Treatment of arthrosis includes an integrated approach and a combination of several methods. Most of the treatment tactics consist of the correct prescription of drugs. They can be supplemented with methods of traditional medicine.
Main trends in the modern treatment of arthrosis
After a complete examination, including the establishment of the main and accompanying diagnosis, appropriate treatment of arthrosis begins.
It includes the following methods:
- lifestyle change;
- drug correction;
- physical therapy;
- operation.
The choice of method depends on the stage of the disease and the degree of destruction of the joint structures. First, you need to learn the following rules that will make the treatment more effective:
- Body weight correction;
- Exercise therapy - exercises that remove the static load on the joint;
- Increasing the level of knowledge of pathology among patients;
- The use of additional accessories (joint bandages, insoles, cane or orthosis);
- Physiotherapy.
The diagnosis is carried out by an orthopedic traumatologist. However, other professionals who provide consultations may participate in this process:
- neurologist: consultation is required in case of damage to the intervertebral structures, radicular syndrome, severe back pain due to the disease;
- specialist in infectious diseases: exclusion of infectious nature of joint diseases;
- oncologist: exclusion of malignant neoplasm of bone and joint tissue or metastases in these areas;
- Osteophtisiatrist: rule out the tuberculous nature of the bone lesions.
During the disease, prevention of the complications of the pathology and its progression is carried out. To do this, it is necessary to use orthoses and fixing bandages, monitor body weight, nutrition and regularly visit a doctor. Consultations with a treating specialist are required at least 2 times a year.
The effectiveness of the treatment meets the following criteria:
- Stopping the progression of the disease;
- The new joints are not involved in the pathological process;
- Pain decreases or disappears;
- There are no signs of an inflammatory process;
- The quality of life, motor activity and working capacity improves.
On the contrary, there are features of the course of the disease that require hospitalization and adjustment of recovery tactics:
- constant 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, an increase in size, pain and limitation of movement).
Medicines
The choice of a complex of drugs depends on the stage of the process:
- Stage I - methods of non-drug correction, non-steroidal drugs and drugs that strengthen cartilage tissue;
- Stage II - methods of non-drug correction, non-steroidal drugs and drugs that strengthen cartilage tissue, intra-articular application of maintenance therapy;
- Stage III - methods of non-drug correction, non-steroidal drugs and drugs that strengthen cartilage tissue, intra-articular administration of maintenance therapy, antidepressants;
- Stage IV - radical surgical intervention, including excision of the affected tissue and installation of 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 established courses, the duration of which cannot be violated independently. Even if the condition seems to improve, it is necessary to continue taking the drug, as it tends to accumulate in the body. In the same way, you cannot independently adjust the dose of the drug, neither in the direction of decrease, nor in the direction of increase.
Medicines should be taken at the same time each day. Reception characteristics - according to the instructions. If the patient is being treated for another pathology, the doctor must analyze the combined effect of all drugs and exclude dangerous combinations.
medicines
Let's look at the main groups and examples of drugs.
Examples are given, the attending physician may prescribe other representatives of these drug groups.
- Analgesics.They are used to relieve pain, allowing you to restore range of motion and improve quality of life.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.They reduce joint pain, remove swelling and redness of soft tissues, normalize the temperature of the skin over the joint and restore range of motion.
- Chondroprotectors.They contain elements of animal cartilage tissue, which makes it possible to restore the structure of the joint, periarticular surfaces, ligaments and synovium. Slow the progression of the process and strengthen healthy joints.
- Narcotic analgesic.It is used for emergency relief of severe pain. Duration of reception: once if necessary.
- Derivatives of hyaluronic acid.A viscous implant containing hyaluronic acid is placed 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 involves the use of ointments. In some cases, they alleviate the patient's condition by relieving pain. However, this makes sense only in the first stages of the pathology. The fact is that any medicine that the patient takes orally is absorbed into the blood in the digestive tract and through it acts on the joint tissue. If intravascular administration is used, the effect can be achieved faster and the effect on the mucosa is also eliminated.
Applying the drug in the form of an ointment or gel results in the drug acting only on the skin and a small layer of soft tissue underneath. 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 that improve the condition of soft tissues and reduce sensitivity. This can be an ointment with menthol, camphor, eucalyptus or mint.
Traditional methods of treating arthrosis
Folk remedies include relief of pathological syndromes. Such techniques cannot achieve complete recovery from an illness, they are used in parallel with therapy and physiotherapy procedures. If you take only self-prepared medicines, the disease can progress and the patient will only waste time.
The following drugs have a symptomatic effect:
- Compress of grated horseradish root. It is used daily, within 7-9 days. A film and a warm towel are placed on top of the root pulp. The duration of the compress is 30 minutes;
- Oatmeal compress is used on a similar principle. For this, a creamy paste of flakes is prepared. After the mixture has cooled, it is applied to the joint;
- The honey compress can be left overnight. It is better to use Polish honey;
- A cabbage leaf with a layer of honey is applied to the affected joint. Fix and leave overnight;
- mix chalk powder with thick yogurt. Apply to the joint, wrap with film and top with a warm natural towel. Leave the compress all night.
Diagnosis
Effective treatment of arthrosis is possible with a correct diagnosis. The following methods are used for this:
- clinical diagnosis, which includes the results of the 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.