Arthrosis is a condition of the joints that occurs with a natural course of years.Its main symptoms are pain and limitation of movements.Arthrosis is widespread - arthrosis is sick from 10 to 15% of all residents of the Earth.It is impossible to cure arthrosis, like old age, but paying attention to this process in time is to extend your “youth of the joints” and move without problems!
All arthrosis is divided into primary and secondary.
Primary arthrosis is a disease that naturally occurs due to age -related changes in cartilage.Arthrosis can develop earlier or later in life due to hereditary predisposition, metabolic disorders, increased loads on the joints associated with working conditions or excess weight.The age of arthrosis has recently been younger and the disease has been developing at the age of 30-40 years.At the same time, women suffer 2.5 times more often than men.In most cases, 30% of people already have changes in joints by 50 years, and by the age of 60, certain manifestations of arthrosis appear in almost everyone and the difference in the field is already absent.
Secondary arthrosis is the outcome of the once suffered injury.It can develop at any age.
The mechanism of development of arthrosis
Normally, the surface of the joint is absolutely even, smooth and elastic.They move freely, sliding thanks to the joint fluid playing the role of lubrication.At the same time, the surface of the joint, due to its elasticity, bends slightly in places of the highest pressure, redistributes the load, making it more uniform, and works, like a shock absorber.With arthrosis, the cartilage covering the surface of the joint changes.He loses smoothness and elasticity.With arthrosis in some places, the cartilage becomes thinner and degrades, in others it grows and changes, losing the normal structure.Small fragments of cartilage appear in the articular fluid, and the articular fluid itself changes as and quantity.
Manifestations of arthrosis
At first, due to a decrease in the amount of joint fluid, the normal operation of the joint is disturbed and pain appears during movement.As a rule, they arise after intensive physical work, pass themselves, if you give the joint rest, but return, you just need to resume the load.At the same time, or a little later, the joint begins to hurt at night.The soft tissues surrounding the joint are inflamed, they “swell”, and excessive liquid may appear in the joint.Effusion.The result of a sluggish inflammatory reaction.It is due to the modification of its own joint tissue.Now the fabric is not native.It becomes altered - a stranger!And it’s good if the immune system does not begin to “attack” such a fabric.Otherwise, the process goes into the category of autoimmune arthrosis.If the disease progresses, there is a limitation of movements, first due to pain, and then-and due to the growth of the changed cartilage, which deforms the joint and does not allow it to move normally.
Arthrosis is a chronic disease.Sometimes the disease can occur for years, only from time to time recalling itself, and in some cases develops before a severe stage in a few months.It must be remembered that, firstly - at any course, arthrosis does not suddenly appear, and secondly - if the disease is not treated, its symptoms increase over time, interfering with living, worsening the quality of life, and sometimes leading to disability and immobility.
Prevention of arthrosis
It is impossible to prevent the appearance of arthrosis!But to protect yourself from its rapid appearance and progression ... It is possible and necessary and necessary!It is necessary to exclude injuries and excessive loads on the joints.Moderate load is useful because it improves blood supply and eating of the joints.For the prevention of arthrosis, any rhythmic repeated movements are well suited: walking, skiing.Those who have excess weight need to reduce body weight in order to reduce the load on the joints.Normalization of metabolic processes slows down the development of arthrosis, so you need to treat endocrine diseases in a timely manner and eat right.
Treatment of arthrosis
If you notice the joint pain after the load, the short -term feeling of severity and stiffness, the crunch in the joints, the limitation of mobility or other signs of arthrosis, it is necessary to consult a doctor as early as possible, who will determine the degree of disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment of arthrosis.In addition, it is necessary to figure out whether it is really arthrosis.Similar symptoms can appear with arthritis, which, unlike arthrosis, have an inflammatory nature and are treated with another method.
The choice of treatment for arthrosis depends on which joint affects the disease, how expressed the symptoms and changes in cartilage.In the initial stages of the disease, conservative methods of treatment are used: physiotherapy, massage, therapeutic mud and anti -inflammatory drugs.Although non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs significantly reduce pain, they must be taken very carefully.With regular use, they affect the liver function, change the composition of the blood, and can cause the appearance of ulcers in the stomach and intestines.Therefore, one should give preference to homeopathic and non -drug methods that act more long -term and do not violate the functioning of the body systems.
Medicine can not yet turn the changes that have already occurred in the joints.At the same time, with timely qualified treatment, a significant decrease or complete elimination of pain and restoration of mobility is possible.The sooner treatment begins, the easier it is to prevent unpleasant consequences of the disease.In some cases, when the disease has already developed, it is impossible to eliminate the pain and return the joint mobility, the destroyed joint is removed surgically, replacing the endoprosthesis surgically.