Degeneration of the joints (osteoarthritis) affects a large part of the population. The cause often lies in obesity, lack of exercise or its repetitive repetition, as well as communication and sports injuries. In some countries, this disease affects over 20 percent. the population of people over the age of 40.
Osteoarthritiscan occur in any joint that has hyaline cartilage. The most common changes concern the joints of the lower limbs subjected to the greatest stress - hip and knee. Their load is significantly influenced by the patient's body weight. Excess weight between the ages of twenty and twenty-nine may lead to degenerative changes in the joints after the age of fifty. The problem is serious because the disease process affects muscles, the joint capsulo-ligament apparatus, articular surfaces, the subcartilage layer of the bone, and often also adjacent joints.
Osteoarthritis: methods of treatment of osteoarthritis
In the treatment of degenerative changes in joints, apart from invasive methods, a wide range of non-surgical methods are used. The most common methods of reducing the symptoms of degeneration and improving the quality of life of patients include pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, rehabilitation and weight reduction, as well as the use of various types of prostheses or orthopedic devices. Analgesic treatment aims not only to eliminate or minimize pain, but also to reduce reflex muscle tension by reducing it. When, in addition to pain, there is swelling, exudation or increased heat of the joint, there are indications for the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They should be applied with caution to people with a history of peptic ulcer disease, kidney disease, arterial hypertension and blood coagulation disorders. Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in turn, are an important but dangerous weapon in the fight against degenerative disease. These are hormonal preparations with a very strong anti-inflammatory effect, depending on the method of local or general administration. Contraindications to the use of this method are acute infectious conditions, gastric ulcer disease, severe osteoporosis, mental disorders, renal failure, glaucoma and diabetes.
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