With age, the likelihood of developing joint arthrosis increases exponentially. After fifty, pain and unpleasant crunching noises when moving become more and more common, and over time the joint becomes less mobile. If timely measures are not taken, the disease can lead to disability. You should not rely on surgery, as this is a dangerous traumatic intervention in the body with unpredictable consequences. It is much safer to remember basic prevention.
You need to take care of your joints from a young age
What is primary prevention of arthrosis
While you do not yet have arthrosis of the knee joint, shoulder, elbow or ankle, you may well be able to postpone this fate for as long as possible. You shouldn’t put off prevention until “sometime later, after fifty.” Primary measures are necessary already in childhood, adolescence and adolescence. Do them yourself and teach your children:
- do not allow excess weight, especially if there is a predisposition to it in the family, as this will put additional stress on the joints;
- Do gymnastics and stretching regularly;
- watch your posture - scoliosis negatively affects the condition of other parts of the musculoskeletal system;
- wear comfortable shoes made of quality materials;
- avoid traumatic situations, move, observing the basic laws of body biomechanics;
- do not forget about hardening and general strengthening measures - they increase the body’s defenses;
- beware of hypothermia - they have an extremely negative effect on the condition of the joints;
- do not ignore alarming signs in the body’s functioning - do not hesitate to consult with doctors.
Taking care of your health is a habit that needs to be developed from an early age.
Prevention of rheumatoid arthritis: diet
A balanced diet is very important in preventing arthritis. For example, experts recommend eating fatty fish that contains omega 3 acids (helps relieve inflammation and eliminate joint pain). You can replace fatty fish by regularly taking fish oil. It is also recommended to add more cottage cheese, cheese, milk, vegetables and fruits to your diet. Calcium is very important for joint health, so it is worth taking it regularly. It will be useful to add calcium-rich foods to your daily diet: salmon, broccoli, spinach, tofu, sesame, etc. If a sufficient amount of vitamins does not enter the body with food, then the deficiency can be filled by taking vitamin complexes. You only need to take vitamins in a comprehensive manner, since, for example, taking calcium alone will not help in any way, since it either will not be absorbed by the body, or in the worst case, it will settle on the joints in the form of salts. Vitamins C and D are especially important for joint health. For example, vitamin D has been shown to prevent the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.
It is recommended to drink as much fluid as possible. One of the causes of the disease is considered to be cartilage pathology. Since cartilage tissue is 70% water, arthritis can be prevented by drinking at least 2 liters of water daily. It is worth remembering that coffee, tea and sweet drinks, although they contain water, still have a diuretic property, so their consumption does not replenish, but rather reduces water reserves in the body. It is imperative to monitor your weight, since extra pounds are considered one of the provoking factors in the development of arthritis. The ankles, knees and hips, which bear a significant portion of the weight bearing, are very susceptible to osteoarthritis. Research shows that excess weight significantly worsens the regenerative properties of cartilage tissue. Moreover, if cartilage tissue deteriorates much faster than it is restored, this leads to arthritis.
What is secondary prevention
If you have already been prescribed treatment for osteoarthritis, this does not mean that you need to resign yourself to the disease. In such a situation, prevention is no less important than before diagnosis. After all, this is the only way you can stop the progression of the disease.
The most effective methods of secondary prevention include the following:
- Reducing the load on the damaged joint.
With degenerative changes in cartilage tissue, physical activity must be present, but it must be dosed. Properly selected gymnastics for arthrosis improves blood circulation in the joint, develops periarticular muscles and prevents the deterioration of the general condition. But overstraining a joint is very harmful.
- Sports activities.
For arthrosis, orthopedists recommend swimming, cycling, and doing race walking, especially Nordic walking. Also shown are water aerobics, Pilates, stretching, and skiing. If you choose a swimming pool, skip the breaststroke. Regular running and team sports – basketball, volleyball, football – are also dangerous. You should not engage in athletics, weightlifting, or gymnastics.
With the help of simple exercises you can delay the process of destruction of cartilage tissue in the knee joint as much as possible:
- A new look at life.
Sometimes the usual way of life has to be changed to prevent the progression of arthrosis. For example, for those whose work involves frequent squatting, prolonged standing, or climbing stairs, it is better to reconsider their type of activity. When walking up the stairs, you need to train yourself to hold on to the handrail, especially downwards, since these are the movements that create the maximum load on the joints.
Sometimes arthrosis forces you to give up your favorite job
- Comfortable shoes.
Even if your ankle joints are fine and your hip joints are suffering, still pay attention to your shoes. It should have soft, comfortable insoles, ideally made to order. Avoid stilettos and high heels and choose models with stable soles. Use a long spoon when putting on.
- Proper nutrition.
Despite the fact that orthopedists recommend losing weight if you have arthrosis, it is strictly forbidden to fast. Cartilage tissue needs a regular supply of a full range of vitamins and microelements. The menu should include chicken, turkey or rabbit meat, sea fish, eggs, vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, carrots), lettuce, kefir and yogurt. It is advisable to regularly consume nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, bananas and avocados, and add flaxseed, olive, and mustard oil to your dishes.
Joints suffer from spicy and salty foods
When should you see a doctor?
Arthritis is a very dangerous disease that cannot be neglected, since five years after its onset the risk of disability reaches 40%. New tissues and joints are involved in the pathological process, which leads to damage to the entire body. Therefore, it is extremely important to notice the symptoms of arthritis early and prevent its worsening.
The most important symptoms of the disease, after detection of which you should consult a doctor, are:
- pain in the joints that intensifies with movement;
- inflammation of the mucous membranes.
- a feeling of stiffness after waking up, which can last until noon, a feeling of stiffness in the joints;
- general weakness;
- increased fatigue;
- sudden weight loss;
- redness and swelling of the joints;
- increased body temperature;
- the appearance of rashes on the skin.
Often, at the very beginning of arthritis, discomfort appears while walking. However, over time, attacks of pain intensify and can occur even during sleep. In such cases, the sleeper usually wakes up in pain.
It is very important not to miss the initial stage of arthritis, since only in this case there is a chance to prevent serious complications that are caused by joint destruction. It is impossible to completely restore a damaged joint, but you can stop the pathological process and prevent it from affecting the entire body.
What preventative devices to use
Today there are many devices that make life much easier for people with coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis and other joint pathologies. These include bandages, knee pads, and canes. In addition, do not be lazy to equip your apartment for convenience and safety, especially if osteoarthritis in your case has already become deforming:
- get footstools in the rooms;
- equip the toilet and bathroom with special handrails;
- make the toilet seat higher to make sitting and standing up easier;
- if you have arthrosis of the hand, elbow or shoulder, think about how to make self-care easier (for example, change buttons on clothes to Velcro, wear pants with an elastic waistband);
- If you work on a computer, purchase a special elbow support device.
Such handrails in the bathroom make life much easier for people with arthrosis
Treatment of arthrosis
Treatment of arthrosis involves:
- Taking painkillers (analgesics);
- Taking anti-inflammatory drugs;
- The stage of restoration of cartilage tissue is taking medications containing chondroprotectors. To achieve results, you must take medications according to an individually selected regimen for several months!;
- Physiotherapy (electrophoresis, acupuncture, relaxing massage, magnetic therapy). It should be remembered that physiotherapy is carried out only during the period of remission;
- Courses of intra-articular injections.
Preventive physical education and massage
With osteoarthritis, it is important to exercise correctly so as not to cause harm. Start your workout with warming up and relaxing exercises. Then do stretching and strength exercises, but avoid sudden movements. All actions must be neat and smooth, and must be done systematically.
The specialist will tell you what massage movements will help support the joint. Massage is relevant for large joints surrounded by large muscle groups. The main rule is not to massage the capsule of the damaged joint. Ideally, it is better to entrust this event to a specialist, but it is hardly worth refusing such prevention. A well-executed massage relaxes spastic muscles and improves lymphatic drainage.
Another effective therapeutic and prophylactic agent is intra-articular injections of the Noltrex synovial fluid prosthesis. The drug stops friction of damaged cartilage surfaces and postpones their further destruction by a year and a half. Subsequently, you can take another course and thus protect your joints from degenerative changes.
It's never too late to take care of your joints. Do this as long as nothing bothers you. Take care of them if they are already damaged. And remember that with arthrosis the main thing is to maintain a positive attitude, move and look confidently into the future!
The most important thing about arthritis
With arthritis, things are even more complicated and serious. Medicine knows dozens of types of arthritis with different manifestations and causes (rheumatoid, gouty, reactive, etc.). This disease is most often triggered by an infection, a malfunction of the immune system, or a metabolic disorder. It is quite easy to distinguish arthritis from arthrosis - its main symptom is the inflammatory process in the area of the affected joint. It can be recognized by redness of the skin, increased temperature in this area, and the appearance of swelling.
Another important difference between arthritis and arthrosis is that the disease can spread to other organs and systems. The heart, liver, and kidneys are at risk. And yet, unlike arthrosis, arthritis usually develops at a young age - up to 45 years.
Arthritis symptoms
The disease can be hidden until symptoms are triggered by factors such as stress, infection, hypothermia or overwork.
The first signs of arthritis:
- sharp pain with movement and rest;
- constant or periodically occurring swelling in the area of the affected joint;
- increased temperature in the affected area recognizable by touch;
- redness of the skin over the joint;
- stiffness of movement in the morning.
These symptoms may be aggravated by manifestations of the inflammatory process:
- elevated body temperature (38-39 degrees);
- changes in blood parameters;
- loss of strength;
- pain when urinating;
- chills;
- conjunctivitis.
The severity and progression of disease manifestations vary. But if the problem is ignored, arthritis sooner or later develops into a chronic form, causing disturbances in the functioning of internal organs, modification and limitation of joint mobility. According to World Health Organization statistics, arthritis accounts for 18% of disabilities.
How do diseases differ?
A disease such as arthrosis is age-related. Over time, the integrity is compromised and degenerative disorders of cartilage tissue appear. It is impossible to cure arthrosis, just as it is impossible to stop the aging process. Arthrosis is a chronic disease that occurs in waves: an acute attack is followed by a period of remission.
If you do not seek medical help, arthritis can greatly ruin your life: joint mobility will decrease, and you will be haunted by constant pain. In particularly severe cases, the disease can lead to disability. Therefore, do not delay going to the doctor, make an appointment on time. Our clinic’s specialists will help slow down irreversible changes and maximize the youth and health of your joints.
As for arthritis , it is an inflammatory disease that can affect one or more joints, adjacent tissues, ligaments and muscles. It is often a concomitant symptom of other diseases or joint injuries. The disease is treatable, especially if it is started on time. The peculiarity of arthritis is that it can spread to other joints and tissues, and also become chronic. In some cases, the disease develops gradually, in others it develops quickly and abruptly.
To cure arthritis, you first need to determine its root cause. To do this, our doctors conduct a full examination. Based on the results obtained, you will be prescribed complex therapy that will help you cope with the disease.