Arthrosis causes, symptoms, its complications and treatment methods

Arthrosis, more correctly called osteoarthrosis, is a chronic disease of a dystrophic nature, caused by the destruction of cartilage tissue in the joint, therefore treatment of arthrosis of the joints is extremely necessary.If such a disease occurs, irreversible inflammatory processes begin at the ends of the bones and in the tissues around the joints, leading to their degeneration.In addition, arthrosis refers to a number of additional degenerative joint diseases, which are characterized by numerous similar causes of occurrence and mechanisms of progression.

Arthrosis, according to various statistical information, affects up to 80% of the inhabitants of our planet, which makes it the most commonly diagnosed joint disease.And among all diseases it is in 3rd place.

The older a person gets, the higher the chance of developing arthrosis.Both sexes are equally susceptible to it, except that arthrosis of the interphalangeal joints most often occurs in women.The working population over 30 years of age is most affected.From year to year the proportion of patients is only increasing.

Arthrosis causes of a diseased joint

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

According to experts, the destruction of cartilage can occur due to: hormonal imbalances, deterioration of blood flow in the joint, deterioration of metabolism, for hereditary reasons, due to mature age, injury, and other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and lichen planus.However, the most important cause of arthrosis is excessive stress on the joints at a time when they are most vulnerable.

Additional causes of arthrosis of the joints include the following:

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

Osteoarthritis causes are genetic:

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

People who have the following professions or hobbies are most susceptible to the disease: mason, fisherman, blacksmith, loader, athlete.

Symptoms of arthrosis for various reasons

Symptoms of arthrosis can be divided into four groups:

• Painful in nature.The occurrence of pain indicates the initial symptoms of arthrosis in the first place.Pain can be caused by various reasons, but with arthrosis it is special.First, the pain is characterized by sharp manifestations, and a person may feel some discomfort when moving.The pain goes away with rest.At night, pain can only be felt when turning from side to side.At rest, pain becomes constant only in severe forms of the disease.In the initial stages of the disease, pain is felt only during heavy exertion or upon palpation.As the condition worsens, the pain intensifies, and more and more breaks are required to eliminate it.In severe forms, the pain becomes unbearable, osteophytes appear due to thinning of the cartilage and exposed bone.Bad weather and the full moon aggravate the pain.
• The appearance of a crunch.This type of symptom is also very important when diagnosing.It occurs due to friction between rotating bones, the ends of which have lost their softness and elasticity.A crunch may indicate other diseases, or may not be accompanied by them at all, but with arthrosis it has a special character, distinguished by its “dryness.”This causes pain.
• Deterioration of motor functions of the joint.This symptom is typical in advanced stages of arthrosis, and occurs due to the appearance of bone tumors in the joint, which cause spasms and almost completely fill the joint space.The result is partial immobilization of the joint.
• Joint deformity.A change in the shape of the joint occurs due to the growth of osteophytes on the bones and the entry of synovial fluid into the joint.This symptom is characteristic of the most advanced forms of the disease.

Arthrosis can alternately move from a state of exacerbation to a state of remission, which greatly interferes with diagnosing the disease yourself.For this reason, it is recommended to consult a doctor to confirm the diagnosis.

Thanks to x-rays, the doctor will be able to determine signs indicating one of the four stages of arthrosis:

• Stage 1.The articular lumen may be slightly reduced; no osteophytes are observed.
• Stage 2.The decrease in lumen may be more pronounced, and osteophytes begin to form.
• Stage 3.A narrowing of the lumen is clearly observed, and a large number of osteophytes are present.
• Stage 4.The articular lumen almost completely disappears, and a pathological change in the shape of the joint begins due to many osteophytes.

Treatment methods for arthrosis

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

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

Treatment of joint arthrosis consists of a number of basic principles:

1. diseased joints should not experience excessive stress, and during treatment they should be practically absent;
2. adhere to orthopedic order;
3. engage in recreational physical education;
4. conducting physiotherapy, consisting of laser, shock wave, electro- and magnetic therapy;
5. undergo treatment at health resorts at least once a year as prescribed by a doctor;
6. oxygen therapy - feeding the inside of the joint with oxygen;
7. drug treatment;
8. method of intraosseous administration of drugs and decompression of the metaepiphysis;
9. establishing 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 easier to some extent.In part, drug treatment is aimed at eliminating pain and inflammation inside the joint.For this purpose, non-steroidal drugs are used.Experts advise not to use the oral method of administering these drugs, as they can cause quite severe pain in the stomach.In this regard, based on a specific drug, intravenous or intramuscular injections are used.Additional means, such as ointments, are practically not used, since their effectiveness is extremely low.
• Hormonal corticosteroids.Such drugs are prescribed in case of exacerbation of the disease.The drugs are injected into the joint.For external use, use a patch, tincture or ointment.
• Chondroprotectors.Prescribed for the restoration of cartilage tissue and to improve the quality of the structure of the synovium.Among these drugs, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are most often preferred.The duration of this course can be significant until improvement occurs.However, if the required result is not observed within six months, then such drugs should no longer be taken.In addition, along with chondroprotectors, it is recommended to inject medications into the joint with the addition of hyaluronic acid.Such medications help the formation of articular cartilage cells.

In especially severe cases, the prescription of narcotic analgesics is not excluded.But such drugs are prescribed very rarely, only in cases where other medications have not had the desired effect.

Proper nutrition for arthrosis

An important role in the worsening of the disease should be given to proper nutrition.It must be balanced.You can’t eat little, but you shouldn’t overeat either.Due to excess weight, the load on the joints will increase, and in case of malnutrition, the cartilage tissue will lack important microelements, as a result of which it will degrade.However, the main thing is to create a diet that will help you lose excess weight.You will need to give up fast carbohydrates, which are found 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 - due to their high calorie content, you can gain excess weight again.

Jellied meat is especially valued in the treatment of arthrosis.It may seem strange, but all doctors without exception recommend using it because it contains a huge amount of different microelements.The collagen found in jellied meat is useful because it is an integral part of connective tissues, so in this case it is able to replenish the missing amount in the body.As a result, the joints gain better mobility, and the cartilage tissue becomes more resilient and elastic.

Vitamins, especially group B, play an important role for the body as a whole in this disease. It is this group that allows one to normalize metabolic processes in the body.A properly functioning metabolism will allow your joints to feel great.Thiamine, after entering the body from beans or peas, will accelerate 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 greens 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’s no secret that natural elements are absorbed better, which means the healing process will be much faster and more effective.

When eating, you should follow the basic simple rules:

• Before going to bed, you should not eat hard-to-digest foods, as they can provoke an attack of arthrosis;
• food should be taken more often, but in small portions;
• Monitor your body weight all the time so that it does not increase, otherwise large loads on the joints will be ensured, buy a good product for weight loss and weight control;
• during periods of easing the disease after eating food, take walks;
• the daily diet should be balanced and compiled together with the doctor.

It is very important to seek help from a doctor in time.By following certain of his instructions, you can not only stop the development of arthrosis, but also reverse it, which will give you the opportunity to enjoy your normal life again.