/p>Given the people with osteoarthritis tend to be more sensitive to weather changesespecially to the cold and humidity, the specialists of Sanitas Mayores They recommend applying local heat, performing gentle exercise to loosen up the joints, and correct medication control to improve symptoms.
And it is that, as he comments david shortHead of Care Management of , “With the cold and the rain, people with osteoarthritis suffer an increase in their discomfort. To mitigate the symptoms, such as numbness of the joints and pain, the treatment must be followed with special intensity. Taking the prescribed medication to control pain, applying local heat and doing moderate exercise are some of the recommendations that must be intensified when the weather is adverse”.
The osteoarthritis is a chronic and progressive disease for which there is currently no cure, but affected people can contribute greatly to control symptoms of the illness. For this, various alternatives are available that combine physical treatments, medications and, sometimes, surgery to relieve joint pain and maintain functional capacity.
“In many cases of osteoarthritis there is a genetic component or hereditary against which it is not possible to act. Other cases are due to trauma but most are from unknown origin and are associated with aging. In the physical examination carried out by the specialist, the possible deformities as well as the limitation of mobility with pain on pressure, clicks and crepitus of the affected joint are appreciated. Plain radiographs continue to be the most appropriate complementary diagnostic examination”Explain david short.
Osteoarthritis treatment is initially conservative., based on moderate and constant exercise -10 to 20 minutes a day-, good postural habits, control of body weight, rest and care of the joints, techniques to control pain without medication -such as the application of cold or heat- and the administration Oral painkillers and anti-inflammatories. Among the pharmacological treatments, injections of cortisone derivatives or hyaluronic acid into the joints may sometimes be necessary to relieve pain.
When the disease involves rapid wear associated with intense pain that does not subside and provides a poor quality of life, a treatment may be indicated. surgical treatment. The most common surgical techniques are osteotomy -allows the joint to be realigned and placed in the correct position- and the arthroplasty -consists of totally or partially replacing the diseased areas of the joint with artificial prostheses. The most frequent are those of the hip and knee. “Among the latest advances, biological therapies such as infiltration of stem cells or platelet-rich plasma are being tested with good results”says the head of Care Management at .
The osteoarthritis is characterized by the deterioration of joint cartilage, which is the tissue that exists at the ends of the bones so that they can move over each other. All joints can wear out but osteoarthritis is more frequent in the hands, the back -cervical and lumbar-, hips and knees. The osteoarthritis symptoms are the pain -of variable intensity according to the degree- and the rigidity -or loss of joint mobility– which tend to be more acute when you begin to move after spending a long period at rest. However, the weather is another factor that exacerbates the symptoms.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease. In Spain, affects 10% of the population general and more than a third of the population over 60 years of age. Below 55 years the affectation is similar in men and women. Above this age, the hip in men, and the hands in women, are the most damaged joints.