How is osteoarthritis treated? 10 approaches to therapy

Arthrosis involves damage to the joints and degenerative-dystrophic changes in them. This requires competent and timely treatment. This may involve a complex of conservative methods or may involve the need for surgical intervention.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease of degenerative-dystrophic nature. It involves the destruction of cartilage and pathological changes in the capsule, synovium, ligamentous apparatus, and adjacent bone structures. Pathology requires an integrated approach to treatment.

Medications

One of the main directions of conservative treatment of osteoarthritis is the use of medication. The following medications are usually prescribed:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They relieve inflammation, pain and fever.
• Glucocorticosteroids. These medications also relieve inflammation and pain, but are more effective.
• Pain medications. These include analgesics and some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Chondroprotectors. Such medications are used for long courses. They are necessary to restore the damaged cartilage structures.
• Muscle relaxants and antispasmodics. These medications also relieve pain by eliminating muscle spasms.
If osteoarthritis is the result of gout, then anti-gout medications are needed.
• vasodilators. Such drugs have a vasodilating effect.
• compresses are effective in treating osteoarthritis, for which medical bile and other remedies are used.
• Complexes of vitamins and minerals. They are necessary to activate the immune system, to normalize the metabolism and metabolic processes of the material, to replenish and absorb the missing elements. Calcium supplements are usually prescribed.

Self-medication is often wrong. The attending physician should prescribe the medication and determine the characteristics of their use.

Physiotherapy

Treatment of osteoarthritis usually involves a variety of physiotherapy procedures. They are used as part of conservative therapy and are prescribed after surgery to accelerate recovery and reduce the risk of complications.

The following procedures are effective in osteoarthritis:

• Laser therapy- heat exposure to stimulate regeneration;
• Magnetotherapy- increase vascular tone, activate metabolic processes, accelerate recovery, alleviate inflammation;
• Ozokeritotherapy- warming to improve microcirculation and relieve pain;
• electrophoresis- taking medication by electricity;
• Cryotherapy- exposure to low temperatures to relieve swelling, pain, reduce muscle tone;
• Ultrasound- High-frequency sound effects to improve material metabolism;
• UHF Therapy- softening of calcium deposits, normalization of material metabolism, reduction of swelling;
• Homeosiniatry- introduction of homeopathic remedies at biologically active points.

Physiotherapy procedures have contraindications. These include exacerbation of the inflammatory process, pregnancy, active tuberculosis. There are also a number of limitations to individual procedures.

massage

Massage is used during remission of arthrosis or in the subacute period. In acute disease such treatment is excluded because the affected joints need complete rest.

Arthrosis massage has the following effects:

• pain relief;
• restore mobility, eliminate rigidity;
• activation of blood circulation and lymph flow;
• Prevention of muscle atrophy, strengthening of the muscle corset;
• Improving metabolic processes and tissue trophism.

The characteristics of

massage depend on which joints are affected. In any case, such therapy should be performed only by a qualified specialist. Before starting the massage he should evaluate the degree of mobility, muscle condition, detect contracture, ankylosis, pain points.

The effectiveness of the massage is ensured by the use of its course. The number of sessions is determined individually. Massage courses need to be repeated periodically - their frequency is also selected individually.

Exercise Therapy

Physiotherapy is actively used in osteoarthritis. It is needed to activate blood circulation and metabolic processes, restore joint mobility and strengthen the muscle corset. At the initial stage, exercise therapy should be done under the supervision of an instructor.

In the future you can do home gymnastics:

• Lie on your back on a firm surface and stretch your legs. Bend one leg at the knee, keeping the leg 5-10 cm above the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds, return to the starting position. Do 5 repetitions alternately on each leg.
• The starting position is the same. Bend one leg and press the hands to the body. Correct for a few seconds. Then place your foot on the floor and slowly straighten the limb. Do 10-15 repetitions for each leg.
• The starting position is the same. Lift the straight leg 25-30 cm off the floor and straighten for a few seconds. Return to starting position. In turn do 20-30 repetitions on each leg.
• Start on the abdomen. Bend your knees alternately, trying to reach the buttocks with your heels, but without removing the floor from your thighs. Do 20-50 repetitions for each leg.
• The starting position is the same. Bend your knees alternately, fixing your head for a few seconds at the extreme point. Do 10 reps for each leg.
• Sit down and straighten your back. Alternately bend and spread your legs, keeping a moderate pace. In the future you can do the exercise with a small weight.
• The starting position is the same. Raise your leg to form a right angle. Hold for 3 seconds and return to the starting position. Do 10 reps for each leg.

Osteoarthritis can affect different joints, so a set of exercises should be special in each case. It should be developed by a specialist, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient and his disease.

All exercises should be performed smoothly, sharp movements are excluded. It is essential to control your breathing during exercise - it should be calm and measured.

Lifestyle

Treatment for osteoarthritis involves some lifestyle changes:

• If you are overweight, you need to normalize it. This moment is especially important in case of lower limb injuries.
• Moderate physical activity. High loads should be excluded, so you should not engage in professional sports. The best option is physiotherapy and regular walking.
• Attentive attitude towards your health condition. It is necessary to treat chronic diseases, periodic intake of vitamin-mineral complexes, prophylactic examinations by a doctor.
• The right choice of clothes and shoes. People should not feel ashamed. Tight clothing is fraught with blood stagnation, which is dangerous for osteoarthritis. Women should avoid high heels, shoes should be stable.
• Proper organization of sleeping and workplace. All furniture should be comfortable. He must ensure a state of the body that does not slow down blood circulation, does not cause limb flow. If you have problems with movement, you should arrange the house with special handles and tools.

diet

With osteoarthritis it is essential to follow a proper diet. The characteristics of the diet are individual and depend on many factors.

The general principles of nutrition are as follows:

• Fractional feeding. You need 5-6 meals a day, and the portion should be small.
• Provides a sufficient amount of carbohydrates for proper metabolism. Particular attention should be paid to complex carbohydrates - vegetables, fruits, berries, cereals.
• Eliminate simple carbohydrates - sugar, sweets.
• Vegetable fats are needed to speed up metabolic processes. As for butter, only natural products are useful.
• It is useful to restore cartilaginous structures based on gelatin gelatin flesh, jelly.
• For cooking you need to limit yourself to boiling, cooking and steaming.
Exclude spicy, salty, fatty, fried foods from your diet. Refuse fatty meats, fast food, corn oil.
• Food should be enriched with milk, cottage cheese, other dairy and fermented dairy products. They should be low-fat or non-fat.
• You need foods rich in zinc and magnesium - liver, fish, nuts, pumpkin, legumes.
• Orange and bell pepper are good sources of antioxidants. To relieve inflammation you should use pomegranate, pineapple.

Special orthopedic tools

In the treatment of osteoarthritis, various devices are often used to make the patient's life easier and reduce the risk of some complications.

The following structures are used in orthopedics:

• cane - used to shift the load in case of lower limb injuries. It is usually used in the later stages of the disease as well as after surgery.
• Orthoses - used to fix joints. This allows you to reduce or change the mobility of the joint, gradually increasing it.
• bandages - also used to straighten joints, benefits after injuries and surgeries.
• Corsets - Used for trunk straightening and straightening, mainly for the hip joints.
• Heel pads - Secure pads, reduce load.
• Holders for flat feet correction to free the feet.
• Deformed finger correctors.
• Silicone protectors to protect against finger deformation.

If osteoarthritis is caused by flat feet, you should use orthopedic shoes and special pads. Such a measure is also necessary in case of lower limb injuries to reduce the risk of complications.

Extension of funds

This technique is called traction. It can be a guide or a technique. Lying down is usually used to affect the hip or knee joints.

Traction involves the use of a course. On average 10-12 sessions are needed. They can be performed every day or every other day.

Extension of the joint is a temporary measure and should be repeated periodically. In osteoarthritis, there are usually 2 courses a year.

Traditional medicine

The use of traditional medicine is advisable as an adjunct in treatment.

The following recipes are effective in osteoarthritis:

• Compresses with cabbage or khonchi leaves. The selected sheet should be washed or cut in several places, apply to the affected area, fix with foil and insulated. It is also effective to pre-stuff the leaf in honey. Such a compress should be kept for several hours and done several times a day.
Mix equal parts iodine (5%), ammonia (10%), medical bile, glycerin and possibly honey. Mix the ingredients and place in a dark place for a week and a half. Apply the mixture before use and heat the required volume in a water bath. Soak a towel in the composition, apply to the damaged area, fix with cellophane and insulate. Do the compress at night until you recover.
• 50 g of faded root pour half a glass of vodka and leave for 2 weeks in the dark. Massage painful joints with the obtained product.
• Grind the egg shells into a powder, mix with kefir to get a thick mixture. Wrap it in linen and attach it to the damaged area, straighten it with polyethylene and reinforce. Make a compress every day and keep it for 2. 5 hours.
• Mix equal parts of honey with glycerin, alcohol and iodine. Gently apply the mixture with a cotton swab, moving from the bottom up.
• Pour a handful of rolled oats in half a liter of water and boil for 10 minutes. Apply warm to the affected area, straighten the foil and insulate. Withstand hours.

Natural remedies also have contraindications and side effects. Each new product should be used with caution, starting with the minimum dose and duration of use.

Surgical treatment

Surgical intervention is necessary in case of serious pathological changes, development of serious complications and ineffectiveness of conservative approach.

Surgical treatment of osteoarthritis can be performed as follows:

• Arthroplasty- Restoration of joint surfaces. References may be ankylosis, contracture. Such surgery is possible only in the absence of an acute inflammatory process.
• Arthrotomy- opening of a joint to remove a foreign body, endoprosthesis, purulent contents.
• Arthrodesis- artificially created ankylosis (immobility of the joints). The operation can be intra- and extra-joint.
• Resection- partial or complete removal of the joint surface to create immobility inside the joint.
• Arthritis- creating conditions to restrict joint mobility.
• Endoprosthesis- Implant placement for complete or partial replacement of the affected joint.
• Periarticular osteotomy- filling the bones and exposing them at a certain angle. This measure allows you to shift the center of gravity and redistribute the load.

Arthritis is a serious disease that causes irreversible changes. It is essential to start adequate treatment as soon as possible. It can be conservative or surgical and involves a variety of measures. The specifics of the therapy are determined individually for each patient.