What is arthritis, is it dangerous? Arthritis is a common disease that occurs when the cartilage that protects the bone wears out over time, with the most obvious manifestations of uncomfortable pain and inflammation in the joints. There are many types of arthritis but the most common are osteoarthritis (formerly known as osteoarthritis) and rheumatoid arthritis (in Oriental medicine called rheumatism). Osteoarthritis is a chronic, slow-moving, complex process involving bone, cartilage and synovial fluid, which is thought to be an imbalance in bone destruction and regeneration, characterized by destruction Destruction of articular cartilage mainly in joints of the hands, knees, hips and spine.

Osteoarthritis is not fatal but has a great effect on the health and daily life of the elderly, who are also prone to other chronic diseases, which can even lead to lifelong disability. . Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the common inflammatory disorders affecting about 1% of the population worldwide, increasing the mortality rate by 2 times and reducing it from 7-10 years of life expectancy. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic inflammatory disease that affects not only cartilage and joints but also a range of non-articular organs (connective tissue, ligaments, muscles). If not treated early, the disease will lead to constant joint deformation, causing pain, leading to disability and increased mortality. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a very high incidence of other serious diseases such as kidney failure (4%), cardiovascular disease (31%), lymphoma (2.3%) and an increase in death rate. to 60-70%. Who is the subject most often suffer from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis? Osteoarthritis can be acquired in many people with different rates. The incidence of osteoarthritis does not vary by race, climate or geographic location but increases with age (about 0.1% of the population aged 25-34 suffer from the disease while this proportion is at over the age of 55 is 80%) and sex (women have a higher rate of osteoarthritis of hands than men). Obesity is also a particular risk factor for osteoarthritis due to the weight placed on the knees. Injury or injury caused by other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis is also a risk factor for osteoarthritis.

In terms of genetics, genetic errors in type II collagen genes are associated with the early development of osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease caused by an immune system disorder so it is difficult to identify those who are susceptible to disease, but the risk is high in people with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis, have had trauma, severe infections, stress, smoking and obesity. So, how do you know if you have osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis? Large joints must hold the weight of the body, under great pressure often lead to worn and damaged cartilaginous joints, causing inflammation in the cartilage under the cartilage and bone defects, leading to calcium deposits forming bone spikes. Large joints include knee, hip, spine, and shoulder joints; in which, knee osteoarthritis accounts for the highest rate among osteoarthritis types. Symptoms of osteoarthritis are erratic and varied but often localized in degenerative joints, with little systemic signs. The typical symptoms of osteoarthritis such as aches and pains, joint pain, stiffness and crunching sounds when it is difficult to move deformed muscle atrophy joints (hypertrophy of the bone, dislocation of joints) stiffness For more than 30 minutes, rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by an inflammatory reaction including synovitis in small joints in the hands such as the joints of the joints, fingers, wrists, wrists, and joint injuries. symmetry. The damage then spreads to all joints, resulting in the destruction of articular cartilage, subchondral bone, muscle tendons, ligaments and the entire joint.

In addition to the symptoms detected only during physical examination and performing subclinical tests such as joint effusion and articular joint, the noticeable typical symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are as follows: Inflammation: swelling, heat, redness, joint pain leading to pallor, fatigue, weakness, weight loss. stiffness (the time is longer than osteoarthritis) and deformed joints. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. How is osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis formed? Regarding the pathogenetic mechanism, osteoarthritis is the wear and tear of cartilage that progresses slowly and silently over time. During movement and work, the entire body weight is held by the skeleton, these mechanical processes combined with biochemical processes in the body, causing cartilage, ligaments and whole joints to be affect. In addition, repeated injuries or joint injuries produce the release of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor TNF, IL-1β, IL-18), nitric oxide and enzymes that destroy substances. extracellular matrix increases bone destruction and decreases bone mass, leading to less elastic cartilage, reduced bearing capacity and hardening of subarticular cartilage. In addition, IL-1β and TNF (TNF stimulated production and regulation by IL-18) play an important role in increasing the production of metalloproteinase (MMP) which plays a role in collagen hydrolysis and breaks down the weak Important factor of extracellular matrix, leading to cartilage destruction and joint degeneration. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis has not been elucidated, but genetic factors, hormones and habitat play an important role in pathogenesis. Genetic factors account for 53-65% of risk factors, of which, HLA-DR4 alleles are related to the development and severity of rheumatoid arthritis. Smoking is also a high risk factor for the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. Regarding the pathogenetic mechanism, rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by the penetration of inflammatory cells into the joints. The synovial membrane is enlarged due to an increase in synovial fibroblasts and inflammatory cells present in the joints. Inflammatory cells associated with rheumatoid arthritis include T cells (mainly CD4 helper cells), B cells, macrophages and plasma cells. Cytokin released by these cells causes joint fluid to release enzymes that break down proteins, leading to bone and cartilage destruction. Important cytokines associated with rheumatoid arthritis include tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α, IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6 and granulocyte-macrophage-stimulating factor (GM) -CSF). How to treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis? In the treatment of joint diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, four main goals are outlined to alleviate symptoms including slowing pain control or preserving damage to cartilage Improve the function of the joints to achieve and maintain remission of the disease. In order to achieve these goals, there is a need to balance and coordinate supportive treatment methods such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle such as not using stimulants, alcohol, cigarettes, … build up a proper diet, especially regularly using foods rich in antioxidants, fresh foods and limiting greasy foods with moderate exercise and exercise regime. swimming and yoga practicing physiotherapy (hot compresses, acupuncture, electric impulses, physiotherapy exercises) drug therapy Currently, the treatment of osteoarthritis by medicine mainly uses sugar medications. Oral administration has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), especially those selected on the drug n cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), opioids and psychotropic drugs such as duloxetine. Drugs that slow down or change the process of destroying articular cartilage are being studied, but there are no clear results. Meanwhile, for rheumatoid arthritis the drug is relatively complex and has many side effects. There are four main drugs used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, anti-arthritis drugs that regulate disease progression (DMARD) with classics in the group, methotrexate and whether biological method. Analgesics including paracetamol, codeine, a combination of paracetamol and opioids are also used, although they do not work against the factors that cause cartilage damage but play a role in reducing symptoms and reducing the need for use. long-term use of NSAIDs and glucocorticoids. However, the undesirable effects of these drugs on the whole body are unavoidable, especially on the digestive system, hematopoietic system, endocrine system … Therefore, more and more preparations of natural origin are studied. research and preparation to meet the needs of treatment of osteoarthritis in particular and joint diseases in general safely and effectively.