Arthritis is a general term meaning joint inflammation. Osteoarthritis, which is also called degenerative joint disease, is the most common type of arthritis.

This problem is associated with the breakdown of joint cartilage and occurs in almost every joint of the body, but the most common points are those that bear the most joint weight, such as the hip, knee, and spine.

Osteoarthritis can also affect the fingers, thumb, neck, and big toe. to give Usually, this problem is not common in other joints unless there is a previous injury or excessive pressure.

What factors cause joint destruction?

One of the main causes of degenerative joint disease is frequent use of the joint and heavy weight bearing, which causes fracture or damage to the joint cartilage between the bones. prevent each other.

If the cartilage breaks or wears down, first there is friction in the movement of the joint and the deterioration of the connective tissue between the muscles, joints and bones.

Eventually, the bones move directly against each other, causing friction, inflammation and severe pain along with other symptoms associated with arthritis.

While any joint is susceptible to this disease, the areas of the hips, hands, knees And the back of the leg or the spine are the most common areas where arthritis occurs.

Unfortunately, worn or damaged cartilage does not have the ability to repair itself, unlike other parts of the body, because it does not contain blood vessels.

In rare cases, people with genetic defects have problems in making collagen, which is one of the important components of cartilage. Also, this causes rapid deterioration of the cartilage and the onset of joint destruction or arthritis will be accelerated.

What happens in the disease of joint destruction?

Usually, a smooth and soft layer of cartilage acts as a pad between the bones of the joint. This helps the joint to move more easily.

In some people, with the use of joints, the cartilage is narrowed and the bones rub against each other.

The bones may begin to thicken at the ends of the junction to form the joint. In this case, the pieces of cartilage will loosen and prevent movement. This will cause pain, joint swelling and stiffness.

Read more: Cause Dry joints or stiffness

What are the symptoms of degenerative joint disease?

The most common symptoms are pain, stiffness, swelling and tenderness in the joints. Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease that progresses from stage 0 to stage 4, with stage 4 being the most severe.

In the early stages, rest helps improve the symptoms of the disease. As the disease progresses, the symptoms appear faster and more severe, and medical attention is needed.

Although not all early stages progress to more severe stages, there are symptoms that indicate a visit to a specialist as soon as possible. Among them:

• Formation of bony spurs around the affected joint
• Feeling of rubbing the joint while using it
• Severe joint pain
• Loss of flexibility
• Limited range of motion
• Severe inflammation
• Change in joint shape

Diagnosis of arthritis

The doctor first asks the patient questions about the pain, including whether Does joint pain get worse with activity and better with rest?

He also examines the person to see if he has problems with his joint movement. Then imaging of the joint is prescribed to identify the cause of the pain.

Blood test can also help rule out other forms of arthritis because osteoarthritis is primarily a clinical diagnosis.

The doctor can confidently make the diagnosis based on history and physical examination. Imaging is very important in confirming or rejecting the diagnosis.

Advanced imaging such as CT scan or MRI is rarely needed unless there is doubt in the diagnosis or the doctor doubts another diagnosis such as damage to the meniscus.

Treatment of degenerative joint disease in Shiraz

There are several treatment options for degenerative joint disease of the spine, such as physiotherapy, drug therapy, and injection.

Although these diseases cannot be cured, measures can be taken to reduce symptoms and prevent the disease process.

Some Common treatments used by

Brace is used to stabilize and protect the damaged joint in degenerative joint patients.

Brace is used less in patients with spinal osteoarthritis to prevent excessive bending of the spine and compression of the joints in the spine. This helps reduce pain and reduce the risk of further injury.

Spinal decompression surgery

When the symptoms of degenerative joint disease persist without treatment or severely compromise the patient's mobility, the doctor uses spinal decompression surgery.

Read more: Arthritis treatment in Shiraz (joint arthrosis or osteoarthritis)

Life with degenerative disease Joint

As a long-term disease, degenerative joint disease requires lifestyle changes to reduce symptoms and reduce the impact on the overall quality of life.

For this reason, you should always talk to a specialist doctor to reduce the pressure of the disease with proper diagnosis and treatment.

For

Was the content useful?

Give a star rating