Risk factors for osteoarthritis as understood by the blog author
A. The essence of the question.
Knowledge of the true causes of the disease, as a rule, should help in the fight against this pathology or, at least, help the patient to orient himself on how to behave effectively in the future.
The author of the article wants to outline here his understanding of the problem, that is, how he sees it. The views of official medicine on the causes of osteoarthritis were outlined in the previous article. Read it here .
B. Risk factors leading to osteoarthritis.
The author of the article believes that all risk factors should be divided into a number of groups that differ from each other in the significance they contribute to the development of the disease.
Group 1 (primary factors – the most significant).
1.Pathology of soft tissues surrounding and serving the affected joint.
2.Pathology of nearby formations that are part of a single kinematic chain or constitute a certain lever of influence. For example, the foot is connected with other large joints of the leg.
3.The conditions in which the affected joint is placed. For example, a typist’s finger joints experience the same stereotypical movements every day, which sooner or later can lead to arthrosis of the finger joints.
Group 2 (secondary factors – moderately significant).
4.Past joint injuries.
5.Concomitant diseases.
6.Overweight.
7.Lifestyle.
Let’s talk about the pathology of the soft tissues that serve and surround the affected joint. As the author of the article, I believe that disorders in the soft tissues directly related to the joint greatly affect this joint. Namely, these tissues help the joint receive the necessary nutritional ingredients and remove waste substances, as well as maintain the joint in the required shape. Among the soft tissues, the muscles themselves are of the greatest importance. Due to muscle movement, synovial fluid is produced. Due to muscle movement, the articular cartilage absorbs nutrients from the synovial fluid, as well as removes waste metabolites from the cartilage. Due to muscle movement, an adaptive balance occurs between the processes of destruction and restoration in the articular cartilage.
With osteoarthritis, pain does not occur in the affected joint itself, but in the surrounding soft tissues and often in diseased muscles. The author of the article has repeatedly been convinced that if you treat the diseased muscles that surround the affected joint, this always relieves pain in the joint with osteoarthritis.
Pathology of nearby structures that are part of a single kinematic chain or constitute a certain lever of action. Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? Let’s look at some examples. Did you know that a sore foot often contributes to the development of osteoarthritis in the knee or hip joints? The foot is an amazing part of the body. Pathology of the foot always reduces its shock-absorbing properties, which is why the foot has difficulty “absorbing” the impacts on the leg that occur during movement. And these impacts are forced to be taken by the knee and hip joints. The leg is like a complex lever. The foot is part of this lever. The knee joint is also part of this lever. And so, if there is pathology in one part (here: in the foot), then destruction may occur in another part (for example, in the knee joint) (here: osteoarthritis). Another example: pathology in the elbow joint can accelerate the development of osteoarthritis in the joints of the fingers. Here the hand is a kind of lever. The elbow joint is part of this lever. And the hand (or rather the fingers) is also part of this lever. That is, we conclude: if you do not treat a sore foot, then it is impossible to fight, say, osteoarthritis in the knee joint.
The conditions in which the affected joint is placed. Regular loads on the joint can be fatal for the joint. For example, a weightlifter often loads his knee joints. And the most destructive movements are those when the joint experiences axial load. Imagine that a weightlifter very often does his exercises and does not allow his joint to recover. All this increases the likelihood that the joint can collapse (of course, in the presence of other risk factors). Also, a person works in dampness or prolonged cold has a negative effect on the joints.
Past joint injuries. Injuries can leave a kind of “notches”, “cracks” in the joint, that is, all these are weak spots in the joint. And these weak points, together with increased stress on the joint (when the joint is not prepared, not “warmed up”) can contribute to the destruction of articular cartilage. If you have had injuries in the past, then you need to gradually train the affected joint. The body has an amazing ability: it can adapt to changing conditions.
Associated diseases. There are diseases that can greatly worsen the condition of your joints. For example, type 2 diabetes. With diabetes, almost all processes and systems suffer: increased levels of glucose and insulin wreak havoc on the functioning of many organs and cells. This is especially true for small arteries: they become inflamed and atherosclerotic plaques can be deposited in them. That is, the joints begin to suffer from a lack of blood. Therefore, some associated diseases contribute to the development of osteoarthritis in the joints.
Excess weight. Additional weight can lead to accelerated wear of the leg joints. A number of studies indicate that obesity itself can increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis in the joints of the legs by 4-6 times. [1] . Excess fat tissue also contributes to inflammation in the body. And this is an additional factor that can worsen our joints. [2].
Lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle can also worsen the condition of our joints. As has already been said, it is thanks to our muscles that adequate processes and metabolism are maintained in the joints.
C. What does all this give to the patient and what to do with it all?
It is no secret that we, people, often act chaotically and impulsively in life. And we also focus on the secondary and lose sight of the important.
1 point. pay attention to the soft tissues that are around the affected joint, especially the muscles. Muscles in medicine are a kind of “Cinderella”. Unfortunately, muscles are given little attention. If possible, find a specialist in your city who deals with muscle treatment. This is important.
2 point. Analyze where and how you work. For example, if you are a builder, then try to set aside time to give your joints a rest.
3 point. If you have had injuries in the past, then in any case you need to see a doctor. Of course, if these injuries somehow bother you (aches in the joints with a change in the weather).
4 point. Excess weight. Here it is clear that you need to lose weight. You can try to do this yourself or with the help of a nutritionist or doctor.
Point 5. If there are concomitant diseases, they need to be treated or taken under control.
Be healthy!
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