How is osteoarthritis treated? 10 approaches to therapy

Osteoarthritis involves damage to the joints and degenerative-dystrophic changes in them. This requires competent and timely treatment. It can include a complex of conservative methods or imply the need for surgical intervention.

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

Medication

One of the main areas of conservative treatment for osteoarthritis is the use of medications. The following drugs are commonly prescribed:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Relieves inflammation, pain and fever.
• Glucocorticosteroids. These drugs also relieve inflammation and pain, but are more effective.
• Pain medications. These include analgesics and some NSAIDs.
• Chondroprotector. Such medicines are used in long courses. They are necessary for the restoration of the affected cartilage structures.
• Muscle relaxants and antispasmodics. These drugs also relieve pain by relieving muscle spasm.
• If osteoarthritis is a consequence of gout, anti-gout medications are needed.
• Vasodilators. Such drugs have a vasodilating effect.
• Tablets are effective in the treatment of arthrosis, for which medical bile and other means are used.
• Vitamin and mineral complexes. They are necessary to activate immunity, normalize material metabolism and metabolic processes, replenish missing elements and assimilate them. Calcium supplements are usually prescribed.

Individual choice of drugs is often wrong. The attending physician must prescribe drugs and determine the features of their use.

Physiotherapy

Various physiotherapeutic procedures are usually included in the treatment of osteoarthritis. 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 osteoarthritis:

• laser therapy- exposure to heat to stimulate regeneration;
• magnetotherapy- increase vascular tone, activate metabolic processes, accelerate recovery, relieve inflammation;
• ozokeritotherapy- heating to improve microcirculation and relieve pain;
• electrophoresis- administration of drugs by means of electric current;
• cryotherapy- exposure to low temperatures to relieve swelling, pain, decrease muscle tone;
• ultrasound- exposure to high frequency sound to improve material metabolism;
• UHF therapy- softening of calcium deposits, normalization of material metabolism, reduction of edema;
• homeosiniatry- the introduction of homeopathic remedies in biologically active points.

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

Massage

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

The massage for osteoarthritis provides the following effects:

• pain relief;
• return to mobility, elimination of stiffness;
• activation of blood circulation and lymphatic flow;
• prevention of muscle atrophy, strengthening of the muscle corset;
• improvement of metabolic processes and tissue trophism.

The characteristics of the massage depend on the joints involved. In any case, such therapy should only be performed by a qualified specialist. Before the massage, he should assess the degree of mobility, the condition of the muscles, identify contractures, ankylosis, sore spots.

The effectiveness of the massage is given by its application to the course. The number of sessions is determined individually. Periodically, massage courses must be repeated - their frequency is also selected on an individual basis.

physical therapy

Physiotherapy is actively used for osteoarthritis. It is necessary to activate blood circulation and metabolic processes, restore joint mobility and strengthen the muscle corset. In the initial stage, physical therapy should be performed under the supervision of an instructor.

In the future you will be able to do gymnastics at home:

• Lie on your back on a solid surface and stretch your legs. Bend one leg at the knee, keeping the foot at a height of 5-10 cm from the floor. Fix in 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 it with your hands to your body. Correct for a few seconds. Then put 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 25-30cm off the floor and stare at it for a few seconds. Return to the starting position. Do 20-30 repetitions on each leg in turn.
• Lie on your stomach. Alternately bend your knees, trying to reach your buttocks with your heels, but without lifting your hips off the floor. Do 20-50 reps for each leg.
• The starting position is the same. Alternately bend your knees, fixing yourself for a few seconds at the extreme point. Do 10 reps for each leg.
• Sit down and straighten your back. Alternatively, bend and straighten your legs, maintaining 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. Correct for 3 seconds and return to the starting position. Do 10 reps for each leg.

Osteoarthritis can affect several joints, so the 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 without problems, sudden movements are excluded. During gymnastics, it is necessary to monitor breathing - it should be calm and measured.

Lifestyle

Treatment of osteoarthritis involves some lifestyle changes:

• If you are overweight, you need to normalize it. This moment is especially important in case of damage to the lower limbs.
• Moderate physical activity. High loads should be excluded, so you should not play professional sports. The best option is physiotherapy exercises and regular walking.
• Attentive attitude to your state of health. Treatment of chronic diseases, periodic intake of vitamin-mineral complexes, preventive examinations by a doctor is necessary.
• The right choice of clothing and footwear. A person shouldn't feel shy. Tight clothing is fraught with stagnation of blood, which is dangerous with osteoarthritis. Women should avoid high heels, shoes should be stable.
• Correct organization of the bed and work area. All furniture should be comfortable. It should provide such a position of the body that does not slow down blood circulation, does not cause limb flow. If you have movement problems, you should equip your home with special handles and handrails.

Diet

With osteoarthritis, it is imperative to follow the correct diet. Features of the diet are individual and depend on many factors.

The general principles of nutrition are as follows:

• Fractional nutrition. You need 5-6 meals a day and the portions should be small.
• Proper metabolism is ensured by a sufficient amount of carbohydrates. Emphasis should be placed on complex carbohydrates: vegetables, fruits, berries, cereals.
• Elimination of simple carbohydrates - sugar, sweets.
• Vegetable fats are needed to accelerate metabolic processes. As for butter, only a natural product is useful.
• To restore cartilage structures, it is useful to use jellied meat, jelly-based jelly.
• To cook, you just have to cook, stew and steam.
• Exclusion from the diet of spicy, salty, fatty and fried foods. Refusal of fatty meat, fast food, corn oil.
• Nutrition should be enriched with milk, cottage cheese, other dairy products and fermented milk products. They should be fat-free or low-fat.
• You need foods rich in zinc and magnesium: liver, fish, nuts, squash, legumes.
• Oranges and peppers are good sources of antioxidants. To relieve inflammation, you need to use pomegranate, pineapple.

Special orthopedic appliances

In the treatment of osteoarthritis, various devices are often used, designed to facilitate the patient's life and reduce the risk of certain complications.

The following constructions are used in orthopedics:

• Cane - used to redistribute the load in case of damage to the lower limbs. It is usually used in the late stages of the disease, as well as after surgery.
• Orthoses - used to fix the joints. This allows you to reduce or adjust the mobility of the joint, gradually increasing it.
• Bandages - are also used to fix joints, an advantage after injuries and operations.
• Corsets are used to fix and straighten the trunk, mainly in cases of hip joint.
• Heel pads: provide cushioning, reduce load.
• Liners for flat feet correction, foot relief.
• Correctors for deformed fingers.
• Silicone protectors to protect deformed fingers.

If osteoarthritis is caused by flat feet, orthopedic shoes and special insoles should be used. Such a measure is also necessary in case of damage to the lower limbs to reduce the risk of complications.

Extension of the joints

This technique is called pulling. It can be manual or hardware. Traction is usually used when the hip or knee joints are affected.

Traction implies application to the course. On average 10-12 sessions are needed. They can be done every day or every other day.

Joint extension is a temporary measure and should be repeated periodically. With osteoarthritis, 2 courses are usually performed per year.

Traditional medicine

The use of traditional medicine is appropriate as an auxiliary direction in treatment.

The following recipes are effective for osteoarthritis:

• Compress with cabbage or horseradish leaves. The selected sheet should be washed or chopped in several places, applied to the affected area, fixed with foil and insulated. It is also effective to pre-soak the leaf in honey. Such a compress should be held for several hours and done several times a day.
• Mixes in equal parts iodine (5%), ammonia (10%), medicinal bile, glycerin and May honey. Mix the ingredients and store 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 a napkin in the composition, apply to the affected area, fix with cellophane and isolate. Do the compress at night until you recover.
• 50 g of dried elecampane root pour half a glass of vodka and leave for 2 weeks in the dark. Rub the sore joints with the resulting product.
• Grind the eggshells into powder, mix with kefir to get a thick mixture. Wrap it in linen and attach it to the affected area, fix it with polyethylene and strengthen it. 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 bottom to top.
• Pour half a liter of water over a handful of rolled oats and boil for 10 minutes. Apply warm to the affected area, secure with foil and isolate. Hold on for an hour.

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

Surgical treatment

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

The surgical treatment of osteoarthritis can be performed in the following ways:

• Arthroplasty- restoration of joint surfaces. The indication may be ankylosis, contractures. Such an operation is possible only in the absence of an acute inflammatory process.
• Arthrotomy- opening the joint to remove a foreign body, endoprosthesis, purulent contents.
• Arthrodesis- ankylosis (joint immobility) is created artificially. The operation can be intra and extra-articular.
• Resection- partial or complete removal of the joint surface and synovium to create immobility within the joint.
• Arthrorisis- create conditions to limit joint mobility.
• Endoprosthesis- placement of an implant for complete or partial replacement of the affected joint.
• Periarticular osteotomy- file the bones and expose them to a certain angle. This measure allows you to shift the center of gravity and redistribute the load.

Osteoarthritis is a serious disease that causes irreversible changes. Adequate treatment must be started as soon as possible. It can be conservative or surgical and involves a number of different measures. The features of therapy are determined for each patient on an individual basis.