Treatment of arthrosis ("deforming arthrosis", arthrosis) cannot be postponed "for later". Pathology always changes the joint structure, affects the bone, cartilage, can completely destroy the joint, and the person becomes disabled. Therefore, it is dangerous to self-medicate, to refuse examination and official methods of therapy.
Osteoarthritis symptoms
Arthrosis is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic joint disease in which the joint gradually begins to deform, its functionality worsens, osteophytes grow along the edge of the bone, cartilage is destroyed.
The main symptoms of the pathology are the presence of a crunch when walking, pain syndrome of varying severity. Also, with arthrosis, stiffness of movements appears, the pain becomes permanent, constantly intensifying, atrophy of nearby muscles begins, and the gap between the bones of the joint narrows. If there is no treatment at this stage, ankylosis (fusion of the articular surface) develops, disability occurs.
Conservative therapy of osteoarthritis.
If you have symptoms of the disease, you should be examined and immediately start treating arthrosis. The lack of adequate therapy can lead to a complete loss of joint functionality and result in disability.
In official medicine, the treatment of osteoarthritis is initially carried out by a conservative method. The patient is prescribed medications, exercise therapy, physiotherapy, orthopedic products, diet. With the permission of the doctor for arthrosis, you can also apply the methods of traditional traditional medicine, homeopathy. A sick person needs to control his weight, avoid uneven loads on the joints, follow medical recommendations. If these complex methods do not give a positive result, an operation is performed.
After conservative and/or surgical treatment for the prevention of osteoarthritis, it is useful to undergo annual thermal therapy. It is recommended to choose an institution that specializes in pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, and that also has thermal waters, therapeutic mud.
Medical treatment
A disease such as osteoarthritis can be primary or secondary (it develops against the background of other pathologies). Therefore, the list of drugs used is selected for each patient individually.
The main drugs in the treatment of arthrosis:
- chondroprotectors;
- medical preparations with microcirculatory action;
- multivitamins, vitamins C, group B;
- mineral complexes;
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- corticosteroids (intra-articular injections);
- analgesics;
- desensitizing (antiallergic) drugs;
- drugs for external use (ointment, cream, solutions, balm, gel, tinctures and medical bile).
Chondroprotectors are prescribed at all stages, forms of the disease, since they affect the mechanism of restoration of articular cartilage. HP is prescribed for oral administration, but also with arthrosis, injections are made into the joint cavity and / or muscle. For intra-articular injections, both chondroprotectors and corticosteroids are used.
Secondary deforming arthrosis is treated with the same group of drugs, but additional drugs are prescribed for the treatment of the pathology that provoked degenerative-dystrophic changes in the joints.
Physiotherapy
Each physiotherapy has its own list of contraindications. Therefore, when choosing them, you may need to consult a cardiologist, neurologist, endocrinologist or other specialist.
basic physiotherapy
Drug treatment of osteoarthritis is supplemented by electrophoresis (with an anesthetic, zinc, lithium, sulfur), electrosleep therapy, ultraphonophoresis. Paraffin applications are applied to the diseased joint, black wax is used, therapeutic mud. A joint damaged by osteoarthritis is also treated with lasers, a magnetic field, diadynamic currents and other impulses.
Therapeutic exercise for osteoarthritis
For 3-5 days after the elimination of acute symptoms, gymnastics is prescribed. A set of exercise therapy exercises is selected individually for each patient for the identified stage, form of arthrosis. The first training should begin with minimal loads on the sore joint and at a slow pace. Then, every 7-10 days, the exercises are complicated on the recommendation of a specialist.
Types of gymnastic tasks for the joints of the hands:
- circular movements in the hands, elbows, shoulders;
- swing back and forth, up and down;
- Shrug;
- connection-disconnection of the blades;
- turns of the palms towards the leg and away from it;
- flexion-extension at the elbows;
- clenching the fists with the subsequent maximum straightening of the brush.
In case of damage to the pathology of the spine (osteochondrosis), arthrosis of the joints of the upper extremities - gymnastics is performed in the "sitting", "standing" position.
Types of gymnastic tasks for the leg joints:
- flexion-extension, circular movements in the hip, knee, ankle;
- rocking forward-backward, right-left;
- raising the knees up;
- "bike";
- "butterfly";
- rolling with one foot of small objects;
- catch the ball with the toes;
- raising the toe "on itself".
With the development of coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis, ankle arthrosis, exercise therapy is performed lying down, standing, and with damage to the small joints of the legs - sitting.
The exercise should not cause pain in the injured joint. If it appears, you need to reduce the load, the pace of execution. After each exercise, you also need to rest for up to 3 minutes.
Manual therapy for osteoarthritis
It is advisable to use the return of mobility to the joints with the help of the hands of a chiropractor in cases of arthrosis of grade I-II.
A chiropractor performs 2 types of correction of a deformed joint: manipulation (sudden pressure movement) and mobilization (stretching of the damaged joint). The more complex the clinical case, the more sessions must be done.
Manual treatment of joints with arthrosis is complemented by massage. It is carried out every other day for all stages of the disease every 2-3 months with a course of up to 25 procedures, but only during remission and in the subacute period.
Handling is done by sliding movements with light pressure (sawing, kneading, rubbing, etc. ). They massage not only the diseased joint, but also the nearby spine, neighboring joints.
Physiotherapy at home for osteoarthritis
Now people diagnosed with osteoarthritis have the opportunity to perform physiotherapy at home. Compact medical appliances are sold on the Internet and in medical equipment stores.
The following devices are very popular for the treatment of osteoarthritis:
- magnet therapy;
- magnetic laser therapy;
- low frequency pulsed magnetotherapy;
- laser therapy;
- reflex physiotherapy.
Before ordering a device for arthrosis, a doctor should definitely clarify whether there are any contraindications to the effects of pulses, laser, current or magnetic field on your body.
Non-pharmacological methods
The treatment of osteoarthritis requires the use of an orthopedic regimen. The purpose of the method is to unload the diseased joint, stabilize it in the correct anatomical and physiological position. With arthrosis, canes, crutches, as well as corsets, special insoles with arch supports and pads and shoes, splints, orthoses, fixators, braces are used. It is recommended to order them at a local orthopedic salon according to individual casts.
In online stores, you can buy cheaper those products whose design allows you to independently adjust the tension force. Usually these are elastic bandages, bandages, clamps, fixation belts, knee pads, elbow pads and similar orthopedic devices. However, before ordering a specific product for osteoarthritis, you should clarify with the attending physician all the necessary characteristics: the degree of tension, the presence and type of reinforcements, whether it is necessary to adjust the angle of extension of the limb in the diseased joint, additional conditions.
Climatotherapy also belongs to non-pharmacological methods. During its use, a person is created special climatic conditions by prescribing thalassotherapy procedures, or is recommended to visit a resort, undergo preventive sanatorium treatment in spas.
diet therapy
With secondary arthrosis, doctors recommend one of the treatment tables to the patient. For example, to correct body weight, excess weight is removed by diet No. 8. In most cases, patients eat according to table No. 15 and ATS (general version of diets).
With arthrosis, gelatin-based products (jelly, gelatin, etc. ), avocados (1 piece per week), vegetable oils, freshly squeezed berry juices, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and seeds of linen help well. It is recommended to exclude fatty, smoked and salty foods from the diet.
Homeopathic Medicines and Herbal Remedies for Osteoarthritis
Doctors supplement conservative methods with homeopathy and herbal medicine. Preparations based on natural ingredients improve the functioning of all body systems.
List of commonly used homeopathic remedies for osteoarthritis:
- hydrofluoric acid;
- calcium fluoride;
- Match;
- Calcium phosphate;
- Potassium carbonate.
Its reception is combined with other methods of official and traditional medicine.
List of commonly used herbal remedies for osteoarthritis:
- fivefoil;
- unpeeled oats;
- yukurba (extraction of the devil's claws);
- medicinal collection (marshmallow and licorice roots, chamomile flowers, calendula).
Homeopathic and herbal remedies reduce the need for large doses of NSAIDs, pain relievers, corticosteroids, antihistamines.
joint operations
Surgical treatment of such a disease as osteoarthritis is resorted to in case of improper use of conservative methods. Usually the operation is performed when the patient seeks medical help late, when the pathology has already reached the 3-4th degree of development and threatens disability.
Types of operations for arthrosis:
- arthrodesis;
- arthroscopic debridement;
- arthroplasty;
- periarticular osteotomy;
- endoprosthesis
After surgery, the patient is transferred to conservative treatment, rehabilitation measures begin.
The use of lasers in surgery and physiotherapy of osteoarthritis
Laser therapy is prescribed for all degrees and types of osteoarthritis deformans. The rays of the devices used affect the damaged tissues at the cellular, molecular and physiological (organ) levels.
In physiotherapy for arthrosis, this property of the laser helps to restore microcirculation, relieve inflammation, pain and swelling, improve metabolism, self-regulation of regeneration processes. There are many types of devices and modes of operation. The rays of the device affect the surface and intra-articular layer of tissues, biologically active points (with laser acupuncture).
Laser treatment is also performed in surgery, only high intensity equipment is used. The use of rays during the operation, in addition to its listed properties, contributes to the rapid restoration of tissues and minimizes the risk of wound infection.
During the diagnosis of arthrosis, it is possible to prescribe laser spectroscopy and examine small joints with an infrared laser scanner. These methods are safer, cheaper compared to MRI, X-ray.
Folk and traditional medicine for osteoarthritis.
Raw materials of natural origin must be selected individually, since each substance has its own contraindications. Medicinal preparations for arthrosis include plants with a metabolism-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic and analgesic effect. Most often they use willow bark, linden, St. John's wort, burdock, cinquefoil.
At home, it is convenient to treat arthrosis with clay. A good therapeutic effect has a blue, kaolin (white), green, yellow and black healing agent. Clay for arthrosis is added to the baths (1 tablespoon / 1 liter of water), the damaged joint is wrapped, an application is applied, the sore spot is rubbed with a mixture of clay and vegetable oil.
Among the methods of traditional medicine, acupuncture and apitherapy show good results. Some patients feel better after hirudotherapy, mineral therapy.
sanatoriums and spas
It is recommended to consolidate the effectiveness of the main treatment of osteoarthritis through rest in spas and rehabilitation centers specialized in joint diseases. It is better to give preference to those institutions that have thermal, mineral, mud springs, healing clay, special gases.
Treatment in spas is carried out with an emphasis on physiotherapy. A patient with arthrosis is definitely recommended to follow a diet, not to miss exercise therapy, massage. Among physiotherapy, balneotherapy methods are used. These are hydromassage, swimming, baths (hydrogen sulfide, salt, nitrogen, sulfur and radon). In case of osteoarthritis, wraps with therapeutic mud, exposure to heat, Bernard currents, laser and magnetic field are also prescribed. Each health center has its own therapy program, which must be clarified with the representative of the selected institution before buying a ticket.
In each country there are institutions specialized in the treatment of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, with arthrosis, it is better to choose a health center with the help of your doctor. He will recommend what kind of weather is required, the holiday season, the physical therapy methods needed for prevention, provide information on resorts, and advise the best institution in your area or nearby.
Forecast of arthrosis therapy.
It is very important not to miss a scheduled medical examination (1-2 times a year) and to donate blood, urine for tests, as this allows doctors to detect pathological processes in a timely manner. But the later a person seeks medical help, the more the prognosis of treatment worsens. With chronic arthrosis, doctors can only relieve pain by conservative therapy methods, partially preserve the functions of the joint, or recommend performing an operation so as not to become disabled.
The combination of methods of official, traditional and traditional medicine under the regular supervision of the attending physician increases the prognosis of the treatment of arthrosis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system.