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What you need to know about arthritis and arthrosis during the cold season: causes, symptoms and treatment
Cold damp weather is a test for patients diagnosed with arthritis and arthrosis. These diseases are often confused, but their essence and causes are different.
Arthritis and arthrosis: causes, symptoms and treatments
Traumatologist-orthopedist, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics of the Russian University of Friendship
Arthritis
The reasons: inflammatory process associated with the presence of infection, impaired functioning of the immune system, allergic reactions. Young and middle-aged people are more often affected. Additional risk factors are hereditary predisposition, smoking, unhealthy diet.
Symptoms: acute pain, swelling, sometimes redness of the joint, increased body temperature.
Which doctor to contact: therapist, rheumatologist, surgeon. It is important to identify the cause of the disease.
Treatment: self-medication is contraindicated!
Medication prescribed by a physician, rheumatologist or surgeon.
Diet with restriction of fatty, salty, spicy foods.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy.
Arthrosis
The reasons: a degenerative process that begins against the background of deterioration of the cartilage, can be a consequence of arthritis or occur after an injury. Elderly people suffer more often.
Symptoms: develops gradually, at the initial stage, symptoms may be absent (even during the period when there are already changes on the x-ray). Pain occurs when moving, as the articular cartilage wears out.
Which doctor to contact: orthopedic traumatologist. The treatment is life-long. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the higher the chances of success.
Treatment
Weight loss, exercise therapy, physiotherapy.
Hyaluronic acid injections (with minor changes in the state of the cartilage). The effect lasts for 6-12 months after the course of injections.
Procedures with the introduction of stem cells are effective. Two forms of administration are used. In the first case, platelet-rich plasma is used. The second option is to obtain stem cells from the patient’s adipose tissue. They are injected into the affected joint. The cells work as agents that suppress inflammation and also promote regenerative processes in the joint.
Good to know: the effect of the use of oral chondroprotectors in the treatment of arthrosis is doubtful. The formation of new cartilage after their use does not occur. According to research, these drugs either do not work at all, or their positive effect is negligible.
General rules
Helps prevent degenerative joint changes moderate physical activity… It improves blood circulation and therefore nutrition of the joint. This, in turn, helps to slow the progression of degenerative cartilage changes. But if with arthritis during the period of remission there are no restrictions in sports, then patients with arthrosis should exclude training with shock load on the joints, for example, basketball, volleyball. Better to give preference swimming (with a significant load on the muscles, the joints are not overstrained), yoga, Nordic walking. In case of knee joint disease, cycling on flat terrain is useful, but in case of problems with the hip joints, such training should be excluded.