Elbow joint: how to prevent arthritis

The elbow joint is the junction of the humerus and the bones of the forearm (radial and ulnar), which has many functions of the human hand. The most common are flexion-extension, rotation.
Very often the elbow joint is mechanically damaged. In addition, this process is accompanied by severe pain. This is due to the fact that the nerve trunks are located fairly close to the joint. Very often with this type of damage, not only acute pain and redness occurs, but also a swelling, a lump on the elbow joint is formed.
Another disease that affects the elbow joint is arthritis. He most often appears after a mechanical trauma, infectious diseases (tuberculosis, measles, gonorrhea and others), with purulent tissue infection, disturbed metabolic processes in the body, connective tissue diseases (psoriasis, rheumatism, lupus).
It should be noted that purulent arthritis of the elbow joint in acute form develops quickly enough. The patient begins to sharply increase body temperature, there are symptoms of intoxication (headaches, nausea, general muscle weakness), the affected area of the hand swells and heats up. Of course, this is accompanied by strong painful sensations, which must be immediately eliminated. The main treatment for such a lesion of the elbow joint is the opening of a purulent focus and a thorough cleansing from the contents.
If the elbow joint is affected by psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis, the symptoms appear gradually (not as in the first case). Of course, pain begins to appear, which is amplified by the movements of the hand. The cause of pain is swelling of the joint capsule, which leads to pressure on the nerve endings. Often, damage is accompanied by swelling and a feeling of stiffness after a long rest of the joint.
The main error of self-treatment of arthritis of the elbow joint is the restriction of movement, which supposedly reduces painful sensations. But such a decision can lead to ankylosis, which causes a violation of the movement in the future. It is advisable to seek professional help in a medical institution, since the end result depends on the speed of treatment.
As a rule, a conservative method is used, which involves immobilization of the elbow joint, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors. Chondroprotectors contribute to the improvement of metabolic processes occurring in the tissues of the elbow joint, stimulate the regeneration of tissue cells, slow down the process of joint destruction, prevent the development of bone mass atrophy, etc.

First of all, it is necessary to apply an anesthetic and to remove the inflammation. After the first stage of treatment and reduce the intensity of pain, therapeutic massage, physiotherapy exercises and physiotherapy procedures are prescribed, which are aimed at restoring the motor function of the hand. In exercise therapy, it is customary to include aerobic exercises, a power complex, and movement exercises, selected specifically for a particular group of muscles.
Only in the event that conservative treatment does not bring any positive results, a decision can be made about the surgical intervention. As a rule, surgeons start the operation only in the most neglected cases. For example, if necessary, adjust the shape of the elbow joint or the total replacement of damaged areas. But this often leads to a limitation of the mobility of the hand, so it is advisable to begin treatment in the early stages of the disease.