Treatment of arthrosis ("deforming arthrosis", osteoarthritis) should not be delayed "for later". Pathology constantly changes the articular structure, affects the bones, cartilage, can completely destroy the articulation and the person becomes disabled. Therefore, it is dangerous to self -medicate, rejecting formal examinations and methods of therapy.
Symptoms of arthrosis
Arthrosis is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic joint disease in which the articulation gradually begins to deform, its function deteriorates, osteophytes grow along the edges of the bone, and cartilage is destroyed.
The main symptom of the pathology is the presence of cramps during walking, pain syndromes of varying severity. Further, with arthrosis, stiffness of movement appears, the pain becomes permanent, constantly increasing, atrophy of nearby muscles begins, and the gap between the joint bones narrows. If there is no treatment at this stage, ankylosis develops (combination of articular surfaces), disability occurs.
Conservative therapy of arthrosis
If you have symptoms of the disease, you should be examined and immediately begin to treat arthrosis. Lack of adequate therapy can lead to complete loss of joint function and result in disability.
In formal medicine, the treatment of osteoarthritis is initially carried out by conservative methods. Patients are given medication, exercise therapy, physiotherapy, orthopedic products, diet. With the permission of a doctor for arthrosis, you can also use traditional methods, traditional medicine, homeopathy. A sick person should monitor their weight, avoid uneven load on the joints, follow medical recommendations. If this complex method does not bring positive results, the operation is performed.
After conservative treatment and / or surgery for the prevention of arthrosis, it is useful to undergo annual spa therapy. It is recommended to choose institutions that specialize in pathology of the musculoskeletal system, and also have thermal springs, therapeutic mud.
Medical treatment
Diseases such as arthrosis can be primary or secondary (it develops with a background of other pathologies). Therefore, the list of drugs used was selected for each patient individually.
The main drugs in the treatment of arthrosis:
- chondroprotector;
- medical preparations of microcirculatory action;
- multivitamins, vitamin C, group B;
- mineral complex;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- corticosteroids (intra-articular injection);
- painkillers;
- desensitizing drugs (antiallergic);
- medicines for external use (ointments, creams, solutions, balms, gels, tinctures and medicinal bile).
Chondroprotectors are prescribed at all stages, forms of the disease, as they affect the mechanism of repair of articular cartilage. HP is prescribed for oral administration, but also with arthrosis, injections are made into the articular cavity and / or muscle. For intra-articular injections, both chondroprotectors and corticosteroids are used.
Secondary deformed arthrosis is treated with the same group of drugs, but additional drugs are prescribed for the treatment of pathologies that give rise to degenerative-dystrophic changes in the joints.
Physiotherapy
Each physiotherapist has its own list of contraindications. Therefore, when choosing it, you may need to consult a cardiologist, neurologist, endocrinologist or other specialist.
Basic physiotherapy
Drug treatment of osteoarthritis is supplemented by electrophoresis (with anesthetics, zinc, lithium, sulfur), electrosleep therapy, ultraphonophoresis. Application of paraffin is used on diseased joints, black wax, therapeutic mud is used. Joints damaged by arthrosis are also treated with lasers, magnetic fields, diadynamic currents, and other impulses.
Therapeutic training for arthrosis
For 3-5 days after the removal of acute symptoms, gymnastics is prescribed. A set of exercise therapy exercises was selected individually for each patient for the identified stage, form of arthrosis. The first exercise should begin with a minimum load on the aching joint and at a slow pace. Then, every 7-10 days, the training is complicated by expert recommendations.
Types of gymnastic tasks for hand joints:
- circular movements in the hands, elbows, shoulders;
- swing forward and backward, up and down;
- shrug;
- blade connection breakers;
- turn the palms towards the feet and away from them;
- flexion-extension at the elbow;
- clench the fist with maximum straightening next to the brush.
In the event of damage to the pathology of the spine (osteochondrosis), arthrosis of the upper joints - gymnastics is performed in the position of "sitting", "standing".
Types of gymnastic tasks for foot joints:
- flexion-extension, circular movements in the hips, knees, ankles;
- swing forward-backward, right-left;
- lift the knees up;
- "bicycle";
- "butterfly";
- rolling with the feet of small objects;
- gripping the ball with your toes;
- raised a toe "on himself".
With the development of coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis, arthrosis of the ankle, exercise therapy is performed lying down, standing, and with damage to the small joints of the feet - sitting.
Exercise should not cause pain in injured joints. If it appears, you need to reduce the load, the rate of execution. After each workout, you should also rest for up to 3 minutes.
Manual therapy for arthrosis
It is advisable to apply the restoration of mobility to the joints with the help of a chiropractor’s hand in cases of stage I-II arthrosis.
Chiropractors perform 2 types of correction of deformed joints: manipulation (sharp pressure movements) and mobilization (stretching of damaged joints). The more complex the clinical case, the more sessions need to be performed.
Manual treatment of joints with arthrosis coupled with massage. It is performed daily for all stages of the disease every 2-3 months with a course of up to 25 procedures, but only during remission and in the subacute period.
Manipulation is performed by sliding movements with minimal pressure (sawing, kneading, rubbing, etc. ). They massage not only the diseased joints, but also the nearby spine, neighboring joints.
Physiotherapy at home for arthrosis
Now people with a diagnosis of arthrosis have the opportunity to undergo physiotherapy at home. Compact home appliances for medical purposes are sold on the Internet and medical equipment stores.
The following devices are very popular for the treatment of arthrosis:
- magnetotherapy;
- magnetic laser therapy;
- low frequency pulsed magnetotherapy;
- laser therapy;
- reflex physiotherapy.
Before ordering a device for arthrosis, the doctor must clarify whether there are any contraindications to the effects of pulses, lasers, currents or magnetic fields on your body.
Non -drug methods
Treatment of osteoarthritis requires the use of orthopedic regimens. The purpose of this method is to unload the diseased joint, stabilizing it in the correct anatomical and physiological position. With arthrosis, crutches, crutches, as well as corsets, special insoles with arch support and pads and shoes, splints, orthoses, fixators, braces are used. They are recommended to be ordered at local orthopedic salons according to individual actors.
In online stores, you can buy cheaper products whose design allows you to adjust the tension force freely. Typically these are elastic bandages, bandages, calipers, fixing belts, knee pads, elbow pads and similar orthopedic devices. However, before ordering a product specifically for arthrosis, you need to clarify with the attending physician all the necessary features: the degree of tension, the presence and type of hardener, whether it is necessary to adjust the angle of extension of the limb in diseased joints, additional conditions.
Climatotherapy also belongs to non -drug methods. During its use, a person is created special climatic conditions by prescribing thalassotherapy procedures, or they are recommended to visit a resort, undergo preventive sanatorium treatment at a health resort.
diet therapy
With secondary arthrosis, the doctor recommends one of the treatment schedules to the patient. For example, to correct weight gain, excess weight is removed using the No. 1 diet. 8. In most cases, patients eat according to schedule No. 15 and ATS (general version of the diet).
With arthrosis, gelatin -based products (jelly, jelly, etc. ), avocado (1 piece a week), vegetable oil, freshly squeezed berry juice, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and flax seeds help well. It is recommended to exclude fatty, smoked, salty foods from the diet.
Homeopathic remedies and herbal remedies for osteoarthritis
Doctors complement conservative methods with homeopathy and herbal medicine. Preparations based on natural ingredients improve the function of all body systems.
List of commonly used homeopathic remedies for arthrosis:
- Hydrofluoric acid;
- calcium fluoride;
- Phosphorus;
- calcium phosphate;
- Potassium carbonate.
Their acceptance is combined with other formal and traditional medical methods.
List of commonly used herbal remedies for arthrosis:
- cinquefoil;
- unpeeled oats;
- yukurba (removal of the devil's nails);
- medicinal collections (marshmallows and licorice root, chamomile flowers, calendula).
Homeopathic and herbal remedies reduce the need for large doses of NSAIDs, analgesics, corticosteroids, antihistamines.
Joint operation
Surgical treatment for diseases such as arthrosis is performed if the use of conservative methods is not appropriate. Typically, surgery is performed when the patient seeks medical help late, when the pathology has reached a developmental stage of 3-4 and threatens disability.
Types of surgery for arthrosis:
- arthrodesis;
- arthroscopic debridement;
- arthroplasty;
- periarticular osteotomy;
- endoprosthetics.
After surgery, the patient is transferred to conservative treatment, rehabilitation measures begin.
The use of lasers in surgery and physiotherapy for arthrosis
Laser therapy is prescribed for all stages and types of deformed osteoarthritis. The radiation of the device used affects damaged tissue at the cellular, molecular and physiological (organ) levels.
In physiotherapy for arthrosis, this laser property helps restore microcirculation, relieves inflammation, pain and swelling, improves metabolism, self -regulation of the regeneration process. There are many types of devices and modes of operation. The radiation of the device affects the surface and intra-articular layer of tissue, a biologically active point (with laser acupuncture).
Laser treatment is also performed in surgery, only high intensity equipment is used. The use of rays during surgery, in addition to their listed properties, contributes to the rapid recovery of tissues and minimizes the risk of wound infection.
During the diagnosis of arthrosis, it is possible to set laser spectroscopy and examine small joints with an infrared laser scanner. This method is safer, cheaper than MRI, radiography.
Folk and traditional medicine for arthrosis
Raw materials of natural origin must be selected individually, as each ingredient has its own contraindications. Medicinal preparations for arthrosis include plants with metabolic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and analgesic effects. More often they use willow bark, linden, St. John's wort. John, burdock, cinquefoil.
At home, it is easy to treat osteoarthritis with clay. Good therapeutic effect has blue, kaolin (white), green, yellow and black healing agents. Clay for arthrosis is added to the bath (1 tablespoon / 1 liter of water), the damaged joint is bandaged, a swab is made on it, the sore spot is rubbed with a mixture of clay and vegetable oil.
Among traditional medical methods, acupuncture and apotherapy show good results. Some patients feel better after hirudotherapy, mineral therapy.
Sanatoriums and resorts
It is recommended to consolidate the effectiveness of primary treatment of osteoarthritis with rest in health resorts and rehabilitation centers that specialize in joint disease. It is better to give preference to institutions that have thermal, mineral, mud springs, healing clays, special gases.
Treatment at health resorts is carried out with an emphasis on physiotherapy. Patients with arthrosis are definitely recommended to follow a diet, not to miss exercise therapy, massage. Among physiotherapies, the balneotherapy method is used. These are hydromassage, swimming, bathing (hydrogen sulfide, salt, nitrogen, sulfide and radon). In the case of arthrosis, a wrap with therapeutic mud, exposure to heat, Bernard currents, lasers, and magnetic fields are also prescribed. Each health resort has its own therapy program, which must be explained to a representative of the chosen institution before purchasing tickets.
In each country there are institutions specializing in the treatment of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, with arthrosis, it is better to choose a health resort with the help of your doctor. He or she will recommend the type of climate needed, the holiday season, the physiotherapy methods needed for prevention, provide information about the resort, and advise on the best institutions in or near the area.
Prognosis of arthrosis therapy
It is very important not to miss scheduled medical examinations (1-2 times a year) and donate blood, urine for testing, as this allows the doctor to detect pathological processes in a timely manner. But the longer a person seeks medical help, the worse the prognosis of treatment. With chronic arthrosis, doctors can only relieve pain with conservative methods of therapy, partially maintain joint function, or they recommend performing surgery so as not to remain disabled.
The combination of formal, traditional and traditional medical methods under the regular supervision of the attending physician improves the prognosis of treatment of arthrosis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system.