Osteoarthritis is a pathology that occurs in a joint due to the destruction of the cartilage tissue that covers the heads of the bones entering the joint. Osteoarthritis can develop in the joints of the limbs and spine; the disease particularly often affects the knee joint (gonarthrosis) and the hip joint (coxarthrosis).
It is also important to understand what osteoarthritis is, so as not to aggravate the development of the disease due to incorrectly taken measures.
Causes of Osteoarthritis
Basically, the causes of osteoarthritis of the joint are associated with the aging of the cartilage cells, so in most cases osteoarthritis is diagnosed in older people. Excessive stress also leads to premature aging of the joint. Athletes and people who constantly do heavy physical work are also at risk.
In addition, the causes that led to osteoarthritis are often linked to inadequate nutrition in the joint or a slowed metabolism in it. This can be the result of a joint injury or impaired blood flow to the periarticular tissue.
The destruction of cartilage tissue can also provoke a disease such as psoriasis, in which case doctors observe a certain form of psoriatic osteoarthritis: the skin of the diseased joint is covered with plaques of psoriasis, the skin becomes grayish.
A protracted inflammation (arthritis of the joint) can lead to osteoarthritis of the joints, a persistent inflammatory process in the joint without appropriate treatment threatens a complicated form of deforming osteoarthritis.
Obesity can also be the cause of the development of the disease, because the more body weight, the greater the constant stress on the joints.
Studies have also shown that one genetic factor is sufficient for osteoarthritis to occur. For example, osteoarthritis of the interphalangeal joints of the hands is 10 times more common in women.
Symptoms
Common symptoms that indicate the occurrence of osteoarthritis of the joints are pain syndrome and stiffness of movement.
The pain syndrome with osteoarthritis, in most cases, occurs at the time of loading the joint, and at rest the discomfort disappears. Pain can also occur with sudden movements or twists, while they are short-lived and only recur with the next awkward movement. These signs of osteoarthritis are reason enough to see a doctor immediately.
In advanced stages, the pain syndrome can become permanent. Over time, symptoms such as a crunch in the joints and a feeling of muscle tension around the joint may also appear. Rashes in the joint area characterize psoriatic osteoarthritis.
Types of osteoarthritis
Depending on which joint was affected which part of the body, osteoarthritis is:
- Hip joint;
- Knee joints;
- Hands;
- Spine;
- stop.
Psoriatic osteoarthritis mainly affects the knees and wrists.
There are four stages of osteoarthritis, the fourth stage is also known as deforming osteoarthritis. When pathological changes in the joint become irreversible, the joint itself is practically destroyed and no longer fulfills its functions.
If the pathology has affected several joints at the same time, polyarthrosis is diagnosed.
Psoriatic osteoarthritis is diagnosed when the usual osteoarthritis symptoms are complemented by specific skin rashes.
diagnosis
It is almost impossible to make the correct diagnosis, and even more so to prescribe adequate treatment on your own. The most likely way would be to see a doctor. Modern diagnostic methods allow the specialist to apply the most optimal direction of treatment.
The most important types of diagnosis
- X-ray: The picture shows the degree of joint deformation;
- Laboratory tests: confirmation of the presence of a pathological process in the joint will be an increased ESR in the blood;
- Analysis of the synovial fluid and histological examination of the synovium: allows the doctor to determine the presence of pathological formations in the joint.
The doctor must also examine and feel the affected joint. A visual examination will therefore show signs of psoriatic osteoarthritis. Only an integrated approach to examining test results can give a true picture of the disease and confirm the diagnosis.
Onset and course of illness
The onset of osteoarthritis usually goes unnoticed by the patient, the pain in the first stages of the disease is barely noticeable and does not raise any major concerns. The first thing that patients usually feel after a long period of rest is discomfort, for example brief joint stiffness in the morning. Over time, the relationship between physical activity and joint pain will be understood. Mild pain on exertion begins to increase. In later stages, pain can also be a nuisance at night when you are resting. Pain sensations in osteoarthritis differ in their frequency, intensify in phases of exacerbation, they may not occur at all in phases of remission.
Most patients go to the doctor if they already have a very pronounced pain syndrome and movement restrictions that make a normal life impossible. The advanced stage of osteoarthritis is also indicated by symptoms such as lameness and subluxation of the joints, the appearance of which is associated with the presence of large deformities in the joint and the breakdown of cartilage tissue.
treatment
The earlier therapy is started, the greater the chance that the joint will be fully functional again, although modern medicine does not speak of the complete disappearance of the disease. The main factors in treating osteoarthritis are its complexity and consistency. The doctor must take into account many different factors: the stage of the disease, the peculiarities of the clinical picture, the causes of its occurrence and the impairment of the function of the musculoskeletal system. If acute osteoarthritis is diagnosed, treatment begins with the appointment of pain reliever drugs.
The treatment takes place in three stages:
- Relief of the joint.
- Relief from synovitis.
- Rehabilitation and prevention measures aimed at slowing down the further development of the disease.
In each case, an individual approach is required. Medicines have a different effectiveness on every organism, and the tolerability and side effects of such drugs must also be taken into account. In many cases, the disease develops against the background of an infection that is already present in the body. With psoriatic osteoarthritis, measures are taken to eliminate the psoriasis.