Osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis or deforming osteoarthritis (DOA) or deforming arthrosis) is a disease of the joints in which the articular cartilage is affected in the initial stages, after which the surrounding muscles, ligaments, nerves and also bone tissue are involved in a pathological process.
Osteoarthritis is a disease that develops for various reasons. These include metabolic disorders, trauma, intoxication and more.
Patients usually call "arthrosis" any joint disease in which there is pain, limited mobility and other discomfort in one or more joints, which is not always true. Osteoarthritis and related pain develop as a result of "aging" of the joints due to the influence of various negative factors, but the causes of joint pain can be infections and injuries and in these cases we are talking about other pathologies.
Osteoarthritis statistics
Up to 70% of patients at the reception of a general practitioner, therapist, neurologist, surgeon, rheumatologist complain of joint pain. Most often these are pains in the lower back and in the area of the large joints (knee, hip joint). Worldwide, up to 70% of long-term disability cases are reported by osteoarthritis. Many patients - up to 10% of those who seek medical help as a result of advanced osteoarthritis, are disabled and need constant help. Osteoarthritis is one of the leading reasons for the premature departure of a person from a full social life; in statistics, it is second only to coronary heart disease.
The probability of developing osteoarthritis increases with age: in people over 50 years it occurs in 27% of cases, in older people over 70 years the prevalence is 97%, due to the cumulative age load on the joints and the expiration of their normal functioning.
Causes and development
The main factor for the development of osteoarthritis is the malnutrition of the articular cartilage, which leads to its destruction. It is not so important why this happens (overweight, professional sports, work habits, hormonal disorders, congenital joint defects, etc. ), the result is the same:
- begin changes in the articular cartilage, which lead to loss of elasticity; microcracks appear in the thickness of the cartilage;
- the blood supply to the joint is disrupted, the production of joint fluid decreases, the mechanics of the joint changes;
- then all structures of the joint, adjacent muscles, nerve endings are involved.
The listed degenerative disorders lead to the development of symptoms of osteoarthritis, and the disease "starts" at the moment when the constant mechanical load becomes unbearable for the joint (or joints) and starts the processes of its destruction.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis
Unlike other joint pathologies, osteoarthritis develops over many years, long-term and unnoticed by humans. At the moment when the body signals a problem in the joint with severe pain, the pathological process in it has already begun.
Pain is the main symptom of osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis), in the initial stages the pain is not very pronounced, weak, more comparable to discomfort. Unpleasant sensations in the joints that occur after exercise disappear on their own, without any medical or medical intervention, but quickly become noticeable and limit the normal mobility of the person.
Pain can also occur at rest or at the very beginning of the movement (so-called "starting"), for example in the morning after sleep or after a long sitting during the day in one position, passing during movement. Night pains at rest are alsoarthrosis, which also decreases rapidly with the onset of physical activity. Patients facing joint problems usually say that to eliminate the discomfort it is necessary to "stretch the bones", to "wake up the joints", which is generally quite accuratecharacterizes this condition.
Painful sensations occur not only due to disturbances in the work of the joint itself. When all the components of the joint, muscles and nerve endings are involved in the process, the pain becomes varied and excruciating: "shooting" at the nerve, spreading through the muscle.
Temporary or permanent limitations of joint mobility (contractures) develop due to serious pathological changes in joint and muscle tissues. For example, in osteoarthritis of the hip, the limb shortens, the pelvis is "curved" and the spine is curved.
The crunch in the joints in the initial stages is almost imperceptible, but as the disease progresses during movement it becomes permanent. This symptom psychologically worries patients with osteoarthritis even more than the pain, as it indicates serious disorders, aging of the body and in particular the musculoskeletal system.
In the later stages of osteoarthritis, joint deformity occurs, which is associated with loss of all joint surfaces with curvature, bone growths, reduction in the amount of joint fluid and joint subluxation.
Stages
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, there are several stages of osteoarthritis.
In the first stage, the pain at rest and at moderate load is absent, it appears only after a heavy load (fitness, carrying heavy loads, running) or after prolonged static position. One does not experience limitations and difficulties in movement. No medical treatment is required.
In the second stage, the pain is pronounced and constant, quickly occurs under the influence of provoking factors (prolonged walking, physical activity), does not subside on its own. The patient is limited in movement, the mobility of certain joints is sharply limited - the knee, hip and others. Medical assistance is required, treatment regimen, including medications and non-drug methods should be prescribed.
In the third stage, the patient has difficulty moving, needs constant care, the pain is excruciating. As a rule, surgical treatment (endoprosthesis) and massive physiotherapy are needed to restore the quality of life.
The symptoms of osteoarthritis appear at a young age and in this case it is necessary not to ignore them, but to consult a doctor. Timely treatment will maintain normal joint function and help prevent rapid disease progression.