Arthrosis is a pathological process in the joints, which can have various causes.All of them lead to disruption of the function and structure of one or more joints.This disease is the most common cause of chronic joint pain.It affects millions of people.In each case, the symptoms and treatment of arthrosis are individual and require observation by a qualified orthopedist.
What is arthrosis?
The basis of the disease is the progressive loss of cartilage, which normally lines the adjacent bone sections and ensures their sliding relative to each other.Under the influence of various reasons, cartilage tissue begins to collapse, immature stem cells are activated in the underlying bone, it becomes denser, and cavities (cysts) and outgrowths (osteophytes) form in it.
The gap between the articular surfaces gradually narrows and then completely disappears, and the limb stops moving.With arthrosis, all joint tissues are affected, including nearby muscles, ligaments, and the joint capsule.Therefore, treating joint arthrosis is a difficult task, and in the later stages only surgery can help the patient.
The most common form of pathology is deforming arthrosis, affecting large joints of the lower extremities, as well as the hands.
Causes of arthrosis
Possible reasons for the development of arthrosis:
- endocrine diseases - diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, acromegaly, obesity;
- injuries, both large (bone fractures, as a result of which their articular surfaces are displaced from the normal axis), and microscopic, but permanent (during hard work, constant professional or sports load);
- inflammatory processes: infectious arthritis, gout, rheumatoid diseases;
- metabolic disorders in the body: Paget's disease and Wilson-Konovalov's disease;
- congenital developmental anomalies, for example, different lengths of limbs;
- genetic defects in collagen structure, for example, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome;
- neuropathies of various origins: diabetic, alcoholic;
- hemophilia with frequent hemorrhages into the joint cavity.
To successfully treat arthrosis of the joints, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that caused it.
Symptoms and stages of arthrosis
The disease is accompanied by the following complaints and external signs:
- aching pain and impaired mobility in one or more joints;
- painful sensations intensify after exercise, often at night, and in severe stages of arthrosis they become permanent;
- a dangerous complication is joint immobility, inability to move and care for oneself.
Frequent forms of the disease:
- damage to the interphalangeal joints of the fingers and the base of the thumb, they can enlarge, swell, sometimes become painful, and inflammation develops in them;
- arthrosis of the hip joint: more common in men, associated with heavy physical work;the main cause of this disease in women is obesity;
- arthrosis of the knee joint: more often associated with professional activities in a kneeling and squatting position;
- arthrosis of the spine: accompanied by the formation of bone spurs that pinch the nerve roots, resulting in pain, weakness, impaired sensitivity in the limbs, and constant pain in the lower back.
There are such degrees of arthrosis:
- 1st degree: slight limitation of mobility.
- 2nd degree: significant limitation of mobility, crunching during movements, moderate atrophy of nearby muscles.
- 3rd degree: deformation of the joint with almost complete absence of movement in it.
Depending on the degree of dysfunction and the stage of pathology, doctors of various profiles - therapists, physiotherapists, rheumatologists, neurologists, and orthopedists - are involved in the treatment of the disease.
Treatment of arthrosis
The goal of treatment is to eliminate risk factors and pain and restore joint function.For this, various methods of influence are used:
- non-pharmacological: informing the patient about his disease and preventing complications, physiotherapy, weight loss, physical therapy, use of assistive devices (orthoses, canes, crutches);
- drugs for arthrosis: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, especially their new generation - selective COX-2 inhibitors;To relieve chronic pain, taking atypical antidepressants is indicated;symptomatic slow-acting drugs have only auxiliary value, since their effect in slowing down the destruction of cartilage has not been proven;
- with concomitant inflammation and severe pain, traumatologists perform intra-articular injections of glucocorticoid hormones;
- The most effective method is surgery, which makes it possible to get rid of pain and restore mobility.
Different types of surgery can be performed:
- arthroscopy - examination of the inner surface of the joint using a small video camera (endoscope), removal of fragments of cartilage blocking the joint;
- arthroplasty – replacement of the cartilage surface with artificial material;
- osteotomy - cutting or removing part of the bone to restore the normal axis of the joint;
- arthroscopic surgery – surgical restoration of the integrity of cartilage;
- arthrodesis – artificial creation of immobility in a joint (most often the ankle) to relieve the patient of constant pain;
- endoprosthetics - removal of damaged articular ends of bones and replacing them with an artificial joint.
Prevention
There is no guaranteed way to prevent the disease.Prevention of arthrosis involves eliminating excess load on the joints and timely treatment of diseases that contribute to the destruction of cartilage.Treatment of arthrosis with folk remedies does not slow down the progression of the disease, but helps to temporarily relieve joint pain.It can only be considered as an addition to traditional drug therapy or surgery.
Time is a negative factor for a patient with arthrosis.The sooner therapy is started or surgery is performed, the better the results.Therefore, if symptoms of osteoarthritis appear, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor.