Among the world's population, joint diseases occupy one of the first places. A large number of people experience pain in the joint tissues and are unable to perform physical work. It's no secret that with age, significant changes occur in the joint system. Often the damage is irreversible. Under no circumstances should the disease be allowed to spread. It is necessary to improve the symptoms of the disease with complex therapies and physiotherapy: in this case the joints begin to function better and the pain disappears.
In medicine, pain in the joint capsule is called "arthralgia". The disease reduces a person's ability to work and prevents them from carrying out household chores at home. Arthralgia is a symptom of many joint diseases. Osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis and trauma cause pain.
Arthralgia is associated with an inflammatory process. Often the pain is accompanied by swelling and redness of the skin. A person suffering from arthralgia feels relief only with complete rest. With joint disease, limbs may become numb and their mobility is often limited. How can you overcome the disease and make your joints function fully and painlessly?
Pharmacological treatment
Complex drug therapy is reduced to the use of external ointments, tablets, antibiotics and pain-relieving injections. Often the doctor prescribes chondroprotective drugs that improve the condition of the cartilage and restore the joint capsule.
The inflammatory process in the joints requires the use of agents that prevent the spread of disorders and degenerative changes in the subchondral tissue. Treatment of the disease depends on its nature. When there is swelling of the joints, the severity of the process can aggravate the swelling of the joint structures. In this case, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive diagnosis to find out the cause of the pain.
Pain syndrome can cause metabolic disorders in ligaments and tendons. In such a situation, calcifications accumulate. Violation of salt deposits leads to pain. Bony growths also cause excruciating pain. They make it difficult for the joint elements to slide and prevent their normal functioning. As a result, the person loses the ability to work.
In the complex treatment of arthrosis and other joint disorders, the following are prescribed:
- Anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs: drugs relieve swelling, eliminate pain and improve the function of the joint capsule. The drugs are used topically: a small amount of the product is applied to the painful area 2-3 times a day.
- Antibiotics are used if the cause of the arthralgia is an infection. The products cannot be used in therapy without a medical prescription. Antibiotics relieve joint inflammation, help fight tumors in rheumatoid arthritis, and prevent joint deformation.
- Cytostatics and steroid hormones are prescribed for the autoimmune process, they act at the site of inflammation and promote recovery.
- Chondroprotectors: prescribed for polyarthritis, osteoarthritis.
- Intra-articular injections: Hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs are injected into the joint cavity.
To eliminate joint pain, various painkillers and anti-inflammatory ointments are used. A drug containing phenylacetic acid derivatives has proven effective in therapy. The ointment is quickly absorbed, its components bind to blood proteins. Apply the ointment to the problem area 3-4 times a day. The drug is used with caution in case of exacerbation of kidney disease. A transdermal patch is used to relieve joint pain. The drug is contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Physiotherapy
For joint pain, treatment with electrophoresis is very common. This physiotherapy technique allows you to eliminate the inflammatory process, pain and improve joint mobility. Electrophoresis helps to prevent the development of complications of the disease and eliminate pathology in the initial stages. The method is gentle and does not have a negative effect on the human body. Electrophoresis is also called iontophoresis. The treatment method is based on the influence of direct current, which ensures the delivery of the necessary medicinal substances to the site of inflammation.
Electrophoresis treatment has a vasodilatory, relaxing and analgesic effect. The method helps to resolve infiltrates and accumulate the drug in the joint tissues. The main indications for electrophoresis are the following joint diseases:
- osteoarthritis of the knees;
- interphalangeal osteoarthritis;
- hip dysplasia;
- damage to elbows and shoulders;
- damage to the ankle joint.
Local administration of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs ensures rapid elimination of the inflammatory process and recovery. UHF exposure stimulates blood flow, improves blood microcirculation and triggers the necessary restoration processes in the joint capsule. The therapy provides excellent pain relief and in some cases completely restores the patient's working capacity. Low intensity exposure to the UHF device helps eliminate free radicals. The technique is often combined with the injection of a vasodilator into the joint. Physiotherapy can increase the period of remission of joint disorders.
Joint therapy should be comprehensive. Physiotherapy procedures also include UV irradiation, therapeutic baths, magnetic therapy and paraffin baths. Electrophoresis can be replaced by ultrasound. Under its action, ions of the drug are quickly delivered to the joint tissue. High-frequency sound waves have a positive effect and improve the metabolism in the joint system.
Magnetotherapy is a physiotherapeutic method for treating joints based on the influence of magnetic vortex flows. Magnetic vortex flows:
- warm up the joint tissues;
- improve the flow of blood and lymph in the joint system;
- stabilize vascular tone;
- relieve inflammation;
- eliminate the pain.
Magnetotherapy has a beneficial effect on the rheological properties of blood masses. Physiotherapy procedures trigger the necessary restorative reactions in the body of a sick person and improve the metabolic process. The method has a small number of contraindications. Physiotherapy cannot be performed in case of cancer, tuberculosis, epilepsy or pregnancy.
Infrared laser therapy is a method that helps improve joint health. Physiotherapy procedures are usually performed daily. At first, their intensity is regulated by a doctor. The laser has a positive effect on the state of the joint system. The method is effective for diseases of the spine, cervical and lumbar region. The laser reduces nerve root sensitivity, which helps reduce pain in the lower back, neck and back.
Massage is also used for osteoarthritis. It helps warm joint tissue and improve blood supply. Various kneading, stroking and rubbing movements are used. Massage stabilizes the tone of the blood vessels of the joint capsule, improves blood supply to the entire ligament system.
The use of radon and hydrogen sulfide baths has a beneficial effect on the painful joint. The procedures help eliminate pain, improve blood supply to the joint and trigger regenerative reactions in the aching body. During the bath, blood circulation in the joint system is normalized.
Ozocerite therapy has become a new step in the treatment of joint pain. The method is based on the impact of ozokerite. This petroleum product contains beneficial essential oils, mud and resins. Substances have a powerful healing effect on diseased joint tissue. Ozokerite has a warming effect and is used in the form of applications on the diseased area of the body. Physiotherapy is a treatment prescribed by your doctor. It must certainly be used in the complete elimination of joint diseases.
Traditional methods
Traditional medicine and herbal medicine are effective helpers in eliminating joint pain. Traditional recipes help to avoid surgery and restore the health of diseased joints. There are several treatment options:
- Treatment with a plant such as cinquefoil helps well. The herb perfectly relieves pain, restores the structure of cartilage and bones, and prevents salt deposition. The treatment uses the dried root of the herb. Take a spoonful of raw material, pour boiling water and leave in a water bath. Take the infusion three times a day after meals. The herb itself is also used in therapy. It is crushed, poured with 150 ml of alcohol and left to infuse for three weeks. The tincture is diluted with drinking water before use. Take the product one tablespoon three times on an empty stomach.
- An ointment can be prepared from the rhizome of the cinquefoil to treat the joints. To do this, crushed vegetable raw materials are seasoned with melted lard. The mixture is heated on the stove, stirring. The herbal remedy is heated for four hours, after which it is cooled. Store the ointment in the refrigerator. Before applying to the problem area of the body, the product is slightly heated.
- Burdock root is also suitable for the treatment of joint pain. They are harvested in the 2nd year of the plant's life. To prevent the root from losing its bioactivity, it is not washed. Before use, the rhizomes are cleaned, crushed and boiled. The broth is covered and left to ferment. Drink 1/3 cup of the product. It can also be used as a compress.
- A mixture based on lemon and celery helps remove harmful substances from the diseased joint and initiates its recovery. Lemon with zest should be scrolled through a meat grinder along with celery roots and leaves. The mixture is left to infuse for seven days, the cake is squeezed and a small amount of honey is added. The resulting product is stored in the refrigerator. The medicine is taken orally in a spoon. The mixture cleans the joint well and regenerates its structural tissues.
- Wash the potatoes in the peel, cut the product into pieces, add water and cook for more than an hour. The decoction is filtered and taken three times a day on an empty stomach for about 2 weeks.
To improve the condition of joint tissues, it is useful for the elderly to eat bran. They remove toxins from the body, purify the lymph and blood. Bran porridge is consumed in the morning on an empty stomach. The course of taking the drug lasts at least 1 month. During this period, the joints are cleansed of harmful toxins and their mobility improves.
A good remedy for the treatment of joints is bay leaf. A decoction is prepared from this dried plant: take about 20 leaves, boil, infuse and take during the day. The product is distributed in multiple doses.
Golden mustache ointment effectively eliminates salt deposits and is used for arthritis and arthrosis. The product is prepared from the juice of the plant, which is squeezed out of the crushed plant. Baby cream or petroleum jelly is added to the vegetable juice. The product is massaged onto the problem part of the body 1-2 times a day. The mass can also be used as a compress. The product is applied to gauze, applied to the sore spot, bandaged and left for about an hour.
Catering
Proper diet plays an important role in the treatment of joint diseases. To improve the condition of cartilaginous tissue, it is useful to consume jellied meat, jelly. These plates help restore synovial fluid and slow the development of arthrosis. Jellied meat contains many useful substances, collagen and proteins. They improve the composition of human cartilage and bones and restore the ligament system. The substances contained in jellied meat prevent the thinning of cartilage and bones, their deformation and the development of the inflammatory process. For the treatment of joint disorders, other dishes containing gelatin are also suitable.
The source of collagen needed for joints is chicken cartilage. Contains useful protein compounds that replenish collagen reserves in the human body. On an empty stomach in the morning you need to consume a spoonful of ground chicken cartilage. The remedy can be washed down with orange nectar. Also, to improve the functioning of the joints, they use this remedy: boil chicken knees for a long time. Drink a decoction of chicken legs in small quantities every day. The broth is diluted with water.
Comprehensive treatment and proper nutrition will help achieve stable remission of joint diseases and long-term relief from pain in the knees, elbows, fingers, back and neck.