In addition to weight control and avoiding overuse of the joints, it is important to actively treat and improve the symptoms of discomfort to avoid endless problems.
When the weather suddenly becomes wet, cold and windy, many sad faces appear in orthopedic clinics, complaining of joint pain, back pain and even sleep disruption after the weather change, asking for help in treating “rheumatic” diseases.
At the end of the human skeleton is covered with cartilage, and there is a thin layer of lubricating fluid in the joint cavity to protect the bones and cartilage from wear and tear. The causes include: congenital defects in the cartilage; long-term activities and frequent weight-bearing and knee-bending, which put excessive pressure on the joints and damage the cartilage; age, race, genetics, occupation and obesity; and previous injuries to the joints or other diseases.
In general, people over 50 years of age, those who use their joints excessively, those who are obese, or those who have had injuries or fractures, are the most likely to have degenerative arthritis.
Consider receiving treatment if the following symptoms occur.
1. Knee pain, stiffness, “popping” sounds, muscle weakness, and difficulty standing up.
2. Swelling and fluid in the knee joint, with limited range of motion.
3. Deformation of the joint, inability to squat and kneel, difficulty in walking up and down stairs.
Just as car parts wear out over time, degenerative arthritis is related to overuse and aging. Generally speaking, about 15% of men and 25% of women aged 60 have degenerative arthritis (redness, swelling, inflammation, and pain). The most common sites are knees, finger joints, hips, cervical spine and lumbar spine in order of prevalence. Some patients misunderstand degeneration as osteoporosis and take calcium pills, which is incorrect. Degenerative arthritis is a very different disease from what is known medically as rheumatoid arthritis and gout arthritis.
Once the causes of degenerative arthritis are understood, prevention and maintenance focuses on “avoiding overuse” and “weight control”.
Other treatment principles include
1, ice: when the acute attack, joint swelling, water, ice can be applied to reduce swelling and pain.
2.Heat: When chronic pain.
3, hydrotherapy: can relieve pain and joint stiffness, hydrotherapy with water exercise, the effect is better.
4.Exercise: walking or swimming can improve local blood circulation and muscle and joint stiffness.
5.Medication: Prana pain, non-steroidal painkillers (NSAID), chondrogenic drugs, intra-articular injections, etc.
6.Wearing braces or using aids.
7.Orthopedic shock wave therapy (ESWT ).
8.Surgery: Arthroscopic debridement, joint reorganization, high tibial, osteotomy, joint replacement, joint fixation and other methods.
Arthritis is a “progressive” disease. Early detection and early treatment can slow down the deterioration of the disease and improve the quality of life by minimizing joint pain and preventing the joint from deteriorating further.