What kind of disease is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis (joint calcification) is the most common joint disease. It causes deterioration, wear, thinning and even loss of the structure of the joint cartilage. In addition, as a result of changes in the bone tissue under the joint cartilage, bone growths and protrusions develop at the joint edge. As a result, osteoarthritis is a disease that disrupts the normal structure of the joints, causing movement restrictions and pain.
What Causes Osteoarthritis?
Two important factors play an important role in the development of osteoarthritis. :
1. Congenital or acquired disorders in structures such as joint cartilage, bones and ligaments, which absorb and distribute the load on the joints in a balanced manner and enable the joints to make the desired movement comfortably.
2. As with the increase in body weight, Change in the normal working conditions of the joints due to loads or occupational reasons.
What are the factors that facilitate the development of osteoarthritis?
Age. Osteoarthritis is a disease of middle and older ages. It is very rare to be seen before the age of forty. The incidence of the disease increases with age. For example, approximately three-quarters of seventy-year-olds have signs of osteoarthritis.
Heredity. It is known that osteoarthritis develops much more frequently and at earlier ages in some families. The contribution of heredity is particularly evident in the type known as "nodular osteoarthritis", which causes swelling in the finger joints.
Gender. Osteoarthritis of the knees and hands is more common in women. Hip joint osteoarthritis is seen equally in men and women.
Weight. Overweight and obesity increase the load on the joints, especially knee osteoarthritis. It increases the possibility of developing arthritis. Additionally, weight gain in people with osteoarthritis may cause symptoms to occur or increase.
Structural disorders in the joints. Structural disorders in the joints that are congenital (for example, hip dislocation, incompatibilities between the hip joint and its socket) or that develop later due to reasons such as accident, trauma, disease, disrupt the functioning of the joint and increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis.
Joint diseases. Osteoarthritis may occur without any other accompanying disease, or it may develop due to structural disorders in the joints, especially those caused by inflammatory diseases of the joints ("secondary osteoarthritis").
Overuse of the joints. Overuse of certain joints due to occupational reasons or lifestyle increases the risk of osteoarthritis.
In Which Joints Does Osteoarthritis Occur?
Osteoarthritis is most common in the knee, hip, It is seen in the finger joints, big toes and spine.
Knee osteoarthritis is especially common in women and the probability of occurrence increases with increasing weight (obesity). It usually affects both knees.
Hip osteoarthritis is as common in men as in women. Congenital hip joint incompatibilities (such as congenital hip dislocation), acquired diseases of the hip joint, and certain occupations (for example, farming) are among the risk factors for hip osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis seen in the fingers, especially in the extreme joints and at the base of the thumb, causes joint swelling due to bone protrusions. may cause. For this reason, it is known as "nodular osteoarthritis". Although they are usually painful, red and swollen when they first appear, after a while the redness and pain subside and the general First of all, they do not cause deformity and movement disorders to the extent of disrupting finger functions.
Osteoarthritis seen in the big toe causes the big toe to curve outwards and/or almost complete loss of movements. When it first appears, redness may be observed along with pain and swelling, such as nodules on the hand, and it may be mistakenly thought that gout disease has developed.
Osteoarthritis can also be seen in the neck and waist, which are the most mobile areas of the spine. It may cause complaints due to bone protrusions narrowing the nerve canals or spinal cord cavity.
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
Patients most commonly experience restriction in the movements of the joints that develop osteoarthritis. and they complain of pain. The joint may appear swollen due to bony protrusions. Cracking may be heard in the joint during movement. There may be periods of exacerbation in which the symptoms increase, as well as long periods without complaints.
Pain is usually observed during movement or later in the day, while complaints are relieved with rest. After a long rest or when moving from a sitting position, there may be a short-term stiffness in movements. This condition improves within minutes as you move. As the disorders and wear in the articular cartilage progress, pain may occur during rest and movements may be restricted to the extent of disrupting daily life functions. Weakness and weakness are noted in the muscles adjacent to the joint with osteoarthritis. Muscle cramps may also be observed.
How is Osteoarthritis Diagnosed?
Swellings due to bone protrusions developing in certain joints, restriction during movement and feeling of coarse crackling (crepitation) These are very useful findings for the physician to diagnose osteoarthritis. ir. Taking x-rays of the joints is also very helpful in diagnosing osteoarthritis. However, the presence of osteoarthritis findings on x-rays does not necessarily mean that there will be various complaints in that joint or does not predict the severity of the complaints.
There is no blood test that diagnoses osteoarthritis. However, some blood tests, especially those that show the absence of a serious inflammatory response in the body, are helpful in distinguishing osteoarthritis from other rheumatic diseases.v
How is Osteoarthritis Treated?
Osteoarthritis The main purposes of treatment are to relieve pain, correct the limitation in movement, help carry out daily life activities smoothly and prevent the progression of the disease.
There is no treatment that provides complete recovery of osteoarthritis. It is not possible to renew worn cartilage tissue.
Reducing body weight to the ideal weight, reducing the load on the joints and increasing muscle strength with regular exercises is very beneficial. It is very important to distribute daily tasks and recommended exercises evenly throughout the day.
For joint pain, first of all, simple painkillers are used, and if there is no adequate response to these, non-cortisone anti-inflammatory rheumatism drugs are used.
Joint painkillers. During periods of exacerbation when fluid increases, cortisone injections into the joint may be tried. The benefits of administering fluids similar to synovial fluid into the joint (lubricating the joint!) or oral medications containing some nutrients found in cartilage are controversial. In appropriate cases, hot and/or cold applications also provide a pain-relieving effect.
Osteoarthritis causes severe destruction in the joint. When the joint becomes unable to perform even its daily needs, this joint may need to be replaced with a prosthesis using surgical methods. Joint prostheses (artificial joints) can both eliminate pain and significantly improve joint movements.
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