Arthrosis is a chronic joint disease, accompanied by pathological changes in the cartilage of hyaline and subsequently in adjacent tissues, a capsule of the joints and a synovial sheath.
The defeat is dystrophic and degenerative by nature, which leads to a change in the structure of the joint tissues, the loss of their functionality.In accordance with the data from the same statistics, arthrosis is subject to 12% of the total population of the planet.From 62% to 65% of all episodes of the disease fall for people over 60 years.
Another 30-35% of cases of joint damage to this pathology are in patients aged 40-60 years.And about 3% are young people aged 20-40 years.
What is it?
In simple words, arthrosis is a chronic disease in which progressive degenerative dystrophic changes in the joint develop due to impaired metabolic processes.It is the most common joint pathology, diagnosed in 6-7% of the population.With age, the frequency increases dramatically.
Most often, with arthrosis, the small joints of the brush are involved in the pathological process (in women 10 times more than in men), the thumb of the foot, the intervertebral joints of the thoracic and cervical spine, as well as the knee and femoral joints.The arthrosis of the knee and hip joints occupies a leading place in terms of the severity of clinical manifestations and a negative effect on the quality of life.
Arthrosis is characterized by complete damage to the joints and auxiliary devices:
- Chondrite - inflammatory changes in the cartilage of the joint;
- Osteitis - participation in the pathological process of subject bone structures;
- Synovitis - inflammation of the inner sheath of the joint capsule;
- Burit - damage to the bags with the period;
- Reactive inflammation of the soft tissues (muscles, subcutaneous fiber, ligamentum) located in the projection of the participating joint (periarticular inflammation).
The disease is detected in 2%of people under 45 years, at the age of 30%-from 45 to 64 years and for 65-85%to 65 years and more.The most clinical significance, due to their negative impact on the standard of living and the ability of patients, are arthrosis of large and middle joints of the limbs.
Types of arthrosis
Depending on the cause of the pathological process, primary arthrosis, secondary and idiopathic is distinguished inside the joint.
The primary develops as an independent disease, secondary as a result of injury or infection and the cause of the idiopathic form is unknown.In addition to the classification of the disease, depending on the cause of the pathological process, arthrosis differs at the site of localization of destructive changes:
- Gonarthrosis is the most common type of pathology characterized by damage to the knee joints.Most often, gonarthrosis is detected in people with excess weight, with chronic metabolic diseases in the body, low immunity.Knee arthrosis progresses for a long time and gradually leads to complete loss of motor function.
- Ramer arthrosis is the main cause of degenerative processes in this area are congenital abnormalities of the development of the shoulder joint or excessive loads of the area, for example, when they carry heavy treasures on the shoulders.
- Ankle arthrosis - the main causes of the development of degenerative processes in the ankle joint have suffered injuries, dislocations, stretching, fractures.In some cases, the development of the pathological process can cause autoimmune disease - rheumatoid arthritis.The ankle arthrosis is predisposed to dancers, women wearing high heels, athletes.
- Co -artrosis or arthrosis of the cervical region - the causes are neck injuries, progressive osteochondrosis, obesity, inactive lifestyles.At risk, people working on the computer are in offices.In addition to severe neck pain, patients have expressed dizziness, inhibition of consciousness, memory damage and fatigue.These symptoms are due to compression of the spinal artery, through which nutrients and oxygen enter the brain.
- Coxarthrosis or arthrosis of the hip joint - the main cause of the occurrence is changes related to age in the tissues of the joint.At risk, people over 45 years of age.
- Osteoarthrosis of the fingers - develops for the same reason as spondylarthrosis.
- Polisrosis - characterized by damage to multiple joints with progressive degenerative processes in them, while connections, muscles and tissue joints are involved in the pathological process.
- Spondylartrosis - Destructive destruction is the subject of tissues of the spine, namely its lumbar department.In the risk group of a woman during menopause, as spondylarthrosis progresses against the background of a deficiency of female sex hormones.
The causes of arthrosis
The formation of arthrosis is facilitated by two causes - the load and the lack of full nutrition, which supplies vitamins, minerals to repair tissues.Each person's joints carry a load.Athletes and dancers, with physical work, the load on their legs is greater, which means that the bone joints wear out more quickly and require high quality nutrition.With a calm lifestyle, the maintenance apparatus wears out more slowly, but also requires periodic tissue renewal.
Therefore, the main condition for the destruction and deformation of the joints is a more nutrition, failure of disassembly of beneficial components, which often occurs in the case of metabolic disorders.
We list the factors that contribute to the wear of joint compounds and metabolic disorders:
- Muscle weakness and improper joint load.Weight loss of one or more muscles increases the load on the joint and distributes it unevenly inside the bone compound.Improper muscle load is also formed for flat legs, scoliosis, therefore, with these "harmless" diseases with age, cartilage tissues wear out, arthrosis occurs.
The likelihood of arthrosis increases with high exercise.
If daily loads exceed the capabilities of bone tissue, microtraumas are formed in them.Thickening occurs in the places of injury, which over time grow and deform the joint;
- Metabolic disorders (gastrointestinal disease - stagnation of bile, dysbiosis, gastritis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, metabolic disease - diabetes);
- Psychosomatic causes - the psychosomatics of arthrosis confirm that the cause of the disease becomes a negative emotional state.Stress forms muscle spasm, constant stress disrupts the nutrition of all tissues (internal organs, bones, joints);
- Heredity (the type of metabolism is inherited and its possible disorders, the tendency to muscle weakness, or incorrect formation of the bone apparatus, to poor digestion - which is the basis for the development of arthrosis at old age).
Arthrosis is a disease of worn joints that have lost a significant supply of minerals and the ability to counteract the load and destruction.Therefore, with age, the predisposition to the disease increases.After 70 years, arthrosis is diagnosed with every second pensioner.As the maximum load falls on the legs (one moves - walking, standing, running, jumping), then the first signs of arthrosis are formed here.
The mechanism of progression of the disease
When any of the causes that provoke the disease of the joint with arthrosis, pathological processes begin to develop.The mechanism of their progression has not been fully studied, but the main stages of official medicine are known.
At the initial stage, the structure of cartilage tissue and abnormal changes in the synovial fluid appears.All this is done due to disorders of the metabolic processes in which joint tissues do not receive the necessary components in sufficient quantities or are deprived of some of them.
Next, the elasticity of collagen fibers and the flexibility of cartilage are lost due to the fact that with the lack of nutrients hyaluronic acid does not have time to produce the softness and flexibility of the structural composition of collagen fibers.The cartilage gradually dries, becomes brittle and cracks.The fluid in the synovial capsule gradually exhausted and subsequently disappears completely.
Cartilage tissue is formed roughness, solid bone solama.At the same time, the deformity of other joint tissue, their pathological degeneration, dystrophy and loss of physiological activity develops.For the patient, these changes indicate the onset of pain, lame and immobility of the joint.
Symptoms of arthrosis
Arthrosis is not characterized by an acute clinical picture, the changes in the joints are progressive, slowly growing, which manifests itself by a gradual increase in symptoms:
- pain;
- Periodically occurring crisis in the affected joint;
- joint deformity that occurs and increases with the progress of the disease;
- hardness;
- Restriction of mobility (reducing the volume of active and passive movements in the affected joint)
Pain in arthrosis is a stupid transient, occurs on movement, against the background of intense load, until the end of the day (it can be so intense that it does not allow the patient to fall asleep).The constant, inferior nature of pain in arthrosis is uncharacteristic and indicates the presence of active inflammation (subchondral bone, synovial membrane, ligamentary apparatus or periarticular muscles).
Most patients note the presence of So -Called Start Balls, which occur in the morning after waking up or after a long period of inaction and transition during motor activity.Many patients define this condition as the need for "joint development" or "spread".
Arthrosis is characterized by morning stiffness, which has a clear localization and is short (not more than 30 minutes), sometimes perceived by patients as a "sensation of jelly" in the joints.Maybe a feeling of jamming, stiffness.
With the development of reactive synovitis, the main symptoms of arthrosis join:
- Soreness and local fever determined by palpation of the affected joint;
- constant nature of pain;
- increased volume, swelling of soft tissues;
- Progressive reduction in the volume of movements.
Stages and degree of arthrosis
During the disease, the drug distinguishes three stages that have differences in the signs of the disease, the intensity of the damage and the localization.At the same time, the differences in all three stages relate to the types of tissues that undergo pathological changes.
- The first degree of development of arthrosis of the joints is the initial phase of the disease.It is characterized by a light lesion of cartilage tissue and the loss of physiological functions in collagen fibers.At the same time, small morphological disorders of bone tissue and structural changes in the synovial fluid are noted in the first stage.The cartilage of the joint is covered with cracks, the patient has mild pain at the site of localization of the pathology.
- The second degree is the development of arthrosis with an increase in dynamics.This stage is characterized by the appearance of stable pain, Chroma.Remarkable morphological and dystrophic cartilage cartridges are noticeable, bone growth is revealed during the diagnosis.Osteophytes are formed - bone growth that is visible during a visual examination at the site of destruction.At the same time, the processes of degenerative changes in the synovial capsule appear, leading to its structural depletion.The disease in this phase can often worsen and be regular.The pain gradually becomes constant.
- The third degree is active progression.At this stage, the synovial fluid is almost completely absent due to its degeneration and bone tissues sharply for each other.The joint mobility is almost completely absent, the pain becomes more visible.Cartilage tissue is also absent due to degenerative and atrophic changes.The treatment of the third degree of arthrosis of the joints is considered impractical.
In addition to these three degrees of pathology development, there is a last stage - irrevocable destruction of all joint tissues.In this phase, it is impossible not only to perform productive therapy, but even to eliminate the pain syndrome.
The inflammatory process usually begins with a second degree of damage, in rare cases in the absence of medical intervention - in the first stage.Subsequently, it becomes more difficult to stop and this can lead to secondary pathologies, the development of pathogenic microflora at the site of localization of the disease.
In order to exclude serious consequences, treatment should start from first degree and the use of intensive care methods.At the last stage associated with the complete destruction of cartilage tissue, only one methodology for driving the patient from pain and immobility of the joint is allowed - endoprothetic with complete or partial replacement of the components of the joint.
Consequences
The consequences of untimely treatment and the arthrosis of the joints are filled with complications such as:
- damage;
- Deformation without recovery;
- the appearance of vertebrates;
- inaction or immobility of the joint;
- Reducing quality and standard of living.
The chronic course, in addition to these complications, is accompanied by intense and frequent pain, the complete destruction of the structural components of the joints, the discomfort, the inability to perform physical work and sports.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis of arthrosis is based on the assessment of history, characteristic manifestations of the disease, the results of instrumental examination methods.Indicative changes in general and biochemical blood tests for arthrosis are not characteristic, they occur only with the development of an active inflammatory process.
The main instrumental method for diagnosing arthrosis is radiography, in diagnostically unclear cases, a calculated or magnetic tomography for refusal is recommended.
The arthrosis of the knee and hip joints occupies a leading place in terms of the severity of clinical manifestations and a negative effect on the quality of life.
Additional diagnostic methods:
- Atraumatic arthroscopy;
- ultrasonography (evaluation of the thickness of the articular cartilage, synovial sheath, the condition of the joints bags, the presence of fluid);
- Scintigraphy (evaluation of bone tissue condition of the bones that form the joint).
How to treat arthrosis?
It is better to treat arthrosis of the joints at an early stage, the treatment itself should be pathogenetic and complex.Its essence is to eliminate the causes that contribute to the development of this disease, it is also necessary to eliminate inflammatory changes and to restore the lost functions earlier.
The treatment of arthrosis is based on several basic principles:
- Saturation of the joint with oxygen or the so -called intra -articular oxygenatherapy.
- Medicine therapy.
- Intra -focusing blockade as well as metaepifiz decompression.
- A rational approach to nutrition.
- Damaged joints must be eliminated by excessive loading.If possible, during treatment, it should usually be minimized.
- After the established orthopedic regimen.
- Classes of physiotherapy exercises.
- The passage of physiotherapy, which includes magnet and electrotherapy, shock wave, and laser therapy.
- Sanatorium treatment.To do this, it is necessary once a year, on the recommendation of a doctor, is subjected to the course in specialized resorts.
Preparations for the treatment of arthrosis
Medicine treatment is performed in the exacerbation of arthrosis chosen by a specialist.Self -medication is unacceptable due to the possible side effects (such as the negative effects of non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs on the gastric mucosa).
Therapy includes the purpose of such medicines:
- Anti -inflammatory drugs.Starting therapy for arthrosis is exhaustive, you can slow down the course of the disease and largely improve the quality of life.It is worth walking more in some points of treatment.In particular, drug therapy includes in the initial stage - this is the elimination of pain, as well as the elimination of inflammatory processes occurring in the joints.For this, all doctors use non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs.Experienced doctors do not recommend their oral use as these drugs largely irritate the walls of the stomach.Therefore, depending on the medicine chosen, intravenous or intramuscular administration is used.Sometimes as an auxiliary means NSAIDs are used in the form of ointments, but their absorption is extremely low, so it is not possible to have a significant effect.
- Hormonal corticosteroids.When arthrosis is in the exacerbation stage, hormonal corticosteroids are recommended.They are placed in the joint.Externally, you can use a special patch, ointment or tincture that is made on the basis of burning pepper.
- Chondroprotectors aimed at restoring cartilage and improving the high quality composition of synovial fluid will not be superfluous.The course lasts a fairly long period of time until improvement occurs.Nevertheless, if the expected effect does not appear over half a trick, the medicines should be canceled.Also internally, together with chondroprotectors, it is advisable to use medicines made on the basis of hyaluronic acid.They contribute to the formation of a cell membrane responsible for the formation of cartilage of the joint.
Physiotherapy
To stop pain, reduce inflammation, improve microcirculation and elimination of the patient's muscle cramps with arthrosis is aimed at physiotherapy:
- In the exacerbation phase.Prescribe laser therapy, magnetotherapy and ultraviolet irradiation,
- In the remission phase.Electrophoresis and phonophoresis are shown.
In addition, thermal procedures, sulfide, radon and sea bath are used.Electrical stimulation is performed to strengthen the muscles.A gentle massage can also be used in the remission phase.
Surgical treatment
With the ineffectiveness of these exposure methods, in the presence of complications, they resort to surgical treatment of arthrosis:
- Decompression of metaepifiz and prolonged intraotic blocks (reduction of intraosis pressure in the affected area);
- Corrective osteotomy;
- Actoprosthetics of the joints.
In the early stages of the disease, mechanical, laser or cold debates (smoothing the surface of damaged cartilage, removal of non -viable areas) are used.This method effectively stops pain syndrome, but has a temporary effect of 2-3 years.
Folk remedies
Most people in our time do not want to take pills or make injections.Therefore, they are wondering - how to cure arthrosis with folk remedies?In their bigger part, such agents are aimed at increasing the tone of the body, improving blood circulation, relieving pain and increasing immunity.
Such recipes of traditional medicine are used to treat this disease:
- The egg solution is made from fresh egg yolk, which is mixed with turpentine and apple cider vinegar in a 1: 1: 1 ratio. The liquid should be mixed thoroughly and reduced it with the affected joint overnight.Then you have to wrap everything with a wool scarf.It is recommended that you do rubbing for 1 month 2-3 times a week.
- The pharmacy is purchased from Elensil's root.As a rule, it faces packs of 50 g.Half packet of plant roots and 150 ml of high quality vodka will be required to prepare the tincture.The ingredients are mixed, placed in a dark bottle and insisted for 12 days.The arrows are made at bedtime and if possible in the morning.
- The use of boiled oatmeal also produces good results.Take three or four tablespoons of oatmeal, pour boiling water and cook over low heat for five to seven minutes.The amount of water used should guarantee the obtaining of a thick slurry, which must be cooled and used as a compress at night.Use only recently cooked flakes.Yesterday's compress porridge is not appropriate.
- The leaves of birch, nettle and inflorescence of the calendula are taken in equal parts.As a result, you should get two tablespoons.We fold the resulting sliced collection into a thermos, pour a liter of boiling water and leave it overnight.Starting the next morning, it is necessary to take half a glass of decoction four to five times a day.The course of acceptance of this recipe is two to three months.
The tinctures of the bay leaves, horseradish, garlic and rye nipples are also considered effective.The treatment of arthrosis with folk remedies will be most effective if you combine it with medication treatment.
Diet for arthrosis
The basic principles of eating for arthrosis are reduced to the following points:
- Do not eat heavy food for the night so that you do not cause arthrosis attack.
- Eat fractional.
- Constantly monitor the weight to avoid weight gain,
And that means an additional load of the inflamed joints. - When there is no exacerbation of the disease, to take tourism after eating.
- The menu should be balanced, composed of the doctor.
There are absolutely no complaints about fish dishes - they can be used a lot, of course, in reasonable quantities.
- Do not forget about the regular intake of vitamins with food.For patients with arthrosis vitamins are particularly suitable
- An important role in the treatment of arthrosis is assigned to the cold person.Such food will be a true warehouse of traces of elements for sore joints.The most important component in cold is collagen of natural origin.
- Vitamin B will help the production of hemoglobin.It can be "received" by eating bananas, nuts, cabbage and potatoes.It is worth fascinating with greenery and legumes.They will become a source of folic acid.The liver, mushrooms, dairy products and eggs will be useful.They are rich in riboflavin.
Observing the treatment regimen prescribed by the doctor, it can be achieved that the disease will withdraw and the damaged tissues will begin to recover.
Prevention
Prevention of arthrosis begins with proper nutrition.You need to try to reduce the consumption of salt as well as the food that can disrupt metabolism.These include legumes, fatty meat, alcohol.The diet includes cabbage, green and fish.
In order to prevent arthrosis, it is necessary to attend physical education hours, to do warm.If possible, it is better to walk a few kilometers on foot.It is also important to monitor your weight and prevent weight gain as this will give additional stress to the inflamed joints.It is not recommended to take pills to lose weight as they can disrupt the metabolism in the body.
Forecast
The prognosis for life is favorable.The favorableness of the social and labor prognosis depends on the timeliness of the diagnosis and the onset of treatment, it is reduced when the issue of surgical treatment of the disease, if necessary, is reduced.