The common belief that only elderly people are susceptible to arthrosis of the joints is fundamentally wrong.This disease has a different etiology and can affect people of any age, gender and profession.
Among the reasons that contribute to the development of arthrosis of the joints are the following:
- primary arthrosis (congenital weakening of articular cartilage);
- professional activity (sport, dancing, heavy physical work);
- diseases that cause metabolic disorders;
- obesity;
- mechanical deformation of the joints (wearing tight or wrongly chosen 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 main causes of disability and disability in people around the world.
Symptoms and complications of arthrosis
Arthrosis can affect both large joints (knee, hip, elbow, etc.) and small ones: joints of hands, fingers, feet.In the initial stage of the disease, painful pains appear in the joints, which become more severe as the disease progresses.When the joint is stretched and flexed, a cracking sound may be heard and movements become difficult.Progressive osteoarthritis causes the joint to enlarge and the area surrounding the diseased joint becomes hypersensitive to touch, cold and heat.
In addition to severe pain and joint deformities, which lead to cosmetic defects, untreated joint arthrosis causes serious complications.The delay in treatment is fraught with 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 joint arthrosis, on the other hand, lead to complete immobility of the joint, which can become the initial stage of severe disability.
Treatment of joint arthrosis
The following methods are used in the treatment of arthrosis:
- medicinal;
- physiotherapy;
- surgical.
With the medical method, the treatment of arthrosis is aimed at improving cartilage nutrition and relieving pain (introducing special nutritional gels into the periarticular area and taking additional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gout and homeopathic medicines).
The physiotherapeutic method is aimed at improving the blood supply of the joint and its mobility, as well as increasing the effect of drug therapy.The list of physiotherapeutic agents includes:
- Ultrasound therapy;
- reflexology;
- mud therapy;
- baths with radon and hydrogen sulphide;
- pulse therapy;
- magnetic therapy;
- laser therapy etc.
The surgical treatment method is aimed at removing bone formations resulting from joint arthrosis 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 cause of arthrosis itself and reduce the risk of recurrence.
The clinic's diagnostic and treatment facilities ensure the correct determination of the causes of joint arthrosis, the degree of joint damage, as well as guarantee the selection of the optimal treatment plan for each patient on an individual basis.The equipment of the clinic allows the use of the most modern technologies for the treatment of arthrosis, aimed at getting rid of this disease as quickly and effectively as possible.