Joint pain... can osteoarthritis be cured?

joint pain symptoms

osteoarthritisOsteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases affecting 10-14% of the world's population. Basically, The disease affects women aged 45 to 55 years. Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease and accounts for about 80% of all articular etiologies.

The etiology of this disease is currently unknown.. . . All factors that cause tissue degeneration and aging of the body can lead to the occurrence of this disease, therefore, with age, the appearance of osteoarthritis is almost inevitable.

There are external and internal factors in the onset of this disease.The main external factors of osteoarthritis include moisture, hypothermia, unfavorable working conditions, functional overload of the joints with repeated microtraumas, as well as exposure to radiation energy and vibration. The main and fairly common cause of osteoarthritis is increased stress on the joints. is the inability of the cartilage to resist. The causes of this manifestation can be impaired posture, long working hours, standing on one's feet and even some sports: lifting weights, running or jumping.

Internal factors that cause this disease include the following: hereditary predisposition to the occurrence of diseases of the cartilage tissue, poor blood supply to the joint, hormonal imbalance and metabolic disorders. Osteoarthritis in women can cause ovarian dysfunction in menopause. In addition, vascular processes with the early development of atherosclerosis can also be the cause of this disease.
Osteoarthritis has a secondary development in diseases such as congenital dislocation, rheumatoid arthritis, intra-articular fracture and even with alcoholism.

What are the signs and clinical symptoms of this disease?

The manifestation of osteoarthritis is expressed by severe pain and deformity of the joints, leading to a violation of their functions. With this disease, most often the load is damage to the joints (hip and knee joints) and small joints of the handThe spine is also involved in this process. But most often the knee and hip joints are affected.

elbow pain

most basic symptomsWith osteoarthritis, there is severe pain in the area of the affected joint. These pains result from damage to the bones, joints, or periarticular tissue. Typically, such pain increases with exertion and subsides with rest. Pain at night, swelling in the joints, as well as the appearance of a feeling of "gel stickiness" in the affected joint in the morning - all this indicates the occurrence of osteoarthritis. The intensity of such pain depends on many reasons (changes in atmospheric pressure, humidity and temperature). Depends. All these factors begin to affect the pressure in the joint cavity, which causes these pains.

One of the main symptoms of osteoarthritis is the appearance of a crunch or squeak in the joints, not only when walking, but also during any movement. The appearance of such a crunch or squeak is associated with a violation of the articular surfaces, which lead to thisCauses restriction of mobility in the joint.

With osteoarthritis, there is an increase in joint volume, which results in the presence of edema of the periarticular tissues. Swelling or fever in the affected joint is extremely rare.

Clinical forms of osteoarthritis:

  1. Gonarthrosis.
  2. Coxarthrosis.
  3. Osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal joints of the hand.
  4. Osteoarthritis of the proximal interphalangeal joints of the hands.
  5. Spondylosis deformity.
  6. Intervertebral osteochondrosis.
healthy and sore joints

gonarthrosisIn osteoarthritis there is a lesion of the knee joint. In this case, pain in the knee joint is expressed when walking, and they are especially intense if you go down the stairs. The place of localization of these pains is the affected knee. Occurs in the inner and front parts of the knee joint. Discomfort increases when the knee is flexed. Also, in many cases of gonarthrosis, there is a dislocation of the knee joint. The disease begins slowly, and the pain is increasing. With active and passive movements, a crunch can be heard. The pain begins to intensify, and in many cases synovitis develops - inflammation of the capsule membrane of the joint or tendon.

coxarthrosis- This is a lesion of the hip joint. The initial pain of a hip injury does not appear in the thigh region, but in the knee, groin or buttocks. They increase with walking, and subside with rest. These pains, whichThere are also with minor changes in X-rays, associated with muscle spasms. With the defeat of the hip joint, there is a gradual increase in the range of mobility in the joint. This disease is the result of trauma or arthritis. With coxarthrosis, there is a "duck" gait, developing lameness, muscle hypotrophy of the buttocks and thighs. Also, there is pain on palpation in the region of the femoral head.

Osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint of the hand or Heberden's knot. . . The appearance of such nodules is most often observed in women during menopause. Initially, they appear on the first and third fingers of the hand. Over time, that is, after several months or years, other distal interphalangeal jointsA symmetrical lesion is observed in. Such nodules are located on the dorsal-lateral surface of the joints.

Osteoarthritis of the proximal interphalangeal joints of the hands or Bouchard's nodules.Unlike Heberden's nodules, these nodules appear on the lateral surface of the joint, resulting in lateral extension of the joint. As a result of this enlargement, the finger acquires a fusiform shape.

spondylosis deformans- As a result of this disease in the region of the vertebrae, marginal growth of bone appears. This disease appears from the age of 20. Osteophytes (bone growth) looks like swelling - edema appears due to vascular compression. As a result, spinal stiffness appears, and in some cases neurological disorders appear.

intervertebral osteochondrosisOccurs in combination with curvature or deforming spondylosis of the spine. With this disease, the discs degenerate and the nuclei protrude in different directions, and this leads to spinal cord injury. Overgrowth of osteophytes and joint surfacesIn this case, the choroid of the joint suffers, resulting in vasculitis - inflammation of the walls of small blood vessels. The pain syndrome is very pronounced and increases with physical exertion or hypothermia.

examination of a sore joint by a doctor

There are two main forms of osteoarthritis- it is primary or idiopathic (the causes of the disease are not clarified) and secondary (the disease occurs against the background of other diseases).

primary osteoarthritisIt is localized when less than 3 joints are affected. With localized osteoarthritis, the spine, the joints of the arms and legs, the knee joint, the hip joint and other joints are affected.
There is also generalized osteoarthritis, when 3 or more joints are affected. In this case, the large joint and the distal interphalangeal joint are affected. In addition, in the generalized form, there is also erosive osteoarthritis.

secondary osteoarthritisMay occur after trauma. Also, secondary osteoarthritis can cause metabolic diseases such as Gaucher disease, which is a genetic disease; Wilson's disease is a rare form of liver damage in which copper metabolism is impaired; Hemochromatosis or, as this disease is also called, bronze diabetes, or pigmentary cirrhosis, is a hereditary disease in which there is a violation of iron metabolism and its accumulation in organs and tissues. Diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism - thyroidDecreased gland function, acromegaly - hyperfunction of growth hormone, can also be the cause of osteoarthritis. Apart from these diseases, osteoarthritis can also cause calcium deposition disease, neuropathy and many other diseases.

What happens with osteoarthritis?

With this disease, intensive aging of the articular cartilage occurs. As a result, there is a loss of elasticity of the articular cartilage. In addition to the fact that the articular surfaces become rough, cracks still appear on them. In many cases, The cartilage degenerates enough to expose the bone. All of this leads to a decrease in the elasticity of the articular cartilage and causes degeneration of the joints. In addition, inflammation may be involved in all of the listed changes, whoseThe reason is the growth of bone tissue, and this leads to disease and deformity of the joints.

stages of osteoarthritis

diagnosis of osteoarthritis

In many cases the diagnosis of osteoarthritis does not cause great difficulties. But there are exceptions, for example, patients with lesions of the shoulder joint and symptoms of joint inflammation. Difficulties can also arise in the diagnosis of primary and secondary osteoarthritis, The occurrence of which is associated with metabolic or other diseases. On X-ray examination, symptoms of osteoarthritis are found early (especially in the elderly) if clinical signs of osteoarthritis are present. To make a final diagnosis, sufficient X-rays and laboratoryThere is no data. To do this, it is necessary to conduct a number of additional studies to identify the exact cause of pain in the joints.

Osteoarthritis Treatment

To reduce or completely suppress pain, there are both drug and non-drug methods, including physical therapy and exercise therapy. To determine the right treatment, an individual approach is needed for each patient. In the case, the individual characteristics of the patient and the features of the course of this disease are necessarily taken into account.

In the treatment of osteoarthritis, first of all it is necessary to adhere to a diet, since mechanical unloading of the joint is not only the main factor in reducing pain, but also plays an important role in the treatment of this disease. In this case, a certain definiteIt is necessary to exclude a long stay in position, prolonged walking and prolonged standing on the legs, as well as the transfer of weight that can lead to mechanical overload of the joints. If the disease is neglected, So the patient is advised to walk with crutches or a cane. With pronounced pain at the time of exacerbation of the disease, some patients are prescribed a semi-bed regime.

During the treatment of osteoarthritis, it is recommended to follow a diet to reduce excess weight. This is especially true for people who have lesions in the knee joints.

In addition, in the treatment of this disease, physiotherapeutic methods are used that not only reduce pain and inflammation, but also have a positive effect on metabolic processes in the tissues of the joints and improve microcirculation. In physiotherapy treatmentInvolves the use of electric currents, alternating magnetic currents, electrophoresis, as well as ultraviolet radiation and phonophoresis on the affected joints. In addition, thermal procedures, the use of peat clay and paraffin wax are prescribed.

Using elements of therapeutic massage, patients should try to avoid mechanical irritation of the joint capsule. Only in this case there is a decrease in painful muscle spasms, and also increased weak muscle tone, as a result of which the patient'sFunctional ability improves.

Drug treatment is prescribed depending on the form of the disease and the severity of its course. In more severe cases, patients are prescribed surgical treatment (arthroplasty).

Also, patients are advised to resort to spa treatments on the beach.

Osteoarthritis preventionIncluded in the daily performance of special exercises that help strengthen the musculo-ligamentous apparatus. Getting rid of excess weight, losing weight, as well as including in the menu of dishes such as jelly, jellied meat or aspic preventive measures of osteoarthritisAnd, of course, going in for a sport like swimming. It must be remembered that it is better to prevent any disease than to cure it. The same applies to diseases such as osteoarthritis. In the future chronicIn order not to think in the future about how to get rid of severe pain in osteoarthritis, as well as how to cure this disease, it is necessary to take preventive measures today, without postponing them for later.

Treatment of deforming osteoarthritis in different ways

High qualification and accumulated experience in the use of shock wave therapy allows to achieve the maximum positive effect of treatment even in advanced stages of the disease, avoiding surgical treatment in many cases.

Shock wave therapy is performed on a modern device:

Physiotherapy for osteoarthritis
  • During the treatment of arthritis, arthrosis by the UHT method consists of 5-7 sessions;
  • The session is carried out 1 time in 5-7 days.

Under the influence of the shock wave, microcrystals of calcium salts and areas of fibrosis that form in the tissues of the joints loosen in the affected tissues. At the same time, the blood flow to the damaged tissue increases tenfold, which causes calcium salts and fibrosisContributes to the revitalization of areas of

Advantages of SWT Method:

  • Capacity;
  • good tolerability (does not require the use of anesthesia);
  • Minimizes the need for other methods, especially surgical treatment;
  • rapid pain relief without analgesics;
  • the possibility of use in the chronic stage of the disease and with its primary manifestations;
  • Performed on an outpatient basis, does not require hospitalization, does not disrupt the patient's normal rhythm of life.

Photodynamic therapy in orthopedicsis a non-invasive, complication-free two-component treatment method. To implement the method, a photosensitizer and a laser radiation source approved for medical use with a wavelength of 660-670 nm are used.

Under the influence of a laser beam, a photosensitizer is excited by the release of singlet oxygen, which toxically affects the cell's energy complexes (mitochondria and the Golgi complex), destroying the latter and thus irreversible induction of apoptosis. Triggers the process. At the same time healthy cells are not damaged. Damaged pathological tissue is absorbed aseptically.

The photosensitizer is injected into the patient's body by transcutaneous (applications).

prp plasma hoist- This orthopedic procedure is based on a patented method of processing patient's blood using special vacuum biotechnological tubes and a special centrifugation mode.

During the procedure, an injectable form of autoplasma containing platelets is isolated from the patient's blood, which is then injected into the soft tissue surrounding the joint and directly into the patient's joint cavity. Autoplasma injections can reduce inflammation, can relieve pain and restore range of motion in the joint. The autoplasma treatment procedure reduces the number of drugs used or eliminates them altogether, thereby reducing the amount of drugs on the patient's body. Toxic effects can be reduced. In addition, autoplasma injections help reduce the healing time by 2-3 times.

Indications for the procedure (PRP Plasmolifting):

  • osteoarthritis;
  • osteoarthritis;
  • periarthritis;
  • tendon tendopathy,
  • Damage to ligaments and muscles.

Thus, shock wave therapy, photodynamic therapy and plasma lifting (PRP) in orthopedics are the best options for the treatment of joint diseases. With the use of modern equipment and technologies and experience of doctors, they allow you to achieve positive results. Huh.