Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis, is currently one of the most common diseases worldwide and the leading cause of disability. If osteoarthritis is detected early and treated in a timely manner, it can reduce a lot of pain, so be alert when the following four major signs are detected.
Be alert to the four signs of osteoarthritis
Signal 1: Joint pain
It starts as a mild to moderate intermittent dull pain, which occurs during activity and can be relieved after rest. For example, pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis is more prominent when carrying weight or going up and down stairs, while pain in patients with hand osteoarthritis occurs with excessive hand activity. The pain develops slowly and can be persistent in severe cases, or even tear-like or pinprick-like pain, which cannot be relieved even after rest, and often wakes up with pain during sleep at night. Rest pain or night pain is the most obvious feature of the inflammatory phase.
Signal 2: Restriction of joint movement
In the early stage, the pain is often mild and is only felt in the morning after waking up or sitting for a long time. Morning stiffness usually lasts for a few minutes, and rarely exceeds 30 minutes. As the disease progresses, the symptoms gradually worsen and the range of motion of the affected joint decreases until it is fixed in a certain position. In the case of arthritis of the upper extremities, the patient may have difficulty dressing, buttoning, combing hair, carrying dishes, holding a pencil, and performing household tasks. Arthritis in the lower extremities may make it difficult to get up from a chair, stand and walk.
Signal 3: Swollen joints
If you feel that you can’t make a fist, have difficulty squatting, can’t take off a ring, can’t put on a watch, can’t get your hand into an old glove, can’t get your foot into an old shoe, etc., these are all signs of significant joint swelling, and you should go to the hospital for an examination.
Signal 4: Rattling sound when moving
When osteoarthritis develops to a later stage, the bone under the cartilage will be exposed due to degeneration and peeling of the joint cartilage. When the joint moves, the bones under the cartilage at both ends are exposed and make a sound when touching each other.
Principles of joint protection
1. Use larger and stronger joints.
When a joint becomes inflamed, it becomes unstable and more susceptible to injury. When force is used, small joints such as finger joints are more likely to become deformed. Therefore, in daily life, patients should try to use larger and stronger joints, when carrying heavy objects, try to use the arm and elbow joints instead of the fingers, and not only use the fingers for support, but also use the palm of the hand for support.
2. Avoid joints to keep a movement for a long time.
If you do not stand for a long time, sit down at the appropriate time to rest. When sitting, you should often change your sitting position, change the position of your feet, stretch the muscles and bones of your lower limbs, or get up and walk around. Should avoid prolonged flexion of the fingers, such as writing, knitting, typing, repair, should stop from time to time to rest and stretch the fingers.
3, avoid joints in the position of the civil and martial arts, maintain the correct posture.
Whether in sleep, walking or sitting, maintain good posture. When screwing bottle caps, do not just use your fingers to screw, you should add pressure to the palm to screw. When sitting, the knee should not be overly flexed and both feet should be flat on the ground.
4. Pay attention to the pain of the joints.
If you feel joint pain when moving, stop the activity immediately and check whether the activity method is improper. Pay attention to the balance between work and rest, and adjust according to your condition. If arthritis worsens, increase the rest time.
5. Reduce physical exertion at work and in daily life.
If the placement of items at home should be scientific and reasonable, light and infrequently used items should be placed in high places, commonly used items should be placed in places that are within reach, and bulky and infrequently used items should be placed under the cabinet. Arrange the procedure of work. Try to use tools to reduce bending, climbing high and squatting low, and use wheelbarrows to save energy.