Arthrosis of the hip, shoulder, knee and ankle joint is a disease that occurs as a result of wear and tear of cartilage tissue, as well as deformation of the bones. In this case, the patient feels pain of varying intensity (depending on the form of the disease). As a result, the disease leads to problems with motor functions, partial or complete immobilization and disability. It is important to determine if arthrosis can be cured without surgery.
Definition of defeat
Disease of the knee joint most often occurs in women, and many reasons can lead to its appearance. Elderly people experience arthrosis in the knee joint more often than others.
If the treatment of arthrosis is not started in time, the joint-forming bones will be exposed, and they will be damaged. In this case, it will not be possible to do without surgical intervention. When the first unpleasant symptoms appear, it is important to seek medical help as soon as possible. It will not be able to completely eliminate arthrosis, but it will help to slow down the deformation of the knee joint and stop degeneration. Early identification of the lesion and correct treatment can help avoid negative consequences and early disability status.
What are the common causes of arthrosis of the knee joint and can the disease be cured? The main reasons include:
- Flat feet.
- Diseases of the veins.
- Diabetes and other disorders associated with metabolic disorders. It will be difficult to get rid of arthrosis in this case, since not all medications and physiotherapy are allowed to be used.
- Overweight - people with weight problems have arthrosis much more often than people with normal body weight.
- Adolescence - it is at this time that the metabolism and hormonal background of a person changes, which leads to a degenerative process.
- Carrying a child - at this time a woman is gaining weight, as a result of which the load on the knee part is significantly increased. The hormonal background is disturbed, which contributes to the appearance of arthrosis of the knees.
- Changes in the body associated with the patient's age.
- Getting certain injuries. About 30 percent of knee arthrosis is due to injury. Injury leads to a change in the normal structure of the tissue, which provokes the process of destruction.
- Regular physical activity on the lower legs, to which the body has not adapted.
- The beginning of the process of inflammation in the body.
- Hereditary predisposition.
- The onset of cramps in the muscles of the thigh.
It is possible to cure the disease only if you contact a treating specialist. In this case, it is forbidden to start any treatment on your own. Only a specialist will be able to prescribe an effective therapy, which will include physiotherapy and medication.
Preventive measures
It is important to remember about preventive measures even before the onset of the underlying disease. Arthrosis can be divided into two types. The first occurs due to a violation of the metabolic process in the body, as well as the age characteristics of the patient.
The second type appears as a result of injury or infection. To prevent the second type of arthrosis, it is important to avoid possible injuries, bruises, fractures. To a greater extent, this applies to those who are involved in any kind of sports or dancing. For such people, such a disease often becomes professional and does not allow them to do what they love anymore. This also applies to children who are very active, carelessly behaving on the street; it is important for them to behave carefully so as not to get dangerous injury.
The main factor that will help to avoid arthrosis of the deforming knee joint is mobility. Moderate exercise is the best way to prevent arthrosis. This is especially important for people whose work activities are associated primarily with sedentary work. It is important to remember that in this case it is about a moderate load on different joints.
The main stages of the disease
Developmental arthrosis can be divided into four distinct stages. The more advanced the stage, the more difficult it will be to treat and relieve symptoms:
- at the first stage, the symptoms are mild, but the process of tissue destruction is already spreading rapidly;
- the destruction of cartilage continues, which leads to a decrease in the mobility of the leg in the joint area and is accompanied by severe pain syndrome;
- the cartilage tissue in this case is thinned, the joint-forming bones begin to actively grow and be damaged;
- at the last stage of the development of the disease, the cartilage is almost completely destroyed, the deformation of the bones leads to a change in the axis of the diseased limb, while the joint ceases to cope with the pressure exerted on it, and the leg in the knee completely loses its mobility.
It is possible to diagnose arthrosis of the knee joint of the first degree by short-term pain that occurs at the moment when a person walks. There is no noticeable deformity that can be detected during examination, and radiography also does not provide the necessary amount of information about the state of the joints to make an accurate diagnosis.
If the disease is detected in a timely manner and a full-fledged treatment is started, then the process of destruction of cartilage tissue can be completely stopped, and the diseased areas can even be restored.
Can grade 2 arthrosis be cured? Treatment at stage 2 of the development of arthrosis is aimed at eliminating unpleasant symptoms and slowing down the degenerative-dystrophic process. In this case, it is not always possible to restore the fabric, but you can keep what is left intact.
Is it possible to cure grade 3 arthrosis? When arthrosis reaches the 3rd degree of development, attempts to slow down the destructive process and damage to the bones most often do not bring results, the disease rapidly acquires the 4th degree of development (some specialists, for this reason, distinguish only three stages of the development of this disease).
In case of serious changes in the structure of the joint, it is necessary to use a prosthesis; this method of surgical correction is called endoprosthetics.
In some cases, surgical intervention is also used at stage 2 of gonarthrosis. At the same time, a minimally invasive arthroscopic operation is performed, removing dead tissue through a small incision, as well as pieces of damaged cartilage. With the help of such an operation, the range of motion increases, pain symptoms and inflammation go away. But you need to remember that the treatment does not end there. Such an operation will help relieve the unpleasant symptoms of the disease for several years.
Treatment
Can arthrosis of the knee joint be cured? Treatment of any disease can be carried out in three main areas:
- etiotropic - elimination of the root causes of the lesion;
- symptomatic - relief of the main symptoms;
- pathogenetic - interference in the progression of the disease.
In order to carry out effective treatment, or at least to suspend the development of arthrosis, it is important:
- activate the process of blood supply and improve the condition of tissues;
- compensate for the lack or excess of enzymes in the body;
- to give the body everything it needs for the reproduction of cartilage tissue;
- restore the volume and composition of the synovial fluid.
Many physiotherapeutic procedures and topical ointments lead to an improvement in tissue nutrition and normalization of their blood supply. During electrophoresis, tissues can be saturated with special enzymes. But the main way to treat such a disease is to take chondroprotectors. Recently, hyaluronic acid injections have been used predominantly for the treatment of arthrosis. And methods of biological treatment are considered more aggressive.
The use of chondroprotectors
Can arthrosis be completely cured? For full treatment, chondroprotectors are suitable - drugs that include natural components of cartilage tissue or their synthetic analogues, which lead to the synthesis of certain components or inhibit their decay.
Chondroprotectors can be found in the following forms:
- tablets, capsules and powders for oral administration;
- solutions for intramuscular injection;
- special ointments for external use.
Medicines for external use should be used as an additional treatment in complex therapy.
Can deforming arthrosis be cured? First you need to consider the features of treatment with chondroprotectors:
- many chondroprotectors help get rid of severe pain and inflammation, but this is not the main benefit of taking them, for symptomatic therapy it is best to use more affordable NSAIDs;
- therapeutic measures bring a special effect at stages 1 and 2 of the development of the disease, when the cartilage has not yet been destroyed to an extreme state;
- during treatment, it is important to undergo a long systematic course of medication, after each course it is necessary to take a break; one course includes 6 months, so the treatment lasts for years.
If the patient is prone to the appearance of arthrosis of the knees, then he should start taking chondroprotectors in advance in order to prevent, before the first signs of the disease develop. Chondroprotectors cannot be called a panacea, since they protect the cartilage, and do not restore its condition. Osteoarthritis is much easier to prevent than to start treatment afterwards.
The main difficulty of treatment
Can arthrosis be cured forever? The main difficulty of treatment is that until now no drugs have been developed that could permanently and completely get rid of arthrosis. But it is important to remember that there are quite effective complex methods of treatment that help get rid of pain and slow down the process of the development of the disease.
Arthrosis of the hip joint
Arthrosis of the hip joint is a degenerative-dystrophic process, during which cartilage structures covering the surface of the femoral head, as well as the acetabulum, are damaged. To keep the cartilage healthy, it is important to determine if hip arthrosis can be treated.
Medication treatment
There are many ways to treat this disease. Most often, the attending specialist prescribes a whole complex, which includes many therapeutic measures.
Can hip arthrosis be cured? With arthrosis of 1 and 2 degrees, it is allowed to use drugs for treatment. The most effective drugs in this case are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, vasodilating drugs, which lead to an improvement in the blood supply to the joints, relax the muscles and help eliminate spasms.
Chondroprotectors are also used to help preserve cartilage tissue. At the first and second degree of development of the lesion, experts allow the use of topical agents: patches, applications, ointments and gels - they stimulate normal blood circulation.
It is important to remember that without effective and timely treatment, arthrosis of the hip joint can provoke ankylosis. Ankylosis is a complete fusion of the femur and pelvis. In this case, the leg completely loses its mobility in the joint.
Ankle arthrosis
Can ankle arthrosis be cured? Before treating ankle arthrosis, it is important to make an accurate diagnosis. Most often, the doctor can establish an accurate diagnosis either by examining the patient's foot, or by means of an X-ray.
Depending on the stage of development of the disease, the specialist will choose the most appropriate treatment. Even before visiting a specialist, the patient should significantly reduce the load on the diseased joint, avoid hypothermia, as well as overload. The doctor prescribes complex treatment for the patient: physiotherapy, balneotherapy, taking painkillers, as well as means to stimulate blood circulation.
Also, ankle therapy can be performed on an outpatient basis, in a hospital with the appointment of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Difficulties with treatment may arise if the patient is obese. It is important for such a patient to eat right not only during the treatment itself, but also after it.
Gymnastic exercises
Gymnastics with arthrosis of the ankle is allowed only after the main symptoms of the disease have completely disappeared. A set of exercises and loads on the foot should be compiled in conjunction with the attending specialist.
Any gymnastic exercises during arthrosis should strain the ligaments and muscles in the joint, without overloading the joints themselves, otherwise it can be very dangerous.
Can arthrosis of the joint be cured? The course of gymnastics in the treatment of arthrosis will not require the patient to spend money, buy medicines or expensive devices, but the patient will have to be patient and hardworking in order to accurately complete the course.
Shoulder problems
Some injuries can lead to the onset of an inflammatory or degenerative process in the joints. Most often, the following reasons lead to shoulder arthrosis:
- strong physical exertion on the shoulder joint at work, resulting in active wear of its components;
- getting a shoulder injury;
- dysplasia of the shoulder joint;
- changes in hormone production;
- problems with the blood supply to the articular tissues, which leads to the appearance of vascular pathologies;
- natural wear and tear of cartilage, which is typical for the elderly.
Common in this case is the process of inflammation, accompanied by painful symptoms. The reasons for this lesion are different, they can be associated with trauma, infection, or disruption of certain systems in the body.
Most often, for the appearance of arthritis, additional external influence is needed: stress, hypothermia, infection of organs, infection through an open wound, an immune response to the resulting infection.
When determining the disease, the doctor pays attention to the degree of the disease, the main complaints of the patient and the results of a number of examinations. The main diagnostic measure is a biochemical blood test, which helps to confirm the presence of inflammation and, in some cases, determine its nature.
Another important study is X-ray, which helps to determine the place of joint deformation at an early stage of its appearance.
Can shoulder arthrosis be cured? In the presence of arthrosis of the first two degrees, only conservative treatment is used. And only with a complicated form of the disease, an operation is prescribed.
The main methods of conservative treatment:
- taking medications;
- treatment with folk methods;
- physiotherapy activities;
- sanitary treatment;
- massages;
- acupuncture;
- physiotherapy;
- special diet.
Before starting therapy, it is important to provide the damaged joint with complete rest, which is much easier to do if the arthrosis is widespread in the shoulder region. The easiest treatment is considered to be the first stage of the disease, when cicatricial changes have not yet occurred, and the tissue has still retained its regenerative capacity.
But in the presence of such a form of lesion, discomfort, as a rule, does not manifest itself strongly, the pain is weak, so the patient is very late in seeking help from a doctor. In the future, after the end of treatment, the patient will also have to follow a sparing regimen.