Did you feel that it became more difficult to get out of bed in the mornings?.
Sitting behind the desk, with difficulty, straighten your back and knees?.
Well, you are one of many millions.
Sometimes dull, sometimes sharp pain, numb joints - these are all symptoms of osteoarthritis, which sooner or later overtake everyone. Some lucky people feel these symptoms only by the age of 70, most women soon after 50-55, and even earlier. In America alone, about 27 million people suffer from osteoarthritis, and this makes it the most common form of arthritis.
The cause of osteoarthritis is damage to the cartilaginous tissue of the joints, which leads to natural deterioration, genetic predisposition or overweight.
What can you do if you have a disappointing diagnosis? Unfortunately, you will not be able to get rid of the disease, but to make your condition tolerable, you can relax the symptoms if you follow some simple recommendations.
Doctors say that with light or medium forms of osteoarthritis, you are quite able to take control of the development of the disease. They call the three main ways to do this: regular exercise, weight loss and drug treatment with exacerbation. Daily stretching exercises, aerobics and strength exercises twice a week will give the muscles a chance to get stronger. Weight loss will ease the pain and slow the progression of the disease. Include in your diet more fruits and vegetables, lean meat, chicken and fish. Exclude from it semi-finished products and fast food with a high content of fat and sugar. Start a habit of writing down what was eaten. According to the conducted studies, those who keep records of food and exercise, lose weight twice faster and more efficiently than those who do not do it. So, be patient, change the way of life - and osteoarthritis will slightly recede.
However, sooner or later the pain will increase, it will become more difficult to move, and you will think about effective treatment. A single prescription does not exist, because osteoarthritis in different people progresses differently, depending on their physical activity, nutrition, genetic characteristics and weight. The most common medicines for osteoarthritis are sold without a prescription: it's acetaminophen and anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, for example). It is much more preferable to use topical formulations (ointments or gels), since they are safer.
When ingested, these drugs can trigger diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system and liver. Therefore, most doctors recommend oral intake only with exacerbation, for a short time, only up to one or two weeks. If the pain does not decrease, the doctor can prescribe a more radical remedy - injections of steroids, which are done in small batches several times a year. It reduces inflammation and gives temporary relief of the condition: from several weeks to several months.
Sometimes it helps to wear corsets or change shoes to a more comfortable and soft.
Of great importance are physical exercises, especially if they are performed not randomly, but under the supervision of a doctor. Specially selected exercises help to strengthen weakened muscles, and therefore, reduce the load on the joints, which, in turn, reduces pain. Among those types of physical activity that doctors recommend for osteoarthritis, light aerobics, swimming and walking.
Acupuncture and massage also improve the condition of the patient. On their effectiveness, statistics says: patients who have gone through several acupuncture courses, felt a weakening of pain in 40% of cases, as much noted a partial restoration of the functions of the joints.
In the most severe cases, such a method as joint replacement. Unfortunately, although in Western Europe and America such a replacement has become quite a common operation, it still remains a rarity available to a few.
medbe. en.