THEIn joints, the movements no longer fluid as they once did. The years pass, arthrosis arrives: it is not an inevitable fatebut with age it is very frequent. Especially after 55 years of age, especially female: in Italy it is estimated at least 4.5 million people with arthrosis, which however affects “only” 9 percent of men in the face of 18 percent of women.
Thinking about them too was born AILA Foundation for the fight against arthrosis and osteoporosiswho aims to improve women’s awareness: “Only if you understand that you have responsibility for your health can something be done to keep it for a long time” says Professor Francesco Bove, orthopedist, surgeon specialist and president of Fondazione Aila.
Know the arthrosis
The first step, therefore, is to know this disease well that “eats” cartilaginthe bones of the joints. Meanwhile, differentiating it from arthritis, also a pathology that affects the joints and is degenerative, but on an inflammatory and non -mechanical basis. “In arthrosis there is the early wear of the cartilage, a soft tissue that serves to protect the bones and to make the movement to the” joints “fluid” “explains Bove.” When consuming, the friction increases, the pain appears, you can deform the bone and you have limitations in the movements that affect the quality of life in a consistent way “.
Because arthrosis affects the knees
The signs of osteoarthritis are typical and evident not only to radiography. In fact, the pain manifests itself at rest, is accentuated by moving and has a slightly different characteristics depending on the affected articulation: in the hip the pain radiates to the groin and up to the knee, starting after you have been sitting for a while; The osteoarthritis of the knee is similar, but with the annoyance located in the knee; That of the lumbar column causes a typical back pain, which is accentuated quite up to standing for a long time because the discs that amortize the load between one vertebra and another are overloaded; In addition to giving neck pain in the neck, the cervical arthrosis can be accompanied by dizziness, tingling, alterations of sensitivity that depend on the compression of the roots of the nerves.
Physical Therapy Trying to relieve pain, Injury Shown in X-Ray
In women, the arthrosis of the hands is also common, Which often appears in Peri-Menopause because the OR Monale storm of this period favors the wear of the cartilage. “The most frequent form of arthrosis remains, however, the knee one, with 56 percent of cases” underlines Bove. “It is in fact the most solicited articulation, just climb a little higher steps than necessary to increase the pressure on the knee and encourage usure”. The cause of osteoarthritis do not limit themselves, however, to the advance that the hormonal oscillations of menopause: everything that can alter the load on the joints can hurt, first of all the excess weight. THEThe weight overload leads to a greater solicitation of the cartilage which slowly thinks, especially at the level of the hip and knee.
“Overweight contributes to a state of general inflammation which is negative on the joints»Adds Bove. «Even acute trauma, for example the fractures, are harmful because bone calls are formed in the healing process that consume the affected articulation, as if they were foreign bodies that” logno “from the inside. The same applies, in the case of the knee, for the injuries to the meniscchi or to the unknown crusades, because they alter the delicate balance of this complex articulation and predispose to arthrosis, even before the 50 years. Attention then to repeated microtraumas, which day after day the joints undermine: for example they can also be had due to incorrect movements or postures at work ». And it is not only the heavy works that promote arthrosis, even sedentary lifestyle is harmful: if you do not move enough, the intervertebral discs that amortize the contact between the vertebrae are dehydrated, favoring friction and therefore the consumption of the column joints.
Which sport is good
The arthrosis “runs” then in families, because there are genetic elements that prepare for the problem, And it is more likely that this manifests itself when the physical structure involves an imbalance in the distribution of loads on the joints, “for example if you have a ward or valgus knee” adds Bove. «Your body characteristics are a fundamental element to be taken into account not only to know if you risk the early wear of joint cartilages more, but also to plan a good sporting activity. Regular physical exercise protects against osteoarthritis, but only on condition that it is commensurate with one’s own conditions And to the athletic preparation that we have: it is not said that everyone can play in Padel, even the fast walk can be annoying if you have a clay of the column »exemplifies the orthopedist.
«For sport to be positive, it is necessary to prepare the muscles to face efforts by knowing your predisposition to osteoarthritis: For example, if the column is the “weak point”, it should be given to a good gymnastics that lengthens the muscles and enhance the abdominals and the para-dorsal muscles». And then there is the theme “lifestyle”.
Help also at the table
Helps a diet rich in antioxidant foods against the “rusty” joints – including many types of fruit and vegetables, legumes, dried fruit – as well as not smoking, because cigarettes slow down the repair of the cartilage; In fact, this fabric is elastic and “heals”, even if less and less easily over the years. However, the possibility of avoiding arthrosis exists: “There are eighty -year -olds with intact cartilages, which have been able to” administer “well throughout life and above all since young people, when they lay the foundations for future joint health: maintaining the right weight and ensuring good muscle strength is the best way to prevent arthrosis” recommends Bove.
Possible interventions
However, if any articulation begins to be painful It is important to intervene immediatelynot only on lifestyle. «You can feel better and the pain can be prevented, for example, with the so -called viscosupplement, or infiltrations of hyaluronic acid which keep the articulation healthy; Prp infiltrations can also help (Plasma rich in platelets: a concentrate of these elements derived from the blood can encourage tissue regeneration, editor’s note), because they reduce local inflammation »detail. The infiltration of cortisone can also serve for this purpose; On the other hand, there is no definitive evidence on the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitinsolfate supplements.
«When the pain is a lot and the articulation is deformed, the choice is the prosthesis: Today there are also those of the shoulder and knee, which in the past were less widespread. The change in modern lifestyles has led to making them necessary more often, but let’s not forget that arthrosis has accompanied us since the mists of time: on bone finds of young people that we have found in the Domus Aurea, in Rome, we have already found signs of arthrosis. Today the life expectancy is very increased and our body was not evolutionaryly programmed to grow old: the wear of cartilages is increasingly likely; Therefore preventing it with good habits from young people has been even more important »concludes Bove.
Pink vocation prize
On June 23, the awards of the “Women’s Project” award of Fondazione Aila, dedicated to female health The AILA Foundation promotes the research and dissemination of information on arthrosis and osteoporosisbut more generally on women’s health. And among his information campaigns there has been the prestigious Aila “Women’s Project” award since 2002, which returns this year for the 24th edition to confer the recognition to those who have distinguished themselves for the commitment to women in different sectors, from medicine to science, from economy to volunteering, art to social, from culture to journalism.
Over the years dozens of artists, scientists, entrepreneurs but also singers, journalists, university teachers have been awarded. The purpose of this year’s prize, that It will be presented on June 23 in Rome at the Temple of Venus of the Colosseum Archaeological Parkit is to underline the importance of combining the forces to defeat the diseases that mainly affect women; Theme to which, in recent days, a conference promoted by the Aila Foundation was dedicated on the challenge of healthy longevity.
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