Osteoarthritis involves joint damage and degenerative-dystrophic changes in them. This requires competent and timely treatment. It may involve a complex of conservative methods or suggest the need for surgery.
Arthrosis is a chronic disease of a degenerative-dystrophic nature. It involves destruction of cartilage and pathological changes in the capsule, synovium, ligament apparatus, and adjacent bone structures. Pathology requires an integrated approach to treatment.
Medicine
One of the main areas for conservative treatment of osteoarthritis is the use of drugs. The following medications are commonly prescribed:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They relieve inflammation, pain and fever.
- Glucocorticosteroids. These drugs also relieve inflammation and pain, but are more effective.
- Painkillers. These include painkillers and some NSAIDs.
- Chondro Protectors. Such drugs are used on long courses. They are necessary for the restoration of damaged cartilage structures.
- Muscle relaxants and antispasmodics. These drugs also relieve pain by relieving muscle spasms.
- If osteoarthritis is a consequence of arthritis, medication for arthritis is needed.
- Vasodilators. Such drugs have a vasodilating effect.
- Compresses are effective in treating osteoarthritis using medical bile and other agents.
- Vitamin and mineral complexes. They are necessary to activate immunity, normalize material metabolism and metabolic processes, replenish missing elements and assimilate them. Calcium supplementation is usually prescribed.
The individual choice of medication is often wrong. The attending physician should prescribe medications and determine the properties of their use.
Physiotherapy
Osteoarthritis treatment usually includes various physiotherapy procedures. They are used as part of conservative therapy and are prescribed after surgery to speed recovery and reduce the risk of complications.
The following procedures are effective for osteoarthritis:
- laser therapy- exposure to heat to stimulate regeneration;
- magnetotherapy- increased vascular tone, activation of metabolic processes, acceleration of recovery, relief of inflammation;
- ozokeritotherapy- warming to improve microcirculation and relieve pain;
- electrophoresis- administration of drugs by electric current;
- cryotherapy- exposure to low temperatures to relieve swelling, pain, reduce muscle tone;
- ultrasound- exposure to high frequency sound to improve material metabolism
- UHF therapy- softening of calcium deposits, normalization of material metabolism, reduction of edema;
- homeosiniatry- introduction of homeopathic remedies to biologically active points.
Physiotherapy procedures have contraindications. These include exacerbation of the inflammatory process, pregnancy, active tuberculosis. There are also a number of limitations to individual procedures.
Massage
Massage is used for remission of osteoarthritis or in the subacute period. In an acute illness, such treatment is excluded as the affected joints need complete rest.
Massage for osteoarthritis has the following effects:
- pain relief;
- return to mobility, elimination of stiffness;
- activation of blood circulation and lymph flow
- prevention of muscle atrophy, strengthening of the muscular cross;
- improvement of metabolic processes and tissue strophism.
The functions of the massage depend on which joints are affected. In any case, such treatment should be performed only by a qualified specialist. Before massage, he should assess the degree of mobility, muscle condition, identify contractures, ankylosis, pain points.
The effectiveness of massage is provided by using the course. The number of sessions is determined individually. Massage courses must be repeated at regular intervals - their frequency is also chosen individually.
exercise therapy
Physiotherapy is actively used for osteoarthritis. It is necessary to activate blood circulation and metabolic processes, restore joint mobility and strengthen the muscle cross. In the initial phase, training therapy should be performed under the supervision of an instructor.
In the future you can do home gymnastics:
- Lie on your back on a firm surface and stretch your legs. Bend one leg at the knee and keep the foot at a height of 5-10 cm from the floor. Fix in this position for 5 seconds, return to starting position. Perform 5 repetitions alternately on each leg.
- The starting position is the same. Bend one leg and press it with your hands against the body. Solve for a few seconds. Then place your foot on the floor and slowly up the limbs. Do 10-15 repetitions for each leg.
- The starting position is the same. Lift your straightened leg 25-30 cm above the floor and fix it for a few seconds. Return to starting position. Do 20-30 repetitions on each leg in a row.
- Lie on your stomach. Bend your knees alternately and try to reach your buttocks with your heels, but without lifting your hips off the floor. Do 20-50 reps for each leg.
- The starting position is the same. Bend your knees alternately, and secure yourself for a few seconds at the outermost point. Do 10 reps for each leg.
- Sit down and straighten your back. Alternatively, bend and flex the legs by maintaining a moderate pace. In the future, you can do the exercise with a little weight.
- The starting position is the same. Lift your leg to form a right angle. Fix for 3 seconds and return to starting position. Do 10 reps for each leg.
Osteoarthritis can affect different joints, so the exercise set in each case must be special. It must be developed by a specialist taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient and his disease.
All exercises must be performed evenly, sharp movements are excluded. During gymnastics, it is necessary to monitor your breathing - it should be calm and measured.
Lifestyle
Treating osteoarthritis involves some lifestyle changes:
- If you are overweight, normalize it. This moment is especially important in case of injury to the lower extremities.
- Moderate physical activity. High loads should be ruled out, so you should not engage in professional sports. The best option is physiotherapy exercises and regular walking.
- Attentive attitude to your state of health. Treatment of chronic diseases, periodic intake of vitamin-mineral complexes, preventive examinations by a doctor are necessary.
- The right choice of clothes and footwear. A person should not feel shy. Tight clothing is fraught with blood stagnation, which is dangerous with osteoarthritis. Women should avoid high heels, shoes should be stable.
- Proper organization of sleeping and working space. All furniture must be comfortable. It should provide such a position of the body that does not slow down blood circulation and does not cause the flow of limbs. If you have movement problems, equip your home with special handles and handrails.
Diet
With osteoarthritis, it is imperative to follow the right diet. The characteristics of the diet are individual and depend on many factors.
The general principles of nutrition are as follows:
- Fractionated nutrition. You need 5-6 meals a day and the portions should be small.
- Proper metabolism is ensured by a sufficient amount of carbohydrates. The emphasis should be on complex carbohydrates - vegetables, fruits, berries, grains.
- Removal of simple carbohydrates - sugar, sweets.
- Vegetable fats are needed to speed up metabolic processes. In terms of butter, only a natural product is useful.
- To restore cartilage structures, it is useful to use gelled meat, gelatin-based jelly.
- For cooking, limit yourself to cooking, stewing and steaming.
- Exclusion of spicy, salty, fatty, fried foods from the diet. Rejection of fatty meats, fast food, corn oil.
- Nutrition should be enriched with milk, cottage cheese, other dairy products and fermented dairy products. They must be fat-free or low-fat.
- You need food rich in zinc and magnesium - liver, fish, nuts, pumpkin, legumes.
- Oranges and peppers are good sources of antioxidants. To relieve inflammation, use pomegranate, pineapple.
Special orthopedic devices
In the treatment of osteoarthritis, various devices are often used, which are designed to make the patient's life easier and reduce the risk of some complications.
The following constructions are used in orthopedics:
- Tube - used to redistribute the load in case of damage to the lower extremities. It is usually used in the last stages of the disease as well as after surgery.
- Orthoses - used to attach the joints. This allows you to reduce or adjust the mobility of the joint, gradually increasing it.
- Bandages - also used for attachment of joints, a benefit after injuries and operations.
- Corsets are used to secure and straighten the trunk, mainly in the case of the hip joint.
- Auxiliary cushions - provide cushioning, reduce strain.
- Inserts for correction of flat feet, foot relief.
- Correctors for deformed fingers.
- Silicone protectors to protect deformed fingers.
If osteoarthritis is due to flat feet, use orthopedic shoes and special insoles. Such a measure is also necessary in case of injury to the lower extremities to reduce the risk of complications.
Extension of the joints
This technique is called traction. It can be manual or hardware. Traction is usually used when the hip or knee joints are affected.
Traction involves course application. On average, 10-12 sessions are required. They can be performed daily or every other day.
Joint extension is a temporary measure and should be repeated regularly. With osteoarthritis, two courses a year are usually performed.
Traditional medicine
The use of traditional medicine is appropriate as a guideline in treatment.
The following recipes are effective for osteoarthritis:
- Compress with cabbage or horseradish leaves. The selected sheet should be washed or chopped in several places, applied to the affected area, secured with foil and insulated. It is also effective in soaking the leaf in honey. Such compression should be stored for several hours and done several times a day.
- Mix equal parts iodine (5%), ammonia (10%), medicinal bile, glycerin and honey. Mix the ingredients and place them in a dark place for a week and a half. Shake the mixture before use and heat the required amount in a water bath. Moisten a napkin in the composition, apply to the affected area, fix with cellophane and insulator. Do the compression at night until you recover.
- 50 g of dried elecampanrod pour half a glass of vodka and leave it for 2 weeks in the dark. Rub the sore joints with the resulting product.
- Grind eggshells to powder, mix with kefir to get a thick mixture. Wrap it in linen and attach it to the affected area, secure it with polyethylene and strengthen it. Make a compress every day and store it for 2, 5 hours.
- Mix equal parts honey with glycerin, alcohol and iodine. Apply the mixture gently with a cotton ball moving from bottom to top.
- Pour a handful of oatmeal with half a liter of water and cook for 10 minutes. Apply hot to the affected area, secure with foil and insulate. Resist an hour.
Herbal medicine also has contraindications and side effects. Each new product must be used carefully, starting with the smallest dose and duration of use.
Surgical treatment
Surgical intervention is necessary in case of severe pathological changes, the development of serious complications and the ineffectiveness of a conservative approach.
Surgical treatment of osteoarthritis can be performed in the following ways:
- Arthroplasty- restoration of articular surfaces. The indication may be ankylosis, contractures. Such an operation is possible only in the absence of an acute inflammatory process.
- Arthrotomy- opening of the joint to remove a foreign body, endoprosthetics, purulent contents.
- Arthrodese- ankylosis (joint immobility) is artificially created. The operation can be intra- and extra articular.
- Resection- partial or complete removal of the joint surface and synovium to create immobility in the joint.
- Arthrorisis- creates conditions for limiting joint mobility.
- Endoprosthetics- placement of an implant to completely or partially replace the affected joint.
- Periarticular osteotomy- archiving bones and exposing them to a specific angle. This measure allows you to move the center of gravity and redistribute the load.
Arthrosis is a serious disease that causes irreversible changes. It is necessary to start adequate treatment as early as possible. It can be conservative or surgical and involves a variety of measures. The properties of the therapy are determined for each patient on an individual basis.