Arthropathy and arthritis are pathological processes in the human body, in which various joints are affected. Due to the similarity of these terms, many people do not know the difference between the two. But in fact, arthritis and joint disease are not the same disease. And they are significantly different. It is important to study their main symptoms so that once they appear, go to the hospital immediately. You also need to know which doctor treats joint disease in order to switch to qualified honey in time. expert.
Do not self-medicate. At the first sign of illness, please see a doctor.
Joint arthropathy is a complex degenerative disease, which is related to the destruction of cartilage tissue in the joint. This pathological process is the most common joint disease in the world. According to the latest statistics, about 80% of the world’s population suffers from this disease. But most people do not have a precise concept of what is arthropathy. For this disease, for a long period of time, the joint ends of bones will undergo various changes and rearrangements, and an inflammatory process will occur. As a result, the tissues around the joints degenerate.
Many people ask the same question-how is arthritis different from joint disease? Arthropathy is a pathology that causes damage to large and small joints. Arthritis is a systemic inflammatory disease. Changes in the body not only affect the joints. The most common diseases in arthritis are the heart and kidneys. If the correct treatment is not carried out, complications and even death may occur.
By the age of 40-50, the likelihood of developing joint disease or arthritis increases significantly. This disease affects women and men alike. This disease occurs in able-bodied people, and recently it has become younger (people over 30 years old suffer from joint disease). Therefore, it is very important to understand what is arthropathy and how to treat this pathology correctly.
reason
Like arthritis, the body can develop arthropathy due to metabolic failure of certain joints. This causes the cartilage tissue to lose its elasticity.
The cartilage located in the joints of the limbs may be destroyed due to hormone disturbances, reduced blood supply to the joints and injuries. In addition, some diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can also cause joint disease.
main reason:
- History of limb injuries;
- Advanced age;
- Severe hypothermia;
- There are inflammatory processes in the large and small joints (arthritis and arthropathy are two concomitant diseases);
- Weight gain. In this case, there will be a constant additional load on the joint;
- Systemic poisoning;
- Frequent SARS, acute respiratory infections and influenza;
- Pathological processes of the thyroid;
- hemophilia;
- Perth disease.
Due to genetic diseases-collagen mutations, dysplasia, arthropathy of the joints may also develop in humans.
symptom
Symptoms of joint disease appear almost immediately. The first sign of the development of the pathological process is severe pain when loading a certain joint. Once the joint rests, the pain will subside. In the medical profession, the symptoms of joint disease are divided into the following groups:
- pain.Severe pain occurs only when performing certain actions. It is located at the affected joint. At night, there is almost no discomfort because the joints are at rest. Pain in a calm state can only be manifested during the progression of joint disease;
- Reduced joint range of motion.This is true for arthropathy and arthritis. In the initial stage of the disease, this symptom does not cause much concern for the patient. But soon the muscles will start to cramp. The gap between the joints will almost completely disappear;
- Crunch.The reason for this is that due to disease, the softness of the bone rotation in the joint is reduced. Its sound is "dry";
- Deformation of the affected joint.This is due to the proliferation of osteophytes. This symptom appeared last. Treatment of joint disease at this stage is the most difficult.
Stage of disease
All these signs of joint disease occur at different stages of disease development. In medical practice, it is divided into three degrees:
- 1 degree arthropathy.The symptoms of joint disease are not obvious. In most cases, mild joint pain occurs when tired or walking for a long time. The body fluids and synovium began to show pathological changes. The most effective treatment for arthropathy is at this stage;
- Second degree joint disease.The joints are destroyed. Osteophyte formation. The pain during exertion and exercise becomes more intense, and the affected joints will hear a characteristic crunching sound;
- Third degree joint disease.This is the most difficult stage in the development of this disease. There are pathological changes in the diseased joints. Inflammation occurs. The patient feels stiffness when moving because the muscles cannot fully contract and perform their functions.
Arthropathy in the third stage of development is extremely difficult to cure. If you find qualified experts, your chances of success will be greater. Many people ask this question-which doctor treats arthropathy? In this case, you need to seek the help of a rheumatologist. This is a stenosis specialist responsible for the treatment of malnutrition and inflammatory diseases of connective tissue and joints, such as arthropathy and arthritis.
complication
If you do not start treating joint disease in the early stages of its development, then this may lead to the following consequences:
- Complete destruction of joints;
- It is almost impossible to perform various sports;
- Herniated disc;
- A person's disability;
- The joint is completely deformed;
- The patient's standard of living will decline.
treatment
Everyone who has the first signs of this disease will ask how to treat joint disease. The simplest method is in the early stages of the development of the pathological process, until the violation becomes irreversible. The essence of treatment measures is to eliminate the root cause of the development of joint disease and eliminate joint inflammation.
The treatment of joint disease should be comprehensive. It includes taking medicines (tablets, mixtures) with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Physical therapy procedures are also required.
Principles of arthropathy treatment:
- Eliminate excessive pressure on joints;
- Treat with anti-inflammatory and analgesic pills. In addition, in the compound therapy, chondroprotective agents are actively used to treat arthropathy;
- physiotherapy;
- Spa treatments;
- Magnetic therapy, electrotherapy, laser therapy, shock wave therapy;
- Intra-articular oxygen therapy;
- Intraosseous block
- Choosing the right nutrition for joint disease is very important.
medical treatement
How to treat joint disease with drugs? This problem is most common among patients. Three groups of drugs are used for treatment:
- Hormonal corticosteroids.Effective for acute joint disease. Introduction-In the joints. In this case, the pills are less effective;
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.They are used to reduce inflammation of the joints and relieve pain. Doctors do not recommend patients to take pills because they will irritate the stomach wall to some extent. Therefore, they are most often injected into a vein or muscle;
- Cartilage protector for arthropathy.They are used to restore cartilage structure. Chondroitin sulfate is the most commonly prescribed because it is very effective. The use of chondroprotective agents for the treatment of joint disease has produced positive results in the first stage of the development of the pathological process.
Folk recipes
Nowadays, most people don't want to take medicine or injections. Therefore, they raised a question-how to use folk remedies to cure arthropathy? In most cases, these funds are designed to increase the tone of the body, improve blood circulation, relieve pain and improve immunity. In the early stages of the development of the pathological process, folk remedies are most effective in treating arthropathy. To treat this disease, use recipes based on the following plants:
- Ginger;
- Longevity flower;
- Celery seeds;
- Castor oil seeds;
- Cinnamon;
- turmeric;
- Horsetail.
Tinctures of bay leaf, horseradish, garlic, and rye grains are also considered effective. If combined with medical treatment, folk remedies will be the most effective way to treat arthropathy.
Nutrition for joint disease
The diet for joint disease has its own characteristics. It is especially important to monitor your diet during the worsening of the disease. Don't overeat, because the weight and load on the affected joints will increase. But you can't sit hungry. Cartilage must receive the required amount of micronutrients.
The arthropathy diet aims to reduce excess weight. Therefore, carbohydrates should be removed from the diet. Sweets, flour, and alcoholic beverages are completely excluded.
Fish dishes can be included in the daily diet. Low-fat varieties should be preferred. The protagonist in the treatment of joint disease is assigned to everyone’s favorite dish-frozen meat. Many doctors recommend it because it is a real joint panacea. It contains all the necessary trace elements. But the most important ingredient in this dish is natural collagen.
The nutrition of joint disease should be regular. It is important to eat in batches. The daily menu should include foods rich in vitamin B, which are necessary for regulating metabolism.
If you insist on dieting to treat joint disease, your overall condition can be significantly improved.
Basic nutritional principles:
- The menu must be fully balanced;
- It is not advisable to eat heavy food at night. You can cause the onset of joint disease;
- If the condition is not in the worsening period, it is better to walk more after meals;
- Food should be a fraction;
- You need to constantly monitor your weight and prevent it from gaining;
- If pills are prescribed, then it is necessary to specify their intake and food consumption (taken before or after meals).
The arthropathy diet not only helps to eliminate the uncomfortable symptoms of the disease, but also helps to improve the condition of the joints.
prevention
Prevention of joint disease starts with proper nutrition. It is necessary to minimize the intake of salt and foods that can disrupt metabolism. These include beans, fat and alcohol. The diet includes cabbage, herbs and fish.
In order to prevent joint disease, be sure to participate in physical education classes and do warm-up exercises. If possible, it is best to walk a few kilometers. It is also important to monitor your weight and prevent weight gain, as this puts extra pressure on the sore joints. It is not recommended to take pills for weight loss because they will disrupt the metabolism in the body.