Osteoarthritis is a common chronic disease with more than one hundred types, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and frozen shoulder disease. Among them, osteoarthritis can develop in any joint and is one of the most common causes of disability in adults.
I. Recognizing osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a common chronic disease with more than one hundred types, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and frozen shoulder disease. Among them, osteoarthritis can develop in any joint and is one of the most common causes of disability in adults. Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis, is a condition that results in joint pain, swelling, stiffness and severely restricted joint movement due to the destruction of joint cartilage. According to statistics, there are about 190 million people with osteoarthritis worldwide. 50% of people over the age of 50 have osteoarthritis, and 90% of women and 80% of men over the age of 65 have osteoarthritis, and the number is constantly increasing.
Second, why osteoarthritis occurs.
In the past, it was thought that osteoarthritis was a lesion caused by the degeneration of joint cartilage as we age, just as car tires can rupture after years of overuse. In fact, not only that, but the occurrence of osteoarthritis also involves abnormalities in the metabolism of bone and cartilage, the real cause of which has not yet been clarified. However, it has been shown that overloading of the joints is the most important risk factor for osteoarthritis. Under normal conditions, articular cartilage covers the bone surface and acts as a cushion to cushion the joints from vibrational stress during movement, reducing friction and allowing the joints to move freely. When a joint is overactive or weighted, worn or torn, it can cause damage to the cartilage, causing its smooth surface to become rough and uneven.
Our body tries to repair the damage by growing new bone tissue, but because this new bone tissue often grows in the form of spurs (bone growths), it can cause painful joint movement and thicken or deform the bone ends, narrowing the spaces between the joints and causing pain, swelling, joint weakness and limited movement. Other risk factors for osteoarthritis include being overweight (obese), multiple joint injuries, joint infections or other diseases, frequent weight bearing (e.g., lifting or bending), and a family history of osteoarthritis.
Third, how to identify osteoarthritis.
The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis manifest as
Pain, swelling.
In the early stages, there is only slight swelling and pain in the joint, which can gradually worsen later. The pain is usually more pronounced in the early morning or when the joint is in a certain position for too long, but it is reduced after a little activity; if there is too much activity, the pain can be aggravated by the friction of the joint. The pain is sometimes related to the weather and may increase with each sudden change in weather.
Stiffness.
When changing position after sitting or standing for a long time, the stiffness of the joint becomes more pronounced, and the symptoms will disappear only after a period of slow recovery. Some patients can even hear “creaking” and friction sounds when moving their joints. In advanced stages of the disease, the joints are severely damaged and can only be bent stiffly.
Osteoarthritis can develop in any joint, and joints with high activity or weight bearing, such as the neck, hands, knees, shoulders and elbows, are most prone to wear and tear and degeneration of joint cartilage, and are therefore more susceptible to arthritis, with the following characteristics.
1. Knee arthritis.
The human body is most likely to get osteoarthritis is the knee joint. Knee arthritis often involves both knees, localized stiffness, pain, swelling, warmth and other symptoms, whether walking, going up and down stairs, getting up, sitting down will feel pain, even bathing will be difficult. If left untreated, the joint becomes unstable due to frequent excessive strain on the ligaments of the knee joint, and eventually the knee joint becomes deformed, which can lead to bowed legs and even disability.
2. Spondyloarthritis.
Cervical 5, 6 and lumbar 3, 4 as the prevalent sites, this is due to degeneration and relaxation of the vertebral body, intervertebral discs and surrounding ligaments, degenerative protrusion of the intervertebral discs, osteophytes on the anterior and posterior edges of the vertebral body, and degeneration of small synapses. Therefore, cervical and vertebral arthritis is often caused by local osteophytes that compress the nerves in the area, causing pain, weakness, numbness and tingling in the upper or lower extremities.
3. Shoulder and elbow arthritis.
Long-term or once engaged in a certain intensity of physical labor in the middle-aged and elderly are more likely to suffer from shoulder and elbow arthritis, which is due to the frequent use of upper limb lifting or weight-bearing, such as household chores, extracting heavy objects, wiping doors and windows, lifting furniture, etc., easy to make the shoulder and elbow joints by wear and tear. If you often feel numbness and pain in your upper extremities, you may not be able to use your strength, or even find that your joints are not very flexible during outdoor activities.
If you experience a variety of sounds, such as creaking, crunching, or rubbing, you may be suffering from shoulder or elbow arthritis. Sometimes, acute attacks of shoulder arthritis are characterized by a constant dull pain in the shoulder, which becomes sharp and intense when you move your upper arm, especially when you lift your arm over your head, and the pain increases at night, even affecting your sleep.
4. Finger arthritis.
Osteoarthritis also often involves the small joints that move frequently, especially the joints of the fingers. Osteoarthritis of the fingers has a certain degree of family heredity. The majority of female patients are postmenopausal women. In the distal finger joints, a small bony bump called a “Hippodrome nodule” may appear. A similar nodule, called a “Bouchard’s node,” may appear in the proximal finger joints. As a result, the fingers become thick and bony, with numbness or pain and stiffness.
IV. How to treat osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis often brings unbearable pain and much inconvenience to patients, but there is no complete medical cure for arthritis. If it is detected and diagnosed early and treated with appropriate medication and active self-protection as early as possible, the development of the disease can be slowed down and joint function can be preserved to the maximum, so that the patient can continue to lead a normal life.
(i) Medication.
The main drugs used for the treatment of osteoarthritis are non-steroidal analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics and proprietary Chinese medicines.
1, proprietary Chinese medicine.
The main role of proprietary Chinese medicines is to invigorate blood circulation and remove blood stasis, but the physical fall, Chinese herbs do not have anti-inflammatory effects. If it is a topical oil, rubbing agent, wound ointment, in the use of often easy to dirty clothes, cause skin allergies, drug penetration will also be somewhat limited.
2.Analgesics.
3.Non-steroidal analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Since the patient site has an inflammatory reaction, simple analgesics can not lift the inflammatory symptoms, therefore, the first choice of drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which have rapid analgesia, swelling and anti-inflammatory effects.
(1) oral non-steroidal analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs: such as aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. These oral drugs have a common disadvantage, that is, more or less there are gastrointestinal side effects, direct damage to the gastric mucosa, and in individual cases, can even cause ulcers and bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The choice of topical non-steroidal analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs, there is no need to worry about harming the stomach and intestines, which is a blessing for patients with chronic osteoarthritis.
(2) Topical non-steroidal analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs a fotarine emulsion fotarine emulsion is the active ingredient of diclofenac. Diclofenac can inhibit pain factors (such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes) by inhibiting cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, and thus has strong analgesic, anti-swelling, anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic functions. Since the emulsion form is used, it combines the dual characteristics of lipophilic and hydrophilic of emulsion and gel, therefore, it can make the effective ingredients penetrate the skin quickly and reach the affected area directly, so as to reduce inflammation and analgesia in time.
4.Physical therapy.
Ultrashort wave physiotherapy or heat therapy helps to reduce the pain and swelling of the joints during acute attacks, thus improving the mobility of the joints.
5.Surgical treatment.
If joint degeneration causes severe pain or impaired mobility, surgery is required if necessary. Surgery can smooth out the rough surface of the bone joint and orthopaedically shape the deformed bone. Artificial joint replacement is feasible for severe patients.
V. How to self-protection.
1, adhere to self-exercise.
Osteoarthritis patients are encouraged to participate in exercise. Moderate, regular exercise not only makes the muscles around the joints more powerful, so that the joints get stronger support, but also relaxes the tense muscles and relieves the pain caused by muscle tension. Exercise is also beneficial in maintaining the mobility of the joints to avoid stiffness and loss of function.
However, it should be noted that: the acute attack period should not exercise, rest is the main; exercise intensity should be moderate, in order not to cause joint pain as the limit; should choose to increase joint flexibility, stretch and strengthen the muscle strength of the exercise program, such as swimming, walking, bicycling, etc.; exercise process to prevent the joint to withstand inappropriate stress and violence.
2.Lifestyle changes.
Such as weight control through diet control. Obesity increases the weight of the knee joint and is one of the risk factors for osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
3. Avoid overuse of joints.
Daily life should pay attention to avoid overuse of joints, such as try to share the load (use two hands to carry heavy objects), use large joints, (such as when pushing the door, try to use the shoulder instead of the hand), and maintain good posture when standing.
4. Pay attention to the protection of diseased joints.
The diseased joints should be properly protected from further injury or over-activity. If necessary, a brace can be used to reduce the burden on the joint. If the pain in the shoulder or elbow joint is severe, a triangular scarf can be used to suspend the affected limb, and local hot compresses can also help relieve pain and promote recovery.
5. Use of assistive devices.
These devices can enhance the independence of patients in daily life, so that they do not have to rely on others everywhere due to joint pain and restricted activities, such as canes, walkers and other assistive devices.