The deterioration of the cartilage occurs over many years, occurs silently, and when the condition progresses to become painful, osteoarthritis is already advanced.
There are a plethora of treatments and supplements that claim to relieve the pain caused by osteoarthritis, but many treatments fall short of what they claim.
And published the French newspaper " le Figaro ", in which the writer Cecil Tibert said that osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases in the world, which mainly affects the elderly, and its symptoms include stiffness when waking up and pain when climbing stairs or walking.
The writer explains that although there are many studies of this disease, there is currently no way to prevent the causes of the disease, and thus avoid its occurrence or development, but she said that people with osteoarthritis have a range of treatments that would provide relief. It is easy to live with this painful disease.
According to the author, to understand what osteoarthritis treatments consist of, we must first return to the causes of this disease, as Marie-Christophe Poissier, professor of rheumatology explains that “for a long time, we thought that it was just a disease caused by the erosion of cartilage associated with aging,” adding, “We Today we know that it is a more complex disease than that, and aging plays a role in its development, not to mention inflammatory, neurological and possibly immune factors.”
Osteoarthritis causes
The writer shows that the joints are damaged by aging, obesity, some genetic factors, deformities, and repeated joint injuries caused by intense exercise, as the cartilage - this tissue that covers the bony ends of the joint - gradually loses its thickness, cracks and disappears, leaving the bones without protection, pointing out that no The reasons for this phenomenon are still not understood.
Health and physical therapy procedures
The deterioration of the cartilage occurs over many years, silently, and when the condition progresses to become painful, the disease is already advanced, and at this stage, all health treatments aim to soothe the joint and reduce pain, as the writer quotes Professor François Ranaud, Head of the Department of Rehabilitation of the Musculoskeletal System and Column He said that all recommendations are that patients with osteoarthritis should be physically active and adjust their diet in order to lose weight if they are overweight or obese, regardless of the level of osteoarthritis. They have".
The writer points out that to treat this disease, rehabilitation can be used, through physical therapy and occupational therapy, as well as splints; To straighten the joints of the thumb and knee from stiffness, Professor Rano says, "These treatments reduce the pressure on the painful joint."
Anti-inflammatories
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As for the painkillers, the writer shows that paracetamol is considered ineffective in treating osteoarthritis, but she quoted Professor Rano as saying, "You have to try it anyway, and it will be much better if it succeeds in relieving your pain."
Doctors advise against using stronger painkillers, as Professor Boissier warns that “tramadol and all derivatives of morphine lead very quickly to addiction, so they should be excluded in the treatment of osteoarthritis,” noting that “there are anti-inflammatories that reduce pain by reducing inflammation, and we may have to To describe it, but it should be taken for the shortest possible time because of its side effects.” Hyaluronic acid injections can also be used in the joint. “Hyaluronic acid has an analgesic effect, but it does not treat the cause of osteoarthritis,” Poisier says.
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Ineffective treatments for osteoarthritis
The writer stresses that for the so-called “essential” treatments that claim to slow the progression of the disease, “they are all ineffective,” noting that many people with osteoarthritis resort to nutritional supplements and essential oils to try to improve their condition, such as collagen, glucosamine, and manufactured tablets. of black currant or turmeric, but there is no evidence of their effectiveness, according to the writer.
"Some fish oils have shown an anti-inflammatory effect, but you will have to take a lot of them, and this effect is not reliable compared to the anti-inflammatory drugs available to us that are dose-controlled," as the author quoted in her report.
Surgery is the ultimate solution
At the conclusion of the report, the writer pointed out that some patients resort to surgery as a last resort, as it is the only effective radical solution to osteoarthritis, according to Professor Poissier, but these surgeries only treat osteoarthritis that occurs in the thigh and knee, not osteoarthritis that occurs in the wrist or thumb or fingers.
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HEALTH UPDATE