Osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis) of the joints is a pathological dystrophic process in which various layers and tissues are slowly destroyed. Everyone should clearly understand how osteoarthritis treatment is performed, because neither adults, children, nor the elderly are insured against the disease. If there is a suspicion of developing osteoarthritis, what it is and how to overcome different types, you need to thoroughly know.
Depending on the localization of the pathological process and the severity of the damage, medicine distinguishes several types of diseases, on which the treatment of osteoarthritis also depends. Of course, a person who first encountered such a diagnosis should try to learn as much as possible about osteoarthritis. Consider the most commonly diagnosed variants of the disease.
Views
Pathology can be of the following types:
- Typical osteoarthritis affects all population groups and is a relatively common disease. It is diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 60. Osteoarthritis of the ankle and foot is common.
- Patellofemoral osteoarthritis occurs under the kneecap. The causes of this osteoarthritis lie in the defeat of the patellofemoral joint.
- Hemarthrosis is bleeding into a cavity. Often this is lower extremity osteoarthritis that affects the knee.
- Polyarthrosis is a group of dystrophic lesions and is mainly diagnosed in people of the older age group. This type is considered a disease in its own right. Therapy should be selected by the attending physician, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
- Rheumatic pathology, or rheumatoid osteoarthritis, occurs due to improper metabolism.
arthrosis
It is best to treat first-degree and second-degree osteoarthritis. First, the elasticity of the surface layers of cartilage decreases, accompanied by their softening and loosening. In the course of the pathological process, the condition worsens and the surface becomes too thin, it is divided into fibers, which leads to the appearance of cracks.
Pathological changes in the joint surface in osteoarthritis
When diagnosing 3rd degree osteoarthritis, the patient already has erosive cartilage damage with sufficiently deep cracks, but the subchondral bone and deep sections are not damaged.
If osteoarthritis is diagnosed, treatment is medication. It is based on taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (within 10 days of the course). Treatment of osteoarthritis in the second stage may require the appointment of hormonal preparations that are injected into the damaged joint by injection. It is also possible to treat with traditional medicine poultices and prescriptions, but only in combination with medication. Only a doctor will tell in more detail about the treatment of osteoarthritis and needs to be informed about the decision to combine traditional and traditional medicine.
Patellofemoral
If a patient has been diagnosed with patellofemoral osteoarthritis of the knee joint, it is important to know how to treat it and what happens at each stage of the pathological process.
With osteoarthritis 1 degree one speaks of daily tiredness or of situations in which the legs are overworked or overwhelmed. However, if there are unpleasant symptoms (pain, fatigue, heaviness in the knee) or after an injury, a second degree of osteoarthritis is diagnosed. If you don't know how to treat it or don't do it in time, cartilage dystrophy begins.
There is no separate therapy regime for patellofemoral osteoarthritis. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, the doctors decide whether or not to use knee pads or an orthosis. Osteoarthritis can also be treated by reducing physical exertion and taking painkillers.
Knowing what osteoarthritis is and how to manage it can help you start taking medication in a timely manner to help maintain mobility and general joint health.
Hemarthrosis
A characteristic feature of this type of joint lesion as hemarthrosis is the outflow of blood into the joint cavity. Most often, this condition is diagnosed in people who are prone to haemophilia. With the first degree of osteoarthritis, there are practically no visible or palpable changes and the structures and tissues of the joint are not damaged. In the second degree of arthrosis, soft tissues are damaged (menisci and ligaments, joint capsule).
The procedure for pumping blood from the joint cavity in hemarthrosis
Hemarthrosis is treated with drugs in several stages:
- First of all, cleaning the joint cavity from leaked blood is carried out with a puncture;
- Then nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are injected into the joint;
- In conclusion, they prescribe the intake of synthetic means that will help restore the joint.
The treatment regimen depends directly on how severe the symptoms of osteoarthritis are and the extent to which the disease has been recognized.
Polyarthrosis
Before talking about the methods of treatment, you should find out what signs of osteoarthritis are characteristic of this type.
Polyarthrosis is characterized by:
- multiple lesions of various joints;
- Restriction of physical activity;
- Pain when wiggling fingers;
- Swelling of damaged joints;
- the appearance of nodules on the thickening of the bones;
- Narrowing of the joint gap.
Polyarthrosis is dangerous because it instantly affects multiple joints, so it requires the right approach to treatment and the selection of the right medication.
Now in detail about the treatment of this osteoarthritis. The therapy is primarily aimed at restoring physical activity. Talking about how to cure osteoarthritis with the help of drugs, it is necessary to remember about physical procedures that are very effective for such a lesion. It can be seen here as a cure with heat or water. Likewise the balneotherapy.
In any case, if the patient has osteoarthritis of the joints, the doctor will prescribe the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids and chondroprotectors also help well. Relieve pain and discomfort, various ointments, compresses, rubbing.
It is not forbidden to choose a drug for osteoarthritis from the recipes of traditional medicine, but it must be agreed with the attending physician in order to avoid complications. If the methods described are not effective, the doctor will consider the possibility of surgery to solve the problem.
It is very important not only to know how to treat osteoarthritis, but also not to forget that there is proper prevention of osteoarthritis, which we will talk about later.
degrees
Osteoarthritis, hemarthrosis, polyarthrosis and patellofemoral osteoarthritis occur in three stages. Symptoms and treatment of osteoarthritis are different in each clinical case, so there is no universal therapeutic regimen.
There are 3 degrees of pathology:
- 1 degree of osteoarthritis - characterized by a narrowing of the gap and the absence of osteophytes;
- 2 degrees of osteoarthritis - a slight narrowing of the gap is accompanied by the formation of osteophytes;
- 3rd degree osteoarthritis - significant narrowing of the joint space, multiple osteophytes and bone deformity
At any stage, the treatment of osteoarthritis must be carried out by a qualified specialist, otherwise the therapy may not give the necessary results and the process will deteriorate.
Home remedies
As for the folk remedies for the treatment of the disease, here you can find a lot of worthy, easy to implement and effective recipes. Let's look at some of them.
Fermented dairy products and chalk
For cooking, you need to find peeled chalk and turn it into small crumbs. Material that is written on blackboards would be ideal. Also, be aware that chalk sold in a building materials store may contain chemical ingredients that can do more damage.
The resulting mass must be poured with any fermented milk product and mixed thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained. What you have done, you should carefully place on the affected area, wrap it with cling film and fix it with a bandage. Leave the mixture on overnight and wash off with warm soap and water in the morning. This will make the pain disappear and the blood circulation improved.
oatmeal
A very economical and simple but effective recipe. You need to take 100 grams of oatmeal and pour boiling water over them. Then put the mixture on a small fire and simmer for five minutes. After the time has elapsed, a gruel is obtained, which is applied to the sore site. It is advisable to leave the compress on overnight. Please note that oatmeal should only be used freshly prepared.
Fern leaves
If there is such a plant at home, then you can donate a few leaves for your health. If not, they are collected in the forest in the summer, applied to the affected area, wrapped in a bandage and left overnight. The effect is not long in coming.
Propolis
Beekeeping products are known in folk medicine for their good medicinal properties in many diseases. You need to take propolis and melt it in a water bath (should be enough to treat the damaged area). If it becomes liquid, you need to add corn or sunflower oil, wait for the mixture to cool, apply it to the skin and leave it on overnight. In the morning the pain and swelling will go away.
prophylaxis
If you set a goal and try to find a drug to prevent osteoarthritis, the attempt will not be successful because it is lacking. The pathology cannot be accurately predicted, but it is entirely possible to reduce the risk of arthritis.
To prevent the destruction of joints, you can:
- Avoid injuries and mechanical damage of varying severity as far as possible
- Try to treat all diseases related to the joints in a timely manner.
- Treat all infectious and viral diseases;
- Do not overload the joints;
- To lead an active lifestyle;
- Eat properly;
- Practice every day.
Now that you know everything about the symptoms and treatment of osteoarthritis of the most common types, and if you follow these simple recommendations, the disease will not make itself felt for a long time and if you are lucky, it will never manifest itself at all.