Don't forget to ask your doctor.

It often happens that it is not possible to thoroughly discuss all issues about living with osteoarthritis or osteochondrosis directly at a doctor's appointment.

So that you don't miss anything, we have collected several life situations on which the effectiveness of treatment often depends.

1. Do I need to follow a diet?
In a typical situation of osteochondrosis or arthrosis, yes. In addition to combating excess body weight, the diet has a general health-improving effect on the body and helps improve the results of osteoarthritis/arthrosis and osteochondrosis therapy.

2. When is it better to do gymnastics for the back and joints, in the morning or in the evening?
You can do the exercises at any time convenient for you, the main thing is to do it regularly. In addition, as recent studies have shown, gymnastics is more effective if you do it twice a day, this regimen additionally stimulates the formation of natural joint lubrication - synovial fluid. Physical therapy specialists recommend exercising for about 20-30 minutes, no earlier than an hour after eating and at least two hours before bedtime.

3. I felt severe pain while charging. What should I do?
In fact, a slight increase in joint pain at the beginning of physical exercises is considered the norm. This phenomenon is associated with an increase in the load on joints constrained by arthrosis. However, if the pain is severe and occurs suddenly, exercise should be stopped immediately. Sharp pain serves as a stop signal that the set of exercises exceeds the functional capabilities of the joint. In this case, you should consult a doctor, as well as a specialist in physical therapy to correct the individual exercise program.

4. Do I need to use an orthosis for the joint or a corset for the spine?
Yes, if your doctor has recommended it to you. An orthosis or corset prevents instability in the joints and intervertebral discs, preventing them from making potentially traumatic movements. The mode of wearing the orthosis is selected individually, but, as a rule, doctors advise wearing orthopedic devices during daytime activity, removing them during sleep. When choosing an orthosis or corset, be sure to make sure that they match your size: too small will disrupt blood microcirculation, and too large will not allow the joint to be stabilized in the desired position.

5. If I have joint or back pain, should I move more or less?
Most often, with arthrosis and osteochondrosis, it is necessary to move. Joint and back pain is not a reason to refuse movements, but rather a signal that it is necessary to find out the reason for their appearance. Lack of movement will lead to the faster development of ankylosis - this is what doctors call the situation when the bones inside the joint grow together. Ankylosis can lead to complete loss of joint function. To reduce pain during movement, you need chondroprotector injections (drugs specially designed for the treatment of back pain, osteochondrosis and osteoarthritis) and orthopedic devices (ortheses, corsets).

6. I have osteochondrosis, and the doctor prescribed orthopedic insoles. Is he kidding me?
No, of course not! Flat feet to one degree or another can be detected in almost every person. But the violation of the shock-absorbing function of the foot, which accompanies flat feet, leads to the fact that the shock load when walking is transmitted to the knee, hip joints and directly to the spine, without prior softening. As a result, there is increased destruction of the cartilage tissue of the discs in the lumbar spine - the development of osteochondrosis. Therefore, it is imperative to compensate for flat feet by wearing orthopedic insoles for osteoarthritis and osteochondrosis.

7. I have joint pain, why should I have blood tests?
Joint pain is not always a sign of osteoarthritis. Lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, the list of diseases that manifest as joint pain can be continued for a long time. That is why it is so important to conduct a complete examination, which includes laboratory diagnostics, to establish the exact cause of joint pain. Most often, in the differential diagnosis of joint diseases, the so-called “rheumatoid profile” is prescribed - a set of specific tests for the diagnosis of joint diseases, which includes C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, uric acid and the determination of other biochemical indicators.

8. If I have joint pain, is it better for me to do swimming, yoga, or cycling?
The main task pursued by regular physical activity is to strengthen the muscles surrounding the spine and joints. A strong corset creates reliable fixation and strengthens the ligamentous apparatus, thus preventing further destruction of cartilage. However, doctors do not recommend excessive physical activity in osteoarthritis and osteochondrosis. Muscle strengthening should be carried out gradually, without intensive strength exercises. Therefore, swimming or yoga classes would be ideal at the first stage. They actively train the muscles, but have a gentle effect on the joints. Studies have established that the optimal frequency of swimming or yoga classes is 1-2 hours per week. As soon as the muscles strengthen and create reliable support for the joints, you can discuss with a physical therapy instructor or doctor the admissibility of cycling.

9. How to reduce stiffness in joints after waking up?
Morning stiffness in the joints is one of the main distinguishing signs of arthrosis. Stiffness appears in the morning hours, since the joints are in a stationary state for a long time at night. In such conditions, the amount of synovial fluid (the natural lubricant of the joints), reduced against the background of the disease, unevenly covers the cartilage. Inside the joint, areas appear where there is very little synovial fluid, and they cause stiffness. Therefore, you should not "jump out of bed" immediately after waking up. While lying in bed, you should stretch all the joints of the body, bend and unbend your legs at the knees several times, arms at the elbow joints, and so on. This will help evenly distribute the synovial fluid over the articular surfaces of the bones and thereby prevent them from being injured by daily, everyday loads.

10. Are there any injections for osteoarthritis? Can they help me?
Creation injectable forms of chondroprotectors based on bioactive concentrate is an event that has radically changed approaches to the treatment of arthrosis. Doctors have the opportunity to purposefully influence the damaged joint, restoring its cartilage. These are modern drugs that are administered intramuscularly and/or intraarticularly, effectively restore cartilage tissue, acting in several directions:

• stimulate cartilage renewal processes;
• increase the formation of mucopolysaccharides and collagen – the main components of cartilage tissue;
• increase cartilage resistance to various damaging agents;
• reduce the formation of substances that support inflammation in the joint.

As clinical studies show, chondroprotectors based on bioactive concentrate allow to achieve the best result, the main thing is that the treatment begins in the early stages of the disease. In advanced cases, full recovery is impossible, but the use of such chondroprotectors can significantly reduce pain and slow down the progression of cartilage destruction.