The common belief that only older 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 contributing to the development of arthrosis of the joints are the following:
- primary arthrosis (congenital weakening of articular cartilage);
- professional activity (sports, dancing, heavy physical labor);
- diseases causing metabolic disorders;
- obesity;
- mechanical deformation of 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 to the patient and significantly reduces motor activity.According to WHO, arthrosis is one of the leading 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 the hands, fingers, feet. At the initial stage of the disease, aching pain appears in the joint, which becomes more severe as the disease progresses.When extending and bending the joint, a crunching sound may be heard and movements become difficult.Progressive arthrosis causes the joint to enlarge and the area surrounding the diseased joint becomes overly sensitive to touch, cold and heat.
In addition to severe pain and deformation of the joint, leading to cosmetic defects, arthrosis of the joints without treatment causes serious complications.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 arthrosis of the joint, in turn, 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 medicinal method, treatment of arthrosis is aimed at improving the nutrition of cartilage and relieving pain (introducing special nutritional gels into the periarticular area and additionally taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gouty and homeopathic medications).
The physiotherapeutic method is aimed at improving the blood supply to the joint and its mobility, as well as enhancing 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 removing bone formations that have resulted from arthrosis 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 arthrosis and reduce the risk of relapse.
The diagnostic and treatment facilities of the clinic provide an accurate determination of the causes of joint arthrosis, the degree of joint damage, and also guarantees the selection of the optimal treatment plan for each patient on an individual basis.The clinic’s hardware 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.