Among the world's population, joint diseases occupy one of the first places. A very large number of people experience pain in joint tissues and are unable to perform physical labor. It is no secret that significant changes occur in the joint apparatus with age. 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 therapy and physiotherapy - in this case, the joints begin to function better, and the pain goes away.
In medicine, pain in the joint capsule is called "arthralgia". The disease reduces a person’s ability to work and prevents them from doing 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, the limbs may go numb, and their mobility is often constrained. How can you overcome the disease and make your joints function fully and painlessly?
Drug treatment
Complex drug therapy comes down to the use of external ointments, tablets, antibiotics, and pain-relieving injections. Often, the doctor prescribes chondroprotective medications that improve the condition of 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, you need to undergo a full 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. Infringement of salt deposits leads to pain. Bone growths also cause excruciating pain. They make it difficult for the elements of the joint to slide and prevent it from functioning normally. As a result, the person loses his ability to work.
In the complex treatment of arthrosis and other joint ailments, the following are prescribed:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics - medications relieve swelling, eliminate pain, and improve the functionality 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 arthralgia is infection. The products cannot be used in treatment without medical prescription. Antibiotics relieve inflammation in the joint, help fight tumors in rheumatoid arthritis, and prevent joint deformation.
- Cytostatics and steroid hormones are prescribed for the autoimmune process, 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 itself well 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 diseases. A transdermal patch is used to relieve joint pain. The drug is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation.
Physiotherapy
For joint pain, treatment with electrophoresis is widespread. This physiotherapeutic technique allows you to eliminate the inflammatory process, pain, and improve joint mobility. Electrophoresis helps prevent the development of complications of the disease and eliminate pathology in the early 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.
Treatment with electrophoresis has a vasodilating, 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:
- arthrosis of the knees;
- interphalangeal osteoarthritis;
- hip dysplasia;
- damage to the 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, enhances 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 ability to work. 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 ailments.
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, drug ions are quickly delivered to the joint tissue. High-frequency sound waves have a positive effect and enhance metabolism in the joint apparatus.
Magnetotherapy is a physiotherapeutic method of treating joints based on the influence of vortex magnetic flows. Magnetic vortex flows:
- warm up joint tissues;
- improve the flow of blood and lymph in the joint apparatus;
- stabilize vascular tone;
- relieve inflammation;
- eliminate 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 if there is a tumor, tuberculosis, epilepsy, or pregnancy.
Infrared laser therapy is a method that helps improve joint health. Physiotherapy procedures are usually carried out daily. At the very beginning, their intensity is regulated by a medical professional. The laser has a positive effect on the condition of the joint apparatus. The method is effective for diseases of the spine, cervical and lumbar regions. The laser reduces the sensitivity of the nerve root, which helps reduce pain in the lower back, neck, and back.
For arthrosis, massage is also used. It helps to warm up the joint tissue and improve its blood supply. Various kneading, stroking, rubbing movements are used. Massage stabilizes the tone of the blood vessels of the joint capsule, improves blood supply to the entire ligamentous apparatus.
The use of radon and hydrogen sulfide baths has a beneficial effect on the sore joint. The procedures help eliminate pain, improve blood supply to the joint, and trigger regenerative reactions in the sore body. During the bath, blood circulation in the joint apparatus 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. The 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 the attending physician. It must certainly be used in the comprehensive elimination of joint diseases.
Traditional methods
Traditional medicine and herbal medicine are effective helpers in eliminating joint pain. Traditional recipes help to avoid surgical intervention 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 bone, and prevents salt deposition. The treatment uses the dry root of the herb. Take one tablespoon of raw materials, 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 infused 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 cinquefoil to treat joints. To do this, crushed vegetable raw materials are seasoned with melted lard. The mixture is heated over a fire, 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 warmed up.
- Burdock root is also suitable for treating 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 allowed to brew. 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 recovery. Lemon with zest should be scrolled in a meat grinder along with celery roots and leaves. The mixture is infused for seven days, the cake is squeezed out, and a small amount of honey is added. The resulting product is stored in the refrigerator. The medicine is taken orally in a tablespoon. The mixture cleanses the joint well and regenerates its structural tissues.
- Wash the potatoes with skins, 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 older people to eat bran. They remove toxins from the body, cleanse lymph and blood. Bran porridge is consumed in the morning on an empty stomach. The course of taking the drug is at least 1 month. During this time, the joints are cleansed of harmful toxins and their mobility improves.
A good remedy for treating joints is bay leaf. A decoction is prepared from this dried plant - take about 20 leaves, boil them, infuse and take throughout the day. The product is distributed over several 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 Vaseline is added to the vegetable juice. The product is rubbed into the problematic 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
A proper diet plays an important role in the treatment of joint diseases. To improve the condition of cartilage tissue, it is useful to consume jellied meat, aspic. These dishes help restore synovial fluid and slow down 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 ligamentous apparatus. The substances contained in jellied meat prevent the thinning of cartilage and bones, their deformation and the development of the inflammatory process. Other dishes containing gelatin are also suitable for the treatment of joint ailments.
The source of collagen needed for joints is chicken cartilage. It 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 joints, they use this remedy - boil chicken knees for a long time. Drink a decoction of chicken knees daily in small quantities. 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.