Osteoarthritis is the progressive non-inflammatory destruction of articular cartilage.
As a result of degenerative-dystrophic changes, the joint gradually loses its functions, flexion-extension movements in it become difficult and then completely impossible.
Joints are movable joints of bones. The human body contains more than 200 such joints, which provide all types of movement of the bony skeleton. Free sliding in them takes place thanks to the smooth surfaces of hyaline cartilage and articular lubrication.
With arthrosis, the hyaline cartilage becomes thinner and gradually breaks down, becomes rough and the synovial fluid lubrication becomes insufficient for free sliding. As a result, friction occurs, which prevents movement in the joint and leads to its progressive destruction.
Arthropathy is one of the most common degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the musculoskeletal system. They affect more than 30% of people between the ages of 45 and 65 and more than 65% of people over 65. The incidence has a strong age dependence.
Most often, the disease affects large joints - the knee (gonarthrosis), the hip (coxarthrosis) and the shoulder. Of the small joints, the joints of the hand, foot and spine are most often affected.
In the late stage of the disease, ankylosis (complete immobilization) of the joint occurs. In this case, only surgical treatment is possible - removal and replacement with an endoprosthesis.
In stages 1 - 3 of arthropathy, conservative treatment is possible, the purpose of which is to slow down and stop the destruction of the joint, gradually restore the cartilage tissue, improve functions (mobility), increase the range of motion, relief of pain symptoms and inflammation.
In the clinic, these goals are achieved through the integrated use of reflexology, botanical and physical therapy methods of oriental medicine.
Causes of joints
The cause of the disease is the prevalence of wear of the hyaline cartilage over its regeneration process. This means that the articular cartilage wears down and breaks down under pressure faster than it can recover.
This is due to the action of two factors - increased loads and/or slow recovery.
For the regeneration of the vitreous cartilage, collagen is required, which is produced in the body with the participation of the liver.
This organ not only participates in the synthesis of collagen, necessary for joints, but is also responsible for the body's heat level.
From a medical point of view, the cause of all colds, including arthritis, is a decrease in the level of body heat. This can happen, in particular, due to insufficient liver function.
All joints belong to degenerative, dystrophic diseases. Their development begins with dystrophy, i. e. tissue starvation due to insufficient blood supply.
To continuously regenerate, articular cartilage needs collagen, a universal building material of connective tissue. This protein substance is synthesized in the body and enters the joints with the blood.
If the blood supply is disrupted for some reason, the hyaline cartilage is deprived of collagen. The regeneration process in them slows down. In this case, the joints that carry the maximum load - knees, ankles, hips and shoulders - suffer the most. The articular cartilage gradually begins to wear out and break down.
When the cartilage is destroyed, its fragments break off and move freely in the joint cavity (the so-called "mice"), causing pinching, blocking, further limitation of movement and increasing pain.
Another cause of the disease can be the lack of collagen due to insufficient synthesis of this substance in the body. This may be due, for example, to functional insufficiency of the liver, which actively participates in this synthesis.
Provocative factors for the development of the disease can be:
- overweight,
- unhealthy diet
- heavy physical work, vigorous sports,
- trauma, multiple microtraumas,
- exposure to cold
- age-related changes (dehydration) in the body,
- congenital abnormalities (dysplasia, weakness of connective tissues, etc. ).
Classification
Arthropathy that develops against the background of metabolic disorders is called primary.
Secondary arthropathy occurs against a background of inflammatory processes (arthritis, including autoimmune), endocrine diseases or injuries.
Some of the most common forms of the disease have their own names - gonoarthrosis (knee joint), coxarthrosis (hip joint), spondyloarthritis (spine).
With the addition of inflammation, the disease is diagnosed as arthropathy-arthritis.
There are four stages in the development of the disease.
Stage 1 arthropathy is manifested by periodic pain and slight narrowing of the joint space.
Stage 2 of the disease means noticeable narrowing of the joint space, limited range of motion, formation of bone growths (osteophytes) and joint deformation.
Stage 3 arthropathy means almost complete disappearance of the joint space, limitation of the range of motion to a minimum, deformation of the joint, involvement of peri-articular tissues and bones (osteoarthritis, periarthritis).
In the 4th stage, complete immobilization (ankylosis) occurs, the joint space disappears completely.
Arthritis symptoms
Like many other degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the musculoskeletal system, arthropathy develops gradually.
Symptoms may be absent for a long time, although changes in cartilage tissue, volume and properties of joint lubrication have already begun.
The symptoms of stage 1 arthropathy are increased fatigue in the joint, small pain that occurs after physical activity or at the beginning of movements after long periods of immobility (the so-called "initial" pain), after which the joint develops. The range of flexion-extension and rotation movements is not limited and there are no difficulties during the movements.
In stage 2, the pain in the joint becomes more intense and lasts longer, it occurs even with small loads. When you move, there is a creaking or creaking sound. Flexion, extension, rotation movements become difficult, their volume is increasingly limited. Rigidity develops.
In the 3rd stage of arthritis, joint pain becomes constant. Movements in the joint are made with great difficulty, their volume is reduced to a minimum. The joint is severely deformed due to bone growth and increases in size. When the joints of the legs are affected, severe lameness develops.
In stages 2-3 of the disease, inflammation usually occurs with symptoms such as swelling, redness, increased pain and local fever.
Pain with arthropathy can intensify with changes in weather, humidity, cold, at night, at the beginning of movement or during physical activity, as well as when the joint is blocked with the mouse.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis of arthropathy is carried out on the basis of research, external examination and material methods (x-ray, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging).
During the interview, the doctor studies the medical history, asks the patient about the symptoms, the circumstances of their appearance and their exacerbation.
At the initial appointment in the clinic, the doctor, as a rule, asks the patient not only about the symptoms of arthropathy, but also about the nature of the diet and lifestyle, since in Eastern medicine the human body is considered as a single system. In this unified system there are internal relationships.
For example, the condition of the joints is closely related to metabolism, immunity, hormonal systems and movement of body fluids, body mass index.
Modern medicine classifies arthropathy as a cold disease that develops in the context of the exhaustion of the body's energy, the reduction of heat levels and the accumulation of cold. The main factors in this case are poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, exposure to cold and humidity.
During an external examination, the doctor pays attention to the size, shape of the joints, range of motion, as well as signs of inflammation - swelling, redness, local increase in temperature.
After examining and interviewing the patient, the doctor sends him for additional examination - X-ray, CT or MRI.
On an X-ray, the doctor sees a narrowing of the joint space, which indicates a thinning of the cartilage. Based on the degree of narrowing, it determines the stage of articulation.
An X-ray image clearly shows osteophytes - growths along the ends of bones that form during articulation.
X-ray shows bone tissue well, but shows little connective, soft structures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides much more information.
With the use of tomography, the doctor can examine in detail the condition of the hyaline cartilage, as well as the synovial pocket, the synovial capsule and identify "mice" of the joint, damage to the meniscus and ligaments.
To study the blood supply to the joint, angiography with the use of a contrast agent (x-ray, CT or MRI) is prescribed.
Treatment of arthritis
In stage 4 arthropathy, surgical treatment is used, the joint is removed and replaced with an endoprosthesis. In stages 1 - 3 of the disease, conservative treatment is carried out.
- Medicines.Drug therapy is used to relieve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. In the presence of an inflammatory process, hormonal (glucocorticosteroids) or non-steroidal drugs (NSAIDs based on ibuprofen, diclofenac, etc. ) are prescribed. Typically, these drugs are given by injection into a joint or intramuscularly. To slow down the process of destruction of articular cartilage, chondroprotectors are prescribed.
- Joint injections.To reduce friction and improve gliding, hyaluronic acid is injected into the joint cavity, the molecules of which have the ability to retain moisture. Hyaluronic acid injections protect cartilage surfaces from drying out and slow down their destruction.
In the presence of severe inflammation and swelling, injections of hormonal drugs into the joint cavity are used. - Mode.Surgical treatment of the joint consists of replacing the joint with an endoprosthesis. Such interventions are indicated in the 4th stage of the disease with ankylosis (complete immobility).
- Physiotherapy.To relieve inflammation, physical therapy methods such as laser therapy, magnetic therapy, and drug administration using current (electrophoresis) or ultrasound (phonophoresis) are used.
Mud applications, compresses, and heat improve local blood circulation, promote healing and repair of cartilage tissue, and relieve pain. - Other treatments.For the prevention of arthropathy, as well as as an auxiliary method of treatment, exercise therapy (physical therapy) is prescribed. Regularly performing simple exercises improves blood supply to the joint, increases its mobility and range of motion.
Warm baths can be used to warm a sore joint and relieve symptoms. Spa therapy for arthropathy includes treatments such as mud or radon baths.
Is important!
Chondroprotectors do not affect the causes of arthritis. Essentially, these are not therapeutic, but prophylactic agents. They contain chondroitin and glucosamine, which work by increasing the amount of lubrication (joint fluid) and facilitate gliding. Reducing friction slows the destruction of cartilage, but does not restore it.
In order not only to slow down the development of the disease, but also to reverse it, it is necessary to improve blood supply, activate metabolic processes and tissue regeneration. Chondroprotectors do not do this. Therefore, they can be used as an aid, but not as a substitute for full treatment.
Treatment of joints in a specialized clinic
In the clinic, the treatment of arthropathy stage 1 - 3 is carried out using phyto-, physio- and reflexology methods of Eastern medicine. Positive results are achieved in more than 90% of treatment cases of this disease.
Complex treatment sessions include various procedures (oxygen therapy, acupuncture, acupuncture, etc. ), which mutually enhance the effect according to the principle of synergy.
Treatment in the clinic aims to eliminate the cause of arthropathy, this ensures long-term and lasting results.
Diseases of the joints refer to disturbances of the basis of Bad Kan - one of the three control systems of the body, the balance of which means health and the imbalance of which means disease. In addition to the joints, this foundation is responsible for the lymphatic system, body fluids, immunity, hormones and metabolism.
An imbalance of Bad Kan usually causes not one, but many diseases at the same time. Therefore, arthropathy is almost always accompanied by accompanying disorders, diseases, for example, overweight (obesity), chronic respiratory diseases, allergies and/or immunodeficiencies, endocrine disorders, hormone-dependent gynecological diseases (in women), etc.
Modern treatment restores the balance of the base of Bad Kan as a whole and thus eliminates the common cause of all these diseases. Therefore, along with arthropathy, other accompanying diseases appear.
When treating arthropathy, the doctor works not only on the area of the affected joint, but also on the body as a whole, in order to restore the balance of the Badk-an base. This is the secret of the high effectiveness of arthritis treatment in our clinic.
Tszyu or moxo treatment.
This procedure consists of simultaneous or sequential heating of bioactive points with a wormwood cigar or smoldering cones (from wormwood or charcoal). Ju therapy is the main treatment for arthritis in alternative medicine. It is used both locally, in the area of the affected joint, and in the meridians of the body to restore the balance of the Bad Kan base and the body as a whole.
This procedure has a comprehensive effect: it improves blood circulation, stimulates blood flow, activates and accelerates the repair and renewal of connective tissues, improves the properties and normalizes the volume of joint lubrication, and has anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects.
Acupuncture.
Inserting medical needles into bioactive points has an anti-inflammatory, decongestant, analgesic effect and promotes the outflow of inflammatory fluid.
The effect on the bioactive points of the liver meridian helps to improve the functioning of this organ and to activate collagen synthesis in the body.
The effect on the bioactive points of the kidneys helps to improve blood circulation in the lower body with gonoarthrosis, coxarthrosis and other joints of the legs.
Acupuncture.
Intense point pressure improves local circulation, increases blood flow, accelerates metabolic processes and tissue regeneration, eliminates muscle tension and spasms. Acupuncture on the body's meridians (Ku-nye) increases the body's overall energy level.
Phytotherapy.
For arthropathy, various herbal medicines are prescribed that speed up metabolism, increase body heat level, speed up recovery processes in the body, have an anti-inflammatory effect and improve liver and kidney function.
Auxiliary means.
Irudotherapy, lithotherapy, manual therapy and shock wave therapy are used as auxiliary means.
Irudotherapy has an anti-inflammatory effect and improves blood circulation.
Hot stone therapy increases the body's heat levels.
Shock wave therapy (SWT) improves local blood circulation, accelerates healing and restoration of the joint.
With the help of manual therapy, the doctor relieves the painful joint, increases the range of motion and mobility.
Nutrition for joints
For arthropathy, warm-up, hot meals are indicated.
Warming foods such as fish, lamb, poultry, seafood, pumpkin, liver, nuts, as well as garlic, onions, ghee and sesame oil are recommended.
To increase the energy value of food, you should definitely consume spices (ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, pepper, turmeric, coriander, asafoetida, etc. ).
Hot dishes containing a lot of animal connective tissue, for example, rich bone and meat broths, are useful.
You should exclude cold foods, frozen drinks, reduce the consumption of cooling foods such as sugar, butter, milk and dairy products, confectionery, citrus fruits, raw vegetables and leafy salads, semolina and legumes.
Prevention of arthritis
To avoid arthropathy, you should avoid factors that cause an imbalance in the base of Bad Kan - cooling diet, sedentary lifestyle (physical inactivity), exposure to cold, humidity.
Warming diet, physical activity, especially walking, outdoor games and physical therapy exercises are helpful.
Frequently asked questions about arthritis
Are vitamin complexes useful for arthritis?
Vitamin complexes generally affect metabolic processes. However, they do not have any specific, preventive or therapeutic effect for joint diseases. To maintain the general health and balance of the body, the vitamins contained in food are sufficient, provided that proper nutrition is provided.
Is there always inflammation with arthritis?
Not always. Osteoarthritis can be accompanied by arthritis, but the inflammation is secondary. Therefore, the use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for arthritis does not always help and is often unnecessary.
Is heat good for joints?
Warming up for arthritis helps improve blood circulation and is generally beneficial. But only in the absence of an acute inflammatory process. For arthritis, thermal procedures and warming up are contraindicated.
How long does treatment for arthritis last?
Usually, a course of treatment in a rehabilitation clinic consists of 10 - 15 complex sessions, which take place every other day and last 21 - 30 days. After that there is a break for 6 months. Six months later, an examination is carried out, based on which a decision is made to carry out a second cycle of treatment to strengthen and consolidate the results.