Treatment of arthrosis involves an integrated approach and a combination of several methods. Most treatment tactics consist of the correct prescription of drugs. They can be supplemented with traditional medicine methods.
The main trends in the modern treatment of arthrosis
After a complete examination, which includes establishing the main and associated diagnoses, proper treatment of arthrosis begins.
It includes the following methods:
- lifestyle modification;
- drug correction;
- physiotherapy;
- surgery.
The choice of method depends on the stage of the disease and the degree of destruction of the articular structures. First, you need to learn the following rules that will make the treatment more effective:
- Body weight correction;
- Exercise therapy – exercises that eliminate static load on joints;
- Increasing the level of knowledge about pathology among patients;
- Use of additional accessories (joint bandages, insoles, canes or orthotics);
- Physiotherapy.
The diagnosis is carried out by an orthopedic traumatologist. However, other consulting specialists may participate in this process:
- neurologist: consultation is required in case of damage to intervertebral structures, radicular syndrome, severe back pain due to illness;
- infectious disease specialist: exclusion of the infectious nature of joint disease;
- oncologist: exclusion of malignant neoplasm of bone tissue and joints or metastases in these areas;
- Osteophtisiatrist: rule out the tubercular nature of bone lesions.
During the disease, the complications of the pathology and its progression are prevented. To do this, it is necessary to use orthoses and fixation bandages, monitor body weight, nutrition and regularly consult a doctor. Consultations with a specialist doctor are required at least 2 times a year.
The effectiveness of the treatment meets the following criteria:
- Stopping the progression of the disease;
- New nodes are not involved in the pathological process;
- Pain decreases or disappears;
- There are no signs of an inflammatory process;
- Quality of life, motor activity and ability to work improves.
On the contrary, there are features of the course of the disease that require hospitalization and correction of recovery tactics:
- persistent and intense pain syndrome;
- severe inflammation of the joints and periarticular structures (the skin over the affected area is warm to the touch, there is redness, increase in size, pain and limitation of movement).
medicaments
The choice of a drug complex depends on the stage of the process:
- Phase I – methods of correction without drugs, nonsteroidal drugs and drugs that strengthen cartilage tissue;
- Phase II – non-drug correction methods, non-steroidal drugs and drugs that strengthen cartilage tissue, intra-articular administration of maintenance therapy;
- Phase III – methods of correction without drugs, nonsteroidal drugs and drugs that strengthen cartilage tissue, intra-articular administration of maintenance therapy, antidepressants;
- Stage IV - radical surgical intervention that involves removing the affected tissue and installing an artificial joint.
In addition, in case of severe pain, analgesics are used and various ointments can be used to eliminate severe inflammation of soft tissues.
Treatment of arthrosis is carried out according to prescribed courses, the duration of which cannot be violated independently. Even if the condition seems to improve, it is necessary to continue taking the drug, because it tends to accumulate in the body. In the same way, you cannot independently adjust the dose of the drug, either in the direction of its decrease or increase.
Medicines should be taken at the same time every day. Reception features - according to the instructions. If the patient is treated for another pathology, the doctor must analyze the combined effect of all drugs and exclude dangerous combinations.
dope
Let's look at the main groups and examples of medicines.
Examples are given; the attending physician may prescribe other representatives of these drug groups.
- Analgesics.They are used to relieve pain, which allows you to restore the range of motion and improve the quality of life.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.They reduce joint pain, eliminate swelling and redness of soft tissues, normalize the temperature of the skin over the joints and restore the range of motion.
- Chondroprotectors.They contain elements of animal cartilaginous tissue, which makes it possible to restore the joint structure, periarticular surfaces, ligaments and synovium. Slow down the progression of the process and strengthen healthy joints.
- Narcotic analgesic.It is used for emergency relief in cases of severe pain. Duration of admission: once, if necessary.
- Hyaluronic acid derivatives.A viscous implant containing hyaluronic acid is inserted intra-articularly. Improves the condition of ligaments, synovium and soft tissues. It allows water retention, improves the condition of collagen fibers, which makes the tissue elastic, resistant to injury and destruction.
- Glucocorticosteroids.It is used for severe inflammation. They allow you to effectively affect the pathology and act quickly.
Use of ointments
Treatment of arthrosis includes the use of ointments. In some cases, they alleviate the patient's condition by relieving pain. However, this makes sense only in the early stages of the pathology. The fact is that any medication that the patient takes orally is absorbed into the bloodstream in the digestive tract and through it acts on the joint tissues. If intravascular administration is used, the effect can be achieved faster, and the effect on the mucosa is also eliminated.
Application of the drug in the form of an oil or gel results in the action of the drug only on the skin and a small layer of soft tissue below it. The patient must understand that it does not affect the joint, but acts only symptomatically.
The following ointments are used for this:
- containing non-steroidal drugs;
- containing salicylic acid;
- containing capsaicin.
It can also be an ointment or gel based on medicinal plants, which improve the condition of soft tissues and reduce sensitivity. This can be an ointment with menthol, camphor, eucalyptus or peppermint.
Traditional methods of treating arthrosis
Folk remedies include the mitigation of pathology syndromes. Complete recovery from a disease cannot be achieved using such techniques, they are used in parallel with therapy and physical procedures. If you only take self-made medications, the disease can progress and the patient will only waste time.
The following drugs have a symptomatic effect:
- compress with grated horseradish root. It is used every day, in a course of 7-9 days. A film and a warm cloth are placed on top of the root pulp. The duration of the compress is 30 minutes;
- A compress with oats is used according to a similar principle. For this, a creamy paste with flakes is prepared. After the mixture has cooled, it is applied to the joints;
- The honey compress can be left overnight. It is better to use field honey;
- A cabbage leaf with a layer of honey is applied to the affected joint. Adjust and leave overnight;
- mix the foam powder with thick yogurt. Apply to the joints, wrap with film and top with a warm natural cloth. Leave the compress overnight.
Diagnosing
Effective treatment of arthrosis is possible with an accurate diagnosis. The following methods are used for this:
- clinical diagnosis, which includes the results of examination and questioning of the patient;
- X-ray diagnostics, for which a healthy and affected joint is examined and their condition is compared;
- laboratory methods that allow you to exclude other causes of pathology;
- synovial fluid analysis;
- ultrasound examination for soft tissue inflammation;
- tomography for a more detailed study of soft tissues and periarticular structures.