Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis and arthritis are pathological processes in the human body, in which various joints are affected. Due to the similarity of these terms, many people ignore the difference between the two. But in fact, arthritis and osteoarthritis are not the same disease. And they have significant differences. It is important to study their main symptoms so that, if they appear, go to the hospital immediately. It is also necessary to know which doctor treats osteoarthritis in order to turn to a qualified honey in time. specialist.

Don't heal yourself. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor.

Osteoarthritis of the joints is a complex degenerative disease that is associated with the destruction of cartilage tissue inside the joints. This pathological process is the most common joint disease in the world. According to the latest statistics, around 80% of the world's population suffers from it. But most people don't have an exact idea of what osteoarthritis is. With this disease, for a long time, various changes and rearrangements occur in the joint ends of the bones, and inflammatory processes develop. As a result, the periarticular tissues degenerate.

Many people ask the same question: How is arthritis different from osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis is a condition that causes damage to small and large joints. Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the whole human body. The changes that occur in the body do not only affect the joints. The most common disease in arthritis is the heart and kidneys. If the proper treatment is not carried out, complications and even death can occur.

The likelihood of developing osteoarthritis or arthritis increases dramatically around the age of 40-50 years. The disease affects both women and men. The disease occurs in able-bodied people and recently it has become much younger (people over 30 have osteoarthritis). Therefore, it is very important to know what osteoarthritis is and how to properly treat this pathology.

Causes

Like arthritis, osteoarthritis occurs in the body due to metabolic failure of certain joints. This leads to a loss of elasticity of the cartilage tissue.

Cartilage in the joints of the extremities can be destroyed due to disturbances in hormone production, decreased blood supply to the joints, and injury. In addition, certain diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can cause osteoarthritis.

Main reasons:

• a history of limb injuries;
• advanced age;
• severe hypothermia;
• the presence of inflammatory processes in large and small joints (arthritis and osteoarthritis are two concomitant diseases);
• increased body weight. In this case, there will be a constant additional load on the joints;
• general intoxication of the body;
• Frequent SARS, acute respiratory infections and influenza;
• pathological processes in the thyroid gland;
• haemophilia;
• Perthès disease.

Osteoarthritis of the joints can also develop in a person due to genetic disorders - collagen mutations, dysplasia.

Symptoms

Symptoms of osteoarthritis appear almost immediately. The first sign of the development of a pathological process is severe pain when loading a certain joint. The pain will go away once the joint is at rest. In medical settings, the following groups of osteoarthritis symptoms are distinguished:

• pain.Sharp pain occurs only when certain movements are performed. Its location is at the site of the affected joint. At night there is practically no discomfort, since the joint is at rest. Pain in a calm state can manifest itself only during the progression of osteoarthritis;
• joint mobility decreases.This is true for osteoarthritis and arthritis. At the initial stage of the disease, this symptom is not of great concern to the patient. But soon the muscles will start to contract. The space between the joints will almost completely disappear;
• bite.The reason for its appearance is that due to the disease, the smoothness of the rotation of the bone in the joint decreases. Its sound is "dry";
• deformity of the affected joint.This is due to the proliferation of osteophytes. This symptom is the last to appear. Treating osteoarthritis at this stage is the most difficult.

Stages of the disease

All of these signs of osteoarthritis occur at different stages in the development of the disease. In medical practice, there are three degrees:

• 1st degree osteoarthritis.Symptoms of osteoarthritis are not pronounced. Most often, minor joint pain occurs during exertion or a long walk. Pathological changes begin to occur in the fluid and the synovium. Treatment of osteoarthritis at this stage is most effective;
• 2nd degree osteoarthritis.The joint is destroyed. Osteophytes are formed. Pain during exertion and movement becomes stronger, a characteristic crunch is heard in the affected joints;
• 3rd degree osteoarthritis.This is the most difficult stage in the development of this disease. There is a pathological change in the sites of the diseased joints. Inflammation occurs. The patient feels stiffness when moving, as the muscles cannot fully contract and perform their functions.

Osteoarthritis of the joints in the third stage of its development is extremely difficult to cure. You are more likely to be successful if you find a qualified specialist. Many people ask the question: which doctor treats osteoarthritis? In this case, you need to seek help from a rheumatologist. He is a narrow specialist who deals with the treatment of dystrophic and inflammatory diseases of connective tissue and joints, such as osteoarthritis and arthritis.

Complications

If you do not start treating osteoarthritis in the early stages of its development, it can lead to the following consequences:

• complete destruction of the joint;
• it will become almost impossible to perform various movements;
• herniated vertebral discs;
• a person's disability;
• complete deformation of the joint;
• the patient's standard of living will decrease.

Processing

The question of how to treat osteoarthritis is asked by anyone who has shown the first signs of the disease. The easiest way to do this is in the early stages of the development of the pathological process, until the violations become irreversible. The essence of therapeutic measures is to eliminate the root causes of the development of osteoarthritis and eliminate inflammation of the joints.

The treatment of osteoarthritis should only be comprehensive. It includes taking drugs (tablets, mixtures) with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Physiotherapy procedures are also required.

Principles of osteoarthritis treatment:

• eliminate excessive stress on the joints;
• therapy with anti-inflammatory and analgesic pills. In addition, in complex therapy, chondroprotectors are actively used for osteoarthritis;
• physiotherapy;
• Spa treatment;
• magnetotherapy, electrotherapy, laser therapy, shock wave therapy;
• intra-articular oxygen therapy;
• intraosseous blockade;
• choosing the right nutrition for osteoarthritis is important.

Medical treatment

How to treat osteoarthritis with drugs? This question is most common in patients. Treatment is carried out with the help of three groups of drugs:

• hormonal corticosteroids.Effective for osteoarthritis in the acute stage. Introduction - intra-articular. The tablets are less effective in this case;
• anti-inflammatory drugs.They are used to reduce inflammation in the joint, as well as to relieve pain. Doctors do not recommend that patients take pills because they irritate the lining of the stomach to some extent. Therefore, they are most often injected into a vein or muscle;
• chondroprotectors for osteoarthritis.They are used to restore the structure of cartilage. Chondroitin sulfate is prescribed most often because this drug is very effective. The use of chondroprotectors for osteoarthritis gives positive results in the early stages of the development of the pathological process.

Folk recipes

Most people these days don't want to take pills or injections. Therefore, they ask the following question: how to cure osteoarthritis with the help of folk remedies? For the most part, these funds are aimed at increasing the tone of the body, improving blood circulation, relieving pain and increasing immunity. Treatment of osteoarthritis with folk remedies is most effective in the early stages of the development of the pathological process. For the treatment of this disease, recipes are used based on the following plants:

• Ginger;
• Kalanchoe;
• celery seeds;
• castor seeds;
• cinnamon;
• Turmeric;
• ponytail.

Tinctures of bay leaf, horseradish, garlic and rye grains are also considered effective. Treatment of osteoarthritis with folk remedies will be more effective if combined with medication.

Nutrition for osteoarthritis

The diet for osteoarthritis has its own specifics. It is especially important to watch your diet during an exacerbation of the disease. Do not eat too much, as the body weight and the load on the affected joint will increase. But you also can't sit hungry. The cartilage must receive the required amount of micronutrients.

The diet for osteoarthritis is aimed at reducing excess weight. Therefore, carbohydrates should be removed from the diet. Sweet, floury, alcoholic drinks are totally excluded.

Fish dishes can be included in the daily diet. Preference should be given to low fat varieties. The main role in the treatment of osteoarthritis is attributed to everyone's favorite dish - jelly meat. Many doctors recommend its use because it is a real panacea for the joints. It contains all the necessary trace elements. But the most important component of the dish is natural collagen.

Nutrition for osteoarthritis should be regular. It is important to eat in portions. The daily menu should include foods rich in B vitamins. They are necessary for the regulation of metabolism.

If you stick to a diet for osteoarthritis, you can achieve significant improvement in general condition.

Basic nutritional principles:

• the menu must be completely balanced;
• heavy foods should not be eaten at night. You can cause an attack of osteoarthritis;
• if the disease is not at the stage of exacerbation, it is better to walk a little after eating;
• food must be fractionated;
• you need to constantly monitor your weight and prevent it from increasing;
• if pills are prescribed, then it is necessary to clearly regulate their food intake and consumption (take them before or after meals).

A diet for osteoarthritis helps not only to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of the disease, but also to improve the condition of the joints.

Prophylaxis

Prevention of osteoarthritis begins with good nutrition. It is necessary to try to reduce the consumption of salt, as well as of foods which can disturb the metabolism. These include legumes, fatty meats, and alcohol. The diet includes cabbage, herbs and fish.

For the prevention of osteoarthritis, it is necessary to follow a physical education, to do warm-ups. If possible, it is better to walk a few kilometers on foot. It is also important to watch your weight and prevent weight gain, as this will put additional stress on the sore joints. It is not recommended to take pills for the purpose of losing weight, as they can disrupt the body's metabolism.