Rheumatoid arthritis is curable. Rheumatoid arthritis: treat or be cured

Seropositive rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that affects small types of joints. With the development of such a disease in a person, significant changes occur inside the body, since all types of joints are affected. The danger of the disease is that it develops rather slowly and imperceptibly.

So, let's try to answer questions about what it is and how you can deal with it.

There is practically no acute form of seropositive arthritis. Joint damage begins with small vessels and arteries in the arms or legs. Therefore, by the nature of its distribution, the disease is called polyarthritis.

To determine and make a diagnosis, laboratory blood tests are specially carried out. If the presence of rheumatoid factor is detected, then the arthritis becomes seropositive. When such a manifestation is not found in the body, this means that a seronegative form of the disease develops.

If you understand what seropositive and seronegative arthritis are and what is the difference between them, then you should consider their main symptoms and features of the course of the disease.

Seronegative arthritis is an acute form. It develops quickly and has pronounced symptoms. In the early stages, the seronegative form of the disease manifests itself in only one joint, but quickly begins to spread to others. Moreover, the lesion may be asymmetrical. Usually the disease manifests itself in large joints in the kneecaps. During the period of the most striking manifestation, the joints on the hands of the feet, hands and wrists begin to suffer.

Seronegative arthritis can be so rapid that it spreads to other types of joints in a short time. But the most striking symptom - stiffness of all limbs in the morning - is not observed, unlike the seropositive form.

The chronic form of seropositive arthritis is quite different from seronegative arthritis. The main feature is the sluggish nature of distribution. But even such a slow process of joint damage leads to irreversible consequences if the treatment was not carried out on time.

Both forms of the disease are autoimmune in nature. This means that the immune system loses adequate perception and has incorrect defensive reactions. He cannot distinguish his cells and tissues from foreign microorganisms. Therefore, due to such a failure, the body actually attacks and destroys itself.

Arthritis of a rheumatoid nature has several varieties. According to the international classification (ICD 10), there are several subspecies of it:

1. Seronegative form: in the biomaterial during the study, the presence of rheumatoid factor is not detected.
2. Seropositive: in the blood there is the presence of a rheumatoid manifestation.
3. adult type.
4. Childhood arthritis or juvenile RA.

Arthritis can be divided into two groups, differing in the nature of the distribution and the area of ​​​​the lesion:

1. A type of disease when the disease occurs mainly in the joints and does not spread to other organs and tissues.
2. A form of arthritis where the affected area can be extensive as the disease spreads to various internal organs.

Seronegative arthritis is most often quite acute and has pronounced symptoms:

1. Violent fever.
2. Enlarged lymph nodes.
3. Constant chill.
4. The appearance of muscle atrophy.
5. Anemia in the limbs.
6. Strong weight loss.

Seropositive arthritis has other manifestations:

1. Stiffness in arms, legs, palms, hands, feet. Such weak mobility of all joints is observed only in the morning.
2. Round dense nodules under the skin, located in the joints, which do not cause pain.
3. An increase in a different group of lymph nodes.
4. The liver and spleen are enlarged.
5. When the lungs are affected, shortness of breath, coughing, asthma attacks, wheezing occur.

The danger of the seropositive form is that it has a slow imperceptible development. Without showing visible symptoms at the first stages, the disease slowly and surely destroys the body from the inside, affecting not only the joints, but also the internal organs.

Causes

Experts still do not know exactly how arthritis appears. Since the disease is classified as a disease associated with impaired immune defense, they believe that the Epstein-Barr virus plays a special role in the occurrence of failures in the body. The main reasons include:

1. Weakness of the body of an age-related nature (children under 16 and people over 40).
2. stressful situations.
3. Allergic reactions and their manifestations.
4. Injuries of a different nature.
5. Operational intervention.
6. Toxic substances.
7. Severe intoxication of the body.
8. genetic predisposition.
9. Congenital pathologies.

Treatment tactics

The sooner seropositive rheumatoid arthritis is detected, the better. Unlike other variants, the seropositive form is unpleasant due to its sluggish nature. Often it is possible to detect such an ailment only thanks to special laboratory tests that can determine the rheumatoid factor. Due to subtle symptoms and signs, this type of disease can gradually destroy the body from the inside for a long period.

Even today, arthritis can not be cured in all its stages. Running forms most often activate irreversible destruction processes, so such a patient can be supported and given drugs that will only restrain the further spread of the disease.

The specialist, after clarifying the diagnosis and conducting a complete diagnosis of the body, based on the results obtained, will develop a treatment complex consisting of medication and physiotherapy, alternative therapy. In the treatment of arthritis, specialists try to remove pain symptoms, restore joint mobility and eliminate the development of inflammatory processes.

The main active drugs are diclofenac sodium and ibuprofen, as well as a number of corticosteroid drugs. Their action is aimed at eliminating pain and inflammation.

Various ointments and creams are effective means that reduce pain and restore joint mobility. The most effective are those ointments that are based on natural ingredients (honey, mummy, camphor oil, snake venom and shark cartilage).

Effective remedies in the form of ointments, gels created on hormonal and synthetic components include:

1. Ortofen;
2. Nimesulide;
3. Ketonal gel.

Drugs such as Leflunomide, Sulfasalazine directly affect the process itself and the development of the disease.

Modern types of drugs include: Adalimumab, Anakinra, Etanercept. They allow you to stop the inflammatory processes in those areas where there is already the development of necrosis. These types of drugs are based on the technology of using stem cells, which restore tissues and joints, the functions of all organs.

Stem cell-based drugs are expensive. In addition, if arthritis is severely neglected and the destruction processes are already irreversible, they will also be powerless. Their only advantage is the ability to restrain the process of destruction or, in special cases, completely stop it. But they will not be able to replenish the lost tissues.

In the case of a running seropositive form, a significant decrease in motor activity occurs. This condition leads to a wheelchair. If medical conservative treatment does not give positive results, and the development of the disease only progresses, an operation will be prescribed. During surgery, joints are replaced and damaged tissues are restored.

The complex of therapeutic therapy includes alternative methods, therapeutic exercises (or exercise therapy) and physiotherapy.

Sanatorium-and-spa institutions, where patients are sent to recover after medical or surgical therapy, specialize in the treatment of arthritis. They use alternative methods: mud therapy, body wraps, water-salt procedures.

How to cure rheumatoid arthritis and how it is now possible

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease of the joints, prone to progression and chronic course. It is very difficult to treat, leaving behind irreversible changes in the joints, as well as damage to internal organs. It can occur both in children (called "juvenile rheumatoid arthritis") and in adulthood. Women are more often ill, but their disease is a little easier.

• What causes the disease?
• What happens in the body with rheumatoid arthritis?
• How does rheumatoid arthritis manifest itself?
• Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis - how official medicine works
• Treatment with folk remedies

What causes the disease?

Unlike rheumatism, which is a process triggered by the bacterium streptococcus, the causes of this disease are not fully understood. The following predisposing factors are noted:

1. genetic predisposition: the descendants of those people who had rheumatoid arthritis get sick;
2. infectious diseases (viral) and violations of the reaction to vaccinations against viral diseases. A special role is assigned to infectious mononucleosis, which causes the Epstein-Barr virus, measles virus and hepatitis B virus;
3. severe stress.

What happens in the body with rheumatoid arthritis?

In the shell of the joint, blood circulation is disturbed at the level of the capillaries, because of this, the cells that form the joint bag suffer. More often, the lesion begins with the knee joint, then others, both large and small joints, suffer. The lesion is symmetrical, but this is not always immediately visible, and may appear from the second week.

In response to such cell changes, altered antibodies are formed - class G immunoglobulins, but since they are altered, antibodies are formed against them - anti-immunoglobulins G (they are called "rheumatoid factor"). The last antibodies also act destructively on the capsule of the joints - their inflammation, arthritis develops. The body's immune response works in such a way that the tissues of the joint become covered with cells that interfere with the normal flow of metabolic processes in the joint.

How does rheumatoid arthritis manifest itself?

The disease can begin in different ways, depending on which several of its forms are distinguished. Often, a person associates the onset of an illness with severe stress, an infectious disease. Initially, there may be a prodromal period, when the disease has not yet fully manifested itself, and nothing can be seen during the examination. Manifestations at this stage look like morning stiffness in the joints, when there is still no pain, but for a short amount of time in the morning it is difficult to straighten any of the joints.

Soon, joint pains may appear, usually closer to the morning, and tend to subside in the evening. Sometimes, especially in young children, joint pain is accompanied by a rise in temperature to high numbers, the appearance of a rash that is very similar to an allergic one, and an increase in a large number of lymph nodes.

1. The most common onset of the disease - subacute - looks like this: one joint begins to hurt and swell. More often it is the knee or ankle. There may not be pain, but the impossibility of movement in the joint in the morning, for more than 30 minutes, is a mandatory symptom. Only on this basis can rheumatoid arthritis be suspected. It has been described as "tight gloves or socks", "tight corset", "leakage of the body or joints".
2. It is also important to know that at the beginning of the disease, rheumatoid arthritis does not affect such joints: distal interphalangeal (the last, closest finger joints to the nails), the joint of the little finger closest to the hand, the "bone" on the big toe (the first metacarpophalangeal joint). In this case, rheumatoid arthritis affects more than three joints.
3. The third sign that makes it possible to suspect rheumatoid arthritis, and not another lesion of the joints, is the symmetry of their lesion: both on the right and on the left (this applies to both arms and legs).
4. There may be periods of improvement, followed by an exacerbation of the disease. The latter occur after stress and infectious diseases.
5. Rheumatoid arthritis leaves behind persistent deformities of the hands in the form of "walrus fins" or "swan neck". Therefore, if the hand changes its shape due to “inverted” joints, this disease occurs in a person.
6. The affected joint is hotter than healthy joints, but the skin over it is not red.
7. The joint hurts both by itself (at rest) and during movement.
8. There are lesions of internal organs.
9. Under the skin and in the internal organs (most characteristically - near the elbow joint) "rheumatoid nodules" are formed - painless seals of small sizes.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis - how official medicine works

When asked if rheumatoid arthritis can be cured, official medicine gives the following answer: "Perhaps in 80% of cases, if the treatment is started early and is aggressive." That is, you can be cured if the drugs are not selected from simple to complex, but the tactics of using the most effective therapy are immediately taken. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, it is mandatory to use cytostatics (methotrexate, imuran, and others) at the very beginning of the disease.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis should also be comprehensive, not only taking drugs is important, but also exercise therapy and physiotherapy.

What medicines are used in the treatment

1. Anti-inflammatory drugs. They also have the ability to anesthetize, but do not affect the rate of progression of the disease, since the main mechanism of its development is the defeat of its own tissues by its own antibodies. Ibuprofen, diclofenac, indomethacin, aspirin are used. They are toxic to the gastrointestinal tract, blood and liver. They should not be taken by people with peptic ulcers. To reduce the side effects of such drugs, selective nonsteroidal drugs (movalis, celecoxib) are sometimes prescribed, but they should be taken with caution in people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system.
2. basic therapy. It is precisely aimed at suppressing the main mechanism of the disease - the aggression of one's own immunity. They do not give a quick effect, but they can help to fully recover or achieve remission. How to cure rheumatoid arthritis with these drugs, your doctor should tell you. For this purpose, various groups of drugs are used:
   • Gold preparations help in 70% of cases. These are drugs such as krizanol, auranofin. They can cause allergies, provoke deterioration in the work of the kidneys, inflammation of the mucous membrane in the mouth.
   • D-penicillamine is a drug that binds to various ions (copper, mercury, and so on) and neutralizes them in this way. Quite effective, but has many side effects.
   • Sulfasalazine is an antimicrobial drug, which, moreover, has an effect on the immune system. It has fewer side effects than gold and cuprenil (D-penicillamine) preparations, but its therapeutic effect takes a long time to develop.
   • Antimalarial drugs delagil, chloroquine, plaquenil.
   • Immunosuppressants (cytostatics). Toxic drugs that give a good effect. If the patient tolerates treatment with these drugs (methotrexate, imuran), then he achieves a fairly quick remission without hormones.
   • Biological preparations are synthetic analogs of various substances of immunity: rutixan, orencia, mabthera.
3. To relieve pain, local remedies can be used: dimexide, cryotherapy, laser irradiation of the joints.
4. Glucocorticoids are synthetic analogues of the hormones that our adrenal cortex produces. They are injected into the joint with significant inflammation. They are an "ambulance", but without special need they should not be used, you can not do it often, because then the disease progresses more quickly.
5. Narcotic painkillers. They are used when the pain is so severe that it exhausts the person, and other remedies do not help.

Treatment with folk remedies

At home, you can use such tools.

1. Sleep on a mattress stuffed with fern leaves.
2. Lubricate the joints with such mixtures:
   • Take two containers. In one beat 100 g of egg white, in the other pour 100 ml of alcohol, to which add 50 g of camphor and 50 g of mustard powder. Mix the contents of both containers. Rub into joints.
   • Take a tablespoon of paraffin, medical bile, goose fat and camphor oil, mix and make compresses from this mixture.
   • Make a compress on the joint from sea salt, then rub in pure fir oil, make a compress again.
3. Means for oral administration:
   • Mix in equal parts blackcurrant leaves, lingonberries and rose hips. Pour boiling water, let it brew for two hours in a thermos. Drink 1 glass 2 times a day before meals.
   • In 200 ml of water, add 2 tsp. honey and apple cider vinegar. Take 2 teaspoons three times a day No. 30, then - a 20-day break, then - drink again for a month.
   • In equal parts, mix birch leaves, tricolor violet grass and stinging nettle leaves. Pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 45 minutes. Take half a glass before meals 4-5 times a day.

Only it is not worth being treated with folk remedies, since they do not act on the mechanism of auto-aggression of immunity itself, but only stimulate the body's defenses, relieve pain and inflammation.

Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a serious disease that affects the joints. Without treatment, a person quickly becomes disabled, but even with therapy, the disease does not always stop. Is it possible to recover from this pathology completely?

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is not just joint inflammation associated with injury or infection. This is a serious systemic disease, which is based on a breakdown of the immune system. With RA, some of its links begin to function incorrectly, and this leads to autoaggression of the body, destruction by its own antibodies.

Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by increased production of special substances - tumor necrosis factor, various interleukins. They destroy connective tissue - joints and bones. This leads to inflammation of the joints, their fragility and deformation.

Over time, in addition to the musculoskeletal system, other organs are also involved. The heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract may suffer. A significant blow to the health of the body is also caused by the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis itself. The drugs used by rheumatologists have serious side effects and this affects the well-being and condition of patients.

Is there a need for such unsafe therapy? And can rheumatoid arthritis be cured in principle?

Possibility of a cure

How to cure rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatologists often face this issue in their practice. It is asked on the Internet and in real life. Many patients have been looking for the answer to it for many years.

But, unfortunately, it is impossible to reassure patients with rheumatoid arthritis today. Despite the advances of modern medicine, doctors have not yet learned how to fully cope with autoimmune diseases - pathological processes in which the body destroys itself.

Intervention in the immune system is a very serious procedure that requires tremendous knowledge and experience. And, although numerous clinical studies are being conducted around the world in relation to autoimmune diseases, rheumatologists cannot achieve a final victory in this matter.

But this does not mean that rheumatoid arthritis should not be treated. On the contrary, the features of the disease are such that without adequate therapy, disability occurs very quickly. A person cannot move normally and serve himself, in addition, he experiences excruciating pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease with a steadily progressive course. Along with the destruction of the joints, this pathology affects the entire body. How to deal with an autoimmune disease? Are there effective treatments for RA?

Treatment

Attempts to develop effective treatments for rheumatoid arthritis have been made over the years. Rheumatologists used traditional medicine, medications, physiotherapy, combined methods.

To date, according to the approved standards for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, 3 groups of drugs are used:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, or NSAIDs.
• basic preparations.
• Steroid hormones are glucocorticoids.

Of course, other drugs are also used to treat this disease. They affect the pathogenesis - the mechanism of RA development - and play a significant role in complex therapy. These drugs include:

• Medicines that improve microcirculation.
• Drugs affecting the rheological properties of blood.
• Metabolites.
• Antioxidants, etc.

However, the main three groups of drugs for the treatment of RA are basic and unchanged; without them, it is impossible to slow down the development of the disease.

Each of these groups has its own side effects, and this must be taken into account when choosing therapy. Often the negative effects of drugs are cumulative. But this is not a reason to refuse the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, since the complications of the disease itself are much more serious than the side effects of drugs.

NSAIDs

Drugs that inhibit the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX) are used to treat RA. They are of general and selective action - non-selective and selective.

Non-selective COX inhibitors include long and well-known anti-inflammatory drugs - for example, diclofenac. It is an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, successfully fights pain, inhibits the activity of the inflammatory process.

However, the non-selectivity of its action leads to damage to other organs. So, diclofenac has a significant effect on the blood coagulation system, dilutes it. That is why bleeding with prolonged use of diclofenac is not uncommon. This is especially true for patients at risk:

• suffering from hemorrhoids;
• prone to bleeding
• alcohol abusers.

The elderly are also at risk. The older the patient, the higher the risk of side effects and the less noticeable the manifestation of complications. In elderly people, bleeding is often blurred, which leads to late seeking medical help and serious outcomes.

The second, no less dangerous side effect of non-selective NSAIDs is the ulcerogenic effect - the ability to cause the formation of ulcers in the stomach and intestines. In different people, this complication can proceed in different ways - from a single erosion to numerous ulcers throughout the intestine. In combination with increased bleeding, this condition poses a serious threat to the life and health of the patient. Therefore, treatment with diclofenac and similar drugs is carried out under medical supervision with regular monitoring of blood tests.

Selective NSAIDs

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs of selective action are modern drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. They are deprived of the main side effects of non-selective COX inhibitors, more precisely, these effects are less pronounced.

But in practice, selective NSAIDs cannot be attributed to the gold standard of rheumatology. They have both advantages and certain disadvantages.

What medicines belong to this group? These are nimesulide and oxycams. They are well tolerated, show anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity, rarely lead to serious complications or worsen the well-being of patients.

What can be attributed to the shortcomings of modern selective NSAIDs:

1. thrombogenic effect. They are not recommended for the treatment of patients with a history of heart attack or stroke, as well as cardiovascular diseases.
2. risk of bronchospasm. This complication is called prostaglandin asthma.
3. Lower anti-inflammatory activity. By changing the metabolism and starting the metabolism in a different way, these drugs lead to increased production of anti-inflammatory agents, which can partially offset their effectiveness.

These properties do not appear in all patients using COX inhibitors for the treatment of RA, but they should be kept in mind, especially in the presence of risk factors.

The selection of anti-inflammatory and analgesic therapy for autoimmune pathology is carried out by a rheumatologist. It is he who decides on the advisability of prescribing one or another group of NSAIDs, taking into account the patient's state of health and the stage of the disease.

Basic therapy

From the name it is clear that these are drugs that are the mainstay of the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. They do not cure the disease completely, but they allow you to slow down this process, make the prognosis more favorable. Basic therapy involves the constant taking of pills throughout life.

What drugs are most often used as the main treatment? The following groups are distinguished:

1. Quinoline drugs.
2. Salazopreparations.
3. D-penicillamine.
4. Salts of gold.
5. Cytostatics.

All these drugs are used in rheumatology for the treatment of RA - to one degree or another. It is believed that due to their action, the destruction of bones and joints is significantly reduced. However, some doctors dispute this view. Nevertheless, the positive effect of therapy with basic drugs is undeniable, although their side effects sometimes significantly limit the possibilities of application.

Quinoline drugs

Quinoline drugs include chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. They are used for a long time, more often for mild rheumatoid arthritis. As a rule, the first year of therapy involves taking tablets daily, and in the future, it can be taken every other day, but only when a significant effect is achieved. Also, in the remission stage, breaks from one to three months a year are allowed.

Salazopreparations

Salazopreparations are sulfasalazine and salazopyridazine. Like quinoline drugs, this group of tablets has been used in rheumatology for a long time. Begin treatment with a starting dose, and gradually bring to the optimum.

Indications for the appointment of salazopreparations include mild and - much less often - moderate forms of the disease.

One side effect that limits the use of these drugs is the increased formation of stones in the urinary tract and kidneys. Currently, salazopreparations are less often used in the basic therapy of rheumatoid arthritis than drugs from other groups.

D-penicillamine

D-penicillamine has relatively recently been a widely used drug for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. However, today its popularity has faltered, and it is used much less frequently in the treatment of RA. What is it connected with?

The use of D-penicillamine as a basic agent is associated with an increased risk of developing such complications:

• Inhibition of hematopoiesis - various cytopenias.
• Skin lesions - dermatitis.
• Negative effect on the kidneys with the development of nephritis.
• Lung damage - alveolitis.

Also, the clinical efficacy of D-penicillamine in some cases is questionable. All this has led to the fact that the drug has become much less commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Salts of gold

Gold-based preparations were first used to treat rheumatoid arthritis back in 1929. Rheumatologists had high hopes for them. Gold salts were considered a remedy that could permanently cure rheumatoid arthritis. Despite the fact that a complete cure could not be achieved, for many years these drugs were treated as first-line therapy and were the drugs of choice for RA. To date, their effectiveness is considered controversial.

The mechanism of action of gold salts is to inhibit the immune response. However, this is precisely what causes another effect - the occurrence of hypersensitivity reactions to gold itself. Side effects in the treatment of this medicine occur in a quarter of patients.

In addition to allergic reactions, aurotherapy is characterized by such complications:

• jade;
• dermatitis;
• cytopenias.

Cytostatics

Cytostatic drugs are methotrexate, cyclosporine and azathioprine.

Today, methotrexate is considered to be the gold standard of basic therapy for RA. It effectively suppresses immune inflammation and exhibits fewer side effects than drugs from other groups. Current standards for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis require the use of higher doses of methotrexate than previously accepted. During treatment, it is imperative to check liver function and blood condition.

In severe forms of RA, a large number of complications, rheumatologists prescribe azathioprine or cyclosporine. However, these drugs can lead to the development of arterial hypertension, kidney damage and oppression of hematopoiesis, which limits their use in rheumatology.

Steroid hormones

This is the third main group of drugs for the treatment of RA. Steroid therapy is used for many autoimmune and endocrine diseases. It is not safe and can cause the following complications:

1. Formation of erosions and ulcers.
2. Obesity.
3. Diabetes.
4. Osteoporosis.
5. Increase in blood pressure.
6. Violation of the adrenal glands.

However, it is glucocorticoids that have a pronounced and long-lasting anti-inflammatory effect, effectively combat pain and joint destruction.

Steroid therapy can be low-dose and continuous, or short-term using high doses. In the second case, it is called pulse therapy and is used when you need to quickly eliminate severe inflammation.

Are there any other modern highly effective drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis? Yes, in recent years, special attention has been paid to biological therapy.

biological therapy

By this term, as a rule, means agents that are able to influence immune inflammation at the molecular level. These include receptor antagonists and monoclonal antibodies.

Until recently, most of these drugs were experimental. However, some have proven themselves so well that they are widely used in rheumatological practice.

One of the most promising drugs in this area is infliximab - Remicade. It is often given in combination with methotrexate.

Unfortunately, even in modern medicine, rheumatoid arthritis is not completely curable. However, adequate therapy can achieve stable remission and delay complications.

In modern medicine, despite all the progressive achievements, there remains a large number of diseases that have insufficiently studied causes and complex multi-stage development mechanisms that form a diverse clinical picture with damage to tissues and organs, which makes it difficult to treat. For example, systemic connective tissue diseases. This group of diseases includes rheumatoid arthritis, the hallmark of which is an erosive-destructive lesion of the joints, mostly small ones. The reason for it has not yet been established; in the development mechanism, the main role belongs to the attack of immunity on the body's own tissues.

Research continues on the causes and mechanisms of the development of this pathology, the search for new, more effective and safe methods of treatment, especially complex ones.

Rheumatoid arthritis of the joints: symptoms and treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by progressive destruction of the joints, which in the later stages of the disease becomes irreversible. Typical signs of pathology:

• the presence of erosive-destructive elements in the area of ​​articular surfaces;
• destruction of small joints;
• symmetrical lesion;
• development of inflammation in the feet and hands;
• deformities that interfere with the normal functioning of the joints.

In addition to typical articular lesions, disorders from other tissues and systems are also characteristic, including the presence of serositis (inflammatory process in the membranes of the heart, peritoneum, pleural membrane), the formation of inflammatory nodules under the skin, vascular lesions in the form of vasculitis, enlarged lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) and peripheral lesions of nerve endings (neuropathy).

Treatment methods for rheumatoid arthritis are determined by a rheumatologist who specializes in autoimmune, inflammatory diseases. He conducts a full-fledged diagnostics: an external examination with an analysis of all complaints and their detailed fixation in a map, a number of laboratory tests and instrumental studies (including ultrasound data, radiography and other additional procedures).

Medical correction is based on long courses of drugs in combination with physiotherapy and non-drug methods, dietary correction and, in some cases, surgery. Courses of anti-relapse therapy and rehabilitation are being conducted, and the sooner drugs are prescribed and methods of drug exposure are recommended, the more favorable the prognosis will be. In advanced cases, the disease threatens with permanent disability.

More often, a similar problem occurs in adults, for children a peculiar form of deviation in the form of JRA (juvenile) is typical, with features of clinical symptoms, diagnosis and therapeutic approaches.

Causes and diagnosis of pathology

The exact causes of the disease have not been established to date, although there are theories about the nature of its development. According to most researchers, there is a hereditary predisposition, previous infections and the action of provoking factors. It is noted that some microorganisms (retroviruses, herpes viruses, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr, rubella, and mycoplasmas) contribute to the development of inflammatory processes in the joints. As a result of an infection and improper functioning of the immune system, autoimmune reactions are triggered - the aggression of one's own immunity against the connective tissue of the joints and other parts of the body, which leads to the proliferation of connective tissue and the destruction of cartilage structures and their irreversible deformation. The process leads to contractures - restrictions in movement and irreversible deformities of the joints, subluxations and disruption of their functional activity.

When contacting a specialist with complaints “I have rheumatoid arthritis, how and what to treat”, the following symptoms are revealed:

• stiffness in the joints in the morning, passing after a while;
• deformity of the small joints of the fingers and toes (a specific symptom is deformity of the fingers in the form of a “button loop” or “walrus flippers”;
• symmetrical changes in the joints of the limbs;
• swelling of the joint area.

The results of laboratory studies reveal an increase in ESR, alkaline phosphatase and specific indicators of systemic diseases - rheumatoid factor, sialic acids and seromucoid. X-ray examination shows specific symptoms of joint damage.

Rheumatoid arthritis: treatment at home or hospital?

Placing a patient in a hospital when there is a suspicion of the development of the disease or with an already established diagnosis is indicated in the following cases:

• if it is necessary to confirm or refute the diagnosis, to clarify the features of the course, to assess the prognosis for later life and working capacity, to resolve the issue of disability;
• selection of basic anti-inflammatory therapy (BPVT) with drugs at the initial stage and then throughout the disease;
• with a sharp exacerbation and development of complications;
• when there are severe and systemic manifestations involving the nervous system and serous membranes;
• in the formation of concomitant complications, signs of septic arthritis or others, including those associated with taking medications.

In all other cases, treatment at home is allowed under the strict condition of constant medical supervision with regular examinations.

How to get rid of rheumatoid arthritis: principles of therapy

The basis is an integrated approach and a combination of medication with non-drug methods, diet, physical activity and rehabilitation measures. If necessary, an orthopedist, a neurologist, a cardiologist, a psychotherapist are involved in counseling and developing a treatment regimen. With a slight deformity of the joints, patients can continue their usual activities with limited physical activity and stress, provided that infectious diseases are prevented and bad habits are abandoned.

An equally important condition for reducing symptoms, especially in the lower extremities, is to control body weight, which reduces the load on the affected articular surfaces and bones, reduces the risk of osteoporosis, fractures and deformities. A properly selected diet high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, quality animal and vegetable proteins helps in reducing the intensity of inflammation and stimulates the restoration of cartilage tissues.

The doctor tells the patient in detail how to reduce the manifestation of the disease through changes in physical activity, through physiotherapy exercises and the use of physiotherapy techniques. In the stage of minimal manifestations or in the period of remission, a sanatorium-and-spa rehabilitation is indicated.

Standard of care for rheumatoid arthritis

Recently, there has been significant progress in understanding the main mechanisms of formation, pathology is considered as a chronic inflammatory disease of an immune nature, in which therapy is most effective in the initial period. Today, a new standard has been developed, including the use of a number of drugs of various effects:

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs);
• hormonal (glucocorticosteroids, or GCS);
• biological;
• synthetic agents for stopping immune and inflammatory reactions.

The basis for improving well-being is basic anti-inflammatory therapy (BPVT), which is important to start in the first months of development, and the medication should be taken regularly (orally, by injection), with a constant change in the regimen with low efficiency. The disappearance or reduction of clinical symptoms and signs of inflammation according to laboratory data indicates the effectiveness of the measures taken. The use of BPVT should be carried out taking into account possible side effects.

In the acute stage or with an exacerbation of a chronic pathology, drug correction is necessary, but how the treatment is carried out is determined solely by the attending physician. Steroid drugs, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used.

At the first stage suppression of acute processes is carried out, followed by a transition to maintenance therapy during the period of attenuation of symptoms and remission. Non-steroidal drugs are used most actively, usually this is a group of non-selective COX inhibitors (cyclooxygenase - an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of substances that contribute to the development of inflammation). The effect when they are taken develops quickly, after 3-5 days of administration, but the drugs themselves have a number of side effects that limit their long-term use and choice for certain categories of patients. Selective COX inhibitors are actively used, which have a smaller list of side effects, they belong to the new generation of drugs, are better tolerated and more effective.

Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis also includes glucocorticoid group drugs. They quickly and strongly suppress immune and inflammatory reactions, affect metabolic processes and are applicable when non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are ineffective. GCS reduce inflammation in the joints and reduce the likelihood of damage to internal organs, but also have an impressive list of side effects and contraindications, and therefore their use is strictly controlled and selected very carefully and individually. With pulse therapy, in combination with cytostatic agents, they are used only on the basis of a hospital. Home uncontrolled use of these drugs is prohibited, they can be dangerous in terms of serious complications.

New generation drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

To date, to combat this pathology, drugs of a new series are widely used - biological therapy. Specific compounds belonging to the group of TNF inhibitors (tumor necrosis factors) do not allow the clinical picture of immune inflammation to unfold. The funds are relatively recently used, showed good results, but significantly affect the immune system, suppressing it against the background of long-term use. They are prescribed in difficult cases, when the disease is resistant to the usual means. Biological products have one significant drawback - high cost, which limits their widespread use.

Local therapy

The external method of using medicines is also practiced; for these purposes, topical medications are prescribed - gels, ointments, creams, patches with anti-inflammatory components. The main effect is a local effect on the tissues of the joint and periarticular surfaces, drugs are used to reduce pain and swelling. However, they have low efficacy compared to drugs that are taken orally (tablets), and are recommended only in complex therapy.

Often external agents have a multicomponent composition, may contain NSAIDs, heparin (to improve microcirculation and vascular permeability), local anesthetics (to reduce joint pain).

How to treat rheumatoid arthritis with physical therapy

As the acute process subsides, the question always arises of what to do next, in the stage of attenuation of inflammation and when entering remission. At the stage of additional correction, including at home, physical activity is shown. The procedures help to reduce pain, eliminate stiffness in the morning, and expand the patient's physical activity.

Methods of exposure to galvanic currents and magnetic fields on the area of ​​affected surfaces, applications of paraffin or ozocerite are used. No less effective are the methods of dosed irradiation with infrared rays or ultrasound of a certain frequency.
Magnetic therapy in diseases of the joints has the most pronounced positive effect:

• reduces pain and swelling in the joints;
• increases range of motion;
• eliminates morning stiffness;
• allows you to reduce the drug load on the body, as it reduces the need for taking drugs with an analgesic effect.

Although these methods have sufficient activity, they cannot be used as the only means in deciding how to cure rheumatoid arthritis and without a doctor's prescription. Physiotherapy is indicated as an additional technique against the background of basic treatment.

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Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that occurs more often in young women. The peripheral joints are predominantly affected. The changes are irreversible.

Can rheumatoid arthritis be cured? Is this disease curable? These and other questions are asked by many who are faced with this insidious disease. Unfortunately, the disease cannot be completely cured. There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis permanently. It is not 100% curable. Provided that timely complex treatment is carried out, the basis of which is basic therapy and the recommendations of a specialist are followed, stable remission (no new exacerbations) can be achieved.

Preparations of gold

Assign with poor tolerance of immunosuppressants. Especially effective at a young age. They can be used in the presence of cancer. Krizanol, myokrizin, auranofin are the most famous types of medicines of this series.

Sulfonamides

Sulfonamides act extremely slowly and have a weak effect, but they are easily tolerated by patients, side effects are very rare. Also, drugs in this group have an affordable price.

There are 2 drugs that are classified as sulfonamides, these are:

• salazopyridazine;
• sulfasalazine.

Sulfasalazine for arthritis has been used for a long time. Has clinically proven effectiveness. However, as practice has shown, it can only help with arthritis of low or moderate activity.

Quinoline drugs

Malaria drugs, it would seem, have nothing to do with rheumatoid arthritis. But this is not so, many years ago it became clear that delagil and plaquenil not only treat tropical fever, but also slow down the course of rheumatoid arthritis. These drugs are easily tolerated and have no significant side effects. However, they are very weak and do not always work as they should.

It makes sense to prescribe antimalarial drugs if the disease proceeds in a mild form or if the patient does not perceive other basic drugs well. Can be used at the onset of the disease.

D-penicillamine

Assign with high clinical and laboratory activity of rheumatoid arthritis.

The mechanism of action of the main groups of basic therapy drugs, indications for use, treatment regimens, side effects, list of examinations

Medicines from the group of d-penicillamines are prescribed extremely rarely, as they have many side effects and are difficult to perceive. At the same time, in terms of effectiveness, they are approximately equal to immunosuppressants and gold. The reason for their appointment may be poor tolerance of other basic drugs or their inefficiency in a particular patient.

Due to the high toxicity of the substance, it is used in extreme cases. When other means fail. Take the drug for a long time, up to 5 years. It is important to note that in 10% of patients, after a significant improvement, during treatment with d-penicillamine, a sharp deterioration occurs.

Medicines belonging to this group:

• distamine;
• artamine;
• cuprenil;
• metalcaptase;
• troll.

Despite the toxicity, basic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis can significantly increase life expectancy. That is why their appointment is so necessary.

Anti-inflammatory therapy

Unlike basic therapy, it has a symptomatic effect, without affecting the cause and pathogenesis of the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis during exacerbation is manifested by all signs of inflammation: temperature rises over the affected joint, redness, swelling, pain occurs, and the function of the affected joint is disturbed. To reduce these symptoms and improve the patient's condition, NSAIDs and steroid hormones are prescribed.

NSAID group

They have an anti-inflammatory effect, reduce pain, swelling (nimesulide, meloxicam, diclofenac). Preparations of this group can be taken in courses. It is contraindicated to use them constantly because of the negative effect on the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract.

Glucocorticoids

Prednisolone, dexamethasone reduce all signs of joint inflammation. Local use of drugs of this group is possible.

Rheumatoid arthritis and the characteristic signs of inflammation of the joint that occur with this disease.

Complementary Therapies

They play a supporting role.

Nutrition

There is no special diet. You should limit products that adversely affect the joints:

• flour, sweets;
• chocolate;
• citrus;
• fatty meats and animal fats;
• milk;
• oatmeal.

Preparations of basic therapy negatively affect the liver and kidneys, therefore, foods that put an excessive burden on these organs are excluded from the diet:

• roast;
• smoked;
• salty;
• acute;
• canned;
• alcoholic drinks.

It is necessary to include foods rich in calcium in the diet (cottage cheese, cheeses, especially hard varieties, milk, sour-milk products, legumes). Also useful are marine fish species, which, in addition to phosphorus, are rich in vitamin D. It plays a leading role in the formation of bone tissue. This vitamin is found in abundance in egg yolk, cod liver, halibut. A real pantry of phosphorus, calcium, collagen is found in jelly.

If it is impossible to compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals with food, synthetic vitamins with trace elements should be taken. In rheumatoid arthritis, the need for vitamins B, C, E is especially high.

Physiotherapy

In the phase of exacerbation of the disease, apply:

• UV area of ​​the joints;
• electrophoresis of glucocorticoids on the affected joints.

The course of treatment is 2 weeks.

In the subacute stage appoint:

• phototherapy (Bioptron lamp);

In the proliferative stage are shown:

• magnetotherapy;
• phototherapy;
• lidase electrophoresis;
• cryotherapy;
• applications of ozokerite, dimexide.

A good effect on the general condition and mobility of the joints is provided by therapeutic exercises, massage. With rheumatoid arthritis, experts advise moving as much as possible. This has a good effect on the function of the joints, reduces stiffness, postpones the period of ankylosing - immobility. For this, walks in the fresh air are suitable.

Swimming lessons are very helpful. It is easier to make movements in water due to the relaxation of muscle tissue.

To understand how to cure rheumatoid arthritis, it is worth understanding the mechanism of the disease that causes it. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. The cause of joint disease is not in the natural erasure of cartilage tissue, as in arthrosis, not in infection, which often happens with ordinary arthritis, but in a failure of the immune system. The protective functions of the body, instead of attacking an infection, viruses that have entered from the outside, destroy healthy cells of the body, joints. The stronger the immune system, the faster the disease progresses.

Rheumatoid arthritis appears at any age. The disease begins in children, adolescents, young women, people leading an active lifestyle. Science has not fully understood the mechanism of the occurrence of such an immune reaction.

Factors that provoke an exacerbation of the disease are hypothermia, an infectious, viral disease, joint injury, stress, genetic predisposition. The disease has a remission during pregnancy, when a hormonal failure occurs in a woman's body, immunity weakens. There is a relapse, when the disease receded, symptoms appear.

Rheumatoid arthritis is dangerous if you do not start treatment on time, inflammation from the joints spreads to the internal organs, liver, lungs, heart.

The patient asks the question: can rheumatoid arthritis be cured? Medicine does not give an answer, because each case is individual. Rheumatoid arthritis can be cured, complex treatment is needed. There is no magic pill for the disease. It is worth going through a full course of treatment, listening to the doctor's recommendations, to your own body.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis should begin with basic therapy. The effect is noticeable after a couple of months, today it is a way to cure the disease. Preparations that make up the basic therapy:

Eat. The point is behind the regularity of taking drugs, the constant supervision of a doctor. Treatment of the disease is the desire of the patient to get better. If there is no faith in healing, it is difficult to achieve a positive result. Depression, stress are provocateurs of the disease, it is worth excluding with the help of a psychologist.

Diet is an additional method of treatment

Joint health depends on the state of the body. All patients want to go the simple way, to entrust their health to drugs without doing anything. If you limit yourself to products that do not bring health benefits, you can improve the processes in the body. No. There are nutritional recommendations that enhance treatment, avoid side effects from taking medications.

It is important to abandon foods that are bad for the joints:

• Flour products, sweet pastries, chocolate.
• Animal fats, fatty meats.
• Milk.
• Citrus.
• Oatmeal.
• Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant.

Eliminate foods that adversely affect the kidneys, liver. These vital organs receive a load from taking the medicines that make up the treatment, you should not overload them with harmful, heavy foods:

• Canned food.
• Fried food.
• Smoked products.
• Alcoholic drinks.
• Foods containing cholesterol.
• Hot spices.
• Salty food.

Health Benefits Products:

• Olive oil.
• Nuts.
• Sea fish.

Steam food, bake in the oven, without adding oil. Use vitamins, biologically active food supplements, it is not always possible to consume foods rich in essential micro and macro elements.

• Calcium is essential for strong bones and joints. If you do not consume the proper amount of dairy products, lead to a deterioration in well-being, take calcium supplements.
• In order for calcium to be absorbed by the body, vitamin D is needed. Fish oil contains a record amount of vitamin D.
• Collagen is useful for strengthening cartilage. Contained in gelatin, nutritional supplements with collagen.
• Vitamins of groups B, C, E are useful in rheumatoid arthritis. Promote tissue regeneration, support the body in good shape during the treatment period.

A healthy lifestyle is the best addition to therapy

Rheumatoid arthritis is curable, there are cases of complete deliverance. It is necessary to approach the treatment comprehensively, to make every effort. To the mandatory drug therapy, proper nutrition, it is worth adding physical exercises, walking in the fresh air, hardening, and giving up bad habits.

It will help to supplement effective treatment, forget about rheumatoid arthritis forever:

• Swimming. The load on the joints during swimming is minimal, all muscles work. The muscles of the legs and back are strengthened. A strong muscular corset reduces the load on the joints, supports the spine.
• Massage. Increases blood circulation, strengthens muscles, relieves stress.
• Bath. Useful habit for joint diseases. It is undesirable to go to the steam room at the time of acute exacerbation, elevated body temperature. In other cases, the bath will benefit.
• Spa treatment. It is useful for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis to visit a sanatorium once a year. When the disease has receded, preventive measures will not interfere.

The case of the disease is individual, it is impossible to say unequivocally whether it is possible to get rid of rheumatoid arthritis forever. Everything is in your hands, there are cases when they forgot about the disease forever. For this, someone needs to move out of town, into the fresh air, eat natural products, go to the bathhouse, someone helped yoga, meditation, someone a full course of medication. Don't give up, fight for your health!

Many people ask me if rheumatoid arthritis can be cured with folk methods. Here is a letter from Maria Sergeevna from Ryazan:

Hello Vladimir Stepanovich. At the age of 15, I suffered serious stress and started working in the market, lifting heavy boxes of tomatoes of 30-35 kg each (with my weight of 45 kg), and of course there was hypothermia ... Then my joint on the ring finger of my right hand ached, gradually other joints began to get involved… now I am 20 years old, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis… I have already tried a huge number of remedies, but nothing helps me… in order to at least raise my head from the pillow, I have to drink a huge amount of medicine, I can only walk with a limp and only with pills… I don’t know what to do… every day is a test and hellish pain… please help me, I really hope for your support.

- Maria Alpatova, Ryazan

I have been able to help many people. I hope that I can help you too, Maria. You must clearly understand that rheumatoid arthritis is a very complex (systemic) disease in which the entire connective tissue of the body is affected ... And it, this disease, requires a systematic approach to treatment ... This systematic approach can only be provided by a well-trained rheumatologist. Therefore, in no case do not neglect regular visits to a rheumatologist.

Rheumatoid arthritis: recipes

• In nutrition, it is desirable to give up milk (but not sour-milk products), sugar, white bread, and pasta. It is necessary to use more seafood for food - sea fish (cod), sea kale (in powder form - sold in pharmacies) - add to first and second courses and salads, seaweed, white cabbage in any form, horseradish, radish, radish, turnips, watercress, pumpkin porridge, sprouted wheat. Carrots, spinach, onions, garlic have a pronounced therapeutic effect. It is highly desirable to stick to vegetarian food, drink carrot juice and melt water, oat decoction.
• Brew currant leaves, which cleanse the blood of uric acid - the basis of pathological changes in the joints when rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed (or, as doctors say, polyarthritis)
• Propolis-garlic tincture. this wonderful tool.
• Gels and ointments containing These are good and very effective remedies for local treatment and prevention of joint diseases.
• Decoction of oats: Pour one glass of washed oats with 1 liter of distilled water at room temperature. Insist 10 hours. Put on low heat, bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes with the lid tightly closed. Remove, wrap and insist 12 hours. Strain. Top up with distilled water to the original volume - up to 1 liter. Take 20 minutes before meals three times a day, 100 ml (half a cup) for 2 months. A break of 1 month and again a course of 2 months. During a year.
• Ointment: take 2 tablespoons of crushed fresh roots of Comfrey officinalis (borage) and grind with 2 tablespoons of unsalted lard. Apply for fractures of bones, for bruises, for rheumatic and gouty pains in the joints, for wounds and ulcers.
• Aloe juice - 1 part, honey - 2 parts and vodka - 3 parts. Mix and apply in the form of compresses on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bdiseased joints.
• Porridge from American Agave leaves - 50 g pour vodka - 200 ml. Insist in a dark place for 10 days, shaking the contents every other day. Strain. Take 15 drops (with water) 3 times a day, before meals. A course of 6 weeks, a break of 1 month and again a course of 6 weeks. Yes, 8 months.
• 100 g of dry crushed calamus root pour 0.5 liters of vodka, insist in a dark place for 10 days, shaking the contents every other day. Strain. Take 1 teaspoon with water 3 times a day before meals - until cured. Definitely for you.
  For food, you need to eat jam or juice from lingonberries (4 tablespoons a day for six months, white cabbage (in any form), horseradish, garlic (2 cloves a day!), Aronia chokeberry (150 g per day), celery, viburnum, mountain ash (fruits in any form), black radish, green tea... And, of course, onion soup according to Broyce's recipe.
• Every day you need to eat a plate of onion soup, prepared according to the recipe of the famous Belgian doctor Rudolf Breuss. Here's how this soup is prepared: finely chop a lemon-sized onion with the outer brown skin, fry in vegetable fat or oil (until the onion turns golden brown), then add 1/2 liter of cold water and cook until the onion as it should not fall apart. Add some vegetable broth and mix well. Strain. Use only clear soup (no boiled onions)!
• Mumiyo (pharmaceutical preparation) in capsules or tablets of 0.2 g. Take 1 tablet (0.2 g) in the morning 2 times a day, before meals, with 2 sips of grape juice. The course is 20 days, a break of 1 month and again a course of 20 days.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is also treated in this way: instead of tea, brew raspberry leaves, as well as twigs, raspberry stalks. Along with raspberry infusion, there is raspberry jam or candied raspberries. Yes, throughout the year. Patience and precision are the keys to success. In this way, many people who suffered from the most severe forms of polyarthritis were cured. A very, very effective treatment.
• It is highly desirable to use blue clay, which should be wrapped around the joints 4-6 times a day (according to the method of V. Travinka).
  Licorice root infusion naked: Pour 1 tablespoon of licorice root in a thermos with a glass of boiling water. Insist 5 hours. Drink 1 dessert spoon 3 times a day, before meals. Course 5 weeks. A break of 2 months and again the course is 5 weeks.
• A decoction of rose hips: pour 1 tablespoon of crushed dry fruits with 1 cup of boiling water; boil on low heat for 10 minutes, cool, strain, add a tablespoon of honey. Take half a cup (100 ml) twice daily, 40 minutes after meals. Course 3 months. A break of 1 month and again a course of 3 months.

It is necessary to draw up a treatment plan with the alternation of funds among themselves (no more than 2-3 funds at the same time). Finally, Maria, and everyone who is tormented by this most disgusting disease - rheumatoid arthritis, I will leave a few more very simple recipes that have been tested by time and our ancestors.

1. Decoction of burdock root (15 g root per 200 ml of boiling water) take 1 tablespoon 4 times a day (before meals). For external treatment, take 4-5 tablespoons of crushed root in a bucket of water, boil, cool. In a warm broth, lower a sheet folded four times so wide that it covers the body from the armpits to the ankles of the legs; squeeze the sheet (not dry) and wrap the patient tightly. Lay a piece of sheet between the legs so that the legs do not touch. Then wrap the patient in the same way with a dry sheet and a woolen blanket. The sheet and blanket are fixed with pins and the patient is left in bed for 1.5-2 hours. If the patient falls asleep, do not wake him up. Remove sheets upon waking up. Use the treatment only once a day, preferably at night; after 6 days - a break for a day. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
2. You can prepare an ointment of this composition: put 250 g of unsalted butter in the morning in an enamel pan; add 100 g of beeswax and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Add 100 g of pine resin powder and boil over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring the contents thoroughly with a wooden spatula. Then add 30 g of Celandine grass powder and boil again for 5 minutes. Pour in 0.5 l of St. John's wort, mix everything well and add 30 g of chalk powder. Simmer for 2.5 hours, stirring the contents, then put 50 g of propolis powder. Remove from heat after 30 minutes and let cool. In the evening, bring to a boil, stirring constantly, strain the hot mixture through a 2-layer gauze, pour into jars and close them tightly. Store in a dark, cool place. Apply - lubricating the affected areas of the skin with a very thin layer, rubbing into the skin. The ointment perfectly softens the skin, cicatricial changes in the skin and tendons; in addition, it has a perfectly pronounced anti-inflammatory, healing and antipruritic effect.

And one more thing, Maria! The longer I work as a doctor, the longer I live in the world, the more I am convinced that our fate is in our hands. The main thing is to deeply realize that everything in life is determined by FAITH in one's own strength. Find the strength to say to yourself: "I can do anything." I happened to go through and there to understand that those who really, really wanted to live survive. In front of my eyes, the wounded were dying, far from being the most severe wounds, and, on the contrary, those who received injuries incompatible with life survived. A person gets well if he believes that he can get well. This applies to any disease - both the mildest and the most severe.

There is not and cannot be a panacea for all diseases and for all cases, no matter how much we all would like it. Panacea can be considered only a huge FAITH in recovery and only her.