Arthritis is one of the most common chronic diseases. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, the two most common being osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Many types of arthritis affect people of all ages, and children are no exception. Of the 355 million people worldwide who suffer from arthritis, 190 million have osteoarthritis and more than 16.5 million have rheumatoid arthritis. In Asia, 1 in 6 people suffer from arthritis. The latest statistics show that the number of people with arthritis in China has exceeded 100 million and is increasing. Arthritis causes pain, swelling, and deformation of the joints, resulting in loss of work and even mobility. It is also known as the “cancer that doesn’t die” because of its tremendous adverse effects on the human body.
The characteristics of common arthritis are as follows.
Osteoarthritis.
Aging, trauma, excessive exercise, etc.
It is most common in the elderly. Pain increases after excessive activity and improves after rest. Late stage joint deformation.
Early oral medication, joint injection of sodium vitrate. Arthroscopic surgery if necessary. Late joint replacement therapy.
Rheumatoid arthritis.
Autoimmune disease (autoantibodies).
Common, swollen and deformed joints, stiffness.
Early oral medication and arthroscopic surgery to remove synovium. Late joint deformation followed by joint replacement.
Gouty arthritis.
Metabolic disease with deposition of uric acid in the joints.
Severe pain during flare-ups. Persistent swelling of the joints. Gout stone crystals.
Controlled diet and medication to lower blood uric acid. Arthroscopic surgery to remove the synovial membrane. Joint replacement after advanced joint deformation.
Septic arthritis.
Bacterial infection.
Swollen and painful joints with elevated temperature.
Antibiotic infusion. Arthroscopic joint cleaning, irrigation. Severe joint destruction may fuse joints.
Tuberculosis arthritis.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
Swollen, painful joints, flowing abscesses, sinus tract formation.
Oral anti-tuberculosis antibiotics. Arthroscopic cleaning, irrigation. Severe joint destruction may fuse joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis.
Hemolytic streptococcal infection.
Occurs after upper respiratory tract infection, swollen and painful joints, may develop myocarditis and heart valve infection.
Antibiotic therapy. The disease is not very destructive to the joints and is severely destructive to the heart (rheumatic heart disease).
Other rare arthritis.
Reactive arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis arthritis, hemophilic arthritis, PVNS (pigmented villous nodular synovitis), etc.
Although arthritis can have a significant impact on the body, its negative effects can be greatly reduced if we manage it early and correctly. Arthritis must be diagnosed and treated early, and if there is pain in the joint, it should be treated promptly. Many people believe that “as long as you can walk, there is no need to go to the hospital. When many patients go to the hospital, they are already in the advanced stages of arthritis and have to undergo joint replacement therapy, suffering both physical pain and financial loss.
How to prevent and treat osteoarthritis.
Also known as age-related arthritis or degenerative arthritis, many older people suffer from osteoarthritis. Does everyone get arthritis when they get older? The answer is no. Osteoarthritis can be prevented.
The following points should be noted to prevent osteoarthritis.
1, change unreasonable exercise: Taijiquan and other half squatting or squatting exercise on the lower limb joints pressure, should be avoided as far as possible. Climbing mountains and buildings, etc. on the lower limb joints increased pressure, should be avoided as far as possible. As you grow older, you should gradually adjust the way you exercise, mainly swimming, cycling and walking, and reduce the amount of exercise.
2, change unreasonable habits: avoid carrying and carrying heavy objects. Avoid standing and walking for a long time, there should be a break in between to sit and rest. Try to sit on the toilet and squat less when you have a bowel movement.
3, avoid joint injuries: pay attention to the safety of sports venues and sports equipment to avoid injury. Warm up before exercise, gradually increase the amount of exercise from small, do not start to participate in the heavy load of exercise. Relax in time after a lot of exercise. The elderly should avoid falling when walking.
4, reduce weight: obese people suffer from osteoarthritis significantly more than others. Reducing weight to reduce pressure and wear on joints can effectively prevent osteoarthritis. “Keep your mouth shut and your legs open”.
5. Correct treatment of joint injuries: Many arthritis is caused by damage to other structures within the joint, such as meniscus damage to the knee. Early and correct treatment of meniscal injuries can effectively prevent the occurrence of osteoarthritis of the knee.
6, joint pain should be treated in a timely manner: joint pain is the alarm issued by the joints to the body, said should be taken seriously. Patients with joint pain should seek medical attention in a timely manner to prevent minor problems from becoming major ones.
Treatment of osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is treated according to different degrees of grading.
1. Lifestyle and exercise adjustments: Reduce joint wear and tear by reducing joint loading. Reduce physical work, walk less, avoid climbing and tai chi, change to cycling or swimming.
2.Oral medication: Oral glucosamine and other drugs to protect joint cartilage can be taken. Oral NSAIDS analgesics can be taken for pain.
3.Local medication in the joint cavity: a small amount of hormone can be applied to close the joint if the swelling is serious. Sodium glass acid can be injected according to the course of treatment.
4.Surgical treatment: the procedures available for osteoarthritis treatment are: flushing, arthroscopic cleaning, joint replacement
Osteoarthritis: mild to moderate.
Simple osteoarthritis: pain and swelling after walking too much, no joint popping and locking. Oral drug therapy, joint cavity drug injection, joint flushing. Combined meniscal damage, free bodies, etc. Pain with short walking, joint popping or locking.
Arthroscopic surgery: Severe. There is joint pain upon walking, joint deformation, and lower limb curvature (rotundity or X-shaped leg). Osteotomy, joint replacement treatment