arthrosis

Arthrosis and arthritis are pathological processes in the human body, in which various joints are affected. Due to the similarity of these terms, many people are unaware of the difference between the two. But actually arthritis and osteoarthritis are not the same disease. And they have significant differences. It is important to study your main symptoms so that, if they appear, go to the hospital immediately. You also need to know which doctor treats osteoarthritis so that you can get qualified honey in time. specialist.

Don't self-medicate. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor.

Arthrosis of the joints is a complex degenerative disease that is associated with the destruction of cartilage tissue within 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, over a long period of time, various changes and rearrangements occur in the joint ends of bones, and inflammatory processes develop. As a result, periarticular tissues degenerate.

Many people ask the same question - how is arthritis different from osteoarthritis? Arthrosis is a condition that results in damage to large and small joints. Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the entire human body. The changes that take place in the body don't just affect the joints. The most common disease in arthritis is the heart and kidneys. If the correct treatment is not carried out, complications and even death can occur.

The probability of developing arthrosis or arthritis increases significantly around the age of 40-50. The disease affects women and men equally. The disease occurs in healthy people and has recently become much younger (people over 30 years old suffer from osteoarthritis). Therefore, it is very important to know what osteoarthritis is and how to properly treat it.

Causes

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

Cartilage located in the joints of the extremities can be destroyed due to disturbances in hormone production, decreased blood supply to the joints, and injuries. Also, some 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 arthrosis are two concomitant diseases);
• increase in body weight. In this case, there will be a constant additional load on the joints;
• general body intoxication;
• frequent SARS, acute respiratory infections and flu;
• pathological processes in the thyroid gland;
• hemophilia;
• Perthes disease.

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

Symptoms

Symptoms of arthrosis appear almost immediately. The first sign of the development of a pathological process is intense pain when carrying a particular joint. The pain will lessen once the joint is at rest. In medical circles, the following groups of symptoms of arthrosis are differentiated:

• pain.Acute pain only occurs when certain movements are made. Its location is at the site of the affected joint. At night, there is practically no discomfort as the joint is at rest. Pain in a calm state may only manifest during the progression of arthrosis;
• decreases joint mobility.This is true for both osteoarthritis and arthritis. In the early stage of the disease, this symptom does not worry the patient much. But soon the muscles will start to spasm. The gap between the joints will almost completely disappear;
• crunch.The reason for its appearance lies in the fact that, due to the disease, the smoothness of rotation of the bone in the joint decreases. Its sound is "dry";
• deformation of the affected joint.This is due to the proliferation of osteophytes. This symptom is the last to appear. The treatment of arthrosis at this stage is the most difficult.

Stages of the disease

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

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

Arthrosis of the joints in the third stage of their development is extremely difficult to cure. More chances of success are if you find a qualified expert. Many people ask themselves - which doctor treats osteoarthritis? In that case, you need to seek help from a rheumatologist. This is a narrow specialist who deals with the treatment of dystrophic and inflammatory diseases of the connective tissue and joints such as osteoarthritis and arthritis.

complications

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

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

Treatment

The question of how to treat arthrosis is asked by all people who present the first signs of the disease. The easiest way to do this is in the early stages of development of the pathological process, until violations become irreversible. The essence of therapeutic measures is to remove the underlying causes of the development of arthrosis and eliminate inflammation in the joints.

The treatment of arthrosis must be comprehensive. It includes the ingestion of medications (tablets, mixtures) with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Physical therapy procedures are also needed.

Principles of treatment of arthrosis:

• eliminate excessive stress on joints;
• therapy with anti-inflammatory pills and analgesics. Furthermore, in complex therapy, chondroprotectors are actively used for osteoarthritis;
• physiotherapy;
• spa treatment;
• magnetotherapy, electrotherapy, laser therapy, shock wave therapy;
• intra-articular oxygen therapy;
• intraosseous block;
• It is important to choose the right nutrition for osteoarthritis.

drug treatment

How to treat arthrosis with medication? This question is more common among patients. Treatment is carried out with three groups of drugs:

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

popular recipes

Most people these days don't want to take pills or injections. So they ask - how to cure arthrosis with the help of folk remedies? For the most part, these funds aim to increase body tone, improve blood circulation, relieve pain, and boost immunity. Treatment of arthrosis with folk remedies is most effective in the early stages of development of the pathological process. For the treatment of this disease, recipes based on the following plants are used:

• Redhead;
• Kalanchoe;
• celery seeds;
• castor seeds;
• cinnamon;
• saffron;
• horsetail.

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

Arthrosis nutrition

The diet for osteoarthritis has its specifics. It is especially important to monitor your diet during an exacerbation of the disease. Don't overeat as the body weight and load on the affected joint will increase. But you can't be hungry either. Cartilage must receive the necessary amount of micronutrients.

The arthrosis diet aims to reduce excess weight. Therefore, carbohydrates must be removed from the diet. Sweets, flour and alcoholic beverages are completely 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 - meat and jam. Many doctors recommend using it as it is a real panacea for your 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's important to eat portions. The daily menu should include foods rich in B vitamins. They are necessary for the regulation of metabolism.

If you follow a diet for osteoarthritis, you can get a significant improvement in your overall condition.

Basic nutritional principles:

• the menu must be completely balanced;
• heavy food should not be eaten at night. You can provoke an arthrosis attack;
• if the disease is not in a state 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, it is necessary to clearly regulate food intake and consumption (taking 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

The prevention of osteoarthritis starts with proper nutrition. It is necessary to try to reduce your salt intake, as well as foods that can disrupt your metabolism. This includes vegetables, fatty meats and alcohol. The diet includes cabbage, herbs and fish.

For the prevention of arthrosis it is necessary to do physical education, warm up. If possible, it is better to walk a few kilometers. It is also important to monitor your weight and prevent weight gain as this will increase the stress on your joints. It is not recommended to take pills for the purpose of losing weight as they can disrupt the body's metabolism.