Osteoarthritis (osteoarthrosis or deforming osteoarthrosis (DOA), or deforming osteoarthritis)- The articulations disease, in which the articular cartilage is affected in the initial stages, then the muscles, ligaments, nerves and bone tissue, are included in the pathological process.
Arthrosis is a disease that develops due to various causes.These include metabolic disorders, injuries, poisoning, etc.
Patients generally call "osteoarthritis" any joint disease in which pain, mobility restrictions and other unpleasant sensations in the area of one or more joints are observed, which is not always true.Osteoarthritis and pain associated with it develop as a result of the "aging" of the joints, due to the effects of several negative factors, however, the causes of joint pain can be both infection and injuries, and in these cases we are talking about other pathologies.
Statistics
Up to 70% of patients with the appointment of a general practitioner, therapist, neurologist, surgeon, rheumatologist who complain of joint pain.Most of the time, these are pain in the lower back and in the large joint area (knee, hip).Worldwide, and in Russia in particular, up to 70% of cases of long -term disability for work fall into osteoarthritis.There are many patients, up to 10% of those who have consisted with the doctor as a result of advanced osteoarthritis that receive disability and need constant assistance.Arthosis is one of the main reasons for the premature departure of a person of a complete social life, in statistics it is overcome by coronary heart disease.
The probability of developing osteoarthritis increases with age: in people over 50, it occurs in 27% of cases, in people over 70 years, the prevalence is 97%, due to the financed load related to age in the joints and the expiration of its normal operation.
Causes and development
The main factor in the development of osteoarthritis is a violation of the nutrition of the articular cartilage, which leads to its destruction.It is not as important, as a result of which this happens (great excess weight, professional sport, work characteristics, hormonal disorders, congenital joint defects, etc.), the result is the same: the result:
- In the articular cartilage, changes begin, which lead to a loss of elasticity;In the thickness of the cartilage, microcks appear;
- The blood supply is altered to the joint, the production of articular fluid is reduced, the mechanics of the joint changes;
- Then, all joint structures, adjacent muscles and nerve endings are involved.
Degenerative listed disorders lead to the development of symptoms of osteoarthritis, and the disease "begins" at the time when constant mechanical load becomes transcendental for the joint (or joints) and triggers the processes of its destruction.
Symptoms
Unlike other joint pathologies, osteoarthritis has been developing for many years, for a long time and imperceptibly for humans.At the time the body indicates the problem in the joint with severe pain, the pathological process has already been launched.
Pain is the main symptom of osteoarthritis (osteoarthrosis), in the initial stages of pain not very expressed, weak, more comparable to discomfort.Unpleasant sensations in the joints occur after the load is made independently, without any medical or medicinal intervention, but they quickly become tangible and limit habitual human mobility.
The pain can occur at rest or at the beginning of the movement (the "starting"), for example, in the morning after sleep or after a long session during the day in a position, when they move, they pass.Arthrosis is also characterized by a night rest, which also decreases rapidly with the beginning of motor activity.Patients found by joint problems generally say that to eliminate unpleasant sensations, "knead the bones", "awaken the joints", which, in general, characterizes this condition quite precisely.
Pain arises not only due to articulation disorders itself.When all components of the joint, muscles and nerve endings are involved in the process, pain becomes diverse and painful: "shoot" along the nerve that extends through the muscle.The blood supply to the joints, the nerves, the muscles is disturbed, the degenerative changes occur rapidly in them.
Temporary or constant restrictions on joint mobility (contracture) are developed due to serious pathological changes in joint and muscle tissues.For example, with the osteoarthritis of the hip joints, the shortening of the limb, the "bias" of the pelvis and the curvature of the spine is produced.
The crunch in the joints in the initial stages is almost invisible, but as the disease develops when it moves, it becomes constant.This symptom refers psychologically to patients with osteoarthritis even more than pain, since it indicates serious disorders, aging of the body and the musculoskeletal system in particular.
In the posterior stages of osteoarthritis, the articulation is deformed, which is associated with the loss with the curvature of all joint surfaces, bone growth, a decrease in the amount of joint fluid and a subluxation of the joint.
Stages
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, several stages of osteoarthrosis are distinguished.
In the first stage, there are no resting pains and during the moderate load, they appear only after a high load (physical aptitude, weight transfer, race) or after a long static position.A person does not experience restrictions and difficulties in movement.No pharmacological treatment is required.
In the second stage of pain, pronounced and constant, they arise quickly under the influence of provocative factors (prolonged walking, physical activity), they do not pass on their own.The patient is limited in motion, the mobility of certain joints: knee, hip and others is very limited.Medical assistance is required, a treatment regime must be prescribed, including medications and methods that are not funds.
In the third stage, the patient moves with difficulty, needs constant attention, painful pain.As a general rule, surgical treatment (endoprotés) and massive physiotherapy are necessary to restore the quality of life.
The symptoms of osteoarthritis already appear at an early age, and in this case it is necessary not to ignore them, but to consult a doctor.The prescribed treatment will timely support the normal function of the joints and help to avoid the rapid progress of the disease.