Dr. Andrea Flemmer self-help with osteoarthritis

Dr. Andrea Flemmer: The best measures for the home

Osteoarthritis means joint wear. This widespread disease affects eight million people in Germany alone. The older a person gets, the higher the risk is: over the age of 70, 70 percent suffer from it, according to the author. Osteoarthritis does not always hurt, and, according to Flemmer, that has a lot to do with personal behavior.

contents

• Dr. Andrea Flemmer: The best measures for the home
• joints
• joint types
• A hinge assembly
• The arthritic joint
• How does arthrosis develop??
• symptoms
• What to do?
• Conclusion

The author writes from the perspective of a nutritionist and biologist and published guides on medicine, nutrition and environmental protection. She presents measures for self-help against the consequences of osteoarthritis. These include the right form of sport, a proper osteoarthritis diet, as well as conventional non-drug therapies such as relieving the pain of heat, herbal medicines as well as exercise. It does not work every method in every human, because the people as the arthrosis, very different.

The widespread disease osteoarthritis affects eight million people in Germany, over 70 years suffer 70 percent of them. (Image: peterschreiber.media/fotolia.com)

joints

In the first chapter Flemmer explains how joints work and how they wear out. Thus, without a joint, no movement is possible, and the synovial fluid ensures that the joints remain flexible. Joints release hard movements, with the help of articular cartilage, a smooth, elastic coating and joints that provide support by allowing their structures to move and prevent others.

joint types

The shape of a joint, its structures, muscles, ligaments and capsules define the scope of the joint.

The ball joint forms the most agile - with a spherical condyle and socket, as well as three axes of motion for six different directions. This includes the hip joint as well as the shoulder joint.

On the other hand, a yolk has the shape of an ellipse with a concave condyle and a convex socket. It has two movement axes for bending and stretching movements from one side to the other. This includes the wrist.

Then there is the saddle joint with two similar articular surfaces whose shape is reminiscent of a saddle, but they are offset from each other. It has two joint axes. One of these joints is the thumb saddle joint. The thumb is connected by the saddle joint with the hand.

However, a hinge joint has only one axis and can only be moved back and forth. A joint head in the form of a roller lies in a joint groove. For example, the elbow joint is a hinge joint.

Finally, there is the pivot joint, which also works only uniaxial, but here as a rotary motion. This allows you to move the radio-ulnar joint at the elbow only in and out - with the arm extended.

A hinge assembly

Each joint consists of joint space and joint capsule. Cartilage covers the articular surfaces. The joint capsule itself forms a shell of connective tissue. It encloses the entire joint and protects it airtight to the outside. Inside, this creates the joint cavity and a thin gap separates the articular surfaces.

The articular cartilage is as resistant as it is resilient, it protects the bones, is millimeter-thin and sits on the bone ends as a sliding layer, explains Flemmer. He prevents the bones from rubbing against each other. Substance is cartilage cells and collagen fibers.

In a healthy joint, the cartilage surfaces do not touch, but the synovial fluid fills the gap between the cartilage surfaces. The inner skin of the joint capsule produces this synovial fluid, allows smooth gliding and also provides the cartilage with nutrients.

In a worn joint, here represented by a shoulder joint, it is well to see how arthritis has worn off the articular cartilage. (Image: bilderzwerg / fotolia.com)

The arthritic joint

A worn joint is caused by wear, according to Flemmer. There are different phases of this disease.

In the beginning there is damage to the articular cartilage. This could be very small, but spreads out. The cartilage is thinner and rougher, use more and more. The cartilage surfaces rubbed against each other, particles separated, and the rubbing intensified. This will then mark the first stage of osteoarthritis.

In the second stage, the ankle is no longer smooth, and the movement of the joint is impaired.

In the third stage, the adjacent bones are affected, now it comes to pain, and those affected can move the joint only limited, the joint inflamed.

In the fourth stage, no cartilage is left. The surrounding bones are changing, as well as joint mucosa, joint capsule and adjacent muscles. Now the entire joint could break. Without countermeasures, severe pain and inability to move the joint result.

How does arthrosis develop??

According to Flemmer, doctors regard osteoarthritis primarily as a type of chronic inflammatory disease. The inflammation leads to the degradation of the cartilage and the pain. Cause were injuries or infections.

If a joint is damaged, so Flemmer, risk factors promote further wear. This includes an over-as well as an incorrect load on the joint due to obesity or poor posture. The normal wear of the cartilage, however, is also a by-product of aging. Malpositions such as X or O legs would, however, permanently burden the knee joints. Here the weight works either only on the inner or only on the outer side. Here, the lateral joint structures are less stable, and thus could easily form an arthrosis here.

According to Flemmer, extreme and competitive athletes often overload their joints and / or burden them unilaterally, thereby also favoring wear.

Another risk is accidents. Every third patient and one third of all patients suffer from arthritis due to an accident. For example, the stability of the knee joint is damaged by injuries to the meniscus and the cruciate ligament and this promotes early wear.

Not only extreme sports, but also the opposite caused an arthrosis - missing movement. This leads to the fact that not enough fluid forms in the joints, the articular cartilage loses its elasticity and is not adequately supplied with nutrients.

Disorders of the hormone and metabolism also played into an arthrosis, as well as various underlying diseases such as gout, diabetes mellitus, a dysfunctional thyroid, or the decline of the female sex hormones.

As different as the causes may be, so did the symptoms.

One of the known symptoms of osteoarthritis is the onset of pain. This occurs after a long period of rest and warmed up joints, the pain is reduced again. (Image: Mediteraneo / fotolia.com)

symptoms

The cartilaginous tissue has no nerves, so there would be no pain at the beginning of osteoarthritis. The more the cartilage is damaged, the more the pain increases. Typical is the pain onset. If the joint has rested, the first movements would be particularly painful. The warmed joints then hurt less, but with heavier load the pain comes back. This phase could last for years.

In the further course of muscle tension and restrictions of the movement would be added, the joint would be stiffer. Now very painful inflammation could occur, the joint swells and deforms.

The symptoms included:

• start-up pain,
• Stiffness of the joint in the morning,
• Crunching in the joint,
• stress pain,
• later rest pain,
• tight muscles and tendons,
• limited mobility,
• posture,
• arthritis,
• Joint effusion,
• joint swelling
• and muscle weakness.

What to do?

The self-help section of the book is divided into six categories: relieving joints, physiotherapy, nutrition, exercise, herbal medicine and natural remedies. Flemmer emphasizes that the advice relates to osteoarthritis, not to other diseases of the joint.

Among the measures that relieve the joint are, according to the author, stabilizing bandages, for joints on legs or back, orthopedic shoe inserts and shoes with soft soles and buffered heels, as well as the use of a walking stick.

One measure of osteoarthritis is physiotherapy, which helps patients gain muscle and coordination. (Image: K.-U. Häßler / fotolia.com)

Physiotherapy such as coordination and balance training and strength training as part of a movement therapy are necessary. So osteoarthritis patients should not spare their joints, but perform exercises that serve to build muscle and coordination.

Ergotherapy helps to use aids properly and to be able to act in everyday life. Heat therapy stimulates blood circulation and ensures that nutrients get better to the condyle. Moor packs or hot envelopes are suitable for this. Heat treatment is not appropriate for acute inflammation. Cryotherapy can block the painful pathways in the short term and so relieve the pain.

Painkillers are pure painkillers, remedies that relieve pain and inflammation, as well as pure anti-inflammatories. As examples, Flemmer names ibuprofen, aspirin, paracetamol and diclofenac.

According to the author, healthy foods to counteract the effects of osteoarthritis include plenty of fruits and vegetables from many different varieties (especially broccoli, onions, garlic and leek), fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or herring, and linseed, canola and walnut oil, as well as whole grains.

Reduce sugar, unhealthy fats, fast foods and ready meals. You should also drink enough and drinks with low sugar. In order to reduce chronic inflammation, according to Flemmer, the diet includes vitamins A, C and E, copper, selenium, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.

In the case of osteoarthritis, medicinal plants, such as the stinging nettle, also help. (Image: ExQuisine / fotolia.com)

Medicinal plants that help with osteoarthritis include nettle, devil's claw, willow bark, ginger, comfrey, cayenne pepper, hay flower, mustard seeds, rosemary, rosehip or lemongrass.

According to Flemmer, sports that make sense in osteoarthritis include Nordic walking, cycling, dancing, playing golf, hiking, crosstrainer, swimming, water sports, moderate weight training. Unsuitable are running and mountaineering.

Conclusion

"I help myself" keeps what it promises. Readers who are struggling with the consequences of osteoarthritis get a clear overview of what you can do yourself - and that's a lot. When Flemmer uses technical terms, she explains them, and even someone who has no idea about joints, joint wear, and countermeasures understands what it's about when he / she has read the guidebook. The measures Flemmer presents can all be planned and implemented without any problems and without previous knowledge in everyday life. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)