Osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis) of the joints is a pathological dystrophic process in which there is a slow destruction of various layers and tissues. Everyone should clearly understand how to treat osteoarthritis, because neither adults, nor 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 different types, you need to know in depth.
Depending on the location of the pathological process and the severity of the damage in medicine, several types of diseases are distinguished, on which the treatment of arthrosis depends. Naturally, a person who is faced with such a diagnosis for the first time should strive to learn as much as possible about what osteoarthritis is. Consider the most diagnosed variants of the disease.
Views
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 at the age of 40 to 60 years. Osteoarthritis of the ankle and foot is quite common.
- Patelofemoral arthrosis occurs under the patella. The causes of this type of osteoarthritis lie in the defeat of the patellofemoral joint.
- Hemarthrosis is bleeding in the cavity. Often 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 chosen by the attending physician, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
- Rheumatic type of pathology or rheumatoid arthrosis occurs due to improper metabolism.
Osteoarthritis
It is best to treat grade 1 osteoarthritis and grade 2 osteoarthritis. Initially, there is a decrease in the elasticity of the surface layers of cartilage, accompanied by its softening and loosening. In the course of the pathological process the condition worsens and the surface becomes too thin, splits into fibers, which leads to the appearance of cracks in it.
Pathological changes on the joint surface in osteoarthritis
When grade 3 osteoarthritis is diagnosed, the patient already has erosive cartilage damage with sufficiently deep cracks, but the subchondral bone and deep areas are not damaged.
When osteoarthritis is diagnosed, treatment will be with medication. It is based on taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (within 10 days of the course). Treatment of osteoarthritis in the second stage may require the administration of hormonal drugs that are injected into the damaged joint by injection. Treatment with compresses and prescriptions from traditional medicine is also possible, but only in combination with medicines. Only a doctor will tell you in more detail how to treat osteoarthritis and he should be informed about the decision to combine traditional and traditional medicine.
Patellofemoral
If the patient is 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 pathological process.
In grade 1 osteoarthritis, they talk about daily fatigue or situations in which the legs are heavily overloaded or overtired. But in the presence of unpleasant symptoms (pain, fatigue, heaviness in the knee) or after injury, a second degree of osteoarthritis is diagnosed. If you do not know how to treat it or do it on time, then cartilage dystrophy will begin.
Patelofemoral osteoarthritis does not have its own treatment regimen. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, doctors decide on the need for knee or orthosis fixation, and osteoarthritis can also be treated by reducing exercise and taking analgesics.
Once you know what osteoarthritis is and how to deal with it, you can start taking medication on time, which will allow you to maintain joint mobility and overall health.
Hemarthrosis
A characteristic feature of this type of joint lesion, such as hemarthrosis, is the outpouring of blood into its joint cavity. This condition is most often 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. In grade 2 osteoarthritis, the soft tissues (menisci and ligaments, joint capsule) are damaged.
The procedure for pumping blood from the joint cavity with hemarthrosis
Hemarthrosis is treated with drugs in several stages:
- First, the cleansing of the joint cavity from spilled blood is performed with the help of a puncture;
- Then, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are injected into the joint by injection;
- Finally, they prescribe a course of synthetic agents that contribute to the recovery of the joint.
The treatment regimen directly depends on how severe the symptoms of osteoarthritis are and the extent to which the disease is detected.
Polyarthrosis
Before talking about methods of treatment, you need to understand what signs of osteoarthritis are characteristic of this type.
Polyarthrosis is characterized by:
- multiple lesions of different joints;
- restriction of physical activity;
- pain when moving fingers;
- swelling of damaged joints;
- the appearance of nodules on the thickening of the bones;
- narrowing of the joint cavity.
Polyarthritis is dangerous because it immediately affects several joints, therefore it requires the right approach to treatment and the choice of the right drugs.
Now, in detail about how to treat osteoarthritis of this type. First of all, the therapy is aimed at restoring physical activity. Talking about how to cure osteoarthritis with the help of drugs, one must remember about physical procedures that are very effective in such a lesion. Here it can be considered as a remedy with heat or water. So it is with spa treatment.
If the patient has osteoarthritis of the joints, the doctor will definitely prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids and chondroprotectors also help. Relieve pain and discomfort, various ointments, compresses, rubbing.
It is not forbidden to choose a drug for osteoarthritis from the prescriptions of traditional medicine, but it should 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 osteoarthritis, but also to remember that there is a proper prevention of osteoarthritis, which we will talk about later.
Degrees
Osteoarthritis, hemarthrosis, polyarthrosis and patellofemoral arthrosis occur in three stages. The symptoms and treatment of osteoarthritis in each clinical case will be different, so there is no one-size-fits-all treatment regimen.
There are 3 degrees of pathology:
- 1 degree of osteoarthritis - characterized by narrowing of the slit and the absence of osteophytes;
- Grade 2 osteoarthritis - a slight narrowing of the gap is accompanied by the formation of osteophytes;
- Grade 3 osteoarthritis - significant narrowing of the joint space, multiple osteophytes and bone deformity.
At each stage, the treatment of osteoarthritis should be performed by a qualified specialist, otherwise the therapy may not give the necessary results and the process may worsen.
Folk remedies
As for folk remedies for the treatment of the disease, here you can find very decent, easy to implement and effective recipes. Let's look at a few 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 a material that is written on boards. Also keep in mind that if you buy chalk that is available at a building materials store, it may contain chemical components that can do more harm.
The resulting mass must be poured with each fermented milk product and mixed thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained. What you have done should be carefully arranged in the affected area, wrapped in cling film and fixed with a bandage. Leave the mixture overnight and in the morning wash with warm soapy water. As a result, the pain disappears and blood circulation improves.
Oatmeal
Very economical and simple but effective recipe. You need to take 100 grams of oatmeal and pour boiling water over them. Then put the table on low heat and simmer for five minutes. After the time has elapsed, a slurry will form, which is applied to the inflamed area. It is recommended 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 late.
Propolis
Bee products are known in folk medicine for their good healing properties in connection with 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, you need to add corn or sunflower oil, wait for the mixture to cool, apply on the skin and leave overnight. In the morning the pain and swelling will disappear.
Prevention
If you set a goal and try to find a cure to prevent osteoarthritis, then the experience will not be successful because it is absent. The pathology cannot be accurately predicted, 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 joint diseases 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 osteoarthritis of the most common types and if you follow these simple recommendations, the disease will not be felt for a long time and if you are lucky, it will never manifest itself in everything.