Arthritis and arthritis

Arthritis is a group of diseases caused by infection, improper metabolism, disorders of the immune system, in which an inflammatory process occurs in one or more joints. In this case, there is swelling, redness of the skin and an increase in temperature in the affected area. The procedure can proceed in acute or chronic form. In the first case, the patient has acute pain in the knee or other joint, in the second case, the disease develops slowly due to insufficient treatment of the pathology in the acute stage. The most common types of arthritis are:

• Osteoarthritis - damage to cartilage and adjacent bone tissue and muscle fibers.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the connective tissue that causes irreversible changes in the joints of the wrists, phalanges of the hands and feet, and also leads to systemic damage to the body.
• dystrophic - degenerative joint damage caused by metabolic disorders, vitamin deficiency, hypothermia or hypertension.
• Traumatic - an inflammatory process that occurs in large joints (knee, elbow, shoulder) after injury.
• Gout (gout) - a systemic disease caused by increased uric acid content in the blood and a violation of purine metabolism, which occurs more often in men.

Causes of arthritis

Each type of arthritis has its own cause, most often it is:

• transmitted viral, parasitic, urogenital, fungal diseases.
• the presence in the body of foci of infection in the form of inflammation, abscess, boils, tuberculosis, caries and others.
• injuries leading to joint damage.
• excessive physical activity;
• allergy;
• hereditary predisposition?
• metabolic disease;
• unbalanced diet, insufficient amount of vitamins and trace elements in food.
• bad habits (smoking, alcohol consumption, taking illegal drugs)
• overweight.

arthritis symptoms

The causes of the disease can be different, but there are a number of characteristic symptoms that occur in all patients. Seek medical help if you experience:

• severe joint pain when moving or touching the skin in the joint area.
• stiffness of movements in the morning after waking up.
• swelling around the affected joint, periarticular tissues and ligaments.
• local hyperemia of the skin, accompanied by fever.
• a characteristic creasing of the joints when performing sudden movements.
• feeling of rapid fatigue when performing a simple task.
• permanent deformity of the joints.

Great!

If you ignore the first symptoms and do not start treatment for arthritis, the disease will progress and significantly reduce the patient's quality of life. In this case, the process can become irreversible and lead to disability!

Stages of disease development

In determining the stage of the disease, the clinical manifestations of the pathology are taken into account:

• First - there is a slight restriction of joint mobility, the ability to self-care and professional activities is maintained.
• The second - the mobility of the joints is significantly limited, there is a crunchy movement when moving, the pain in the legs increases during walking and at night.
• Third - there is a noticeable deformity of the joints, there is stiffness and severe pain, the ability to work is partially lost.
• Fourth - there is deformity of the joints and loss of mobility, the cartilage is completely destroyed, the intense pain creates a psycho-emotional load, the patient loses the ability to self-care.

Treatment methods

There is an orthopedic department in specialized clinics, where traumatologists-orthopedists of the highest qualification category deal with the treatment of arthritis. The doctor chooses the treatment option depending on the severity of the diagnosis. In stages I and II of the disease, conservative treatment is performed:

• medication, including intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid and medication;
• SVF-therapy - treatment using stromal-vascular fraction cells obtained from the patient's adipose tissue.
• PRP therapy is the treatment of joints, tendons and ligaments with plasma injections taken from the patient's blood and enriched with platelets.

In the acute period, periarticular blockades and courses of drug anti-inflammatory therapy are performed. During recession, exercise therapy and physiotherapy are prescribed. According to the indications, surgical treatment is prescribed:

• corrective osteotomy of the bones of the lower leg, the femur, the knee joint to restore the axis of the lower limb.
• Therapeutic and diagnostic arthroscopy (LDA), which includes chondroplasty and microfractures to eliminate cartilage tissue defects.

Stage III arthritis is treated surgically. The mobility of the hip joint is restored with the help of arthroplasty (total, monopolar, bipolar). When replacing the knee joint, total intent is made.

Prevention of arthritis

To prevent the development of the disease and to consolidate the results of the treatment, follow the doctor's recommendations:

• avoid large loads on the joints.
• Perform stretching exercises as well as joint exercises.
• organize the right diet, eat more fish, fresh vegetables and fruits.
• Watch your weight, wear comfortable shoes, protect your joints from exposure to the cold.
• give up bad habits.
• to periodically do a preventive massage course.
• strengthening immunity.

What is arthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a disease in which there is deformity and destruction of the cartilage tissues that cover the adjacent joint joints. As a result, the bone tissue inside the joint becomes dense, cavities and pathological growths (osteophytes) are formed. Gradually, the gap between the joints narrows and widens excessively and they lose their mobility.

Most often, the disease develops in people aged 45-50 years and older. The most common form of pathology is deforming arthropathy, which affects the joints of the hip, knee and ankle, wrists and hands.

Causes of joints

Great!

The main cause of the joint is the mismatch between physical activity and the ability of the joint to withstand this load. The transition of acute arthropathy to years will lead to deformity and destruction of the joint.

Possible causes of pathology can be:

• endocrine system diseases - diabetes, obesity, hyperthyroidism, excessive secretion of pituitary and parathyroid hormones.
• Various injuries: fractures with displacement of the articular surfaces in relation to the normal axis, bruises, dislocations, ligament ruptures.
• inflammatory processes in the body.
• metabolic disease;
• congenital pathologies - flat feet, different limb lengths, dysplasia.
• peripheral neuropathy due to diabetes or alcohol abuse.
• hypothermia and others.

Symptoms of arthritis

The disease develops gradually, so the signs of pathology appear after the onset of joint destruction. Patients report the following as major symptoms:

• crease that occurs during movement.
• joint pain during strenuous exercise.
• increasing stiffness in the morning after waking up.
• deterioration of joint mobility.
• deformity of the fingers and toes due to bone growth.
• pain when changing weather conditions and atmospheric pressure, as well as pain at night.

Stages of arthropathy

In the absence of treatment, there are three stages of arthritis:

• Stage I - the mobility of the joints is slightly limited, the amount of nutrients in the synovial fluid is reduced, the load on the joint causes pain.
• Stage II - joint mobility is severely restricted, cartilage begins to collapse, trauma and pain occur during movement.
• Stage III - the destruction of the cartilage structure and the deformation of the joint position occurs, the osteophytes are formed in the bone tissue, the joint practically loses mobility, the pain syndrome becomes permanent.

Treatment methods

The treatment of arthropathy aims at eliminating the cause of the disease, relieving the pain and regenerating the cartilage to restore the mobility of the joints..For this, the patient is prescribed painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. In the first and second stage are also carried out:

• injection therapy with the introduction of hyaluronic acid into the joint.
• SVF therapy, based on the ability of the stromal-vascular fraction of adipose tissue to stimulate the repair of a damaged joint.
• PRP-treatment with the introduction into the joint cavity of drugs that eliminate inflammation and reduce pain.
• periarticular blockade with the introduction into the periarticular tissues of drugs that restore joint mobility.

In cases of prolonged pain, surgery is performed:

• corrective osteotomy to repair damaged joints (knee, hip, ankle and others).
• therapeutic and diagnostic arthroscopy, including chondroplasty and microscopy to eliminate a cartilage defect.

During the recession, physiotherapy, exercise and massage are recommended.

In the third stage of the joint, hip arthroplasty (total, bipolar, monopolar) and total knee arthroplasty are performed.

Prevention of arthritis

To prevent the development of arthritis, experts recommend:

• avoid large loads on the joints.
• Eat right, include foods that contain collagen and omega-3.
• do regular stretching exercises, if possible, visit the pool.
• do not get too cold;
• wear comfortable shoes.
• to give up bad habits.
• weight control.

It is impossible to talk about which is more dangerous: arthritis or arthropathy, because if left untreated, in both cases, there is complete immobility of the joints, which can lead to their destruction and disability. Therefore, we must remember that with timely treatment in the clinic, the patient can count on a favorable prognosis.