Arthritis implies joint damage and degenerative-dystrophic changes in them. This requires prompt and competent treatment. It may include a complex of conservative methods or imply the need for surgical intervention.
Arthritis is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic disease. It is involved in cartilage destruction and pathological changes in the follicle, synovial sac, ligamentous apparatus, and neighboring skeletal structures. Pathology requires an integrated approach to treatment.
Medicines
One of the main areas of conservative treatment for arthritis is drug use. The following drugs are commonly prescribed:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They reduce inflammation, pain, and fever.
- Glucocorticosteroid. These drugs also reduce inflammation and pain but are more effective.
- Pain reliever. These include pain relievers and some NSAIDs.
- Chondroprotectors. Such drugs are used in long courses. They are necessary for the restoration of affected cartilage structures.
- Muscle relaxant and antispasmodic. These drugs also relieve pain by eliminating muscle spasm.
- If the joint is the result of gout, then anti-gout medication is needed.
- Vasodilators. Such drugs have a vasodilator effect.
- Tablets are effective in the treatment of arthritis, for which medical bile and other means are used.
- Complex of vitamins and minerals. They are needed to activate immunity, normalize physical and metabolic processes, replenish the missing elements and assimilate them. Calcium supplements are often prescribed.
Self-selection of drugs is often confused. The attending physician should prescribe drugs and determine characteristics of their use.
Physiotherapy
Various physiotherapy procedures are often included in the treatment of arthritis. They are used as part of conservative therapy and are prescribed after surgery to speed recovery and reduce the risk of complications.
The following procedures are effective for arthritis:
- laser therapy- exposure to heat to stimulate regeneration;
- acupuncture therapy- increases vascular tone, activates metabolism, accelerates recovery, reduces inflammation;
- ozokeritotherapy- initiate to improve microcirculation and relieve pain;
- electrophoresis- taking medicine with electric current;
- cryotherapy- exposure to low temperatures to reduce swelling, pain, and muscle tone;
- ultrasound- exposure to high frequency sounds to improve material metabolism;
- UHF therapy- softens calcium deposits, normalizes physical metabolism, reduces edema;
- homeosiniatry- introduction of homeopathic remedies based on biological activity points.
Physiotherapeutic procedures have contraindications. These include exacerbations of the inflammatory process, pregnancy, active tuberculosis. There are also some limitations to individual procedures.
Massage
Massage is used for relief of the joint or in its subacute phase. In acute disease, such treatment is excluded, since the affected joints need to be completely rested.
A joint massage has the following effects:
- pain relief;
- returns mobility, removes hardness;
- activates blood circulation and lymphatic flow;
- prevents muscle atrophy, strengthens muscle corsets;
- improves tissue metabolism and nutrition.
The massage features depend on the affected joint. In all cases, such therapy should be performed exclusively by a qualified specialist. Before the massage, he must assess the motor level, the condition of the muscles, determine spasticity, ankle joint, pain point.
The effect of massage is provided by its course application. The number of sessions is determined individually. Massage courses need to be repeated periodically - their frequency is also selected on an individual basis.
exercise therapy
Physiotherapy is actively used for arthritis. It is needed to activate blood circulation and metabolism, restore joint mobility and strengthen the strength of the muscular bra. At an early stage, exercise therapy should be performed under the supervision of a instructor.
In the future, you can do gymnastics at home:
- Lie on your back on a stable surface and straighten your legs. With one leg bent at the knee, keep the foot 5-10 cm above the floor. Fixed in this position for 5 seconds, returning to the starting position. Perform 5 alternate repetitions for each leg.
- The starting position is the same. Fold one leg and press against the body with your hand. Fix in seconds. Then place your feet on the floor and slowly straighten your limbs. Do 10-15 repetitions for each leg.
- The starting position is the same. Raise your straightened leg 25-30 cm above the floor and stay in place for a few seconds. Return to starting position. Do 20-30 reps for each leg one after another.
- Lie on your stomach. Bend your knees in turn, trying to touch your butt with your heels, but don't lift your hips off the floor. Do 20-50 repetitions for each leg.
- The starting position is the same. Bend your knees alternately, fixing yourself for a few seconds at extreme points. Do 10 reps for each leg.
- Sit down and straighten your back. Alternately bend and do not bend legs, maintain a moderate speed. In the future, you can do exercises with small weights.
- The starting position is the same. Raise your leg to form a right angle. Fix for 3 seconds and return to starting position. Do 10 reps for each leg.
Osteoarthritis can affect different joints, so the exercises in each case must be special. It should be developed by a specialist, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient and his illness.
All exercises should be done in a smooth manner, eliminating strong movements. During exercise it is necessary to monitor the breathing rate - calm and measure.
Lifestyle
Treating arthritis with some lifestyle changes:
- If overweight, you need to normalize it. This timing is especially important in case of damage to the lower extremities.
- Moderate physical activity. Therefore, you should exclude high loads, should not participate in professional sports. The best option is physical therapy and regular walking.
- Attitude cares about your well-being. Treatment of chronic diseases, periodic vitamin-mineral complex supplements, and preventive examination by a doctor are necessary.
- Choose the right clothes and shoes. One should not feel shy. Tight clothes can easily stagnate blood, which can be dangerous to joint disease. Women should avoid wearing high heels, shoes should be stable.
- Organize the right place to sleep and work. All furniture must be comfortable. It should provide a position of the body that does not slow down blood circulation, does not cause bleeding of the limbs. If you have trouble moving, you should equip your home with special handles and handrails.
Diet
With joint disease, it is imperative to follow the correct diet. Dietary features are individual and dependent on many factors.
The general principles of nutrition are as follows:
- Fractional nutrition. You need 5-6 meals per day and servings should be small.
- The proper metabolism is ensured by a sufficient amount of carbohydrates. An emphasis should be placed on complex carbohydrates - vegetables, fruits, berries, grains.
- Eliminate simple carbohydrates - sugars, sweets.
- Vegetable fats are needed to speed up metabolism. For avocados, only one natural product is useful.
- For the restoration of cartilage structure, it is useful to use meat jelly, gelatin-based agar.
- To cook, you need to limit cooking, stewing and steaming.
- Exclude from the diet with spicy, salty, fatty, or fried foods. Refuse fatty meat, fast food, corn oil.
- Should be nutritious with milk, cheese, dairy products and other fermented milk. They should be fat free or low in fat.
- You need foods rich in zinc and magnesium - liver, fish, nuts, pumpkins, legumes.
- Oranges and bell peppers are excellent sources of antioxidants. To reduce inflammation, you need to use pomegranate, pineapple.
Special orthopedic tools
In the treatment of arthritis, different devices are often used to make the patient's life easier and reduce the risk of some complications.
The following constructions are used in orthography:
- Cane - used to redistribute the load in the case of damage to the lower extremities. It is often used in the late stages of the disease, as well as after surgery.
- Stickers - used to fix joints. This allows you to decrease or adjust joint mobility, gradually increasing it.
- Bandages - also used for joint immobilization, a post-traumatic and surgical benefit.
- Corsets - are used to fix and straighten the trunk, mainly for the hip joints.
- Heel pad - provides cushioning, reduces load.
- Insoles for flat feet, reduced feet.
- Deformed finger tool.
- Silicone protector to protect finger from deformation.
If dry joints are caused by flat feet, use orthopedic shoes and special insoles. This measure is also necessary in case of damage to the lower extremities to reduce the risk of complications.
Expanding joints
This technique is called traction. It can be either manual or hardware. Traction is usually used when the hip or knee joint is affected.
Traction implies course application. Average 10-12 sessions are required. They can be taken daily or every other day.
Enlarging is a temporary measure and should be repeated periodically. With dry arthritis, usually 2 courses are done per year.
Traditional Medicine
Appropriate use of traditional medicine is an adjunct to the treatment.
The following formulas are effective against arthritis:
- Compressed with cabbage leaves or horseradish. The selected sheet must be washed or chopped in some places, applied to the affected area, fixed with foil and insulated. It is also effective for dipping leaves in honey. Such compression should be kept for several hours and performed several times a day.
- Mix equal parts iodine (5%), ammonia (10%), medical honey, glycerin and honey possible. Mix the ingredients and put in a dark place for a week and a half. Before use, shake the mixture and heat the required volume in a water bath. Moisten the napkin in the composition, apply it to the affected area, fix with cellophane and insulate. Apply at night until you recover.
- 50 g dried elecampane root, pour half a glass of vodka and leave in the dark for 2 weeks. Rub sore joints with the make up product.
- Crush the eggshell into powder, mix with kefir to form a thick paste. Wrap it in linen and attach it to the affected area, fix it with polyethylene and strengthen it. Perform compression every day and keep it for 2, 5 hours.
- Mix equal parts honey with glycerin, alcohol and iodine. Gently apply the mixture with a cotton pad, moving from bottom to top.
- Pour half a liter of water into a handful of rolled oats and boil for 10 minutes. Apply warm compress to affected area, fix with foil and insulate. Withstands an hour.
Natural remedies also have contraindications and side effects. Each new product must be used with care, starting with the minimum amount and duration of use.
Surgical treatment
Surgical intervention is required in the event of severe pathological changes, the development of serious complications, and ineffective conservative approaches.
Arthritis surgery can be done in the following ways:
- Joints- restores the joint surface. Signs may be ankle, spasticity. Such surgery is possible only in the absence of an acute inflammatory process.
- Joints- open joints for foreign bodies, laparoscopy, pus.
- Arthrodesis- an artificially created joint (immobilization). The operations can be in and out of joints.
- Removal- removes part or completely of the joint surface and synovial sac to create immobility in the joint.
- Arthritis- facilitates limited joint mobility.
- Endoscopy- implant placement to completely or partially replace the affected joint.
- Percutaneous bone- files the bone and exposes the bone at a certain angle. This allows you to shift the center of gravity and redistribute the load.
Arthritis is a serious disease that causes irreversible changes. It is necessary to start full treatment as soon as possible. It can be conservative or surgical and includes a range of different remedies. Features of therapy are determined for each patient on an individual basis.