A joint is a place where at least two bones come together, protected from friction by cartilage. They are connected to each other by muscle tendons, and the muscles help the joints to bend and stretch
The most common causes of joint disease are infections, physical inactivity, vascular necrosis, heredity and joint wear and tear.
The most common joint diseases
Arthrosis, caused by trauma, obesity and overuse of the joint, is definitely at the top of the list. Arthritis can be suspected if you are bothered by joint crepitus, pain after prolonged physical activity, morning stiffness, and difficulty bending your joints.
Another joint disease is rheumatoid arthritis, which can lead to disability. It is age- and sex-dependent and can occur suddenly or gradually. Rheumatoid arthritis more often affects the joints of the hand, fingers and foot.
Treatment of joints with medicines
If your joint pain is recurring, increasing, persistent, frustrating and interferes with your daily activities, don't wait and make an urgent appointment to see your doctor. After assessing your symptoms and carrying out the necessary tests, your doctor will decide whether you need medical treatment. If necessary, the doctor will choose the medicines and their doses according to the cause of the pain.
Tips to help yourself with joint disease or to reduce your risk of joint disease
- Get a special splint for the joint that hurts to give you the support and stability you need to help reduce swelling and relieve pain. A flexible splint will not restrict movement, is comfortable to wear, is made of high quality material and allows the skin to breathe, absorb moisture and evaporate it.
- Overweight - this should be avoided, as more weight puts more strain on the joints.
- If the disease worsens or the pain increases, let the joint rest and do not exercise. Take measures (exercise, various procedures) only when the pain has subsided. Ice packs help when joints are sore, but warm packs are better when the pain eases.
- Balance your diet, give up alcohol, smoking and coffee (or at least keep it to a minimum). Acidic foods are unhealthy for the joints, so remove them from your diet or reduce your intake of acidic foods. Increase the amount of fish in your diet - herring, salmon, mackerel are ideal. The omega-3 acids in fish help relieve pain.
- Vitamin C, which strengthens connective tissue, is important for joints , as is vitamin B, which is beneficial for blood circulation and also provides oxygen and nutrients to cartilage. It is also important to get sufficient amounts of vitamin D, which has many benefits for the ossification process.
- Exercise, but don't overdo it or overstretch yourself. If you have joint problems, and even more if you are overweight, you should avoid rock climbing, yoga, tennis, football, basketball, running, badminton and other sports that involve jumping, kicking etc. Swimming is good for the joints, as is walking and exercising with exercise machines. The joints need to be exercised, otherwise they will stiffen up, the muscles will atrophy and the joints will be put under even greater strain. Purposeful and moderate sport is good for the joints.
- Try not to sit in one position for long periods of time as this slows down blood circulation.
- There is an established link between angina and joint disease, so don't ignore angina and treat it, as angina, and other infectious diseases, are often complicated by joint inflammation.
Rehabilitation exercises to strengthen joints
- Lie on your back, bend and flex your feet - first one leg, then the other. Repeat at least ten times with each leg.
- Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Stretch your toes, at the same time raise your hands up to your ears, and as you exhale, return your hands to the starting position and relax your feet. Repeat the exercise five times.
- Lie on your back, stretch your legs out. Bend one leg and bring it as close to your chest as possible, then lower it and do the same with the other leg. Repeat five times with each leg.
- The 'bicycle' exercise is familiar to many - lie on your back, put your legs up and 'wave' the bicycle in the air.
- Lie on your stomach, put your arms in front of you and rest your forehead on them. Bend one leg after the other, reaching the heel of the leg towards the buttocks.
There are also natural ways to treat and strengthen joints
You can also use folk wisdom to treat your joints, such as:
- Pick a few pine twigs, pour boiling water over them and let them cool. Soak your feet in this water for up to half an hour, then put on long woollen socks or wrap your feet in something and lie down to relax.
- Boil a few grams of chopped bay leaves in 300 ml of water. Pour the decoction into a thermos and keep for about 5 hours. Then strain and drink a little throughout the day. Do not drink too much! Take this decoction for three days, repeat after a week and so on for three months.
In folk medicine, burdock leaves, cabbage and salsify are also highly valued in the fight against joint pain and disease.
