Arthrosis is a pathological process in the joints, which can have various causes.All of them lead to functional and structural disorders 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 Arthrosis?
The basis of this disease is the progressive loss of cartilage, which usually covers adjacent bone parts and ensures their sliding relative to each other.Under the influence of various reasons, cartilage tissue begins to collapse, immature stem cells are activated in the underlying bone, it becomes denser, and cavities (cysts) and forms (osteophytes) in it.
The gap between the articular surfaces gradually narrows and then disappears completely, and the limbs stop moving.With arthrosis, all joint tissues are affected, including nearby muscles, ligaments, and joint capsules.Therefore, treating joint arthrosis is a difficult task, and in the final stage only surgery can help the patient.
The most common form of pathology is the deformation of arthrosis, which affects the large joints of the lower legs, as well as the hands.
Causes of arthrosis
Possible reasons for the development of arthrosis:
- Endocrine diseases - Diabetes, Hypothyroidism, Hyperparathyroidism, Acromegaly, Obesity;
- Injuries, both large (broken bones, as a result of which their articular surfaces are displaced from the normal axis), and microscopic, but permanent (during hard work, continuous professional or sports loads);
- Inflammatory processes: infectious arthritis, gout, rheumatoid disease;
- 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;
- Neuropathy of various origins: diabetes, alcohol;
- Hemophilia with frequent bleeding into the joint cavity.
To successfully treat joint arthrosis, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that caused it.
Symptoms and stages of arthrosis
This disease is accompanied by the following complaints and external signs:
- pain and impaired mobility in one or more joints;
- Painful sensations increase after exercise, often at night, and in severe arthrosis they become permanent;
- Dangerous complications are joint immobility, 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 enlarge, swell, sometimes become painful, and inflammation develops in them;
- Hip joint arthrosis: more common in men, associated with heavy physical work;The main cause of this disease in women is obesity;
- Arthrosis of the knee joint: More often associated with professional activities in kneeling and squatting positions;
- Spinal arthrosis: accompanied by bone formation that pinches the nerve roots, resulting in pain, weakness, impaired sensitivity in the limbs, and constant pain in the lower back.
There are stages of arthrosis such as:
- Degree 1: Slight limitation of mobility.
- 2nd degree: Marked limitation of movement, digging during movement, moderate atrophy of nearby muscles.
- 3rd degree: Deformation of the joint with almost complete absence of movement in it.
Depending on the level of dysfunction and the degree of pathology, doctors of various profiles - therapists, physiotherapists, rheumatologists, neurologists, and orthopedists - are involved in the treatment of the disease.
Treatment of arthrosis
The goal of treatment is to eliminate risk factors and pain and restore joint function.For this, various methods of influence are used:
- non-pharmacological: inform the patient about his disease and prevent complications, physiotherapy, weight loss, physical therapy, use of assistive devices (orthoses, crutches, crutches);
- Drugs for Arthrosis: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, especially their new generation-selective COX-2 inhibitors;To relieve chronic pain, taking atypical antidepressants is indicated;Symptomatic slow-acting drugs have only additional value, because their effect in slowing 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 makes it possible to eliminate pain and restore mobility.
Different types of surgery can be performed:
- Arthroscopy - Examination of the internal surface of the joint using a small video camera (endoscope), removal of cartilage fragments blocking the joint;
- Arthroplasty - replacement of the cartilage surface with an 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 - creation of artificial immobility in a joint (most often ankle) to relieve patients of constant pain;
- Endoprosthetics - removal of damaged bone ends and replacing them with artificial joints.
Prevention
There is no guaranteed way to prevent this disease.Prevention of arthrosis involves eliminating excessive load on the joints and timely treatment of diseases that contribute to the destruction of cartilage.Treatment of arthrosis 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 an adjunct to traditional drug therapy or surgery.
Time is a negative factor for patients with arthrosis.The sooner therapy is started or surgery is performed, the better the outcome.Therefore, if symptoms of osteoarthritis appear, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor.