Did you know, osteoporosis is not the only disease related to bones. Another disease that is quite common is calcification. Calcification of the bones or osteoarthritis is a disease caused by damage to cartilage due to worn joints. If left untreated, the joints will continue to thin. This thinning causes the hard bones to meet with other bones. The meeting of these two bones makes you feel bone pain.
All joints in your body are potentially affected by osteoarthritis. However, osteoarthritis most commonly affects the joints in the knees, hands, hips, neck, and spine.
In contrast to osteoporosis or bone loss, calcification is not associated with a lack of calcium intake. The following are factors that cause calcification of the bones:
- Obesity
The condition of being overweight or obese makes your body's supporting joints, especially at the waist and knees have to work extra to support the excess load. Excess body weight will press the cartilage pads. If continuously pressed, these bearings will experience erosion. The thinner the cartilage, the greater the friction between the two bones that flank it. We know this condition as calcification.
- Injury
Exercise is very good for maintaining health. However, those of you who are often injured during sports are prone to calcification of the bones. This doesn't mean you don't need to exercise. So that the benefits of exercise are still felt and you avoid calcification, do the movements with the right posture and don't forget to take time to rest.
Apart from sports, accidents are also a cause of joint injuries. For this reason, if you suffer an injury, even if it is the result of a minor accident, immediately consult a doctor so that you can get the right treatment to reduce the risk of calcification of the bones.
- Repetitive motion
When you stand for too long, for example when riding public transportation, your bones and joints will experience considerable stress. If it continues to be repeated, this pressure causes the cartilage to erode which is familiar to us as calcification. Other movements that if done repeatedly and continuously can trigger calcification of the bones are bending and lifting heavy weights.
- genetics
Some people have abnormalities in the body to produce collagen. Collagen is a type of protein that functions to form cartilage tissue. If the production of collagen in your body is disrupted, the result is joint calcification. Another genetic condition that triggers calcification is an abnormality in the arrangement of the bones. This disorder causes cartilage to erode more easily.
There are several symptoms of calcification of the bones. If you feel pain when you make excessive movements, stiffness and swelling in the joints, and a crackling sound in the joints, there is a possibility that you are experiencing calcification. So that calcification does not get worse and interfere with activities, immediately consult a doctor if you experience some of these symptoms.
Overcome Calcification of Bones Without Surgery
There are several treatments that you can get to treat pain due to calcification of the bones. To reduce pain and relieve inflammation in your joints, your doctor can give you pain relievers, such as acetaminophen , ibuprofen , and naproxen sodium .
The next method of treatment is cortisone injections. You can get this injection at the hospital. With injections of corticosteroid drugs, pain in the joints due to calcification of the bones will be reduced. However, the number of corticosteroid drug injections you can get is limited to three to four each year.
Another more recent alternative to bone calcification treatment is shockwave therapy. This method is called Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT). This action includes non-invasive therapy because it does not involve a surgical process. Because without surgery, ESWT therapy causes almost no side effects.
In the process, ESWT is carried out in three stages. In the first stage, the doctor will determine the area of the body that is experiencing calcification. After the body area is marked, the second step can be carried out, namely the application of the gel to the target area of therapy. This gel works to transfer shock waves efficiently. The third stage is the emission of shock waves in a predetermined area. It doesn't take long, the entire ESWT stage only takes 5-10 minutes.
After you have finished getting treatment with ESWT, you can get back to your activities. However, you should avoid activities that are too strenuous for 48 hours after ESWT therapy. You are also advised to avoid taking pain relievers so that the healing process is not hampered.
Well, that's an explanation of the causes and how to deal with calcification of the bones. In order to avoid calcification of the bones, let's adopt a healthy lifestyle. Pay attention to your diet to avoid obesity, do sports with the right posture, and don't forget to get enough rest. #LiveExcellently