The common belief that only older people are susceptible to osteoarthritis of the joints is fundamentally wrong.This disease has a different etiology and can affect people of any age, sex and profession.
Among the reasons that contribute to the development of osteoarthritis of the joints are the following:
- primary osteoarthritis (congenital weakening of the articular cartilage);
- professional activity (sports, dance, heavy physical work);
- diseases that cause metabolic disorders;
- obesity;
- mechanical deformation of the joints (wearing tight or incorrectly 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 becomes more intense as the disease progresses.When extending and bending the joint, a cracking sound can be heard and movements become difficult.Progressive osteoarthritis causes the joint to enlarge and the area surrounding the diseased joint to become oversensitive to touch, cold, and heat.
In addition to severe pain and deformation of the joint, which cause aesthetic defects, untreated osteoarthritis of the joints causes 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 arthrosis 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 cartilage nutrition and relieving pain (by introducing special nutritional gels into the periarticular area and, in addition, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, gouty and homeopathic medicines).
The physiotherapeutic method is aimed at improving the blood supply to the joint and its mobility, as well as improving the effect of drug therapy.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 osteoarthritis 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 for accurate determination of the causes of joint osteoarthritis, the degree of joint damage, and also ensure the selection of the optimal treatment plan for each patient individually.The clinic's hardware allows the use of the most modern technologies for the treatment of osteoarthritis, with the aim of eliminating this disease as quickly and effectively as possible.