Causes, symptoms and treatment of arthritis

Osteoarthritis is a disease whose symptoms everyone should know. This is very common malocclusions in the early stage can be almost invisible, however, progressing, can cause intolerable pain and even lead to disability. On how to avoid this, we talk about it in our article.

Because it occurs osteoarthritis and when it is appropriate to proceed to its maturation

The pain of the joints "click" when you are driving and reduction in the motility of the limbs, often go unnoticed: most of the people does not give the value of these signals of the body. In the meantime, these symptoms may indicate a serious disease — osteoarthritis.

Arthrosis deformans, is a disease which consists in the destruction and assottigliamenti of cartilage tissue joint. When this joint tissue becomes more fluid and grows, finally leading to the birth of processes of bone, and inflammation inside the joint.

In the initial phase the sick feel a bit of discomfort when movements, which can not pay attention. In the second stage of the disease you experience severe pain, which leads to restrict the mobility of the joints. The third phase, in addition to pain, accompanied by a complete or almost complete destruction of the cartilage tissue of the articular.

Slow down the development of osteoarthritis, helping to maintain mobility of limbs and to avoid a serious surgery, is possible with the help of timely treatment — this is why it is so important when the first symptoms consult a rheumatologist.

The treatment of osteoarthritis

From the point of view of western medicine, the treatment of this severe disease, such as osteoarthritis, requires an integrated approach taking into account the symptoms in the various stages of the disease. In the complex of measures of healing, with the exception of drugs, include measures for the reduction of the weight, kinesitherapy, physiotherapy, and, if necessary, is prescribed surgery. The treatment program prepared by your doctor rheumatologist taking into account the localization of the disease, characteristics of the body of the patient, but not necessarily comprises a whole range of actions aimed at combating the manifestations of the disease.

Pharmacological treatment

The first task that occurs during the treatment of osteoarthritis, becomes relieve pain and inflammation in the joints. For this prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), like ibuprofen, ketorolac, piroxicam, diclofenac and their derivatives — in the form of tablets, injections, gels, ointments, or rectal candles. Remember that the application of this group of drugs only relieves the main symptoms of the disease. In addition, the long-term use of NSAIDS can accelerate the process of destruction of the cartilage, in order to apply you must with great caution and only on doctor's prescription.

The application of analgesics is another way to free the patient from pain. Unlike analgesics and NSAIDS, to a lesser extent relieve the inflammation, but are more effective in the fight against pain. In the case of muscle spasms prescribed anti-spasmodics, such as "Mydocalm". Both groups of medications most commonly used in the form of injection to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis, and to fight the disease itself are ineffective.

Chondroprotectors are one of the most important factors in the pharmacological treatment of osteoarthritis: saturate the cartilage tissue with nutrients, stimulating the growth of cells. The group chondroprotectors refers, for example, glucosamine, which is available in the form of tablets or capsules. Do not expect a rapid effect of the application chondroprotectors: improvement of the state of the cartilage you notice it only after a long period of taking drugs. Also, they don't help in this case, if the disease has reached the third, the most serious, phase.

Vasodilatatoria drugs used to improve the flow of blood, and also for the resolution of a spasm of the small blood vessels. The intake of such drugs in combination with the protectors of the cartilage strengthens the effect of the last: the nutrients enter the cartilage tissue in a higher volume.

Physiotherapy

1. Shockwave therapy. The application of a therapy shock-wave (UHT) with arthritis allows you to eliminate one of the main causes of pain: shipoopie bony-processes — osteophytes. Under the influence of ultrasonic waves "spikes" soften and by the time it dissolves, improves the efficiency of blood circulation and the metabolism. With all the advantages, shockwave therapy is only effective in the early stages of osteoarthritis and has a lot of contraindications, and then, assigned with caution.
2. Automated transcutaneous electrical stimulation with vertical integration. The use of electrical impulses for the contraction of the muscle, it is appropriate first of all to bedridden patients, and also in the presence of strong shocks, when needed physical exercise are contraindicated. Even if the stimulation of bulimia transcutaneous electrical nerve is the most common way appointment with osteoarthritis, its use helps to improve muscle tone and improve the circulation of blood, which has a positive effect on the dynamics of healing.
3. Fonoforesi,. This procedure combines two types of exposure — the ultrasonic waves, and drugs. As A result of the conduct of phonophoresis allows times to increase the action of drugs: thanks to ultrasound, their substances are delivered to the "destination" of the cells that are easily digestible and those that are very active.
4. Ozone therapy. The introduction of a mixture of gases in the joint capsule reduces pain and inflammation, helps to restore the mobility of joints, improves the circulation of blood. Usually, ozone therapy prescribed course of just a few shots depending on the severity of the disease.

Techniques of traditional chinese medicine

In chinese medicine, the recovery of the health of the joint begins with a diagnosis, during which is evaluated the general state of the organism and proves to be the main cause of osteoarthritis. Then the doctor is in the program exposure on biologically active points. Complete the treatment of osteoarthritis includes the following methods of TCM:

• acupuncture (acupuncture) — staging of thin needles in points in a certain combination;
• fitocompleks — "pomace" of the herbal medicines;
• massage therapy — heating wormwood cigars;
• tui na massage.

When the focus is on the acupuncture as the most effective method of treatment in traditional chinese medicine. The results of the therapy depend largely on the skills of a specialist. When you are in the hands of a skilled doctor, the patient in a short time will be able to notice the improvement of well-being, accompanied by remove the pain, restore joint mobility, strengthening the immune system, normalizing circulation and the metabolism[2].

Other methods of non-surgical treatment of osteoarthritis:

• Therapeutic exercise. THERAPY with osteoarthritis is considered to be a great way to improve circulation in the area of the affected joint, but also to strengthen the muscles. Usually, the doctor recommends that you begin with simple exercises, gradually increasing the number of repetitions.
• Physiotherapy. Curative physical education, it is possible to integrate the mechanotherapy — exercises with the use of special equipment. Devices allow you to increase the work load during exercise (due to different weighting), with a fence to damage the affected joint. As a therapy, PHYSIOTHERAPY, physiotherapy helps to improve blood circulation, increase muscle tone.
• The drain of the joints. The essence of the procedure is to mechanically "pull" arrived on a special machine for 15-20 minutes. This helps reduce the load on the joints, slow down the development of osteoarthritis and significantly reduce pain of the patient. The course, consisting of 10-12 sessions, to improve and consolidate results come about once a semester.
• Lymphatic drainage massage and heating. These procedures contribute to heating the sick phase, the control spasm and pain, improve the blood circulation in the joints. Lymphatic drainage massage and heating can also be used during the limited mobility of the patient.
• The appointment of the diet. Weight management is one of the ways to greatly reduce the work load in the joint and slow the development of osteoarthritis. Of course, a maintenance diet by itself is not conducive to healing, but in combination with other procedures can give a certain effect.
• The correction of the life style. To fight arthritis, the patient will need to substantially revise the habitual life style and start to wear a comfortable shoes, only use in a comfortable way, the women must give up high heels. It is also desirable to get rid of bad habits and exclude the excessive exercise. In some cases, it will go in favor of wearing the orthotic, adjust the access to the swimming pool and bathrooms. An exhaustive list of recommendations you can get from your doctor, who will be on the basis of the condition of the patient.

The surgical treatment

1. Needling (minimally invasive surgery). You apply, and for the diagnosis of the disease. A joint capsule cannulare, carrying away a part of the liquid — this allows you to obtain material for examination, and to reduce the load on the capsule, and, if necessary, again and insert corticosteroid drugs directly into a hotbed of inflammation.
2. Arthroscopy diagnostic. Arthroscopy is an introduction of a special device arthroscope through the micro-incisions in the skin. This allows you to carefully examine the joint and remove the detached fragments of cartilage, by eliminating the causes of the inflammatory process and pain.
3. Osteotomy in the correction. The essence of this surgical procedure is to deposit the bones of the patient with their subsequent fixation under another angle. The operation allows you to reduce the load on the joints and eliminate the pain for a long period of time. This radical impact is assigned, rarely is too large, the load on the body of the patient, and too long period of rehabilitation.
4. Arthroplasty. In those cases, when other treatments have not helped, and the disease is completely or almost completely destroyed the joints are replaced by prosthesis of plastic, metal, or ceramic. Arthroplasty — heavy and costly operation that requires a long rehabilitation. Many patients in the space of a few months after surgery pain. However, a replacement for the ill is often the only alternative perspectives to be immobilized. The duration of the modern prosthesis reaches twenty years, and in all these years the patient will be able to live a full life.

Symptoms and characteristics to treat different types of arthritis

Despite the common features of symptoms of arthritis in different joints has its own indications and characteristics of treatment. For example, the use of ointments with osteoarthritis of the hip inefficient because of the muscle mass and adipose tissue, prevents the penetration of the drug at the site of inflammation. But the same ointment good show of itself when it is applied to the knee or the elbow. Let's see what are the characteristic symptoms of osteoarthritis of the joints (ankle, knee, elbow, shoulder, fingers and hip joints), and what type of treatment is suitable for all cases.

• The treatment of the arthrosis of the joints of the hand (hand to hand). In an early stage of the disease it pretends to be just a little crunch and mild pain during the movements of the hands, but in the absence of treatment becomes evident visually: on the phalanges of the joints are significant thickening. The pain intensifies and becomes constant, appears to be the burning sensation and impulse to your fingers. To relieve the pain and inflammation used NSAIDS and corticosteroids to slow down the destruction of cartilage — massage, chondroprotectors, the discharge of the fingers.
• The treatment of the arthrosis of the shoulder joint. Painful muscle spasms, decreased mobility of the hands, "back pain" when you lift and touch their part — all of the symptoms of the arthrosis of the shoulder joint. Appoint a massage, curative physical education in combination with the use of anti-spasmodic and intra-articular injection of pain medication.
• The treatment of osteoarthritis of the elbow. The symptoms of the disease of the elbow is a sharp cracking sound when you bend your hands at the height of the elbows during the movement of tassels, "shooting" pain, and muscle weakness. To get rid of this type of arthritis, apply treatments of physiotherapy, compresses and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ointments.
• The treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip. For osteoarthritis of the HIP typical "soft" crunching of the joints, pain or unpleasant sensations of the back during driving or tiredness. In the treatment of the disease prescribe painkillers in the form of injection, capsules or tablets, compresses with anti-inflammatory drugs.
• The treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. When knee osteoarthritis patients complain of crunchy sounds with the movement, pain in the calves, especially in the presence of high loads the increase in size of the joint. In the complex therapy include: shockwave therapy, the unloading of the joints, physiotherapy exercises, the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ointments) and also the use of body wraps.
• The treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle. A tingling sensation, redness, cracking, clicking in the area of the forefoot, fatigue when walking — these symptoms bear witness to the development of osteoarthritis of the ankle. In the treatment of this type of disease are effective physiotherapy, massage treatments and baths. It should also reduce the load on the ankle.

To avoid the onset of osteoarthritis, especially in the presence of the predisposition, it is necessary to follow simple rules: wear comfortable shoes, support physical activity, respecting the measure loads to avoid injuries and hypothermia. For the prevention of disease is particularly important for maintaining a normal weight, because every pound of excess increases the load on the joints.