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What is joint wear? What are the reasons?
Joints are our most important structures that allow us to move and carry our load. They perform these functions with the cartilage tissue on the bone surfaces. Cartilage has properties that regulate load distribution, reduce friction, and ensure the harmony of joint surfaces. The deterioration of the structure of the cartilage tissue that performs these functions and causing limitation in joint movements is called joint wear. Pain is the oldest known disease that has survived from ancient times to the present day and causes high economic losses due to limitation of movement.
The causes of joint wear are not fully known. It depends on many reasons such as age, genetics, systemic diseases, and joint injuries. In addition, obesity, occupation, previous joint diseases, curvatures of the legs and spine that affect the load on the joints, and decreased muscle strength are also effective in the development of the disease.
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Symptoms of joint wear. What are they?
Although it varies depending on the joint affected by the disease, especially the knee, hip, ankle, waist - spine - and the severity of the disease, the most important symptom is increasing pain during movement and loading. . A feeling of stiffness in the joint, joint stiffness, swelling, noise during joint movements, muscle weakness, limitation of movement and deformity in the joints may be observed. Social and psychological problems may develop in later periods as a result of difficulty in daily activities.
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Treatment of joint wear?
Due to the structural and non-renewable properties of cartilage tissue, nowadays There is no complete treatment that completely cures joint wear, prevents its formation, and stops its progression. Purpose of treatment; The aim is to eliminate pain, improve joint movements, increase the quality of life and slow down the progression of the disease. Non-surgical and surgical methods are used for this.
Non-surgical treatments; weight loss, exercise -muscle strengthening, joint movements-. Physical therapy is in the form of orthopedic - insoles, cane, brace, splint - materials and drug treatment. In drug treatment, painkillers/antirheumatic drugs, supportive Cartilage protectors (glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, collagen, herbal agents), intra-articular injections, PRP used to renew cartilage, stem cell applications.
Surgical treatment includes arthroscopic interventions, cartilage stimulating procedures, bone correction operations and prosthesis.
The most important point in treatment is to use the method specific to the patient and the disease. The cause of joint wear varies depending on many factors such as its degree, location, age of the patient, occupation, expectation, and previous treatments.
What should be done to prevent joint wear?
It is not possible to prevent joint wear, the cause of which is not fully known. However, living a quality life can be achieved by delaying the occurrence of the disease or slowing its progression. The way to do this is to live a healthy life. Proper nutrition, not gaining weight, exercising regularly, strengthening muscles and avoiding movements that strain the joints. There are no drugs that protect or strengthen our cartilages. However, drug-like substances containing some substances found in the cartilage structure can be used as supplements when necessary.
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