Types of arthritis: symptoms and treatment

Arthropathy is a chronic disease of the joint, accompanied by pathological changes of hyaline cartilage and subsequent adjacent tissues, joint capsule and synovium.

The disease is malnourished and degenerative, resulting in changes in joint tissue structure and loss of function. According to the same statistics, 12% of the population on the planet is susceptible to arthritis. Of all disease episodes, 62% to 65% occur in people over 60 years of age.

Another 30-35% of this pathological joint injury cases occur in patients 40-60 years old. About 3% are young people aged 20-40.

What is this?

In short, arthropathy is a chronic disease. Due to metabolic disorders, degenerative dystrophy changes gradually occur in the joints. It is the most common joint pathology and is diagnosed in 6-7% of the population. With age, the incidence rate increases sharply.

The small joints of the hand (the incidence of women is 10 times that of men), the big toe, the intervertebral joints of the thoracic and cervical spine, and the knee and hip joints are most commonly involved in the pathological process of arthropathy. Arthritis of the knee and hip joints leads in the severity of clinical manifestations and the negative impact on quality of life.

Arthropathy is characterized by complex lesions of joints and assistive devices:

  • chondritis-inflammatory changes in articular cartilage;
  • Osseitis-potential bone structure involvement in the pathological process;
  • Synovitis-inflammation of the lining of the joint capsule;
  • Bursitis-damage to the joint capsule;
  • Reactive inflammation (inflammation around the joints) of the soft tissues (muscles, subcutaneous tissues, ligaments) at the projection of the affected joints.

The disease is diagnosed in people under 2 years old and under 45 years old. Among people over 65 years old, the proportion is 30%-45 to 64 years old, 65-85%. Arthritis of the large and medium-sized joints of the extremities has the greatest clinical significance because it has a negative impact on the living standards and working ability of the patients.

Types of arthritis

According to the cause of the pathological process in the joint, one can distinguish primary arthritis, secondary and idiopathic.

The primary disease is an independent disease secondary to the disease caused by injury or infection. The idiopathic cause of the disease is unclear. In addition to the classification of diseases, according to the cause of the pathological process, arthritis can also be distinguished according to the location of destructive changes:

  1. Gonorrhea is the most common pathological type, which is characterized by damage to the knee joint. Most commonly, gonorrhea has been found in people who are overweight, have chronic metabolic diseases and have weakened immunity. Knee joint disease develops for a long time and gradually leads to complete loss of motor function.
  2. Arthritis of the shoulder joint-The main reason for the degenerative process in this area is the development of congenital deformities of the shoulder joint or excessive tension in the area, for example, when carrying heavy luggage on the shoulders.
  3. Ankle joint disease-the main reason for the development of ankle joint degeneration process is trauma, sprain, sprain, fracture. In some cases, the development of pathological processes can trigger an autoimmune disease-rheumatoid arthritis. Ankle arthritis can affect dancers, women and athletes wearing high heels.joint
  4. Cervical joint discomfort or arthritis-the cause is neck injury, progressive osteochondrosis, obesity, sedentary lifestyle. People work on computers in the office at great risk. In addition to severe neck pain, patients also experience significant dizziness, decreased consciousness, memory loss and fatigue. These symptoms are caused by compression of the vertebral artery, and nutrients and oxygen enter the brain through the vertebral artery.
  5. Arthritis or arthritis of the hip joint-the main cause is age-related joint tissue changes. People over 45 are at risk.
  6. Osteoarthritis of the fingers-the same cause as spondyloarthritis occurs.
  7. Polyarthritis is characterized by multiple joints being destroyed and gradually degenerated, and the pathological process involves the ligaments, muscles and tissues around the joints.
  8. spondyloarthritis-the tissues of the spine, the lumbar area, suffer destructive damage. Women are at risk during menopause because spondyloarthropathy develops against the background of female sex hormone deficiency.

Causes of Arthritis

Two causes of arthritis-stress and lack of adequate nutrition, which provide vitamins and minerals for tissue repair. Everyone’s joints bear heavy loads. For athletes and dancers, in physical exercise, the burden on the legs is greater, which means that bones and joints wear out faster and require high-quality nutrition. In a quiet lifestyle, the support device wears more slowly, but it also requires regular organizational updates.

Therefore, the main condition for joint destruction and deformation is malnutrition, that is, indigestion of beneficial ingredients, which usually occurs in metabolic disorders.

Let us list the factors that cause joint wear and metabolic abnormalities:

  • Muscle weakness and abnormal joint load. The weakening of one or more muscles increases the load on the joint and causes it to be unevenly distributed at the bone junction. Moreover, flat feet and scoliosis will form incorrect muscle load. Therefore, as we age, these "harmless" diseases will wear down cartilage tissue and cause arthropathy.

    Strong physical exercise can increase the possibility of arthritis.

    If the daily load exceeds the capacity of bone tissue, it will cause micro-trauma in them. In the injured area, there will be thickening, which will thicken over time and deform the joint;

  • Metabolic diseases (gastrointestinal diseases-cholestasis, malnutrition, gastritis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, metabolic diseases-diabetes);
  • Psychosomatic Causes-Psychosomatics of arthropathy confirmed that negative emotional state also became the cause of the disease. Stress can cause muscle cramps, continuous stress will destroy the nutrition of all tissues (internal organs, bones, joints);
  • Inheritance (the type of metabolism and its possible diseases are hereditary, tending to muscle weakness or improper skeletal apparatus formation, easy to digest-this is the basis for the development of senile arthritis. )

Osteoarthritis is a disease of joint wear and tear, losing a lot of minerals and the ability to resist stress and destruction. Therefore, with age, the susceptibility to the disease increases. Seventy years later, every second pensioner will be diagnosed with arthritis. Since the greatest load is on the legs (a person moves-walks, stands, runs, jumps), this is the first sign of arthropathy.

Disease progression mechanism

When any cause of joint disease that causes arthritis occurs, the pathological process begins to develop. The mechanism of its progression is not fully understood, but the main stages of official medicine are known.

In the initial stage, the structure of cartilage tissue is exhausted and synovial fluid changes abnormally. All of these occur due to metabolic disorders. In metabolic disorders, joint tissues do not receive sufficient amounts of necessary components, or are deprived of some of them.

In addition, since there is no time to produce hyaluronic acid in a nutrient-deficient body, the elasticity of collagen fibers and the flexibility of cartilage are lost, which provides the flexibility and flexibility of the structure of collagen fibers. The cartilage gradually dries, becomes brittle and cracks. The fluid in the synovial sac gradually runs out and then disappears completely.

Rough and firm bone growth is formed on cartilage tissue. At the same time, the deformation of other tissues in the joints develops, their pathological degradation, malnutrition and loss of physiological activity. For patients, these changes mean pain, laxity, and joint stiffness.

joint symptoms

Arthropathy is not a typical acute clinical manifestation, joint changes are progressive, slowly increasing, and the symptoms are gradually increasing:

  • Pain;
  • bite the affected area intermittently;
  • Joint deformities that appear and worsen as the disease progresses;
  • stiffness;
  • Inconvenient mobility (reduced active and passive movement of the affected joints)

Joint pain is dull, short-lived, and will appear at the end of the day when moved to the background of intense pressure (the pain may be so intense that the patient cannot sleep). The persistent, non-mechanical nature of joint pain is atypical, indicating the presence of active inflammation (subchondral bone, synovium, ligaments or muscles around the joint).

Most patients notice the presence of so-called initial pain, which appears after waking up in the morning or after a long period of inactivity, and disappears during physical exercise. Many patients define this condition as the need for "development of joints" or "divergence".

Arthropathy is characterized by morning stiffness, which is obviously localized and has a short-term nature (not more than 30 minutes), and is sometimes regarded by patients as a "jelly feeling" in the joints. The feeling of wedging, stiffness is possible.Arthralgia with arthropathy

With the development of reactive synovitis, the main symptoms of arthritis include:

  • Soreness and local temperature increase, determined by palpation of the affected area;
  • Continuous pain;
  • Joint swelling and soft tissue swelling;
  • The range of motion gradually decreases

Stage and degree of arthritis

In the course of disease, medicine divides the disease into three stages, which differ in the signs of the disease, the intensity and location of the lesion. At the same time, the differences in these three stages are all related to the type of tissue undergoing pathological changes.

  1. The first stage of arthritis development is the initial stage of the disease. It is characterized by mild damage to cartilage tissue and loss of physiological function of collagen fibers. At the same time, in the first stage, a slight morphological disorder of bone tissue and structural changes of synovial fluid were noted. The cartilage of the joint is covered by cracks, and the patient has slight soreness at the pathological site.
  2. Secondary-arthropathy develops and dynamics increase. The characteristic of this stage is the appearance of stable pain, la line. Cartilage has obvious morphological and dystrophic changes; during the diagnosis process, bone tissue growth was found. Formation of osteophytes-bone growth can be seen during visual inspection of the lesion. At the same time, the process of degenerative changes in the synovial sac continues, leading to its structural failure. The disease at this stage usually worsens and is regular. The pain gradually became lasting.
  3. Three degrees-aggressive. At this stage, synovial fluid is almost completely absent due to its degeneration, and bone tissue rubs against each other. There is almost no joint range of motion, and the pain is more pronounced. Due to degenerative and atrophic changes, there is no cartilage. The treatment of joint third degree joints is considered inappropriate.

In addition to these three developmental degrees of pathology, there is a final stage-irreversible destruction of all tissues in the joint. At this stage, not only cannot effective treatment be carried out, but also the pain cannot even be relieved.

The inflammatory process usually starts in the second stage of the lesion, and in rare cases, without medical intervention-in the first stage. Subsequently, it becomes more and more difficult to stop it, which may lead to secondary pathology, the development of pathogenic microflora rather than the limitations of the disease.

In order to rule out serious consequences, treatment should be started from the first level, and intensive treatment should be used. In the final stage, related to the complete destruction of cartilage tissue, only one technique is allowed to relieve the patient's pain and joint fixation-joint replacement, which completely or partially replaces the components of the joint.

Consequences

The consequences of untimely treatment and advanced joint disease are full of complications, such as:

  • Disability;
  • Deformation cannot be restored;
  • Occurrence of vertebral hernia;
  • Joint stiffness or stiffness;
  • The quality of life and standard of living have declined.

In addition to these complications, chronic diseases are also accompanied by severe and frequent soreness, complete destruction of the joint structure, discomfort, and inability to exercise and exercise.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of arthritis is based on the evaluation of recall data, disease characteristics and the results of instrumental research methods. The indicative changes in general and biochemical blood tests are not typical of arthritis, and only appear when an active inflammatory process develops.

The main method for diagnosing arthropathy is radiography; when the diagnosis is not clear, it is recommended to use computer or magnetic resonance imaging.

Arthritis of the knee and hip joints ranks first in the severity of clinical manifestations and the negative impact on quality of life.

Other diagnostic methods:

  • Non-invasive arthroscopy;
  • Ultrasound examination (evaluate the thickness of articular cartilage, the condition of the synovium, joint capsule, and whether there is fluid);
  • Scintigraphy (to evaluate the bone tissue state of the bones that form the joints).

How to treat arthritis?

It is best to treat joint arthritis at an early stage. The treatment itself should be pathogenic and complex. The essence is to eliminate the cause of the development of this disease, but also to eliminate inflammatory changes and restore previously lost functions.

The treatment of arthritis is based on several basic principles:

  1. Joint oxygenation, or so-called intra-articular oxygen therapy.
  2. Drug Therapy
  3. Intraosseous obstruction and posterior e process decompression
  4. Sustainable Eating
  5. Damaged joints must eliminate excessive pressure. If possible, it should be kept to a minimum during treatment.
  6. Follow the established orthopedic treatment plan.
  7. Physiotherapy practice
  8. Participate in physical therapy courses, including magnetic therapy and electrotherapy, shock wave and laser therapy.
  9. Nursing home treatment. For this reason, it must be done once a year on the recommendation of a doctor, and a course of treatment in a special resort.

Preparations for the treatment of arthritis

Medicinal treatment is performed at the stage of exacerbation of arthritis selected by experts. Due to possible side effects (for example, the negative effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the gastric mucosa), self-medication is not acceptable.

Treatment includes the following drugs:

  1. Anti-inflammatory drugs. By starting the treatment of arthritis in an all-round way, you can slow the progression of the disease and significantly improve the quality of life. It is worth describing some treatments in more detail. In particular, medical treatment is included in the initial phase-this is the elimination of pain and the elimination of inflammatory processes in the joints. For this reason, all doctors use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Experienced doctors do not recommend oral administration, because these drugs will irritate the stomach wall to a large extent. Therefore, depending on the selected drug, intravenous or intramuscular administration can be used. Sometimes, NSAIDs are used as ointments as auxiliary agents, but their absorption rate is extremely low, so no significant effect can be obtained.
  2. Hormonal steroids. When arthritis is in an acute attack, it is recommended to take hormonal steroids. They are injected into the joints. On the outside, you can use special plaster, ointment or tincture based on pepper.
  3. Chondroprotective agents designed to restore cartilage and improve the qualitative composition of synovial fluid will not be redundant. This process continues for a considerable period of time, until there is improvement. However, if the expected effect does not appear within six months after administration, the drug should be cancelled. It is also recommended to use hyaluronic acid-based drugs for intra-articular and chondroprotective agents. They promote the formation of cell membranes responsible for the formation of articular cartilage.

Physiotherapy

In order to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, improve microcirculation and eliminate muscle spasm, refer patients with arthritis to physical therapy:

  • In the aggravating phase. Prescribe laser therapy, magnetic therapy and ultraviolet radiation,
  • Relief. Displayed electrophoresis and vocalization

In addition, heat treatment procedures, sulfides, and and sea baths are also used. In order to strengthen muscles, electrical stimulation is performed. A gentle massage can also be used during relief.

Surgery

If the listed exposure methods are ineffective and there are complications, surgical treatment through arthritis can be performed:

  1. Back bone physi decompression and intraosseous obstruction lengthening (decreased intraosseous pressure in the affected area);
  2. Corrective osteotomy;
  3. Intra-articular prosthesis

In the early stages of the disease, use mechanical, laser or cold plasma debridement (smooth the surface of damaged cartilage and remove infeasible areas). This method can effectively relieve pain, but has a temporary effect-2-3 years.

Folk remedies

Nowadays, most people don't want to take medicine or injections. Therefore, they asked a question-how to use folk remedies to cure arthritis? In most cases, such funds are designed to improve the tone of the body, improve blood circulation, relieve pain and enhance immunity.

Traditional medicine recipes are used to treat the disease:

  1. The egg solution is made from fresh egg yolk, which is mixed with turpentine oil and cider vinegar in a ratio of 1: 1: 1. The liquid must be mixed thoroughly and rubbed on the affected area overnight. Then you need to wrap everything in a wool scarf. It is recommended to rub 2-3 times a week for 1 month.
  2. Buy Ikangan from a pharmacy. Usually, it is packaged in 50 grams. To prepare the agent, you will need half a packet of plant roots and 150 ml of premium vodka. Mix the ingredients and put them in a dark bottle for 12 days.
  3. Knee joint disease
  4. Boiled oatmeal can also achieve good results. Take three to four tablespoons of oatmeal, pour in boiling water, and cook for five to seven minutes on low heat. The amount of water used should provide a thick porridge, which should be cooled and used as a dressing overnight. Use only freshly cooked slices. Yesterday’s cereal is not suitable for compression
  5. Birch leaves, nettle leaves and marigold inflorescence are equally divided. As a result, you need to get two tablespoons. We put the resulting scraps in a thermos, filled it with one liter of boiling water, and let it sit overnight. Starting from the next morning, you need to drink four to half a cup and a half of soup every day. The process of taking this prescription is two to three months.

The tincture of bay leaf, horseradish, garlic and rye grains is also considered effective. If combined with medicine, folk remedies for arthritis will be the most effective.

Joint Nutrition

The basic principles of joint nutrition are reduced to the following points:

  1. Avoid eating at night to avoid causing arthritis.
  2. Eat small amounts
  3. In order to avoid weight gain, keep weight control and avoid joint pain.
  4. When the disease has not worsened, take a walk after eating. The
  5. menu needs to be balanced and formulated by the attending doctor.

There are absolutely no complaints about fish dishes-naturally, you can eat many of them in moderation.

  1. Don’t forget to take vitamins from food regularly. For patients with arthritis, group B vitamins are particularly relevant
  2. Jelly plays an important role in the treatment of joint disease. Such food will truly become a storehouse of trace elements for joint soreness. The most important ingredient in aspic is natural collagen
  3. Vitamin B helps the production of hemoglobin. It can be "obtained" by eating bananas, nuts, cabbage and potatoes. Worth taking away herbs and beans. They will be the source of folic acid. Liver, mushrooms, dairy products and eggs will be useful. They are rich in riboflavin.

According to the treatment plan prescribed by the doctor, the disease may subside and the damaged tissue may begin to regenerate.

Prevention

Preventing joint disease starts with proper nutrition. It is necessary to try to reduce the intake of salt and foods that may disrupt metabolism. These include beans, fatty meat and alcohol. The diet includes cabbage, vegetables and fish.

In order to prevent arthritis, it is necessary to participate in physical education classes and do warm-up exercises. If possible, it is best to walk a few kilometers. It is also important to monitor weight and prevent weight gain, as this can put more stress on joint soreness. It is not recommended to take weight-loss drugs, because they will destroy the body's metabolism.

Forecast

Good life prospects. The favorable social and labor prognosis depends on the timeliness of diagnosis and initiation of treatment; if necessary, it decreases when the decision on the surgical treatment of the disease is delayed.