Therapeutic treatment in the elderly with heart failure

Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome that is the last common stage in many cardiovascular diseases. The main causes leading to the development of HF are, among others, primary impairment of myocardial contractility, volume and / or ventricular congestion, and obstruction of the diastolic duct due to pericardial diseases. The methods of detecting heart failure include: an accurate interview with the patient, laboratory tests and echocardiography. Treatment options include non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical treatment. A very important aspect of cure is also physical activity and appropriate nutritional treatment

Knee arthroplasty in the elderly

Background: One of the many problems related to geriatric patients are degenerative changes in joints. In this article authors discuss about the knee joint endoprosthesis. During preparations of this publishment special attention was paid to the following aspects: role and the meaning of preventing actions, explanation the clue and main goal of the surgery intervention, and it’s simplified course. Subsequently there are short description of the knee joint with its most relevant to the fallowing subject structures. Furthermore the quantity of respective surgical procedure was given to approximate the scale of subject. Next paragraphs explaining why endoprothesis is the best way for dealing with this kind of problems, and the significance of the physiotherapist in whole process both before, and after surgery. Materials and methods: Analysis of available literature and articles in PubMed, ResearchGate and other scientific platforms related to discussed subject, using words: geriatrics, endoprothesis, knee arthroplasty, knee joint. Results: Gonarthrosis is a significant social problem. Endoprosthesis plastic surgery is performed on those patients who struggle badly in activities of daily living because of advanced articulations disorders. The main diagnoses underlying the primary knee replacement were primary bilateral gonarthrosis and other primary gonarthrosis accounted. The analysis of sources devoted to these issues includes people after 65 years old (mostly women) which occurs a low level of physical activity, the burden of metabolic disease such as diabetes (type 2). Authors demonstrated a correlation between excessive body weight, and insufficient production of synovial fluid, it’s damage and in the final phase lost which is a direct reason for pain. The following thesis was proven based on the source material: thanks to arthroplasty the patients quality of life as improved by around 90 percent. When the physiotherapist is involved in the whole process, both in the pre- and post-surgery phase it is possible to obtain much better therapeutic effects. Conclusions: Knee arthroplasty can help restore independence to patients in their daily activities. The introduction of artificial foreign bodies into the pond to replace the damaged leads to an improvement in the quality of life of sick patients. The introduction of intensive rehabilitation, patient education and pharmacological treatment after arthroplasty allows for reduction of pain and faster recovery. There are many types of rehabilitation after knee replacement surgery, so the therapy plan has to be adapted to the individual patient

Physical rehabilitation after hip joint dislocation in the elderly

Introduction: Hip joint injuries often have complex and multifactorial causes. Therefore it is so important to apply a properly adjusted physical therapy to each patient. It is especially important in case of older people, where in addition to regular force based trauma, there may exist a number of degenerative changes to the hip joint associated with the aging of the body. Aim The aim of this article is to review the available hip joint injury physical rehabilitation methods, including the newest physical rehabilitation trends. An assesment of the effectiveness of the discussed rehabilitation methods is also carried out in this paper. Material and methods: Articles in the EBSCO database have been analysed using keywords: injuries of the hip joints, dislocation of the hip joint, modern methods of rehabilitation, older people. Results: The most common type of hip injuries in elderly patients are proximal femur fracture, trochanteric fracture and femoral neck fracture. In case of such fractures the main choice is usually surgical treatment, therefore it is important to start the rehabilitation process as soon as possible to allow for a quick recovery of the joint. Anticoagulant therapy is introduced within the first 24 hours after the surgery. Verticalization and learning to walk is introduced in the following days, where it is crucial to strengthen the muscles. In later stages exercises with partial and full weighing of the limb can be introduced. Physical exercise therapy is proven to be effective in returning the geriatric patient to full mobility or improving his locomotor functions. Physiotherapy, i.e. hydrotherapy, balneotherapy, magnetotherapy, thermotherapy and laser therapy, can also be introduced for faster tissue regeneration and pain relief. An important element of the post-operative stage is educating the patient about post-hospital life, i.e. principles of safe behavior at home, his limitations and the gradual introduction of physical activity. Conclusions: The hip joint through its location, structure and function is one of the most common locations of degenerative changes and injuries in the overall population. It is particularly important in elderly people, due to degenerative changes associated with the aging of the body. Rehabilitation after hip injuries should be started as soon as possible after its occurrence. It is important to remember that geriatric patients are specific, due to various limitations, i.e. multimorbidity, polipharmacotherapy, frailty, deafness, amblyopia, sarcopenia and others. Therefore it is necessary to personalise rehabilitation process to best fit to each patient

Abnormal muscle tension as one of the main problems after a stroke

Background: Stroke is a growing problem in an aging society. According to WHO data, it is the second most common cause of death. An increase in the number of strokes causes an increase in the number of patients struggling with its consequences. People who have suffered a stroke are dealing with various neurological defects. One of them is abnormal muscle tension. Material and methods: Analysis of available literature, articles in the Google Scholar and PubMed database using keywords: stroke, muscle tension, spasticity. Results: The problem of disturbed tension is common in people who have had a stroke. Spasticity, i.e. increased muscle tone in response to stretching, results from damage to the central nervous system. Direct and indirect methods are used to assess spasticity. In the fight against destroyed muscle tension, it is important to implement treatment as soon as possible. It is based on the use of various forms of therapy: pharmacotherapy and physiotherapy. Physiotherapy and kinesitherapy treatments as well as specialized rehabilitation methods, such as PNF. The rehabilitation process should be supplemented with appropriate pharmacological treatment. Equally important is the implementation of stroke prevention. These activities are associated with the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, for example, regular exercise and stress reduction. Conclusion: Muscle tension disorder, including spasticity, is a problem affecting many patients who have had a stroke. A timely diagnosis is important to get the right therapy. Treatment should have a holistic dimension and combine different methods. The goal of therapy is to normalize muscle tone and thus improve the patient's quality of life

A holistic approach to the problem of Rheumatoid Arthritis in geriatric patients

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease and belongs to the group of systemic connective tissue diseases having an autoimmune basis. The most commonly reported symptoms by patients are pain, swelling and difficulty moving the affected joints. The course of rheumatoid arthritis is different in the elderly, the onset of the disease in the elderly is more severe than in the young, and large proximal joints are primarily involved. Make a diagnosis as soon as possible and start treatment, the greater the chance of delaying disease progression and even remission, which will minimize disability. In the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in the elderly, who often have co-morbidities and often mobility difficulties, the role of physiotherapist and nursing care is extremely important next to medical treatment. The use of kinesitherapy allows you to increase the range of motion of the joints and maintain them in good functional condition. Physiotherapy, on the other hand, has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. This effect is enhanced by properly selected pharmacological treatment, carried out with the help of disease-modifying drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids and biological drugs