How is osteoarthritis treated? 10 therapy approaches

Osteoarthritis involves joint damage and degenerative-dystrophic changes. It requires competent and prompt treatment. This may include a set of conservative methods or involve the need for surgery.

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

Drugs

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

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They relieve inflammation, pain and fever.
• Glucocorticosteroids. These drugs also relieve inflammation and pain, but are more effective.
• Pain medication. These include pain relievers and some NSAIDs.
• Chondroprotectors. These drugs are used as a long course. They are necessary for the restoration of the affected cartilaginous structures.
• Muscle relaxants and antispasmodics. These drugs also relieve pain by eliminating muscle spasms.
• If osteoarthritis is a consequence of gout, anti-gout medications are needed.
• Vasodilators. These drugs have a vasodilator effect.
• compresses are effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis, 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.

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

Physiotherapy

Various physiotherapy procedures are usually included in the treatment of osteoarthritis. They are used as part of conservative treatment and are prescribed after surgery to speed healing and reduce the risk of complications.

The following procedures are effective for osteoarthritis:

• laser therapy- exposure to heat to stimulate regeneration;
• magnetotherapy- increased vascular tone, activation of metabolic processes, acceleration of recovery, relief of inflammation;
• ozokeritotherapy- warming up to improve microcirculation and relieve pain;
• electrophoresis- administration of drugs by means of an 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 proceedings.

Massage

The

massage is used in remission of osteoarthritis or in a subacute period. In acute illness, such treatment is excluded, since the affected joints need complete rest.

Massage for osteoarthritis has the following effects:

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

The characteristics of the massage depend on the joints affected. In any case, such therapy should be carried out exclusively by a qualified specialist. Before the massage, he must assess the degree of mobility, the condition of the muscles, identify contractures, ankylosis, pain points.

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

exercise 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. At the initial stage, exercise 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 firm surface and stretch your legs. Bend one leg at the knee, keeping the foot 5-10 cm from the floor. Fix 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 rest your hands on the body. Correct for a few seconds. Then put your foot on the ground and slowly straighten the limb. Do 10 to 15 repetitions for each leg.
• The starting position is the same. Lift your straightened leg 25-30cm above the floor and fix it for a few seconds. Return to the starting position. Do 20 to 30 repetitions on each leg in turn.
• Lie on your stomach. Bend your knees alternately, trying to reach your buttocks with your heels, but without lifting your hips off the floor. Do 20 to 50 repetitions for each leg.
• The starting position is the same. Bend your knees alternately, fixing yourself for a few seconds at the end point. Do 10 reps for each leg.
• Sit down and straighten your back. Alternately bend and unfold the legs, maintaining a moderate pace. In the future, you will be able to exercise with a small weight.
• The starting position is the same. Lift your leg up to form a right angle. Fix for 3 seconds and return to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions for each leg.

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

All exercises should be performed smoothly, sudden movements are excluded. It is necessary during gymnastics to monitor your breathing - it should be calm and measured.

Lifestyle

Treatment for osteoarthritis involves certain lifestyle changes:

• If you are overweight, you need to normalize it. This moment is particularly important in the event of injury to the lower limbs.
• Moderate physical activity. High loads should be excluded, therefore, you should not engage in professional sports. The best option is physical therapy exercises and regular walking.
• Attitude attentive to your state of health. Treatment of chronic diseases, periodic intake of vitamin-mineral complexes, preventive examinations by a doctor are necessary.
• The right choice of clothes and shoes. A person should not feel shy. Tight clothes are responsible for stagnating blood, which is dangerous with osteoarthritis. Women should avoid high heels, shoes should be stable.
• Correct organization of the sleeping and working place. All furniture should be comfortable. It should provide such a position of the body which does not slow down blood circulation, does not cause limb circulation. If you have problems with movement, you need to equip your house with special handles and handrails.

Diet

With osteoarthritis, it is imperative to follow the right diet. The characteristics 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.
• A good metabolism is ensured by a sufficient amount of carbohydrates. The focus should be on complex carbohydrates - vegetables, fruits, berries, grains.
• Elimination of simple carbohydrates - sugar, candy.
• Vegetable fats are needed to speed up metabolic processes. As for butter, only a natural product is useful.
• To restore cartilage structures, it is useful to use jelly meat, jelly based on gelatin.
• For cooking you should limit yourself to boiling, stewing and steaming.
• Exclusion of spicy, salty, fatty and fried foods from the diet. Refusal of fatty meat, fast food, corn oil.
• Nutrition should be fortified with milk, cottage cheese, other dairy products and fermented milk products. They should be fat free or low in fat.
• You need foods rich in zinc and magnesium - liver, fish, nuts, pumpkin, legumes.
• Oranges and peppers are good sources of antioxidants. To relieve inflammation, you need to use pomegranate, pineapple.

Special orthopedic aids

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

The following constructions are used in orthopedics:

• Cane - used to redistribute load in the event of lower limb damage. It is usually used in the later stages of the disease, as well as after surgery.
• Orthotics - 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 repair joints, benefit after injuries and operations.
• Corsets - used to fix and straighten the trunk, mainly for the hip joints.
• Heel pads - provide cushioning, reduce load.
• Inserts for flat foot 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 injury to the lower extremities to reduce the risk of complications.

Joint extension

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

Pulling involves course application. On average, 10 to 12 sessions are necessary. They can be done daily 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 of treatment.

The following recipes are effective against 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 isolated. It is also effective to pre-soak the leaf in honey. Such a compress should be kept for several hours and performed several times a day.
• Mix equal parts of iodine (5%), ammonia (10%), medical bile, glycerin and May honey. Mix the ingredients and place them 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 towel in the composition, apply to the affected area, fix with cellophane and isolate. Compress at night until you recover.
• 50 g of dried elecampan root pour half a glass of vodka and leave to stand for 2 weeks in the dark. Rub the painful joints with the resulting product.
• Grind the eggshells into powder, mix with kefir to make a thick mixture. Wrap it in linen and tie it to the affected area, secure it with polyethylene and strengthen it. Make the compress every day and keep it for 2. 5 hours.
• Mix equal parts honey with glycerin, alcohol and iodine. Gently apply the mixture with a cotton ball, moving from bottom to top.
• Pour a handful of oatmeal with half a liter of water and boil for 10 minutes. Apply warm to the affected area, secure with foil and isolate. Resist an hour.

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, the development of serious complications and the ineffectiveness of a conservative approach.

Surgical treatment of osteoarthritis can be performed as follows:

• 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, stents, 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 in the joint.
• Arthrorisis- creation of conditions to limit joint mobility.
• Endoprostheses- placement of an implant for the complete or partial replacement of the affected joint.
• Periarticular osteotomy- file the bones and expose them at a certain angle. This measurement allows you to shift the center of gravity and redistribute the load.

Osteoarthritis is a serious disease that causes irreversible changes. It is necessary to start adequate treatment as soon as possible. It can be conservative or surgical and involves a range of different measures. The characteristics of the therapy are determined for each patient on an individual basis.