The common belief that only older people are likely to suffer from osteoarthritis of the joints is fundamentally false.This disease has a different etiology and can affect people of any age, gender and profession.
Among the reasons contributing to the development of osteoarthritis of the joints are the following:
- primary osteoarthritis (congenital weakening of articular cartilage);
- professional activity (sport, dance, heavy physical work);
- diseases causing metabolic disorders;
- obesity;
- mechanical deformation of the joints (wearing tight or poorly 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 in the patient and significantly reduces motor activity.According to the WHO, osteoarthritis is one of the leading causes of disability and disability in people around the world.
Symptoms and complications of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis can affect both large joints (knee, hip, elbow, etc.) and small ones: joints of the hands, fingers, feet.At the initial stage of the disease, aching pain appears in the joint, which worsens as the disease progresses.When extending and flexing the joint, a cracking noise may be heard and movements become difficult.Progressive osteoarthritis causes the joint to widen and the area surrounding the diseased joint becomes too sensitive to touch, cold and heat.
In addition to severe pain and deformation of the joint, leading to aesthetic defects, osteoarthritis of the joints without treatment leads to serious complications.Delay in treatment leads to the development of the following diseases:
- periarthritis (acute inflammation of the tissues surrounding the diseased joint);
- synovitis (inflammation of the joint membrane);
- coxarthrosis (irreversible damage to the hip joint).
Complications of osteoarthritis of the joint, in turn, lead to complete immobility of the joint, which can become the initial stage of serious disability.
Treatment of joint osteoarthritis
The following methods are used in the treatment of osteoarthritis:
- medicinal;
- physiotherapy;
- surgical.
With the medicinal method, the treatment of osteoarthritis is aimed at improving the nutrition of the cartilage and relieving pain (by introducing special nutritional gels into the periarticular area and additionally taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gout and homeopathic medicines).
The physiotherapeutic method is aimed at improving the blood supply to the joint and its mobility, as well as enhancing the effect of drug treatment.The list of physiotherapeutic agents includes:
- Ultrasound therapy;
- reflexology;
- mud therapy;
- radon and hydrogen sulfide baths;
- pulse therapy;
- magnetic therapy;
- laser therapy, etc.
The surgical treatment method is aimed at eliminating bone formations resulting from arthrosis of the joints and normalizing the size of the joint.This method is used only in combination with drug treatment and physiotherapy, since the doctor's task is to eliminate the very cause of osteoarthritis and reduce the risk of relapse.
The clinic's diagnostic and treatment facilities allow accurate determination of the causes of joint osteoarthritis, the degree of joint damage and also guarantee the selection of the optimal treatment plan for each patient on an individual basis.The clinic's equipment allows the use of the most modern technologies for the treatment of osteoarthritis, aimed at getting rid of this disease as quickly and effectively as possible.