Arthrosis (osteoarthritis) of the joints is a pathological dystrophic process in which there is a slow destruction of different layers and tissues. Each person must clearly understand how osteoarthritis treatment is carried out, because neither adults, children, nor the elderly are insured against the disease. If there is a suspicion of the development of osteoarthritis, what it is and to overcome the different types, you need to know it thoroughly.
Depending on the localization of the pathological process and the severity of the damage, various types of diseases are distinguished in medicine, on which the treatment of arthrosis also depends. Naturally, a person who first encountered such a diagnosis should strive to learn as much as possible about what osteoarthritis is. Consider the most diagnosed variants of the disease.
Points of view
The pathology can be of the following types:
- Osteoarthritis, which is typical, affects all segments of the population and is a fairly common disease. It is diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 60. Osteoarthritis of the ankle and foot is quite common.
- Patellofemoral osteoarthritis appears below the patella. The causes of this type of osteoarthritis lie in the defeat of the patellofemoral joint.
- Hemarthrosis is bleeding into a cavity. Often times, it is osteoarthritis of the lower extremities that affects the knee.
- Polyarthrosis is a group of dystrophic lesions and is diagnosed mainly in people of the older age group. This species is considered an independent disease. Therapy should be selected by the attending physician, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
- A type of rheumatic disease or rheumatoid osteoarthritis occurs due to improper metabolism.
Osteoarthritis
It is best to treat first degree osteoarthritis and second degree osteoarthritis. Initially, there is a decrease in the elasticity of the superficial layers of cartilage, accompanied by their softening and loosening. With the course of the pathological process, the condition worsens, and the surface becomes too thin, it splits into fibers, which leads to the appearance of cracks.
Pathological changes on the joint surface in osteoarthritis.
When grade 3 osteoarthritis is diagnosed, the patient already has erosive cartilage damage with deep enough cracks, but the subchondral bone and deep sections are not damaged.
When you are diagnosed with osteoarthritis, your treatment will be medication. It is based on taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (within 10 days after the course). Treatment of osteoarthritis in the second stage may require the appointment of hormonal drugs, which are injected into the damaged joint by injection. It is also possible to treat with compresses and recipes of traditional medicine, but only in combination with drugs. Only a doctor will tell you in more detail how to treat osteoarthritis, and you should 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 disease process.
With 1 degree of osteoarthritis, they speak of daily fatigue or situations in which the legs are very overloaded or overloaded. But in the presence of unpleasant symptoms (pain, fatigue, heaviness in the knee) or after an injury, a second degree of arthrosis is diagnosed. If you don't know how to treat it or you do it out of time, then the cartilage tissue dystrophy will start.
Patellofemoral osteoarthritis does not have its own therapeutic regimen. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, doctors decide the need for fixation with a knee brace or brace, and osteoarthritis can also be treated by reducing physical effort and taking pain relievers.
When you know what osteoarthritis is and how to treat it, you will be able to start taking your medications on time, allowing you to maintain joint mobility and overall health.
Hemarthrosis
A characteristic feature of this type of joint injury as hemarthrosis is the shedding of blood in your joint cavity. Most of the time, this condition is diagnosed in people prone to hemophilia. During the first degree of osteoarthritis, there are practically no visible and felt changes, and the structures and tissues of the joint are not damaged. In the second degree of osteoarthritis, the soft tissues are damaged (menisci and ligaments, joint capsule).
The procedure for pumping blood from the joint cavity with hemarthrosis.
Hemarthrosis is treated with drugs in several stages:
- First of all, cleaning the joint cavity from filtered blood is carried out by puncture;
- Then, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are injected into the joint by injection;
- And in conclusion, they prescribe a course of taking synthetic agents that contribute to the restoration of the joint.
The therapeutic scheme depends directly on the severity of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and the extent to which the disease was detected.
Polyarthrosis
Before talking about the methods of treatment, you need to find out what signs of arthrosis are characteristic of this species.
Polyarthrosis is characterized by:
- multiple injuries to different joints;
- limitation of physical activity;
- pain when moving the fingers;
- swelling of damaged joints;
- the appearance of nodules on the thickening of the bones;
- joint space narrowing.
Polyarthrosis is dangerous because it immediately affects several joints, therefore, it requires the correct approach to treatment and the selection of the correct drugs.
Now, in detail about how to treat osteoarthritis of this type. First of all, therapy is aimed at restoring physical activity. Speaking about how to cure arthrosis with the help of drugs, you need to remember the physical procedures, which are highly effective in such an injury. It can be seen here as a heat or water cure. So is balneotherapy.
If the patient has arthrosis of the joints, the doctor will definitely prescribe the intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids and chondroprotectants are also helpful. Relieve pain and discomfort, various ointments, compresses, rubs.
It is not forbidden to select a drug for arthrosis from the recipes of traditional medicine, but it must be agreed with the attending physician, which will avoid complications. If the methods described are not effective, the doctor will consider the possibility of solving the problem by surgery.
It is very important not only to know how to treat osteoarthritis, but also not to forget that there is a correct prevention of osteoarthritis, which we will talk about later.
Degrees
Osteoarthritis, hemarthrosis, polyarthrosis, and patellofemoral osteoarthritis occur in three stages. The symptoms and treatment of osteoarthritis in each clinical case will be different, so there is no universal therapeutic regimen.
There are 3 degrees of pathology:
- 1 degree of arthrosis - characterized by a narrowing of the gap and the absence of osteophytes;
- 2 degrees of arthrosis - a slight narrowing of the gap is accompanied by the formation of osteophytes;
- 3 degrees of osteoarthritis: significant narrowing of the joint space, multiple osteophytes and bone deformity.
At each stage, the treatment of osteoarthritis should be carried out by a qualified specialist; otherwise, the therapy may not give the necessary results and the process may get worse.
Home remedies
As for folk remedies for the treatment of the disease, here you can find many valuable, easy-to-implement and effective recipes. Let us consider some of them.
Fermented dairy products and chalk
For cooking, you need to find peeled chalk and turn it into small crumbs. The ideal option would be written material on blackboards. Also keep in mind that if you buy chalk from a building supply store, it may contain chemicals that can cause more damage.
The resulting mass must be poured with any fermented dairy product and mixed well until a homogeneous mass is obtained. What you have done should be carefully placed on the affected area, wrapped in cling film and fixed with a bandage. Leave the mixture overnight and in the morning wash it off with warm soapy water. As a result, the pains disappear and blood circulation improves.
Oatmeal
A very cheap and simple but effective recipe. You need to take 100 grams of oatmeal and pour boiling water over them. Then put the dough on a small fire and simmer for five minutes. After time, a porridge will be obtained, which will be applied to the sore. It is advisable to leave the compress overnight. Note that oatmeal should only be used freshly prepared.
Fern leaves
If there is such a plant at home, you can donate some leaves for its health. Otherwise, in the summer they are collected in the forest, then applied to the affected area, wrapped in a bandage and left overnight. The effect will not be long in coming.
Propolis
Beekeeping products are known in folk medicine for their good medicinal properties in relation to many diseases. You need to take propolis and melt it in a water bath (it should be enough to treat the damaged area). When it becomes liquid, it is necessary to add corn or sunflower oil, wait for the mixture to cool, apply to the skin and leave it overnight. In the morning, the pain and swelling will go away.
Prophylaxis
If you set a goal and try to find a medicine to prevent osteoarthritis, the attempt will not be crowned with success, since it is absent. The pathology cannot be predicted with precision, but it is quite possible to reduce the risk of osteoarthritis.
To prevent joint destruction, you can:
- Avoid injuries and mechanical damage of varying severity as much as possible;
- Try to treat all diseases associated with the joints in time;
- Treat all infectious and viral diseases;
- Don't overload the joints;
- Live an active lifestyle;
- Eat well;
- Exercise every day.
Now you know all 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 in all of them.