Arthritis and osteoarthritis

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 fever in the affected area. The process can be acute or chronic. 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 fingers and toes, and also causes systemic damage to the body.
• dystrophic - degenerative destruction of the joints caused by metabolic disorders, lack of vitamins, hypothermia or physical exertion;
• traumatic - an inflammatory process that occurs in large joints (knee, elbow, shoulder) after injury;
• Gout (gout) - a systemic disease caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood and a violation of purine metabolism, most common 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 phlegmon, abscess, boils, tuberculosis, caries and others;
• injuries leading to joint damage;
• excessive physical activity;
• alergy;
• hereditary predisposition;
• metabolic disease;
• unbalanced diet, insufficient amount of vitamins and trace elements in the diet;
• bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol, taking illegal drugs);
• Overweight.

symptoms of arthritis

The causes of the disease can be different, but there are a number of characteristic symptoms that occur in all patients. Seek medical attention 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 diseased joint, surrounding tissues and ligaments;
• local hyperemia of the skin accompanied by fever;
• characteristic crunching of the joints when performing sudden movements;
• feeling tired quickly when doing simple work;
• permanent deformation of the joints.

Important!

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 may 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 limitation of joint mobility, the ability to self-care and professional activities is preserved.
• The second - the mobility of the joints is significantly limited, when moving there is a crunch, pain in the legs increases when walking and at night.
• Third - there is a noticeable deformation of the joints, there is stiffness and severe pain, the ability to work is partially lost.
• Fourth - there is a deformity of the joints and loss of mobility, cartilage is completely destroyed, severe pain creates a psycho-emotional load, the patient loses his ability to self-care.

Methods of treatment

There is an orthopedic department in the 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 carried out:

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

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

• corrective osteotomy of the bones of the lower leg, femur, knee joint in order to restore the axis of the lower limb;
• therapeutic and diagnostic arthroscopy (LDA), which includes chondroplasty and microfracture to remove cartilage defects.

Stage III arthritis is treated surgically. Hip mobility is restored with the help of arthroplasty (total, unipolar, bipolar). When changing the knee joint, a total prosthesis is performed.

Arthritis prevention

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

• avoid heavy loads on the joints;
• perform stretching exercises as well as joint gymnastics;
• organize proper nutrition, eat more fish, fresh vegetables and fruits;
• monitor your weight, wear comfortable shoes, protect your joints from exposure to cold;
• give up bad habits;
• periodically conduct a course of preventive massage;
• strengthening immunity.

What is osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a disease in which there is a deformation and destruction of cartilage tissue covering the adjacent joints. As a result, the bone tissue inside the joint becomes dense, cavities and pathological growths (osteophytes) form on it. Gradually the gap between the joints narrows and grows and they lose their mobility.

The disease most often develops in people aged 45-50 years and older. The most common form of pathology is deforming arthrosis, which affects the hips, knees and ankles, wrists and hands.

Causes of osteoarthritis

Important!

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

Possible causes of the pathology can be:

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

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

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

• crunch that occurs when moving;
• joint pain during strenuous exercise;
• increased stiffness in the morning after waking up;
• deterioration of joint mobility;
• deformity of the fingers and toes due to bone growths;
• painful pain when changing weather conditions and atmospheric pressure, as well as pain at night.

Stages of osteoarthritis

In the absence of treatment, three stages of osteoarthritis are distinguished:

• Stage I - the mobility of the joints is slightly limited, the amount of nutrients in the synovial fluid decreases, the load on the joint causes pain.
• Stage II - the mobility of the joints is significantly limited, the cartilage begins to break down, crunch and pain appear during movement.
• Stage III - there is a destruction of the cartilage structure and deformation of the joint, osteophytes are formed on the bone tissue, the joint practically loses mobility, the pain syndrome becomes permanent.

Methods of treatment

Osteoarthritis treatment is aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease, relieving pain and regenerating cartilage to restore joint mobility..For this, the patient is prescribed painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. The first and second stages are also performed:

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

In case of prolonged pain, surgical treatment is performed:

• corrective osteotomy to restore destroyed joints (knee, hip, ankle, etc. );
• therapeutic and diagnostic arthroscopy, including chondroplasty and microfracture to remove a cartilage defect.

In the period of remission, physiotherapy, exercise therapy and massage are recommended.

In the third stage of arthrosis, hip arthroplasty (total, bipolar, unipolar) and total knee replacement are performed.

Prevention of osteoarthritis

To prevent the development of osteoarthritis, experts recommend:

• avoid heavy loads on the joints;
• eat right, include in your diet foods containing collagen and omega-3;
• regularly do stretching exercises, if possible visit the pool;
• do not overcool;
• wear comfortable shoes;
• to give up bad habits;
• weight control.

It is impossible to say which is more dangerous: arthritis or osteoarthritis, because if left untreated, in both cases there is complete immobility of the joints, which can lead to their destruction and disability. Therefore, it should be remembered that with timely treatment in the clinic, the patient can count on a favorable prognosis.