Arthrosis: symptoms, treatment

Arthrosis is a degenerative -dystrophic disease of the joints, characterized by slow and progressive destruction of intraarticular cartilage. Arthrosis includes a group of articular diseases of a destructive-inflammatory nature, which have different causes and similar development mechanisms.

Arthrosis is one of the most common diseases in the world that occupies a leading position in women and men over 30 years old, and with age the risk of developing the disease only increases.

The causes of pathology

Arthrosis develops as a result of a violation of metabolic processes in the joints, against the background of which intraarticular cartilage begins to lose water and becomes not elastic. The predisposing factors of such changes in the cartilage can be internal and external causes:

• hormonal changes;
• age -related features;
• genetic predisposition;
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• Excessive joint load;
• injuries and damage - dislocations, fractures, severe bruises, rupture of ligaments;
• changes in metabolism inside the joint associated with obesity, diabetes mellitus;
• hypothermia;
• inferior and unbalanced nutrition, as a result of which the body does not receive calcium, omega-3 and 6, fats and proteins;
• inflammatory process in the joint;
• violation of the blood supply to the femoral head - Pertes's disease;
• problems with blood coagulation, hereditary diseases;
• Autoimmune diseases - red lupus, rheumatoid arthritis.

Specific diseases that have nothing to do with the joints, namely: namely: namely:

• syphilis;
• hyperthyroidism;
• thyroiditis.

At risk are people who are engaged in heavy physical labor, are forced to constantly hypothermia and experience increased load on the musculoskeletal system-miners, blacksmiths, athletes, movers, as well as pregnant women.

Symptoms of arthrosis

The first symptom of arthrosis is the pain at the slightest load on the joint, which quickly passes as soon as the joint is left alone. Arthrosis is characterized by 4 basic clinical signs:

1. Pain - pain in arthrosis has some features, in contrast to pain in case of random bruise of the joint or inflammatory process in it. First of all, you should pay attention to the occurrence of discomfort and pain with any movement and load on the affected joint. It is worth a person to stop moving and remove the load, as the pain passes immediately, which does not happen when injured or inflammation of the joint. At night, the collapsing joint practically does not cause discomfort to the patient, painful sensations are possible only when the body position is changed, but they quickly pass. With a pronounced progression of destructive processes inside the joint, sharp pains can occur at night, which eventually become stronger and make their adjustments to the lifestyle. Acute pain occurs with any changes in the weather, the change of phases of the moon, the slightest load.
2. Cryst - this sound appears as a result of a decrease in the softness of the rotation of the bones around the joint, which leads to the friction of the bones against each other and is accompanied by a characteristic crunch. As degenerative processes progress in the joint, the crunch becomes more pronounced and is accompanied by pain.
3. Limiting the mobility of the joint - at the initial stage of the development of the pathological process of pronounced restrictions of mobility, but as the destruction of the joint is progressed, it is increasingly difficult for the patient to perform simple actions. Ultimately, the affected joint becomes completely immobilized.
4. The joint deformation - osteophytes begin to actively grow on the surface of the bone and the synovial fluid accumulates. The deformation of the joint is observed in an advanced degree of pathological process.

Degenerative processes in the joint do not develop rapidly, the disease is characterized by the stages of exacerbation and remission, from which patients are in no hurry to seek medical help, thereby contributing to the progression of destructive processes inside the joint.

Stages

The stage of progression of the pathological process in the joint is determined using x -ray examination. Only 4 stages of the disease are distinguished:

1. First - characterized by a slight narrowing of the joint gap, while there are no pathological growths on the bones;
2. The second - there is a slight narrowing of the joint gap, osteophytes are formed on the surface of the bone;
3. The third - the joint gap is narrowed, on the surface of the bone multiple osteophytes, the joint is observed;
4. The fourth - there is practically no articular gap, there are multiple osteophytes, a pronounced joint deformation.

Degree

Arthrosis is expressed in the form of degenerative-destructive processes in the joint, as a result of which the cartilage is affected, changes in the capsule and synovial joint of the joint are developing, as well as in the ligaments around it and bone structures. Depending on the severity and severity of these destruction, it is customary to distinguish 3 degrees of arthrosis.

The first degree

There are no pronounced deformation or changes in the joint, but the composition of the synovial fluid is disturbed - this leads to insufficient provision of articular tissues with nutrients, water and microelements, as a result of which cartilage quickly becomes not elastic and not adapted to the loads. Over time, this causes inflammatory processes and is accompanied by pain during movement and load on the joint.

At the first degree of arthrosis, no one of their patients seek medical help, attributing discomfort and pain to an uncomfortable pose during sleep, fatigue, and an incorrect lifestyle. Sometimes the patient can notice a characteristic crunch in the area of the affected joint, but this is not accompanied by severe pain, but only by discomfort, which no one again pays significant attention to.

If arthrosis is accidentally diagnosed in the first stage, then the disease is easily treated.

The second degree

At this stage, the disease is accompanied by destructive processes of cartilage tissue inside the joint. Osteophytes grow intensively on the surface of the bone, and the more intensively the load on the damage zone, the more pronounced the destruction will progress.

At the same time, the patient complains of constant pain of a real nature, which periodically pass on their own and can not make themselves felt for a long time. Then the disease progresses again. Against the background of such a pathological process, muscles that surround the inflamed joint gradually lose their functions, from which the patient quickly gets tired and cannot withstand physical activity, which he easily endured earlier. In the second degree of arthrosis, the patient gradually progresses deformation of cartilage and joint.

The third degree

It is the most difficult. The intra -articular cartilage of the affected joint is thinner and intensively destroyed, which leads to clearly noticeable deformation and impaired functions of the affected limb. The ligaments and muscles located next to the joint are deficiency of nutrients and oxygen and gradually atrophy, which is accompanied by a pronounced loss of mobility. At the same time, the patient is tormented by acute pain all the time, which is enhanced by any attempt to change the position of the body, with changes in weather conditions and phases of the moon and gradually leads to a complete loss of legal capacity.

Types of arthrosis

Depending on the cause of the pathological process, the primary arthrosis, secondary and idiopathic is distinguished inside the joint.

Primary develops as an independent disease, secondary, as a result of an injury or infection, and the cause of the idiopathic form is not known. In addition to the classification of the disease, depending on the cause of the pathological process, arthrosis is distinguished at the place of localization of destructive changes:

1. 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, weak immunity. The knee arthrosis progresses for a long time and gradually leads to a complete loss of motor function.
2. The ankle arthrosis - the main causes of the development of degenerative processes in the ankle joint are suffered injuries, dislocations, stretching, fractures. In some cases, the development of the pathological process can provoke an autoimmune disease - rheumatoid arthritis. The ankle arthrosis is prone to dancers, women wearing high heels, athletes.
3. The arthrosis of the shoulder joint is the main cause of degenerative processes in this area are congenital abnormalities of the development of the shoulder joint or excessive loads on this zone, for example, when wearing heavy on the shoulders.
4. Coksartrosis or arthrosis of the hip joint - the main cause of occurrence is age -related changes in the tissues of the joint. At risk, people over 45 years old.
5. The arthrosis of the cervical region - the causes are neck injuries, progressive osteochondrosis, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle. At risk, people working at the computer are in offices. In addition to severe pain in the neck, patients have pronounced dizziness, inhibition of consciousness, memory impairment and fatigue. These symptoms are due to compression of the vertebral artery through which nutrients and oxygen enter the brain.
6. Spondylarthrosis - destructive destruction is subject to tissues of the spinal column, namely its lumbar department. At the risk group of a woman during the occurrence of menopause, since spondylarthrosis progresses against the background of a deficiency of female sex hormones.
7. Osteoarthrosis of the fingers - develops for the same reason as spondylarthrosis.
8. Polyarthrosis - characterized by damage to multiple joints with progressive degenerative processes in them, while ligaments, muscles and surrounding the joint of the tissue are involved in the pathological process.

Treatment of arthrosis

Treatment of arthrosis is best done in the early stages, then the disease is better succumbing to conservative methods of therapy. It is very important to correctly establish the cause of progressive destructive changes in the joint and stop these factors in time.

The treatment of arthrosis is carried out comprehensively and consists in eliminating the inflammatory process, stopping the pain syndrome, stopping the progression of the pathological process and, if possible, restoring the lost joint functions. Conservative therapy includes the selection of medications and physiotherapeutic treatment methods.

Drug treatment

Treatment of arthrosis is different with different places of localization of the pathological process:

1. Arthrosis of the fingers and hands - prescribe non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs in the form of ointments of cream, gel. To prevent the progression of the pathological process, the technique of Chondroprotectors is shown. After stopping an acute inflammatory process, massage and physiotherapeutic methods of therapy are prescribed.
2. With arthrosis of the shoulder joint - inside the joint, the patient is injected with injectively painkillers and non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs. Oborarily can prescribe intake drugs that will relax the muscles and slightly reduce the intensity of pain. After the relief of acute inflammation and pain, physiotherapy and massage is indicated.
3. Arthrosis of the knee joint - prescribe non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs locally in the type of compresses, ointments, gels. The area of the affected joint shows physiotherapeutic methods of therapy.
4. Arthrosis of the hip joint - compresses impregnated with ointment or gel from the NSAID group are applied to the area of the lesion, and painkillers injected into the joint.
5. Arthrosis of the knee joint - ointments and gels with an analgesic effect are applied to the damage zone, and after the relief of acute pain and inflammation, physiotherapeutic methods of treatment are indicated.
6. Ankle arthrosis - the patient is recommended by strict bed rest with the maximum rest of the affected joint. As the acute inflammatory process subsides, physiotherapeutic procedures, baths, massage are prescribed.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

Effective physiotherapeutic methods, often used in various degrees of gravity of arthrosis, include:

• Shock-wave treatment-effectively eliminates the patient from the growths of osteophytes, thereby eliminating the pain and restrictions of joint mobility;
• Muscle stimulation around the affected joint with electrics-this procedure is very effective for patients with pronounced limited mobility and allows you to improve blood circulation in the joint, accelerate regenerative processes, increase muscle tone;
• Ozonotherapy - a gas mixture is introduced into the cavity of the affected joint, due to which the patient decreases, the mobility of the joint is normalized, and signs of inflammation disappear. For the maximum effect, ozone therapy is carried out in courses;
• Phonophoresis - the effect on the area of damage by ultrasound waves using drugs. This method of using drugs is much more effective, since ultrasonic waves deliver the drug directly to the lesion.

In addition, physi-therapy treatment includes exercise therapy, massages, manual therapy, mechanotherapy.

Dietary nutrition

The diet with arthrosis should be the most balanced and rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, trace elements. It is recommended to include fresh fish, vegetable oils, cottage cheese, dairy products, meat, fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet.

Flour products and "fast" carbohydrates, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, pork, fatty and sharp dishes should be excluded from the diet.