Arthrosis (osteoarthritis) of the joints is a pathological dystrophic process in which there is a slow destruction of different layers and tissues. Each person should clearly understand how the treatment of arthrosis is performed, because neither adults, nor children, nor the elderly are insured against the disease. If there is a suspicion of the development of arthrosis, what it is and to overcome different types, you need to know thoroughly.
Depending on the localization of the pathological process and the severity of the damage, several 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.
Views
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 at the age of 40 to 60 years. Osteoarthritis of the ankle and foot is quite common.
- Patellofemoral arthrosis appears under the patella. The causes of this type of arthrosis lie in the defeat of the patellofemoral joint.
- Hemarthrosis is a bleeding into a cavity. Often this is arthrosis 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 to be an independent disease. The therapy should be selected by the attending physician, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
- A rheumatic type of pathology or rheumatoid arthrosis occurs due to improper metabolism.
Osteoarthritis
It is best to treat osteoarthritis of the 1st degree and osteoarthritis of the 2nd degree. Initially, there is a decrease in the elasticity of the surface layers of the cartilage, accompanied by its softening and loosening. With the course of the pathological process, the condition worsens, and the surface becomes too thin, is divided into fibers, which leads to the appearance of cracks in it.
Pathological changes in the surface of the joint in osteoarthritis
When grade 3 arthrosis is diagnosed, the patient already has erosive damage to the cartilage with sufficiently deep cracks, but the subchondral bone and deep sections are not damaged.
When diagnosed with osteoarthritis, treatment will be medication. It is based on taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (within 10 days of the course). Treatment of arthrosis 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 medicines. Only a doctor will tell in more detail about how to treat osteoarthritis, and he must be informed about the decision to combine traditional and traditional medicine.
Patellofemoral
If a patient has been diagnosed with patellofemoral arthrosis of the knee joint, it is important to know how to treat it, and what happens at each stage of the pathological process.
With 1 degree of arthrosis, they talk about daily fatigue, or situations where the legs have become very tired, or overstrained. But in the presence of unpleasant symptoms (pain, fatigue, heaviness in the knee) or after an injury, 2 degrees of arthrosis are diagnosed. If you do not know how to treat it, or do it out of time, then dystrophy of the cartilage tissue will begin.
Patellofemoral arthrosis does not have its own therapy regimen. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, doctors decide on the need for fixation with a knee pad or orthosis, and arthrosis can also be treated by reducing physical exertion and taking analgesics.
When you know what arthrosis is and how to deal with it, you can start taking medications on time, which will allow you to maintain joint mobility and health in general.
Hemarthrosis
A characteristic feature of this type of joint lesion as hemarthrosis is the outpouring of blood into its joint cavity. Most often, this condition is diagnosed in people prone to hemophilia. During the 1st degree of arthrosis, there are practically no visible and felt changes, and the structures and tissues of the joint are not damaged. At the 2nd degree of arthrosis, soft tissues are damaged (menisci and ligaments, joint capsule).
The procedure for pumping blood from the joint cavity with hemarthrosis
Hemarthrosis is treated with medicines in several stages:
- First of all, the cleansing of the articular cavity from leaked blood is performed using a puncture;
- Then, nonsteroidal 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 directly depends on how severe the symptoms of arthrosis are, and to what extent the disease was detected.
Polyarthrosis
Before talking about the methods of treatment, you should figure out what signs of arthrosis are characteristic of this species.
Polyarthrosis is characterized by:
- multiple lesions of different joints;
- limitation of physical activity;
- pain when wiggling fingers;
- swelling of damaged joints;
- the appearance of nodules on the thickening of the bones;
- narrowing of the joint gap.
Polyarthrosis is dangerous because it immediately affects several joints, therefore, it requires the correct approach to treatment and the selection of the correct medications.
Now, in detail about how to treat arthrosis of this type. First of all, therapy is aimed at restoring physical activity. Speaking about how to cure arthrosis with the help of medicines, you need to remember about physical procedures, which are highly effective in such a lesion. It can be seen here as a cure with heat or water. 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 chondroprotectors also help well. Relieve pain and discomfort, various ointments, compresses, rubbing.
It is not forbidden to select a medicine for arthrosis from traditional medicine recipes, but it must be agreed with the attending physician, which will avoid complications. If the described methods are not effective, the doctor will consider the possibility of solving the problem through surgery.
It is very important not only to know how to treat arthrosis, but also not to forget that there is a correct prevention of arthrosis, which we will talk about later.
Degrees
Osteoarthritis, hemarthrosis, polyarthrosis and patellofemoral arthrosis occur in three stages. Symptoms and treatment of arthrosis in each clinical case will be different, so there is no one 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 degree of arthrosis - a slight narrowing of the gap is accompanied by the formation of osteophytes;
- 3 degree of arthrosis - significant narrowing of the joint space, multiple osteophytes and bone deformity.
At each stage, the treatment of arthrosis must be performed by a qualified specialist, otherwise the therapy may not give the necessary results, and the process will worsen.
Folk remedies
As for the folk remedies for the treatment of the disease, here you can find a lot of worthy, easily implemented and effective recipes. Let's take a look at a few of them.
Fermented milk products and chalk
For cooking, you need to find peeled chalk and turn it into small crumbs. The ideal option would be material written on blackboards. Also note that if you buy chalk that is offered at a building materials store, it may contain chemical components that can do more harm.
The resulting mass must be poured with any fermented milk product and mixed thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained. What you have done should be carefully laid out in the affected area, wrapped with cling film, and fixed with a bandage. Leave the mixture overnight, and in the morning wash off with warm water and soap. As a result, pains go away and blood circulation improves.
Oatmeal
A very economical and simple but effective recipe. You need to take 100 grams of oatmeal and pour boiling water over them. Then put the mass on a small fire and simmer for five minutes. After the time has elapsed, a gruel will be obtained, which is applied to the sore spot. It is advisable to leave the compress overnight. Please note that oatmeal should only be used freshly prepared.
Fern leaves
If there is such a plant at home, then you can donate a few leaves for your health. If not, then 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 healing properties in relation to many diseases. You need to take propolis and melt it in a water bath (should be enough to treat the damaged area). When it becomes liquid, you need to add corn or sunflower oil, wait for the mixture to cool, apply to the skin and leave overnight. In the morning, the pain and swelling will go away.
Prophylaxis
If you set yourself a goal and try to find a medicine with which to prevent arthrosis, then the attempt will not be crowned with success, since it is absent. The pathology cannot be accurately predicted, but it is quite possible to reduce the risk of arthrosis.
To prevent the destruction of joints, you can:
- Avoid injuries and mechanical damage of varying severity as much as possible;
- Try to treat all diseases associated with joints in time;
- Treat all infectious and viral diseases;
- Do not overload the joints;
- To live an active lifestyle;
- Eat right;
- Exercise every day.
Now you know everything about the symptoms and treatment of the most common types of arthrosis, and if you adhere to these simple recommendations, the disease will not make itself felt for a long time, and if you are lucky, it will never manifest itself at all.