Everyone experiences joint pain from time to time. Is it possible to prevent rheumatic lesions and what to do if the disease has already occurred?
The chief freelance rheumatologist of the Ministry of Health, scientific director of the Research Institute of Rheumatology named after . Nasonova, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Evgeniy Nasonov .
Lydia Yudina, AiF: Evgeny Lvovich, is it true that cold weather is the worst time for joints?
Evgeniy Nasonov : This is partly true. In cold weather, barometric pressure may decrease, leading to increased swelling or decreased blood supply to the joint. And it hurts. In winter, there is also an increase in the activity of genes that regulate the synthesis of mediators of inflammation and pain. However, a more obvious reason is seasonal viral infections, against the background of which people with a predisposition to rheumatic diseases often develop an exacerbation of an already existing process. And the joints that were silent in the warm season remind of themselves in the cold.
Frost: benefits
This may seem surprising, but the most beneficial frost for our health occurs when the thermometer drops below 12-15 C. During the winter season, we receive much more oxygen than during the hot summer. During a walk, the blood is enriched with oxygen molecules, which means that our brain activity becomes much better.
For a good mood and high performance, a person needs the so-called “happiness hormone” - serotonin. In frosty weather, with regular walks, its production increases significantly.
For those who want to lose weight, there is great news: frost speeds up metabolism and blood flow. Fat is quickly transformed into the energy needed to stay warm. The burning of “bad cholesterol”, which causes cardiovascular diseases, also occurs.
If you want to maintain a youthful appearance until old age, remember that under the influence of a cold and prickly breeze our blood vessels narrow. The face looks fresh, rested, swelling and dark circles under the eyes go away. It is no coincidence that cryotherapy is used in many cosmetic procedures.
Those who often suffer from colds and consider the cold to be the “culprit” may be greatly surprised. It turns out that microbes with viruses love to live and multiply in damp and humid weather, which is usually observed at air temperatures down to - 5-7 C. Harmful viruses and bacteria stop their activity at temperatures from - 10 C and below. This is why there are no epidemics of influenza or ARVI in cold weather.
And of course, cold is an excellent pain reliever. For example, it has a beneficial effect on sore joints. At the same time, the effect is much better than from a warming compress.
Frost is good for health if you follow a number of simple rules:
- Before going outside, lubricate your face and hands with a soft cream;
- do not leave the house without a hat if the air temperature drops below - 10 C;
- keep your shoes dry.
How is joint cryotherapy performed?
After consultation with a doctor, the patient is referred for general or local cryotherapy to treat joints. A refrigerant is applied to the skin (over the entire surface or just a certain area). It is customary to use either nitrogen (cooled to -190 degrees), helium (the coldest - up to -270 degrees), or carbon dioxide (maximum permissible temperature - -80 degrees) as a refrigerant.
Before the session begins, the patient is prepared: doctors measure his pulse and blood pressure. Gloves and socks are provided to protect his fingers and toes.
The whole procedure consists of several steps:
- The patient must be in a special cryochamber. Only the head is outside the processing area.
- The capsule is filled with cold gas.
- Body temperature drops. This causes natural physiological reactions, including activation of the immune system, as well as thermoregulation.
- The patient is in the chamber for about 3 minutes, then he is taken out of the capsule.
Already after the first procedure, the patient feels an improvement in health, but for a full recovery it is recommended to undergo a course of procedures, usually consisting of 10 sessions.
Sometimes it is not the entire body that is frozen, but a specific area. In this case, a camera is not required. The patient sits on the couch during the procedure. The doctor applies an antiseptic to the selected area. Then a special device is used that sprays the refrigerant in doses. Using a special hose, nitrogen is delivered to the desired area.
Cold treatment method
Cryotherapy is well established in a wide range of physiotherapy treatments. It is a useful addition to drug treatment and always gives excellent results. The first developments in cryotherapy were carried out by Japanese rheumatologists, and in the 80s of the last century the technique began to be used to treat joint pathologies.
Cryotherapy is based on short-term cooling methods (up to approximately 150 C). In this case, the vessels first narrow and then expand again. There is an expansion of not only large, but also small and reserve capillaries, which significantly improves both general and local blood flow.
So, cryotherapy:
- relieves pain;
- relieves inflammatory processes;
- used for cosmetic purposes (to remove warts, scars and other skin defects);
- relaxes muscles;
- increases the body's immune resistance.
Every first
– According to statistics, 40% of people suffer from joint diseases...
– I think every person experiences joint pain at least once in their life. Some diseases manifest themselves as local pain and go away on their own or after short treatment with analgesics, so patients do not reach doctors and are not included in the statistics. However, many chronic joint diseases begin with just such minor pain. Since doctors have the best opportunity to help a patient with rheumatic diseases at an early stage, even with moderate but persistent pain (especially in several joints at once), we recommend contacting a specialist.
At the age of 20–50 years, women most often develop rheumatoid arthritis (in which pain in the joints rarely goes away spontaneously and haunts a person throughout their life), and in men, ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis) (Bechterew's disease). Most people over 60 years old experience degenerative changes in the joints (osteoarthritis).
Myths about arthritis. 4 most common misconceptions Read more
– Or maybe joint diseases are inevitable, because their service life is designed for a certain number of flexions and extensions?
– From a biomechanical point of view, there is probably a limit to the joints. But their safety margin is colossal, and a person cannot exhaust it during his life (no matter how long it may be). According to various estimates, we use only 10–15% of this resource. The exception is professional sports, in which people with a predisposition develop joint pathology very early. In other cases, physical activity is only beneficial.
– For joint diseases, chondroprotectors are recommended...
– This term unites a large group of biologically active substances (dietary additives). Their role in preventing the progression of degenerative joint diseases is small. For example, osteoarthritis can develop due to many reasons, and it is naive to believe that they can all be eliminated with the help of one, even a very useful substance.
Question answer
Can gelatin be good for joints?
– How to protect joints from destruction?
– 90% of the success in the treatment of degenerative joint diseases is not due to drugs. The basis of prevention and treatment is dosed physical activity, which improves the functioning of the joint (this is a decisive factor) and helps prevent both the development and progression of rheumatic lesions.
The second most important condition is normalization of body weight. Excess weight means extra stress on your joints. Also, obese patients always have poorly controlled chronic inflammation, which also provokes inflammation in the joints. For rheumatic diseases (primarily osteoarthritis), reducing body weight by only 10% gives an effect comparable to taking analgesics. Another proven risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis is smoking.
Cold treatment for throat
Often the first symptoms of a cold appear as a sore throat. Since cold exposure slightly “freezes” the inflamed mucous membrane, at the same time the activity of spreading viruses decreases. The inflammatory process is localized and the infection is destroyed. It is enough to put an ice cube in your mouth and begin to gradually dissolve it. You can use 2 to 4 cubes or just drink cold milk or eat a serving of ice cream.
By the way, if you prepare ice cubes with medicinal herbs, this will help destroy the infection in the first hours of its appearance. The following infusions are usually frozen:
- chamomile;
- sage;
- mint.
However, if a cold is accompanied by chills, severe weakness and high fever, it is no longer possible to treat a person with cold, since pathogenic microflora or viruses have already entered the bloodstream. In this case, home cryotherapy is useful and safe only in the initial stage of the disease, and if the symptoms progress, use classic remedies in the form of warm drinks and rinses.
How cryotherapy is performed in Moscow
Cryotherapy in Moscow can be carried out in several ways:
- Local cryotherapy.
- General cryotherapy.
When performing local cryotherapy, cryoaggregates are used, the action of which is directed directly to the affected joint. It can be:
- Ice applications, massage with ice cubes.
- Local baths with water temperatures from 0 to + 19 0C.
- Synthetic cryopacks.
- The use of cryogenic installations capable of obtaining temperatures down to – 30 °C.
- The use of special gases, such as liquid nitrogen, ammonium nitrate, etc., which are sprayed directly onto the skin.
Main symptoms:
- Pain in the neck. Low-intensity pain accompanied by stiffness in the neck is the most common symptom of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. However, sometimes the pain can suddenly intensify and last for several hours or days.
- Neuralgia. This type of pain tends to be sharp or with an electric shock sensation, radiating into the shoulder into the arm, arm, and/or fingers. Typically, neuralgia is felt on only one side of the body.
- Neurological symptoms in the arm, hand and/or fingers. There may be pins and needles sensations, numbness and/or weakness that may spread throughout the upper limb. These types of symptoms may interfere with daily activities, such as typing, getting dressed, or holding objects.
- The pain intensifies with movement. In general, pain caused by the degenerative disc itself tends to increase with movement and decrease with rest.
- If the pain comes from the degenerative disc itself, it will likely go away on its own within a few weeks or months. However, other symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis are more likely to become chronic and require treatment, for example if the facet joints in the neck also begin to degenerate and/or nerve root compression occurs.
General cryotherapy of joints
During the general cryotherapy procedure, the refrigerant enters the patient's entire body. For this purpose, a special chamber is used - a cryochamber. Inside it, either a nitrogen-air mixture or nitrogen liquid is directed at a person.
During general cryotherapy, the entire body is exposed to nitrogen. As a result, the functioning of the muscular system and nervous system improves. Due to cooling, the skin receptors are first briefly excited, and then an inhibition phase begins. Already after the first procedure, therapeutic effects can be noted:
● joint pain subsides;
● muscles relax;
● connective tissue joint structures are restored.
General cryotherapy is not always used. It is especially often recommended for compression or inflammation of the spinal cord roots. When the body cools down, the activity of the immune and endocrine system increases. Thermoregulation is activated. As pleasant side effects, patients note a decrease in anxiety, an increase in mood and a boost of vigor.
