Arthropathies of the hip, shoulder, knee, and ankle joints are diseases that occur due to wear and tear of cartilage tissue and deformation of bones.In this case, the patient feels pain of varying intensity (depending on the form of the disease).As a result, the disease causes problems with motor function, partial or complete immobility, and disability.It is important to determine if the joint can heal without surgery.
Definition of lesion
Knee problems are most common in women; there are many reasons why they can occur.Older people are more likely to develop knee arthritis than other people.
If joint treatment is not started promptly, the bones that form the joint can be exposed and damaged.In this case, no surgical intervention is possible.When the first unpleasant symptoms appear, it is important to seek help from a doctor as soon as possible.It does not completely eliminate the joint, but it helps slow down the knee deformation process and halts degeneration.Early identification of lesions and development of appropriate treatment plans will help avoid negative consequences and early disabling states.
What are the common causes of knee arthritis?Can this disease be cured?The main reasons include:
- flatfoot.
- Venous disease.
- Diabetes and other pathologies associated with metabolic disorders.In this case, it is difficult to eliminate joint disease, since not all medications and physical therapy can be used.
- Being overweight – People with weight problems are more likely to develop joint disease than people of a normal weight.
- Puberty – This is when a person’s metabolism and hormonal levels change, leading to degenerative processes.
- Pregnancy - at this time, a woman gains weight, so the load on the knee part increases significantly.Hormone levels are disrupted, leading to the appearance of knee arthropathy.
- Physical changes are related to the age of the patient.
- Suffer some damage.Approximately 30% of knee arthritis occurs as a result of injury.Injury causes changes in the normal structure of the tissue, initiating the destructive process.
- The calves undergo regular physical activity, but the body has not yet adapted.
- The beginning of the inflammatory process in the body.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Cramps in the thigh musculature.
This disease can be cured only by contacting a treating specialist.In this case, it is forbidden to initiate any treatment on your own.Only a specialist can prescribe effective treatments, including physical therapy and medication.
Precautions
Even before potential illnesses appear, it's important to remember preventive measures.Arthropathy can be divided into two types.The first occurs due to disruptions in metabolic processes in the body and characteristics of the patient's age.
The second type occurs due to injury or infection.To prevent the second type of joint disease, it is important to avoid possible injuries, bruises and fractures.This applies to a greater extent to those involved in any sport or dance.For these people, the disorder often becomes career-oriented and prevents them from doing the things they love.This also applies to children who are very active and careless on the street; they must act carefully to avoid dangerous injuries.
The main factor that helps avoid the development of arthrosis in a deformed knee joint is mobility.The best way to prevent joint disease is moderate exercise.This is particularly important for people whose work activities involve primarily sedentary work.It is important to remember that in this case we are talking about moderate loads on different joints.
main stages of disease
Osteoarthritis can be divided into four distinct stages depending on its progression.The later the stage, the more difficult the process of treatment and symptom relief:
- In the first stage, symptoms are mild, but the tissue destruction process has spread rapidly;
- Cartilage continues to be destroyed, resulting in reduced mobility in the leg joints and severe pain;
- In this case, the cartilage tissue becomes thinner and the bones that form the joint begin to actively grow and become damaged;
- In the final stages of the disease's development, the cartilage is almost completely destroyed, bone deformations lead to changes in the axis of the affected limb, while the joints cease to respond to the pressure exerted on them, and the leg at the knee completely loses its mobility.
Grade 1 knee arthritis can be diagnosed by short-term pain that occurs when a person walks.No obvious deformity was found during examination, and radiography did not provide the necessary information about the condition of the joint to make an accurate diagnosis.
If the disease is detected in time and appropriate treatment is initiated, the process of cartilage tissue destruction can be completely stopped and the affected area can even be restored.
Can second-degree joint disease be cured?Treatment of the second stage 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 tissue, but you can keep it intact.
Can third degree joint disease be cured?When arthrosis reaches the third stage of development, attempts to slow down the destructive process and bone damage usually do not bring results, and the disease quickly acquires the fourth stage of development (it is for this reason that some experts distinguish only three stages of development of this disease).
If there are severe changes in the joint structure, a prosthesis may be needed; this surgical correction method is called endoprosthesis.
In some cases, surgical intervention is also used in the second stage of knee arthrosis.In this case, minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery is performed to remove dead tissue and damaged cartilage fragments through a small incision.With the help of this surgery, the range of motion increases, pain symptoms and inflammation disappear.But we must remember that the treatment does not end there.This surgery will help relieve years of uncomfortable symptoms of the disease.
carry out treatment
Is it possible to cure knee arthritis?Treatment of any disease can be carried out in three main areas:
- Etiological – Eliminate the underlying cause of the disease;
- Symptomatic - relief of main symptoms;
- Pathogenesis - Intervention in disease progression.
In order to carry out effective treatment or at least prevent the development of arthropathy, it is important to:
- Activates blood supply processes and improves tissue condition;
- Compensate for a lack or excess of enzymes in the body;
- Provides the body with everything it needs to regenerate cartilage tissue;
- Restores the volume and composition of synovial fluid.
Many physical therapy procedures and topical creams can improve the nutrition of tissues and normalize their blood supply.During electrophoresis, tissue may become saturated with special enzymes.But the main way to treat this type of disease is to take chondroprotectants.In recent years, hyaluronic acid injections have been mainly used to treat arthropathy.Biological treatments are considered more aggressive.
Use of chondroprotectants
Is it possible to completely cure joint disease?For complete treatment, chondroprotectants are suitable - drugs containing natural components of cartilage tissue or their synthetic analogues, which lead to the synthesis of certain components or inhibit their breakdown.
Chondroprotectants come in the following forms:
- Oral tablets, capsules, and powders;
- Solution for intramuscular injection;
- Special ointments for external use.
Topical drugs should be used as auxiliary treatment in comprehensive treatment.
Can joint deformity be cured?First of all, you need to consider the characteristics of chondroprotectant treatment:
- Many chondroprotectants help eliminate severe pain and inflammation, but this is not the main benefit of taking them; for symptomatic treatment, it is better to use more affordable NSAIDs;
- Therapeutic measures bring about special effects in the first and second stages of disease development, when the cartilage has not yet been destroyed to an extreme state;
- During treatment, a long-term, systematic course of medication is important; after each course, you need to take a break; a course of treatment consists of 6 months, so treatment lasts for several years.
If a patient is prone to knee arthropathy, he should start taking chondroprotectants as a precaution before the first signs of the disease appear.Chondroprotectants cannot be called a panacea because they protect cartilage but do not restore its condition.It's much easier to prevent arthritis than to start treating it after the fact.
Main treatment difficulties
Is it possible to permanently cure joint disease?The main difficulty in treatment is that no drugs have been developed to date that can permanently and completely eliminate joints.But it's important to remember that there are quite effective comprehensive treatments that can help eliminate pain and slow the progression of the disease.
hip osteoarthritis
Arthropathy of the hip is a degenerative dystrophic process in which the cartilaginous structures covering the surface of the femoral head as well as the acetabulum are damaged.To keep the cartilage in good condition, it's important to determine if the joint in your hip can heal.
drug treatment
There are many ways to treat this disease.In most cases, a treating professional will prescribe a comprehensive package of many treatments.
Is it possible to cure hip arthritis?For grade 1 and 2 arthropathy, medical treatment is allowed.The most effective drugs in this case are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, vasodilators, which improve blood supply to the joints, relax the muscles and help eliminate spasms.
Chondroprotectants are also used to help protect cartilage tissue.In the first and second stages of the development of lesions, experts allow the use of topical medications: patches, ointments, ointments and gels - they stimulate normal blood circulation.
It is important to remember that without effective and prompt treatment, hip arthritis may cause ankylosis.Ankylosing is complete fusion of the femur and pelvis.In this case, the leg completely loses joint mobility.
ankle arthritis
Can ankle arthritis be cured?Before treating your ankle, it's important to get an accurate diagnosis.In most cases, doctors can make an accurate diagnosis by examining the patient's feet or taking X-rays.
Depending on the stage of development of the disease, experts will choose the most appropriate treatment.Even before seeing a specialist, the patient must significantly reduce the load on the affected joint and avoid hypothermia and overload.The doctor prescribes a comprehensive treatment plan for the patient: physiotherapy, balneotherapy, painkillers and drugs to promote blood circulation.
Additionally, ankle treatment can be performed on a hospital outpatient basis with a prescription for NSAIDs.Treatment may be difficult if the patient is obese.It is important for such patients to eat correctly not only during treatment but also after treatment.
gymnastics exercises
Ankle gymnastics are allowed only after the main symptoms of the disease have completely disappeared.A set of foot exercises and loads should be developed with a treating professional.
Any gymnastics exercises during arthropathy should strain the ligaments and muscles in the joints without overloading the joints themselves, which can be very dangerous.
Is it possible to cure joint disease?Gymnastics classes for treating joint disease do not require patients to spend money, purchase medications or expensive equipment, but patients must be patient and diligent to complete the classes accurately.
shoulder problems
Some injuries may cause inflammation or degenerative processes in the joints.The most common causes of shoulder joint disease are:
- The shoulder joint is subjected to severe physical stress during work, causing active wear and tear of its components;
- shoulder injuries;
- Shoulder joint dysplasia;
- changes in hormone production;
- Problems with the blood supply of joint tissues, leading to the occurrence of vascular lesions;
- Cartilage wears away naturally, which is typical of older people.
An inflammatory process is common in this condition, accompanied by painful symptoms.The causes of this damage vary; they may be related to injury, infection, or destruction of certain systems in the body.
In most cases, the onset of arthritis requires additional external influences: stress, hypothermia, organ infection, open wound infection, immune response to infection.
When determining a disease, doctors focus on the extent of the disease, the patient's chief complaint, and the results of multiple tests.The main diagnostic measure is a biochemical blood test, which helps confirm the presence of inflammation and, in some cases, determine its nature.
Another important study is X-rays, which help determine the location of joint deformities in their early stages.
Can shoulder arthritis be cured?In the presence of first-degree arthropathy, only conservative treatment is used.Surgery is only necessary in cases of complex forms of the disease.
Basic methods of conservative treatment:
- taking medication;
- Treated using traditional methods;
- physical therapy measures;
- resort sanitation;
- massage;
- acupuncture;
- physical therapy;
- Special diet.
Before starting treatment, it is important to give the damaged joint a complete rest, which is easier to do if the joint is widespread in the shoulder area.The simplest treatment is considered to be during the first stages of the disease, when the scar has not yet changed and the tissue still retains its ability to regenerate.
However, in the presence of this form of damage, unpleasant sensations are usually not strongly expressed and the pain is mild, so the patient does not seek help from a doctor until very late.In the future, after treatment is completed, patients must also follow a gentle treatment regimen.