Orthopedic disorders: symptoms and treatment

Professor’s advice. Giovanni Minesola, President of the Italian Society of Rheumatology (www.reumatologia.it) and Director of the Department of Rheumatology at the Hospital “San Camillo” in Rome; Let’s see what are the most common bone disorders and how to treat them.

define “rheumatism“A group of disorders is called, in more technical terms, “rheumatic diseases.” It falls into about acute pathology NS chronic (which lasts over time), very different from each other but united by the presence of pain, often constant, which includes joints or extra-articular structures such as tendons.

Some, like‘Rheumatoid Arthritis’It has high potential deactivation. I pain more or less severe that occurs in the coldest and wetter months of the year, however, “bone acheMostly because of wrong attitudes and sometimes because of arthritisAnd Pathology It is part of the rheumatic diseases family. Every disease has its cure.

Most common orthopedic disorders

• arthritis is the classic” bone acheIt is the most prevalent disease (in Italy it affects 5 million people and accounts for 70% of rheumatic diseases) causing degeneration cartilage Based on joints Due to wear: the bones can no longer slide without creating friction, and in direct contact with each other, they wear out. The main reason is age, but also joint overload overweight NS obesityHeavy work, trauma or fractures that have not healed adequately. The joints most affected are the hands (roots), knees (knee arthrosis), hips (coxarthrosis) and vertebrae (spondylosis). The main symptoms are difficulty moving and pain (which increases when the joint is in motion and subsides when it is at rest). Joints may appear swollen, swollen, and “noisy” during major movements.

• Rheumatoid arthritis that it inflammatory disease Autoimmune, in which the body’s defense system, which is supposed to fight external factors, attacks the body’s tissues, causing inflammation and pain. It affects joints They start symmetrically at the hands, but the wrists, knees, and, over time, all others may be affected, which appear swollen, hot, and sore. Unlike osteoarthritis, the pain is present even if you are at rest and during the night and the stiffness is more severe in the morning (it takes at least an hour for a full functional recovery). The‘Rheumatoid Arthritis’ It is one of the most disabling rheumatic diseases and can even cause permanent deformities with a 50% reduction in functional ability after 2/3 years of disease onset. In Italy, it affects 350,000 people, is more common in women than in men (by a ratio of 3 to 1) and most often appears between the ages of 25 and 50.

• Posture pain. Fortunately, a very large percentage of cases of “bone pain” are actually the result of bad habits Such as an excessively sedentary lifestyle or incorrect postures, especially during periods of time spent at the desk or while doing repetitive work. These diseases can be easily treated with some good practice.

Physical activity: Especially useful if work And lazy (Swimming, for example, is a real treat for all back and joints because it doesn’t weigh them down.)

I movements and the correct postures: Should be used by everyone who is at the desk Comfortable chairs; As for the movements, it is good to avoid twisting the torso to take things; If you lower yourself to load or unload weights, you need to bend your knees. Occasionally it is good get up NS “sgranchirsiMuscles.

Attention to the cold And in the air: in summer avoid drafts and sudden changes in temperature in rooms with air conditioning and in winter cover up adequately.