Doctors of different specialties agree that the diseases of the musculoskeletal system are not only widespread in the world’s population, but also “getting younger” every year, and it’s not uncommon to meet young people aged 25-30 suffering from osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis can occur in large joints , such as the knee or hip , and can begin in the small joints of the fingers. It can also happen in the intervertebral joints of the spine, giving out symptoms of osteochondrosis of the spine in its various departments.
The development of this pathology begins gradually, and over time the symptoms increase.
Symptoms of Osteoarthrosis
- Morning stiffness in the joint
- Difficulty driving
- Joint pain , more often with movement, radiating to neighboring parts of the body
- Joint crackle and crackle when moving
- Looseness and unstable movements in the joint
What happens with osteoarthritis
- the cartilaginous tissue of the joint is thinning, cracks and erosion appear on it
- cartilage loses its functions: depreciation, support and protection
- inflammation and swelling appear in the joint capsule
- bone growths are formed along the edge of the bone – osteophytes
- the nutrition of cartilage cells is disrupted, which leads to the destruction and formation of fragments
- the joint cavity is injured by these fragments, which provokes its jamming during movement
- the amount decreases and the composition of the synovial fluid changes
- the joint gap between the surfaces first decreases, then practically disappears, movements become almost impossible
- destruction of the adjacent part of the bones
How to distinguish pain in osteoarthritis and how it is characteristic
- Pain of a mechanical type. They arise during movements, especially with a load, intensify in the evening, subside in a dream.
- Pain starting. Make themselves felt at the beginning of the movement.
- The pain is blockade. Jamming of the joint. This is due to free cartilage fragments getting on the joint surface when they form when cartilage is destroyed. The blockade passes after movement, when a fragment of cartilage is removed from the sliding surface.
- The pains are nocturnal. Occur due to stagnation of venous blood in the spongy substance of the adjacent bone. Disappear in the morning with the onset of activity.
- Constant pain. This indicates the presence of synovitis. It is accompanied by swelling, redness, restriction of movement.
- Pain when the weather changes.
Arthrosis of the joints is provoked by a number of factors:
- age (usually after 45 years);
- gender (women get sick 2 times more often than men);
- lack of estrogen (female sex hormone);
- injuries
- professional, sports, domestic loads;
- overweight and obesity;
- hereditary predisposition;
- connective tissue weakness;
- infections.
In the approach to the treatment of arthrosis of the joints, it is important to consider both the selection of drugs and the correction of factors aggravating the disease. It is necessary to monitor body weight, eat right, regularly allocate time for physiotherapy exercises, deal with the correction of concomitant diseases and responsibly approach rehabilitation, following all the recommendations of doctors.
The information provided does not replace the advice of a doctor. For a diagnosis, please consult a specialist.