Osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis or deforming arthrosis (DOA) or deforming arthrosis) is a joint disease in which the articular cartilage is affected in the initial stages, and then the surrounding muscles, ligaments, nerves and bone tissue are involved. pathological process.
Osteoarthritis is a disease that develops for various reasons. These include metabolic disorders, trauma, intoxication, etc.
Patients usually call "arthrosis" any joint disease in which there is pain, limited mobility and other discomfort in the area of one or more joints, which is not always true. Osteoarthritis and related pain develop as a result of "aging" of the joints, due to the influence of various negative factors, however, the causes of joint pain can be infections and injuries, and in these cases we are talking about other pathologies.
Osteoarthritis statistics
Up to 70% of patients at the reception of general practitioners, therapists, neurologists, surgeons, rheumatologists complain of joint pain. These are most often pains in the lower back and in the area of large joints (knee, hip). Worldwide, up to 70% of long-term disability cases are due to osteoarthritis. Quite a lot of patients - up to 10% of those who seek medical help as a result of advanced osteoarthritis receive a disability and need constant help. Osteoarthritis is one of the leading reasons for a person's premature departure from a full-fledged social life, and in statistics it is second only in terms of coronary heart disease.
The probability of developing arthrosis increases with age: in people older than 50 years it occurs in 27% of cases, in older people older than 70 years the prevalence is 97%, which is a consequence of cumulative age load of joints and expiration of their normal functioning.
Causes and development
The main factor in the development of arthrosis is malnutrition of the articular cartilage, which leads to its destruction. It doesn't matter so much why it happens (being overweight, professional sports, work habits, hormonal disorders, congenital joint defects, etc. ), the result is the same:
- begin changes in the articular cartilage that lead to loss of elasticity; microcracks appear in the thickness of the cartilage;
- the blood supply to the joint is disturbed, the production of joint fluid is reduced, the mechanics of the joint are changed;
- then all joint structures, adjacent muscles, nerve endings are involved.
These degenerative disorders lead to the development of symptoms of arthrosis, and the disease "begins" at the moment when a constant mechanical load becomes forbidden for the joint (or joints) and begins the processes of its destruction.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis
Unlike other joint pathologies, arthrosis develops over many years, long-term and unnoticed by humans. By the time the body signals a joint problem with severe pain, the pathological process in it has already begun.
Pain is the main symptom of arthrosis (osteoarthritis), in the initial stages the pain is not very pronounced, weak, more comparable to discomfort. Unpleasant sensations in the joints that occur after the load go away on their own, without any medical or medical intervention, but they quickly become noticeable and limit the person's normal mobility.
Pain can also occur at rest or at the very beginning of movement (so-called "movement"), for example, in the morning after sleeping or after sitting for a long time during the day in one position, passing during movement. It also decreases rapidly with the onset of physical activity. Patients facing joint problems usually say that it is necessary to "stretch the bones", "wake up the joints" to remove the discomfort, which, in general, characterizes this condition quite accurately.
Painful sensations occur not only due to disorders in the work of the joint itself. When all the components of the joint, muscles and nerve endings are involved in the process, the pain becomes varied and excruciating: it "shoots" along the nerve, spreading through the muscle. The blood supply to the joints, nerves, muscles is disturbed, degenerative changes take place in them quickly.
Temporary or permanent limitations of joint mobility (contractures) develop due to serious pathological changes in joint and muscle tissue. For example, in osteoarthritis of the hip joints, the limb is shortened, the pelvis is "curved", and the spine is curved.
Crunching in the joints in the initial stages is almost invisible, but as the disease progresses during movement, it becomes constant. This symptom psychologically worries patients with arthrosis even more than pain, because it indicates serious disorders, aging of the body and especially the musculoskeletal system.
In the later stages of arthrosis, there is a deformation of the joint, which is associated with the loss of all joint surfaces with curvature, bone growth, reduction of the amount of joint fluid and subluxation of the joint.
Phases
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, there are several stages of osteoarthritis.
In the first phase, the pain at rest and with moderate effort is absent, it appears only after a large load (fitness, carrying heavy loads, running) or after a long static position. The person does not experience limitations and difficulties in movement. No drug treatment is required.
In the second stage, the pain is pronounced and constant, it quickly arises under the influence of provoking factors (long walks, physical activity), it does not pass by itself. The patient is limited in movement, the mobility of certain joints is suddenly limited - knees, hips and others. Medical assistance is required, a treatment regimen must be prescribed, including medications and non-medication methods.
In the third phase, the patient has difficulty moving, he needs constant care, and the pain is excruciating. As a rule, surgical treatment (endoprosthetics) and massive physiotherapy are necessary to restore the quality of life.
The symptoms of osteoarthritis appear at a young age and in this case it is necessary not to ignore them, but to consult a doctor. Timely treatment will support normal joint function and prevent rapid disease progression.