joint

One of the joint diseases is arthropathy. During this disease, the cartilage in the joint is slowly destroyed. Over time, various changes will occur, the joint ends of the bones are rebuilt, the inflammatory process is aggravated, and the tissue around the joint is destroyed. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases worldwide. According to statistics, the disease affects more than 70% of people worldwide. In terms of prevalence, arthropathy is second only to cancer and cardiovascular disease. The older you are, the more likely you are to develop osteoarthritis. Men and women are equally affected by the disease. In addition, able-bodied people over the age of 30 can also suffer from joint disease.

Why does this disease occur

The development of arthropathy is associated with impaired joint metabolism. As a result, the cartilage loses its former elasticity. This may be due to the complete or partial loss of proteoglycans that are part of the cartilage. Deep fissures in the cartilage cause this phenomenon. In addition, doctors say arthropathy is the result of metabolic disorders and hormonal exhaustion, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis. The most common cause is an abnormal load on the joint, which the cartilage cannot resist.

In addition, several factors contribute to the appearance and progression of arthropathy:

• Metastatic trauma. This includes dislocations, bruises, fractures, ruptured ligaments, etc.
• Violation of metabolic processes.
• The extra body weight, as a result, extra load is put on the joints.
• There is an inflammatory process in the joints (acute septic arthritis).
• old age.
• Proper nutrition is not observed.
• Frequent hypothermia.
• Presence of autoimmune disease. These include lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis.
• Systemic poisoning.
• Frequent colds.
• Syphilis, tuberculosis, encephalitis, gonorrhea.
• have thyroid disease.
• If coagulation is impaired.

type of disease

The most common type is knee osteoarthritis. Knee suffers. Such a diagnosis can be made in people who are overweight, have disrupted metabolic processes, or are severely stressed. The disease can develop over many years, and in the final stage, immobilization of the knee joint may occur.

Ankle arthritis occurs in the ankle joint. The resulting injuries, sprains, stunting, gout, diabetes can trigger the development of the disease. In some cases, rheumatoid arthritis may be the causative factor. In most cases, the diagnosis is made in those whose occupational activities are often associated with excessive stress on the ankles (dancers, athletes, women in high heels).

The presence of congenital defects in the shoulder joint or excessive load can induce the occurrence of shoulder joint disease. Increased chance of getting sick from painters, plasterers, etc.

The presence of hip arthropathy is a severe form of the disease. The main predisposing factor is age-related changes in joint tissue. In most cases, this type of diagnosis applies to people over the age of 45.

The development of cervical spondylosis occurs due to insufficient cervical spine mobility, obesity, and trauma. Those in sedentary jobs are at risk. The main symptoms of this arthropathy are limited joint mobility, dizziness, headache, and fainting. This is because the vertebral arteries, which supply blood to the brain, are involved in the pathological process.

In spondyloarthropathies, the joints and cartilage of the spine are affected. In most cases, this type of diagnosis applies to people over the age of 70. The predominant number of cases of this arthropathy hazard is observed in women because their estrogen levels decline with age.

How the disease manifests

The main symptom of arthropathy is pain when the joint is under load. This symptom goes away when the joint is calm. Joint pain has some peculiarities. Severe pain or significant discomfort when performing any athletic movements. The localization of pain is where the damaged joint is located. If you stop these movements, the pain will go away.

During sleep, a person has no unpleasant feelings. The condition is to adopt optimal body posture. Pain at rest occurs only as the disease progresses. The feeling is reminiscent of a toothache. During this period, a person cannot sleep. Afterwards, the cartilage thins, the bone is exposed, and as a result osteophytes grow. Acute pain does not leave the person and is exacerbated in the presence of various factors.

Another indicative symptom of the disease is austerity. Friction can be heard between the bones due to the reduced softness of the rotation of the bones in the joint. This is the reason for the characteristic sound. Considering healthy joints, the presence of tightness is also inherent in other diseases. However, with arthropathy, a dry sound is heard. This voice becomes more vivid as the disease progresses. While tightening, a person experiences pain.

Osteoarthritis can be identified by decreased joint mobility. The initial stage is characterized by the absence of such symptoms. However, as the disease progresses, bone tumors sprout and, as a result, the joint space disappears. In a person, the limb becomes harmless where the joint is affected.

A feature of arthropathy is joint deformity. They are modified due to the growth of osteophytes on the bone surface and the presence of synovial fluid there. Deformity refers to later symptoms, when the disease significantly affects the joint.

The disease progresses with worsening or remission, so it is difficult to independently identify arthropathy based on how you feel. This means that a person should visit a qualified clinician immediately to clarify the diagnosis. At the medical center, the patient will be sent for an X-ray, which will determine the various degrees of the disease course:

• In the first stage, there will be no osteophytes and the joint space will narrow slightly.
• The second stage is characterized by the formation of osteophytes.
• At the beginning of the third stage, the joint space narrows, establishing the presence of multiple osteophytes and the onset of joint deformity.
• At stage 4, there was little joint space, multiple osteophytes and significant deformity were identified.

How to Diagnose Arthropathy

Diagnostic measures begin with the investigation and examination of the patient. Afterwards, specialists perform X-rays of the affected joints. In most cases, X-ray images are taken in two projections. Thus, dystrophic changes in the tissue can be seen and the cartilage and adjacent bones affected can also be determined. In patients with this disease, the joint space is narrowed and the bone site is deformed. From these bones, bone growth, osteophytes can be observed. In some cases, the joint may lose stability, leading to subluxation.

As shown, the first sign of arthropathy is an osteophyte. First, the articular surface, ie its edge, becomes sharp. Thickening then occurs, followed by growth and the presence of spikes observed. Taking into account the X-rays obtained, the doctor came to the following conclusions:

1. Suspected arthropathy. This means that the degree of narrowing of the joint space cannot be determined, but the presence of small osteophytes can be determined.
2. The presence of mild arthropathy. Such a diagnosis implies good visualization of osteophytes, but narrowing of the joint space is questionable.
3. Moderate arthropathy is present. This condition can be diagnosed if the joint space is markedly narrowed and the presence of osteophytes is not visible. In some cases, skeletal deformities can be detected on X-rays if such a diagnosis is made.
4. Severe arthropathy is present. With this diagnosis, the joint space was significantly narrowed and large osteophytes were formed. The joint can also be completely deformed.

Arthritis Lifestyle:

• Relieve undue stress on damaged joints.
• Carefully observe the established orthopaedic treatment regimen.
• Use physical therapy.
• Take a physical therapy class.
• Visit a nursing home.

How to treat?

medical method

Use anti-inflammatory drugs. If you start your therapeutic action with an integrated approach, the progression of the disease will slow down and the patient's quality of life will improve significantly. With medication, you can relieve pain and eliminate the inflammatory process that occurs in your joints. In such cases, doctors prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. An experienced doctor would not recommend taking this medication by mouth. This can irritate the stomach lining. This means that the drug is best administered intravenously or intramuscularly. In some cases, as adjuvants, NSAIDs are used as ointments.

If the disease worsens, the patient is prescribed hormonal corticosteroids. They are administered intra-articularly. The introduction of hydrocortisone or dipropan is implied. For external use, they can be prescribed special patches, ointments or tinctures, the basis of which is chili peppers. In addition, chondroprotective agents are included in the medical treatment of arthropathy. They restore cartilage and improve the quality of synovial fluid. The duration of the course of treatment measures depends on the onset of improvement. If the expected results are not seen within 6 months, the drug is withdrawn. Protective agents are used simultaneously with preparations based on hyaluronic acid. Thanks to these drugs, a cell shell is formed that contributes to the formation of articular cartilage. Effective treatment of arthropathy can supplement the intake of diacerein. It regenerates cartilage tissue. Improvements will appear within two to four weeks.

Surgical methods

If conservative approaches fail to cope with the disease, the patient is scheduled for surgery. One of the methods of surgical intervention is puncture. It is both a treatment and a diagnosis. For the puncture, a needle is inserted into the affected joint and a small amount of fluid is taken. This liquid will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Thanks to this method, the load is removed from the joint and a drug (corticosteroid) is injected.

Another surgical approach is arthroscopy. The procedure involves inserting an arthroscope into the affected joint through a small incision. Perform such a procedure to assess the condition of the joint from the inside. During the surgical intervention, a qualified specialist removes unnecessary cartilage and the patient does not suffer from pain.

Another surgical treatment is periarticular osteotomy. During surgery, the bones of the joint are archived and fixed in the desired position. Thanks to this method, the load on the affected area is reduced and soreness is eliminated. This procedure is considered a fairly effective treatment for arthropathy, but is used in rare cases. This can be explained by the introduction of anesthesia and a longer recovery period.

If the joint is significantly deformed and cannot be recovered, the patient is scheduled for arthroplasty. This is a complex and expensive operation. Prostheses can be made of ceramic, plastic or metal. After applying this method, the patient will have a longer recovery period and pain. In some cases, this is the only way to help patients diagnosed with arthropathy, otherwise complete immobility cannot be avoided. Using a high-quality prosthesis can extend its lifespan up to 15 years.

physical therapy methods

The shock wave method helps to remove osteophytes or skeletal processes developed by the patient. Osteophytes are triggers of pain. With the help of the waves, these growths are softened and after a while they dissolve completely. In addition, the nutrition of the joints is improved and the metabolic processes are normalized. The effectiveness of this procedure has been demonstrated in the early stages of arthropathy. For shockwave therapy, the patient must have a doctor's prescription. This can be explained by the presence of multiple contraindications.

Another physical therapy method involves muscle stimulation. Muscles are stimulated by electrical impulses. Muscle stimulation is prescribed for patients who are bedridden or who observe bed rest after injury. Given the normalization of blood flow and increased muscle tone in the affected area, this approach is rarely used in arthropathy.

The use of sonotherapy involves the effects of ultrasound and medication on the affected joints. The effectiveness of this procedure lies in the fact that the drug gets to the focal point of the inflammation. Another treatment for osteoarthritis is ozone therapy. With the help of ozone therapy, a gas mixture is injected into the affected joint. As a result, the patient gets rid of the feeling of extreme pain, the inflammatory process is reduced, the joints become more flexible and the blood circulation is normal. This method consists of several sessions. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease.

other treatments

An effective way to combat arthropathy is to use a physiotherapy complex. With special exercises, the patient normalizes blood flow in the affected area and strengthens the muscles. The class starts with simple exercises and then the load increases.

Using manual therapy and lymphatic drainage massage can help reduce pain and improve blood supply to the affected joints. This method is great because even immobilized patients can use it.

In addition to the medical and sports cultural complexes, mechanotherapy is used. In this case, various simulators are used. With their help, the load increases during the class, but the joints are not damaged. Thanks to the mechanical therapy, the blood circulation in the joints will increase and the muscles will become stronger.

When contacting a specialist center, the patient will receive the most modern, safe and effective treatment, which will be selected individually according to his physical characteristics. According to the medical prescription, the specialist also guarantees a positive outcome for the patient at the lowest economic cost.