The popular belief that only older people are susceptible to joint osteoarthritis is fundamentally wrong.This disease has a diverse etiology and can affect people of all ages, genders and professions.
The reasons that contribute to the development of osteoarthritis of the joints include:
- primary osteoarthritis (congenital weakening of the articular cartilage);
- professional activity (sports, dancing, heavy physical work);
- diseases causing metabolic disorders;
- Obesity;
- mechanical deformation of the joints (wearing tight or incorrectly selected shoes);
- genetic predisposition.
This disease is characterized by critical thinning of the articular cartilage and deformation of the joint itself, which causes severe pain to the patient and significantly reduces motor activity.According to WHO, osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability and disability among people around the world.
Symptoms and complications of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis can affect both large joints (knees, hips, elbows, etc.) and small joints: joints of the hands, fingers, feet.In the initial stages of the disease, aching pain occurs in the joint, which becomes more severe as the disease progresses.When the joint is extended and flexed, a grinding noise may be heard and movements may become difficult.As osteoarthritis progresses, the joint enlarges and the area surrounding the diseased joint becomes hypersensitive to touch, cold and heat.
In addition to severe pain and deformation of the joint, which leads to cosmetic defects, arthrosis of the joints without treatment leads to serious complications.Delay in treatment is fraught with the development of the following diseases:
- Periarthritis (acute inflammation of the tissue surrounding the diseased joint);
- synovitis (inflammation of the joint membrane);
- Coxarthrosis (irreversible damage to the hip joint).
Complications of arthrosis of the joint, in turn, lead to complete immobility of the joint, which can become the initial stage of severe disability.
Treatment of joint osteoarthritis
The following methods are used in the treatment of osteoarthritis:
- medical;
- physiotherapy;
- surgical.
Using the drug method, arthrosis treatment is aimed at improving the nutrition of the cartilage and relieving pain (introducing special nutrient gels to the periarticular area and additionally taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gout remedies and homeopathic drugs).
The physiotherapeutic method is aimed at improving blood circulation in the joint and its mobility, as well as enhancing the effect of drug therapy.The list of physiotherapeutic means includes:
- ultrasound therapy;
- reflexology;
- mud therapy;
- radon and hydrogen sulfide baths;
- pulse therapy;
- magnetic field therapy;
- laser therapy etc.
The aim of the surgical treatment method is to remove bone formations that have arisen as a result of arthrosis of the joints and to normalize the size of the joints.This method is used only in combination with drug treatment and physiotherapy, since the doctor's task is to eliminate the root cause of arthrosis and reduce the risk of relapse.
The clinic's diagnostic and treatment facilities make it possible to accurately determine the causes of joint arthrosis, the extent of joint damage, and also ensure the individual selection of the optimal treatment plan for each patient.The clinic's equipment allows the use of the most modern technologies for the treatment of arthrosis with the aim of eliminating this disease as quickly and effectively as possible.