Arthritis can be experienced by anyone and at various ages, including children and adolescents. Get to know what arthritis is and how to prevent it
Definition of arthritis (Osteoarthritis)
Osteoarthritis is a disease in which the cartilage lining the joints wears away. Joint cartilage functions to cover the ends of the bones that form joints, so that joints can move freely without causing pain. Joint cartilage wears away and wears away because the ends of the bones forming the joint rub against each other whenever the joint moves. When the joint cartilage is damaged and thinned, the ends of the bones that form the joints will meet each other and will rub against each other directly without a cartilage coating, so that joint movement becomes limited (stiff) and causes pain.
Calcification of the joints can affect most of the joints in the human body. The joints that can be attacked by calcification are the bones of the neck and back, shoulder joints, elbows, wrists and fingers, as well as the joints of the hips, knees, ankles and toes. However, the joints most commonly affected are the knees and hips because these two joints receive the most stress from daily human activities.
Risk factors for arthritis
Aside from being part of the aging process, arthritis is seen as a result of several risk factors including women over 45 years old, being overweight, excessive physical activity, suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis (inflammation of the joint capsule) and Gout Arthritis (buildup of uric acid in the joints). in the joint), suffers from thigh muscle weakness, and has experienced fractures around the joint.
Symptoms of arthritis
In its early stages, symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint stiffness after a long period of inactivity, such as after getting out of bed in the morning or after sitting for a long time. The knee joint also hurts when used for activities, such as walking, going up and down stairs, or squatting frequently. Often a "cracking" sound is heard when the knee joint is moved.
In a more severe stage, the pain is not only felt when you are active, but also when you are resting. The joints also get stiffer so that people with calcification of the knee joints are usually unable to squat anymore. Sleep sufferers are also often disturbed due to pain in joints that have osteoarthritis. In severe stages, in addition to the pain getting more intense, the knee joint gets stiffer and the knee becomes bent like the letter O or the letter X.
Treatment of arthritis
Treatment for calcification of the joints varies depending on the stage. The goal of treating calcification of the joints is to relieve pain, improve the range of motion for stiff joints, improve the quality of life of sufferers, and prevent mild degrees of calcification of the joints (stages 1 and 2) from getting worse into stages 3 and 4. To achieve these goals, treatment can be carried out through several ways as follows:
Non-Drug Therapy
- Lose weight for those who are overweight.
- Exercise to improve muscle strength and body fitness. Exercises that are recommended for people with calcification of the joints, especially the knee and hip joints, are swimming, thigh muscle exercises, and hip muscle exercises.
- Wearing a Knee Support Device. Knee braces (knee brace or knee decker) are useful for supporting, adding stability and reducing the load on the knee joint, so as to reduce pain.
Drug Therapy
There are three types of drugs that are useful for calcification of the joints, namely anti-inflammatory and anti-pain drugs, supplements to grow cartilage, and joint lubricating drugs.
Surgical Therapy
Not all cases of calcification of the joints can be treated only with drugs. The non-surgical forms of treatment mentioned above are usually only beneficial for mild degrees of joint calcification (stages 1 and 2) and do not provide satisfactory results for severe degrees. For severe degrees of joint calcification (ie, stages 3 and 4), the best current treatment option is joint replacement surgery.
By understanding what are the risk factors for arthritis, you can take early prevention by exercising regularly, maintaining an ideal body weight, and not doing excessive physical activity. Immediately consult complaints if you experience severe pain in the joints with an orthopedic specialist.
Article written by dr. M. Nagieb, Sp.OT(K) (Orthopedic Surgeon, Hip & Knee Consultant at EMC Alam Sutera Hospital)