How to slow down the damage caused by arthritis, a joint disease with a chronic and progressive course that can become debilitating and invalidating
What is
Osteoarthritis manifests as diffuse form of joint disease when there is a suffering of the articular cartilage, the tissue that cushions the bones within the joint.
Cartilage is a very special tissue, which works as a shock absorber.
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| Articulation in health | Degenerated joint |
Osteoarthritis can be silent, rather without symptoms or symptomatic
Causes
The cartilage may be injured as a result of aging or wear, but also in response to some diseases such as:
- arthritis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- diabetes
- gout
- metabolic diseases
- situations of misalignment joint (knee valgus or varus)
- outcomes of trauma.
If left untreated it can arrive at that state called “joint failure“, in which the joint is no longer able to perform its function. This leads to disability and functional problems even very serious.
In order to avoid these worse consequences, it is important to identify and treat osteoarthritis as soon as possible, , trying to act mainly on modifiable risk factors, such as bad posture, metabolic problems and obesity.
Spread
Traces of arthritis have been found in people who were still living in the Stone Age.
It is estimated that 10-12% of the population is affected by this disease. It is age-related, often develops after 30-35 years of age and the 90% of people over sixty-five suffer from this disorder. Arthritis occurs in the male population and female with the same frequency, with the exception of osteoarthritis in the hands joints which occurs 10 times more in women. For the women, the pain in the bones begin to be felt already with the arrival of menopause, that is, after 50 years.
Osteoarthritis and work
Many prolonged postural alterations may favor arthritis. Sit several hours a day in front of the computer, with the head and shoulders stiff; being compelled to take forced positions to work as transporters or painters; use vibrating tools: all situations that lead to tighten the muscles and, consequently, to move the joints in forced positions.
Neck pain, often associated with shoulder pain and tingling in the arms, back pain that increases at night, insomnia and indigestion symptoms are often related to stress. This situation can lead to excessive tightening of the muscles and to a stiffening of the column causing the pain.
In these cases it is common to notice a wrong posture and unbalanced use of the muscles; shoulders and neck are stiff and the diaphragm works badly during breathing. This muscle is the main breathing muscle and can become rigid and contracted due to several factors, including concerns and emotional stress. Anatomically the diaphragm is connected not only to the cervical and lumbar spine but also to the abdominal viscera (stomach, intestines, liver, etc..).
The digestive problems and work-related stressors can then lead in time to these conditions of suffering.
Remedies
Care “do-it-yourself” are always not recommended, especially in those cases where the self-made therapy can lead to irreversible consequences.
For the treatment can be used natural remedies, medicines, cures and postural exercises.
Drugs
The drugs used are classified in two categories:
- symptomatic
- acting on the degenerative process
Among the symptomatic, that point to control pain, are analgesics such as paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (fans) and cox-2 inhibitors.
Among the drugs that act on the cartilage degenerative process the best known is the glucosamine sulfate. A study published on the renowned scientific journal Menopause confirms that the daily use of glucosamine sulfate in women with knee osteoarthritis has led to a sharp decrease in the symptoms and objectively slow the progress of damage to the cartilage.
The intake of glucosamine has to be associated with exercise because the cartilage is not vascularized and must reach the cells for “dissemination”. The movement facilitates the way to the synovial fluid (the joint lubricant)
A good source to explore the topic is the site medicinenet.
Exercises
Rehabilitation, which aims to correct the pathological posture and re-start the atrophied muscles, and physical therapy may be a viable alternative to the use of drugs. Even the acupuncture is used to relieve pain and rebalance the muscles.
Every day we can also improve our condition or adopt behaviors that will help to prevent the disease. We can get better simply by controlling our posture or doing simple exercises at home:
Every treatment must be performed by qualified medical personnel. The statements on this website should be construed as a suggestion, so the authors assume no responsibility for the content.
picture: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
1 comment
A bad posture can result in noise, and, with the passing of time, it can also lead to serious conditions such as arthritis.