The correct diagnosis in the treatment of joint diseases in most cases guarantees a successful treatment. However, it is equally important that it is delivered on time: as early as possible.
And this also depends on the patient - the sooner he realizes that it is time to visit the doctor, the better. How to understand that this moment has come, told the orthopedist Pavel Budaev.
- Of course, the main symptom of both inflammatory and degenerative (age-related) joint diseases is pain. It can be aching and constant or sharp, arising during movement or after physical activity, says the doctor. - But if the joints in the early stages let you know about problems with pain, this, in my opinion, is even good: the patient has no choice but to go to the doctor.
More often, the first symptoms of arthritis are not so noticeable. Especially if a person is forced to spend the whole day in one position: few people will pay attention to the periodic crunch in the joint or slight stiffness of movements, which is observed in the morning.
“Similar symptoms at a young age are very often the harbingers of arthritis,” says Budaev. - If the joints are weakened, even a cold can trigger the inflammatory process. No, this does not mean that at the slightest crunch in the knee, you need to rush to the clinic. For a start, it would be good to try changing your lifestyle by adding, say, gymnastics to your daily routine. But if it continues to crunch and pull, consult an orthopedist.
Arthrosis, as a rule, develops at a later age - the risk group includes people from 40–45 years old: with age, the articular cartilage and capsule wear out quite naturally.
- At this age, it is important to pay attention to the appearance of the knees, elbows and carefully monitor their condition. Often, pain is preceded by swelling and discomfort after a long stay in one position. Another important point: meteosensitivity in this case is not an empty phrase. If your joints regularly ache in bad weather, see your doctor.
Osteoarthritis is a consequence of how you handle your joints. Moderate and regular exercise, proper nutrition, massage and prophylaxis will ensure mobility and ease until old age.
- Do not neglect folk methods. My grandmother, I remember, rubbed her joints with infusion of pine cones and needles for prevention. This is an excellent remedy: pine essential oils relieve swelling, relieve pain, - says Budaev. - However, now it is not necessary to go to the forest for this: on the shelves of pharmacies there are gels and ointments based on natural extracts. They are more convenient and fast. The main thing is to carefully read the instructions.
GOODNIGHT!
Good sleep is very important for the health of joints, however, as well as of the whole organism, but this is possible only on a comfortable bed. The modern market in this regard is extremely abundant: thousands of orthopedic mattresses of dozens of degrees of hardness. Meanwhile, there is still an opinion among the people that sleeping on a hard mattress promotes health improvement. However, doctors believe that this is nothing more than a marketing ploy.
“There is no unambiguous recommendation for everyone on what a mattress should be,” says orthopedist Vladimir Merkulov. - Someone is more comfortable sleeping on a board, others - on a feather bed. Therefore, there is only one criterion when choosing a mattress: so that after a full sleep on it, you wake up fresh, rested.