One of the diseases of the joints is dry joints. During this stage of the disease, the cartilage inside the joint is slowly destroyed. After a long time, various changes appear, the articular ends of the bones are rebuilt, the inflammatory process increases, and the tissues around the joints are destroyed. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases worldwide. Based on statistics, this disease affects more than 70% of people around the planet. In terms of prevalence, degenerative joint disease is second only to cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The older the person, the higher the risk of osteoarthritis. Men and women are equally affected by this disease. In addition, joint disease can also develop in people who are over 30 years old.
Why does the disease appear?
The development of joint disease is associated with impaired metabolism in the joints. As a result, the cartilage loses its former elasticity. This may appear due to complete or partial loss of proteoglycan, which is part of cartilage. Deep cracks in the cartilage contribute to this phenomenon. In addition, doctors said, joint disease is a consequence of both metabolic disorders and hormonal decline, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis. The most common cause is an abnormal load on the joint, when the cartilage cannot support it.
In addition, several factors contribute to the occurrence and development of joint disease:
- Move on to trauma. This includes dislocations, bruises, fractures, torn ligaments, etc. v.
- Violation of metabolic processes.
- Excess body weight, therefore, an additional load is placed on the joints.
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the joint (with acute purulent arthritis).
- Elderly age.
- Failure to adhere to a proper diet.
- Frequent hypothermia.
- Presence of autoimmune diseases. These include lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis.
- With general intoxication of the body.
- Occurrence of frequent colds.
- With syphilis, tuberculosis, encephalitis, gonorrhea.
- With diseases of the thyroid gland.
- If blood clotting is impaired.
Types of diseases
The most common type is osteoarthritis of the knee. Knee joint suffers. Such a diagnosis can be made for a person who is overweight, has a disturbed metabolism, or has been under severe stress. The disease can develop for many years, to the final stage can immobilize the knee joint.
Ankle arthritis occurs in the ankle joint. The development of the disease can be caused by trauma, sprains, dysplasia, gout, diabetes mellitus. In some cases, rheumatoid arthritis may be a contributing factor. In most cases, the diagnosis is made for people whose occupational activities involve frequent excessive stress on the ankle (dancers, athletes, women in high heels).
The presence of congenital defects of the shoulder joint or excessive loads can cause the appearance of shoulder arthropathy. Increased chance of illness from painters, plasterers, etc. v.
The presence of akylosing spondylitis of the hip is a severe form of the disease. The main triggers are age-related changes in the tissues of the joints. In most cases, such a diagnosis is made for people aged over 45 years.
The development of cervical arthropathy occurs due to insufficient mobility of the cervical spine, obesity and trauma. At risk are people with sedentary jobs. The main symptoms of this type of joint disease are limited joint movement, dizziness, headache, and fainting. This is explained by the fact that the vertebral arteries supplying the brain are involved in the pathological process.
In degenerative spondylosis, the joints and cartilage of the spine are affected. In most cases, such a diagnosis is made for people over 70 years of age. The main number of such damaging cases of paresthesia are observed in women, as their estrogen levels decrease with age.
How does the disease manifest?
The main symptom of joint disease is pain when there is a load on the joints. The disappearance of this symptom occurs when the joint is calm. Pain in paresis has a number of peculiarities. Sharp pain or significant discomfort when performing any motor action. The localization of the pain is where the joint is damaged. If you stop such movements, the pain will disappear.
During sleep, a person does not experience discomfort. The condition for this is the adoption of an optimal body position. Pain at rest occurs only as the disease progresses. Such sensations are reminiscent of toothache. During this stage, a person cannot sleep. The cartilage then thins and the bone is exposed, so osteoblasts grow. Acute pain does not leave a person, and increases in the presence of various factors.
Another manifestation of the disease is a crunching sound. A crackling sound is heard due to the rotation of the bones in the joint, resulting in a decrease in softness and friction that occurs between them. This is what causes the characteristic sound. The presence of crunching is also present in other diseases, taking into account healthy joints. However, with arthrosis, a dry sound will be heard. With the progression of the disease, such sounds become more vivid. In parallel with the twitching, a person must experience pain.
Osteoarthritis can be recognized by reduced joint mobility. The initial stage is characterized by the absence of such a symptom. However, with disease progression, bone tumors grow, resulting in the disappearance of joint space. In a person, a limb is considered harmless where the joint is affected.
A characteristic sign of arthropathy is deformity of the joints. They are altered by the growth of osteoblasts on the surface of the bone and the presence of synovial fluid there. Deformity refers to a later symptom, when the disease has significantly affected the joints.
The disease progresses with exacerbations or remissions, so it is difficult to independently determine the condition of the joint, based on self-perception alone. This means that a person should immediately see a qualified clinician to clarify the diagnosis. At the medical center, the patient will be taken for X-ray examination, thereby determining the different levels of disease progression:
- In the early stages, there will be no bone cells, there will be a slight narrowing of the joint space.
- The second stage is characterized by the formation of osteoblasts.
- At the beginning of the third stage, joint space narrows, the presence of many osteocytes, and the onset of joint deformity are identified.
- In stage 4, joint space is virtually absent, multiple foci are identified, and significant deformity is present.
How to diagnose arthritis?
Diagnostic measures begin with the examination and examination of the patient. Then, the specialist doctor ordered an X-ray of the damaged joint. In most cases, X-ray imaging is done in two projections. Thus, dystrophic changes in tissues are visualized and it also determines the extent to which cartilage and adjacent bones are affected. In a patient with such a disease, there is a narrowing of the joint space and deformation of the bone position. From such bones can be observed the growth of bone, bone-forming cells. In some cases, joints can become unstable, leading to osteoarthritis.
The first sign of arthritis, pictured here, are osteoblasts. First, the joint surface, namely its edge, becomes sharp. Then its thickening occurs, and then the presence of young shoots and spines is observed. Considering the obtained X-ray images, the doctor made the following conclusions:
- Suspected arthropathy. This means that the degree of narrowing of the joint space could not be determined, however, the presence of small osteoblasts was determined.
- Presence of mild joint disease. Such a diagnosis means good visualization of the osteoblasts, but the narrowing of the joint space is a problem.
- The presence of moderate joint disease. This can be diagnosed if there is obvious narrowing of the joint cavity, no visible presence of osteoblasts. In some cases, if such a diagnosis is made, a bone deformity may be detected on an x-ray.
- Presence of severe joint disease. With this diagnosis, the joint space is significantly narrowed, and large osteoblasts are formed. There will also be complete deformity of the joint.
Lifestyle with arthritis:
- Soothes joints damaged by excessive stress.
- Carefully adhere to the established orthopedic regimen.
- Use physical therapy.
- Take a physical therapy course.
- Visit a sanatorium.
How to treat?
Medical method
The use of anti-inflammatory drugs. If you start therapeutic actions with an integrated approach, the course of the disease slows down, the patient's quality of life is significantly improved. Using the drug, you can relieve pain and eliminate the inflammatory process that occurs in the joints. In this case, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. An experienced doctor would not recommend the use of such a drug orally. This can irritate the stomach wall. This means that the drug is best given intravenously or intramuscularly. In some cases, as an adjuvant, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used in the form of ointments.
If the disease is more severe, the patient is prescribed corticosteroids. They are managed internally. The introduction of hydrocortisone or diprospan is implied. As an external agent, they may prescribe special patches, ointments, or tinctures, which are basically hot peppers. In addition, chondroprotectors are included in the medical treatment of joint diseases. They restore cartilage and improve the quality of joint fluid. The duration of the course of treatment measures depends on the onset of improvement. If the expected results do not occur within 6 months, the drug is canceled. Protective agent is used in tandem with preparations based on hyaluronic acid. Thanks to such drugs, a sheath of cells is formed, which contributes to the formation of cartilage of the joints. Effective treatment of joint disease can supplement the amount of diacerein. It regenerates cartilage tissue. Improvement should come within two or four weeks.
Surgical method
If conservative methods fail to cope with the disease, the patient is scheduled for surgery. One of the surgical intervention methods is puncture. It is both a treatment and a diagnostic method. During the puncture, a needle is inserted into the affected joint, and a small amount of fluid is then taken. This liquid will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Thanks to this method, the load is removed from the joint, a drug (corticosteroid) is injected.
Another surgical method is arthroscopy. This procedure involves inserting an arthroscope into the affected joint through small incisions. Performing such a procedure, it is assessed the condition of the joints from the inside. During the surgical intervention, a qualified specialist will remove the unnecessary cartilage, the patient will be pain-free.
Another surgical treatment is circumferential osteotomy. During the operation, the bones and joints are repositioned and fixed in the required position. Thanks to this method, the load on the affected area is reduced and pain is eliminated. This procedure is considered a fairly effective joint treatment, but it is used in rare cases. This is explained by the introduction of anesthetics and the long recovery time.
If the joint has been significantly deformed and cannot be restored, the patient is scheduled for arthroplasty. This is a complex and expensive operation. Prosthetics can be made of ceramic, plastic or metal. After applying this method, the patient will have a long time to recover health and pain. In some situations, this is the only way to help a patient with a diagnosed joint disease, otherwise complete immobilization cannot be avoided. Using high-quality restorations will extend their lifespan up to 15 years.
Physiotherapy methods
The shock wave method eliminates the patient from osteogenesis or osteogenic processes. The vertebrates are the provocateurs of pain. With the help of waves, those growths will soften and after a certain time they will completely disappear. In addition, the nutrition of the joints will be improved, metabolism is normalized. The effectiveness of this procedure has been demonstrated in the early stages of joint disease. For shock wave therapy, the patient must have a doctor's prescription. This is explained by the presence of many contraindications.
Another method of physical therapy includes muscle stimulation. Muscles are stimulated by electrical impulses. Myostimulation is prescribed to patients who are bedridden, or who observe bed rest after an injury. Considering that blood flow in the affected area is normalized and muscle tone is increased, this method is rarely used for joint disease.
The use of electrophoresis involves the action of ultrasound waves and a drug on the affected joint. The effectiveness of the procedure lies in the fact that the drugs get to the heart of the inflammation. Another treatment for osteoarthritis is ozone therapy. With the help of ozone therapy, a gas mixture is injected into the affected joint. As a result, the patient gets rid of pain sensations, the inflammatory process decreases, the joints become more mobile and blood circulates normally. This method includes several courses of treatment. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
Other treatments
An effective method of combating dryness of the joints is the use of physiotherapy complexes. Performing special exercises, the patient normalizes blood flow in the affected area, strengthens the muscles. Classes start with simple exercises, then gradually increase the load.
The use of manual therapy and lymphatic drainage massage relieves pain and improves blood supply to the affected joints. This method is good because even immobile patients can use it.
An addition to the medical complex and physical culture is the use of mechanical therapy. In this case, various emulators are used. With their help, the load increases in the classes, but the joints will not be damaged. Thanks to mechanical therapy will increase blood circulation in the joints, muscles toned.
When contacting a specialist center, patients will receive the most modern, safe and effective treatment method, which will be selected individually according to their body characteristics. Depending on the prescription, specialists guarantee a positive result at the same time with minimal financial cost to the patient.