In diseases of bones and joints, treatment is not only considered. Prevention is also important: care professionals make a distinction between primary and secondary prevention. Primary prevention means trying to prevent the disease from occurring. Secondary prevention focuses on aggravation of the complaints and abnormalities if the disease is already present.
The treatment of osteoarthritis is primarily aimed at restoring or maintaining a joint's function and on progression reduction. Rarer: "It's important to treat the whole human being. This is often the case with patients over 60 years old, who have on average two and often more other chronic diseases. In that total management of patients there is still the necessary quality gain. "
The quality of treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is improving. Patients first report to the GP, which means that there is more chance of dealing with the complaints. Nevertheless, this trend has not yet yielded the effect it should have.
Rasker sees an important role for rheumatologists as a spider in the web in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis patients and other chronic joint disorders. "There have been many rheumatologists in recent years. But I think the attention of rheumatologists is highly determined by the diagnosis and treatment of people with severe forms of arthritis and. Their focus is less on the prevention of osteoarthritis. "
Primary prevention in osteoarthritis is aimed at preventing overweight. By overweight treatment, osteoarthritis of the knees and possibly of the hips can be prevented. Even if patients have to some extent osteoarthritis due to overweight, it is still sensible to be treated. Thus, the progression of the disease is reduced and pain is kept within limits. "Primary prevention is extremely important," says rheumatologist Hans Rasker of the University of Twente. "Overweight is not only a major risk factor for osteoarthritis, but also for diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And people with diabetes get faster osteoarthritis. "
The treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
The treatment of osteoarthritis is primarily aimed at restoring or maintaining a joint's function and on progression reduction. Rarer: "It's important to treat the whole human being. This is often the case with patients over 60 years old, who have on average two and often more other chronic diseases. In that total management of patients there is still the necessary quality gain. "
The quality of treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is improving. Patients first report to the GP, which means that there is more chance of dealing with the complaints. Nevertheless, this trend has not yet yielded the effect it should have.
Rasker sees an important role for rheumatologists as a spider in the web in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis patients and other chronic joint disorders. "There have been many rheumatologists in recent years. But I think the attention of rheumatologists is highly determined by the diagnosis and treatment of people with severe forms of arthritis and. Their focus is less on the prevention of osteoarthritis. "
Bone And Joint Problems: The Importance Of Primary Prevention
Primary prevention in osteoarthritis is aimed at preventing overweight. By overweight treatment, osteoarthritis of the knees and possibly of the hips can be prevented. Even if patients have to some extent osteoarthritis due to overweight, it is still sensible to be treated. Thus, the progression of the disease is reduced and pain is kept within limits. "Primary prevention is extremely important," says rheumatologist Hans Rasker of the University of Twente. "Overweight is not only a major risk factor for osteoarthritis, but also for diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And people with diabetes get faster osteoarthritis. "