to the reduced smoothness of the rotation of the bones in the joint, friction occurs between them. This is the cause of the characteristic sound. The presence of a crack is also inherent in other diseases, taking into account healthy joints. However, with arthrosis, a dry sound is heard. As the disease progresses, these sounds become more vivid. Along with the crunch, a person experiences pain.
Osteoarthritis can be recognized by reduced mobility in the joint. The initial stage is characterized by the absence of such a symptom. However, with the progression of the disease, bone neoplasms develop, leading to the disappearance of the joint space. In a person, a limb is rendered harmless in the place where the joint is affected.
A characteristic sign of the disease arthrosis is the deformation of the joints. They are changed due to the growth of osteophytes on the surface of the bone and the presence of synovial fluid there. Deformity refers to a later symptom, when the disease has significantly affected the joints.
The disease proceeds with exacerbations or remissions, so it is difficult to independently determine arthrosis, based only on your own feelings. This means that a person should immediately consult a qualified clinician to clarify the diagnosis. To the medical center, the patient will be sent for an X-ray examination, thanks to which various degrees of the course of the disease are determined:
- At 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 multiple osteophytes and the onset of joint deformity are determined.
- At stage 4, the joint space is almost absent, multiple osteophytes and significant deformity are determined.
How to Diagnose Osteoarthritis
Diagnostic measures 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, an X-ray image is taken in two projections. Due to this, a dystrophic change in the tissues is visualized, and it is also determined how much the adjacent cartilage and bones are affected. In a patient with such a disease, there is a narrowing of the joint space and deformation of the bone site. From such bones, bony growths, osteophytes, can be observed. In some cases, there may be a loss of joint stability, leading to subluxations.
The first sign of arthrosis, which is visualized in the photo, is the osteophyte. First, the articular surface, namely its edge, becomes sharp. Then its thickening occurs, then the presence of growths and spikes is observed. Considering the X-ray image obtained, the doctor draws the following conclusion:
- Doubtful osteoarthritis. This means that it was not possible to determine the narrowing of the joint space, however, the presence of small osteophytes was determined.
- The presence of mild osteoarthritis. Such a diagnosis means good visualization of the osteophytes, but narrowing of the joint space is questionable.
- The presence of moderate osteoarthritis. It can be diagnosed if there is a sharp narrowing of the joint space, the presence of osteophytes is not visible. In some cases, if such a diagnosis is made, a bone deformity can be detected on an X-ray.
- The presence of severe osteoarthritis. With this diagnosis, the joint space is significantly narrowed and large osteophytes are formed. There will also be complete deformity of the joint.
Living with Arthritis:
- Relieve the damaged joint from excessive stress.
- Carefully observe the established orthopedic regimen.
- Use physical therapy.
- Take a physiotherapy course.
- Visit a sanatorium.
How to treat?
Medical method
The 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 joint. In this case, the doctor prescribes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. An experienced doctor will not recommend the use of such a drug orally. This can irritate the stomach walls. This means that the drug is best administered intravenously or intramuscularly. In some cases, as an adjuvant, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used in the form of an ointment.
If the disease worsens, the patient is prescribed hormonal corticosteroids. They are administered intra-articularly. The introduction of hydrocortisone or diprospan is implicit. As an external agent, they can prescribe the use of a special patch, ointment or tincture, the basis of which is hot pepper. Also, 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 result does not occur within 6 months, the drug is canceled. Protectors are used in parallel with preparations based on hyaluronic acid. Thanks to these drugs, a shell of cells is formed, which contributes to the formation of cartilage in the joints. Effective treatment of osteoarthritis can supplement the intake of diacerein. It regenerates cartilage tissue. Improvement will come in two or four weeks.
Surgical methods
If conservative methods have not coped with the disease, the patient is scheduled for surgery. One of the methods of surgical intervention is a puncture. It serves both as a therapeutic method and as a diagnostic method. During a puncture, a needle is inserted into the affected joint, after which a small amount of fluid is removed. This liquid will be sent to the laboratory for analysis. Thanks to this method, the load is removed from the joint, a drug (corticosteroid) is injected.
Another surgical method is arthroscopy. The procedure involves inserting an arthroscope into the affected joint through small incisions. Performing such a procedure, one assesses what condition the joints are in from the inside. During surgery, a qualified specialist removes unnecessary cartilage, the patient will not be tormented by pain.
Another method of surgical treatment is periarticular osteotomy. During the operation, the bones of the joint are filed down and fixed in the required position. Thanks to this method, the load on the affected area is reduced and the pain is eliminated. The procedure is considered a fairly effective treatment for osteoarthritis, 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 deformation and cannot be restored, the patient is scheduled for arthroplasty. It is a complex and costly operation. Dentures can be ceramic, plastic or metal. After applying this method, the patient will have a long recovery period and pain. In some situations, this is the only way to help a patient with diagnosed osteoarthritis, otherwise complete immobility cannot be avoided. Using a high-quality prosthesis will extend its service life up to 15 years.
Physiotherapy methods
The shock wave method helps to rid the patient of the resulting osteophytes or bone processes. Osteophytes are pain provocateurs. With the help of the waves, these growths are softened, and after a while they completely dissolve. In addition, there will be an improvement in the nutrition of the joint, metabolic processes will be normalized. The effectiveness of this intervention has been proven at an early stage of osteoarthritis. For shock wave therapy, the patient must have a doctor's prescription. This is explained by the presence of multiple contraindications.
Another physiotherapeutic method includes myostimulation. The muscles are stimulated by electrical impulses. Myostimulation is prescribed for bedridden patients or those observing bed rest after injury. Considering that blood flow in the affected area is normalized and muscle tone is increased, this method is rarely used for arthrosis.
The use of phonophoresis involves the impact of an ultrasound wave and a drug on the affected joint. The effectiveness of the procedures lies in the fact that the drugs penetrate into 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 excruciating pain sensations, the inflammatory process decreases, the joint becomes more mobile, and the blood circulates normally. This method consists of several cures. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the stage of the disease.
Other treatments
An effective method of combating arthrosis is the use of a physiotherapy complex. By 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 helps reduce pain and improve blood supply to affected joints. This method is good because even immobilized 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 classes, 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 up.
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 prescriptions, specialists at the same time guarantee a positive result with minimal financial costs for the patient.