Causes, symptoms, complications and treatment methods of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, more precisely osteoarthrosis, is a chronic disease of a dystrophic nature caused by the destruction of cartilage tissue in the joint.Therefore, treatment of joint osteoarthritis is extremely necessary.If such a disease occurs, irreversible inflammatory processes begin at the ends of the bones and in the tissue around the joints, leading to their degeneration.In addition, osteoarthritis refers to a number of other degenerative joint diseases that are characterized by numerous similar causes and progression mechanisms.

According to various statistics, osteoarthritis affects up to 80% of the inhabitants of our planet, making it the most commonly diagnosed joint disease.And among all diseases it ranks third.

The older a person gets, the higher the risk of developing osteoarthritis.Both sexes are equally susceptible, except that arthrosis of the interphalangeal joints occurs most often in women.The working population over the age of 30 is most affected.The proportion of patients increases from year to year.

Osteoarthritis causes a diseased joint

The development and causes of osteoarthritis are accompanied by a deterioration in metabolism in the joint, causing the cartilage tissue to lose its elasticity.The reason for this may be the complete or incomplete loss of proteoglycans in the cartilage, which usually occurs due to severe tears in the cartilage.Loss of these complex proteins can also occur due to disruption of their production by joint cells.

According to experts, the destruction of cartilage can be caused by: hormonal imbalances, deterioration of blood circulation in the joint, deterioration of metabolism, hereditary reasons, due to advanced age, injuries and other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and lichen planus.However, the most important cause of osteoarthritis is excessive stress on the joints at a time when they are most at risk.

Other causes of osteoarthritis of the joints include:

• previous injuries;
• excessive body weight;
• Inflammation due to the development of a severe form of purulent arthritis;
• poor daily diet;
• hypothermia;
• Libman-Sachs disease;
• Poisoning of the whole body;
• frequent colds;
• Syphilis, tuberculosis, purulent inflammation of the urinary tract, tick-borne meningoencephalitis in spring and summer;
• thyroid diseases;
• chronic bleeding (hemophilia);
• Osteochondropathy of the femoral head.

Causes of osteoarthritis are genetic:

• Osteoarthritis of the bones and fingers can be hereditary;
• Dysplasia - as a result of abnormal processes during the development of joints and ligaments that occur in the womb - leads to joint wear and arthrosis;
• pathogenic change in collagen type 2 – when the fibrillar protein of the connective tissue is damaged.

People who engage in the following professions or hobbies are most susceptible to the disease: bricklayers, fishermen, blacksmiths, loaders, athletes.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis for various reasons

The symptoms of osteoarthritis can be divided into four groups:

• Painful in nature.The appearance of pain primarily indicates the first symptoms of osteoarthritis.Pain can have various causes, but this is unique to osteoarthritis.Firstly, the pain is characterized by sharp manifestations, and a person may experience some discomfort when moving.The pain disappears with rest.At night, pain is only felt when turning from side to side.At rest, the pain only becomes constant in severe forms of the disease.In the early stages of the disease, pain can only be felt during strenuous exertion or upon palpation.As the condition worsens, the pain increases and more and more breaks are required to eliminate it.In severe forms, the pain becomes unbearable, osteophytes appear due to the thinning of the cartilage and exposed bone.Bad weather and a full moon increase the pain.
• The appearance of a crunch.This type of symptom is also very important for diagnosis.It occurs due to friction between rotating bones, the ends of which have lost their softness and elasticity.A crunch can indicate other diseases or may not be associated with them at all, but in osteoarthritis it has a special character, which is characterized by its “dryness”.This causes pain.
• Deterioration of the motor functions of the joint.This symptom is typical of advanced stages of osteoarthritis and arises from the appearance of bone tumors in the joint, which cause spasms and almost completely fill the joint space.The result is a partial immobilization of the joint.
• joint deformity.The growth of osteophytes on the bones and the penetration of synovial fluid into the joint lead to a change in the shape of the joint.This symptom is characteristic of the most advanced forms of the disease.

Osteoarthritis can alternately go from a state of exacerbation to a state of remission, which significantly complicates the diagnosis of the disease itself.For this reason, it is recommended to see a doctor to confirm the diagnosis.

Thanks to x-rays, the doctor can identify signs that indicate one of the four stages of osteoarthritis:

• Stage 1. The joint lumen may be slightly reduced;No osteophytes are observed.
• Stage 2. Lumen recession may be more pronounced and osteophytes begin to form.
• Stage 3. Narrowing of the lumen is clearly observed and numerous osteophytes are present.
• Stage 4. The joint lumen almost completely disappears and a pathological change in the shape of the joint begins due to many osteophytes.

Treatment methods for osteoarthritis

Treatment of arthrosis is best started at the initial stage of its development and should be comprehensive and pathogenetic in nature.Treatment should be aimed at eliminating the causes that aggravate the disease.In addition, it is necessary to eliminate the pathogenic changes caused by inflammation and restore the functionality of the joint.

An integrated approach to the treatment of joint diseases consists of the use of medications and physiotherapeutic measures.It is possible to prescribe sanatorium-resort therapy, since in some cases the climate, mineral water and mud have an effective effect.

The treatment of joint arthrosis consists of several basic principles:

1. diseased joints should not be subjected to excessive stress and should be practically absent during treatment;
2. adhere to orthopedic regulations;
3. participate in recreational sports classes;
4. Carrying out physiotherapy, consisting of laser, shock wave, electro and magnetic field therapy;
5. undergo a medically prescribed treatment in a health resort at least once a year;
6. Oxygen therapy – supplying the inside of the joint with oxygen;
7. drug treatment;
8. Method of intraosseous administration of drugs and decompression of the metaepiphysis;
9. establish proper nutrition.

Drug therapy consists of the use of the following drugs:

• Anti-inflammatory drugs.Thanks to an integrated approach, you can not only stop the development of the disease, but also make your life a little easier.In some cases, drug treatment aims to eliminate pain and inflammation inside the joint.Non-steroidal drugs are used for this purpose.Experts do not recommend taking these medications orally as they can cause quite severe stomach pain.In this regard, intravenous or intramuscular injections are used based on a specific drug.Additives such as ointments are practically not used because their effectiveness is extremely low.
• Hormonal corticosteroids.Such drugs are prescribed in case of exacerbation of the disease.The medication is injected into the joint.For external use, use a patch, tincture, or ointment.
• Chondroprotectors.Prescribed to restore cartilage tissue and improve the quality of the synovial structure.Among these drugs, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are most often preferred.The duration of this course can be considerable before improvement occurs.However, if the desired result does not occur within six months, such medications should no longer be taken.In addition to chondroprotectors, it is recommended to inject drugs into the joint with the addition of hyaluronic acid.Such drugs support the formation of articular cartilage cells.

In particularly severe cases, the prescription of narcotic analgesics is not excluded.However, such medications are very rarely prescribed, and only when other medications have not had the desired effect.

Proper nutrition for osteoarthritis

An important role in the exacerbation of the disease should be given to proper nutrition.It has to be balanced.You can't eat little, but you shouldn't eat too much either.Being overweight increases the strain on the joints and if there is malnutrition, the cartilage tissue lacks important microelements, which causes it to break down.But the most important thing is to develop a diet that will help you lose weight.You must avoid fast carbohydrates that are contained in sweets and flour products.In addition, the consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially beer, is prohibited.

Fish dishes are welcome, there are practically no restrictions.Only fatty varieties should be avoided - their high calorie content can lead to renewed weight gain.

Jellied meat is especially valued in the treatment of arthrosis.It may seem strange, but all doctors without exception recommend using it, as it contains a large amount of various microelements.The collagen contained in jellied meat is useful because it is an integral part of connective tissue and in this case is able to replenish the missing amount in the body.This makes the joints more mobile and the cartilage tissue becomes more resilient and elastic.

Vitamins, especially group B vitamins, play an important role for the entire body in this disease.It is this group that makes it possible to normalize metabolic processes in the body.A well-functioning metabolism ensures that your joints feel good.After entering the body via beans or peas, thiamine accelerates the synthesis of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

To increase hemoglobin you need pyridoxine, which can be obtained from bananas, nuts, potatoes and cabbage.It is advisable to pay attention to vegetables and beans - they contain folic acid.The body also needs liver, mushrooms, eggs and fermented milk products.This entire list of vitamins is, of course, contained in vitamin complexes, but it is no secret that natural elements are better absorbed, which means that the healing process occurs much faster and more effectively.

When eating, you should follow the basic simple rules:

• Before going to bed, you should not eat foods that are difficult to digest, as these can trigger an attack of osteoarthritis;
• Food should be taken more often, but in small portions;
• Constantly monitor your body weight so that it does not increase, otherwise there will be a lot of stress on the joints, buy a good weight loss and weight control product;
• During periods of relief from illness, take walks after eating.
• The daily diet should be balanced and put together together with the doctor.

It is very important to see a doctor on time.If you follow certain of his instructions, you can not only stop the development of osteoarthritis, but also reverse it so that you can enjoy your normal life again.