Arthritis of the hip, shoulder, knee and ankle joints is a disease that occurs as a result of wear and tear of cartilage tissue, as well as bone deformation.In this case, the patient feels pain of varying intensity (depending on the form of the disease).As a result, the disease leads to problems in motor functions, partial or complete immobility and disability.It is important to determine if the arthropathy can be treated without surgery.
Definition of damage
Knee joint disease occurs more often in women.it can happen for many reasons.Older people experience arthropathy in the knee joint more often than others.
If treatment for arthritis is not started early, the bones that form joints will be exposed and damaged.In this case, it will be impossible to do without surgery.When the first unpleasant symptoms appear, it is important to seek help from a doctor as soon as possible.It will not be able to completely eliminate arthropathy, but it will help to slow down the process of deformation of the knee joint and stop degeneration.Early recognition of the damage and properly formulated treatment will help to avoid negative consequences and an early state of disability.
What are the common causes of knee arthropathy and can the disease be cured?The main reasons include:
- flatfeet.
- Diseases of the veins.
- Diabetes and other lesions related to metabolic disorders.In this case, it will be difficult to get rid of arthropathy, since not all drugs and natural procedures are allowed to be used.
- Overweight - people with weight problems experience arthritis much more often than people of normal body weight.
- Puberty - at this time a person's metabolism and hormone levels change, which leads to a degenerative process.
- Carrying a child - at this time, a woman gains weight, as a result of which the load on the knee section increases significantly.Hormonal levels are disturbed, which contribute to the appearance of knee joints.
- Changes in the body related to the patient's age.
- Receiving certain injuries.About 30 percent of knee osteoarthritis occurs due to injury.Injury leads to a change in the normal tissue structure, which triggers the destruction process.
- Regular physical activity on the lower legs, to which the body has not adapted.
- The beginning of the inflammation process in the body.
- Hereditary predisposition.
- The appearance of cramps in the muscle tissues of the thigh.
The disease can be cured only if you contact a treating specialist.In this case, it is forbidden to start any treatment yourself.Only a specialist will be able to prescribe effective treatment, which will include physiotherapy and medication.
Precautionary measures
It is important to remember preventive measures even before the appearance of the underlying disease.Arthritis can be divided into two types.The first occurs due to a violation of the metabolic process in the body, as well as the age characteristics of the patient.
The second type occurs as a result of injury or infection.To prevent the second type of arthropathy, it is important to avoid possible injuries, bruises and fractures.This applies to a greater extent to those involved in any sport or dance.For such people, such a disease often becomes professional and prevents them from doing what they love.This also applies to children who are very active and behave carelessly on the road.It is important that they behave carefully so as not to injure themselves dangerously.
The main factor that will help to avoid arthropathy of the deformed knee joint is mobility.The best way to prevent arthritis is to exercise moderately.This is especially important for people whose professional activity mainly involves sedentary work.It is important to remember that in this case we are talking about a moderate load on different joints.
Main stages of the disease
Osteoarthritis can be divided into four distinct stages depending on its development.The more advanced the stage, the more difficult the process of treatment and relief of symptoms will be:
- in the first stage, the symptoms are mild, but the process of tissue destruction is already spreading rapidly.
- the destruction of the cartilage continues, which leads to a decrease in the mobility of the leg in the joint area and is accompanied by severe pain.
- in this case, the cartilage tissue thins out, the bones that form joints begin to actively grow and be destroyed.
- in the last stage of the development of the disease, the cartilage is almost completely destroyed, the deformation of the bones leads to a change in the axis of the diseased limb, while the joint ceases to cope with the pressure exerted on it, and the leg at the knee completely loses mobility.
Arthritis of the knee joint of the first degree can be diagnosed with short-term pain that occurs when a person walks.There is no noticeable deformity that can be detected on examination, and the X-ray also does not provide the necessary amount of information about the state of the joints to make an accurate diagnosis.
If the disease is detected early and appropriate treatment is started, the process of cartilage tissue destruction can be completely stopped and the diseased areas can even be restored.
Is it possible to treat 2nd degree arthropathy?Treatment at stage 2 of the development of arthropathy is aimed at eliminating unpleasant symptoms and slowing down the degenerative-dystrophic process.In this case, it is not always possible to restore the tissue, but you can preserve what remains intact.
Is it possible to treat 3rd degree arthrosis?When arthropathy reaches the 3rd stage of development, attempts to slow down the destructive process and bone damage most often do not bring results, the disease quickly acquires the 4th stage of development (some experts, for this very reason, distinguish only three stages of development of this disease).
In case of serious changes in the structure of the joint, it is necessary to use a prosthesis.this method of surgical correction is called endoprosthetic.
In some cases, surgery is also used in stage 2 gonoarthrosis.In this case, a minimally invasive arthroscopic operation is performed, removing dead tissue, as well as pieces of damaged cartilage, through a small incision.With the help of this operation, the range of motion increases, the symptoms of pain and inflammation disappear.But we must remember that the treatment does not end there.This operation will help alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of the disease for several years.
Conduct treatment
Is it possible to treat arthrosis of the knee joint?The treatment of any disease can be carried out in three main areas:
- etiotropic - elimination of the main causes of damage.
- symptomatic - relief from the main symptoms.
- pathogenetic – intervention in the process of disease progression.
To carry out effective treatment or at least stop the development of arthropathy, it is important:
- activates the blood supply process and improves tissue condition.
- compensation of lack or excess of enzymes in the body.
- give the body everything it needs to reproduce cartilage tissue.
- restores the volume and composition of synovial fluid.
Many physiotherapeutic procedures and local ointments lead to improved tissue nutrition and normalization of their blood supply.During electrophoresis, tissues can be saturated with special enzymes.But the main way to treat such a disease is to take chondroprotectors.Recently, hyaluronic acid injections are mainly used to treat arthropathy.Biological treatment methods are considered more aggressive.
Use of chondroprotectants
Is it possible to completely cure arthrosis?For complete treatment, chondroprotectors are suitable - drugs that include natural components of cartilage tissue or their synthetic analogues, which lead to the synthesis of certain components or inhibit their breakdown.
Chondroprotectants can be found in the following forms:
- tablets, capsules and powders for oral administration.
- solutions for intramuscular injections.
- special ointments for external use.
Medicines for external use should be used as an additional treatment in complex therapy.
Can osteoarthritis be cured?First you need to consider the features of treatment with chondroprotectors:
- many chondroprotectors help to get rid of severe pain and inflammation, but this is not the main benefit of taking them.for symptomatic treatment, it is better to use more economical NSAIDs.
- therapeutic measures have a special effect in stages 1 and 2 of the development of the disease, when the cartilage has not yet been destroyed in an extreme state.
- during treatment, it is important to take a long, systematic course of medication.after each lesson, you need to take a break.one cycle includes 6 months, so treatment continues for years.
If a patient is prone to the appearance of knee joints, then he should start taking chondroprotectors in advance for preventive purposes, before the first signs of the disease appear.Chondroprotectors cannot be called a panacea, as they protect the cartilage and do not restore its condition.Arthritis is much easier to prevent than to start treatment after.
The main difficulty of treatment
Is it possible to cure arthritis forever?The main difficulty in treatment is that to date no drugs have been developed that could permanently and completely eliminate arthropathy.But it is important to remember that there are quite effective methods of comprehensive treatment that help get rid of pain and slow down the progression of the disease.
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint
Arthropathy of the hip joint is a degenerative-dystrophic process in which the cartilage structures covering the surface of the femoral head, as well as the acetabulum, are destroyed.To keep the cartilage in good condition, it is important to determine if hip arthropathy can be cured.
Drug treatment
There are a large number of ways to treat this disease.Most often, the treating specialist prescribes a whole complex that includes several therapeutic measures.
Is it possible to treat arthropathy of the hip joint?For grade 1 and 2 arthropathy, medication is allowed for treatment.The most effective drugs in this case are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, vasodilators, which improve blood supply to the joints, relax muscles and help eliminate spasms.
Chondroprotectants are also used, which help preserve cartilage tissue.In the first and second stages of development of the lesion, experts allow the use of local agents: patches, applications, ointments and gels - they will stimulate normal blood circulation.
It is important to remember that without effective and timely treatment, arthropathy of the hip joint can cause ankylosis.Ankylosis is a complete fusion of the femur and pelvis.In this case, the leg completely loses its joint mobility.
Arthropathy of the ankle joint
Can ankle arthropathy be cured?Before treating ankle arthrosis, it is important to make an accurate diagnosis.Most of the time, a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis either by examining the patient's foot or by taking an X-ray.
Depending on the stage of development of the disease, the specialist will choose the most appropriate treatment.Even before visiting a specialist, the patient must significantly reduce the load on the affected joint, avoid hypothermia, as well as overloading.The doctor prescribes a comprehensive treatment for the patient: physiotherapy, spa therapy, painkillers and drugs to stimulate blood circulation.
Also, ankle treatment can be performed on an outpatient basis, in a hospital with the prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.Treatment difficulties may arise if the patient is obese.It is important for such a patient to eat properly not only during the treatment itself, but also after it.
Gymnastic exercises
Gymnastics for ankle arthropathy is allowed only after the main symptoms of the disease have completely passed.A set of exercises and loads on the leg should be drawn up together with the treating specialist.
Any gymnastic exercises during arthropathy should strain the ligaments and muscles in the joint without overloading the joints themselves, otherwise it can be very dangerous.
Is it possible to treat arthrosis of the joint?An exercise class in the treatment of arthropathy does not require the patient to spend money, buy drugs or expensive devices, but the patient should be patient and hardworking to complete the course accurately.
Shoulder problems
Certain injuries can lead to the initiation of an inflammatory or degenerative process in the joints.The most common causes of shoulder arthropathy are:
- severe physical stress on the shoulder joint during work, resulting in active wear of its components.
- receiving a shoulder injury.
- shoulder dysplasia;
- changes in hormone production.
- problems with the blood supply to the tissues of the joints, which leads to the appearance of vascular pathologies.
- natural wear and tear of cartilage, which is typical for the elderly.
What is common in this case is the process of inflammation, which is accompanied by symptoms of pain.The causes of such damage are different.they may be related to injury, infection, or disruption of certain systems in the body.
Most often, the appearance of arthritis requires an additional external influence: stress, hypothermia, organ infection, infection through an open wound, immune response to infection.
When determining a disease, the doctor pays attention to the degree of the disease, the main complaints of the patient and the results of a series of tests.The main diagnostic measure is a biochemical blood test, which helps to confirm the presence of inflammation and, in some cases, to determine its nature.
Another important study is X-ray, which helps to determine the location of joint deformation at an early stage of its appearance.
Is it possible to cure arthropathy of the shoulder joint?In the presence of joints of the first two degrees, exclusively conservative treatment is used.And only in the case of a complicated form of the disease, surgery is prescribed.
Basic methods of conservative treatment:
- taking medication;
- treatment with traditional methods;
- physical therapy measures;
- health treatment resort;
- massage?
- acupuncture;
- Physiotherapy;
- special diet.
Before starting treatment, it is important to provide complete rest to the damaged joint, which is much easier to do if the arthropathy is widespread in the shoulder area.The easiest treatment is considered to be the first stage of diseases, when scar changes have not yet occurred and the tissue has still retained its regenerative capacity.
But in the presence of this form of damage, unpleasant sensations, as a rule, do not manifest themselves strongly, the pain is mild, so the patient is very late to seek help from a doctor.In the future, after the end of treatment, the patient should also follow a mild regimen.