It is time to talk about illness, from which no one is safe, or rather, about the arthrosis of the knee.What is arthrosis of the knee joint?What are its main symptoms, and what is treatment according to traditional methods.And how traditional medicine can help.Believe me, everyone needs to know this, since this ailment affects every fifth person on the planet.This is a lot, isn't it?
Indeed, according to medical statistics, arthrosis affects the knee much more often than other joints.It is diagnosed in almost 20% of the population.I also add that this disease seriously limits mobility in the knee, and in advanced cases brings constant and unbearable pain.So let's deal with the topic in advance and do not give a disease a single chance!
Deforming arthrosis, arthrosis of the knee joint or gonarthrosis - these are all the names of one disease that affects the hyaline cartilage in the knee.
The causes of gonoarthritis
The reasons for its manifestation can be different.Moreover, as a rule, a combination of several negative factors is necessary for the development of obvious degenerative-dystrophic phenomena in the joint.
In general, the disease can cause:
- Prolceless age, since over the years the elasticity of tissues decreases, and physical activity cause deformation in the joint;
- Excess weight as an additional load on the knee;
- The hereditary tendency to articular disorders, that is, people whose relatives suffered from arthrosis should be doubly more careful;
- osteoporosis;
- Professional knee loads.For example, when you often have to squat at work, walk along the steps;
- sports career, especially in middle age;
- Violation of metabolism, for example, diabetes;
- spine injuries;
- damage to the knee, ligaments, lower legs.Sometimes after such injuries, gonarthrosis is formed after a few years, but with severe disorders, damage to the joint is possible after 2-3 months;
- increased physical exertion on the legs;
- Bekhterev disease;
- gout;
- rheumatoid, reactive, psoriatic arthritis;
- varicose veins;
- Spasm of the hip muscles, which leads to the “tightening” of the knee and its damage.
That is, many problems can cause a disease, and it is difficult to predict the appearance of the disease in advance, but for effective treatment it is important to diagnose the disease as early as possible.
Symptoms of gonarthrosis
It is sometimes difficult to suspect gonarthrosis, it is similar in symptoms with manifestations of other ailments.For example, damage to the meniscus, ankylosing spondel, inflammation of the knee tendons, vascular pain.The doctor will help to determine the diagnosis.
In general, such manifestations will help to suspect the problem:
- the pain after sleep or a long seal, which soon passes, but returns again after the next rest;
- discomfort with long standing;
- crunch when moving;
- Unpleasant sensations for knees.
In addition, symptoms directly depend on the degree of damage to the joint.So:
- at the first degreeThe patient may feel insignificant pain after sleep, and the rest of the time the knee does not bother;
- In the second degreeThe pain is stronger and more intense.It appears with ordinary walking or lifting of the load, a joint crunch and movement restriction are possible, that is, the patient is not able to completely bend and straighten the leg without unpleasant sensations;
- The third degreeIt is characterized by stronger pain, which sometimes interferes with sleep and live.The deformation of the joint is visible to the naked eye, the legs acquire an oh or x-shaped shape, a change of gait is observed, a person is not able to walk without a cane or other support.
How to treat arthrosis of the knee joint
Treatment of the problem is determined according to the degree of disease.If at the very beginning it is possible to completely restore the joint structure with ointments and tablets, then at the second stage injections are already shown intramuscularly, intravenously and even inside the joint, and in the third stage you often have to go to surgery.But about everything in order.
1 degree
The treatment of the disease in the 1st degree is most effective.At this time, the joint deformations are minimal and you can do a conservative way, which gives good results.That's just one problem - few people are so listening to their body that they notice these first alarm bells from the knee.What is there, even in an X -ray picture, sometimes the initial stage is not visible.Only after the correct diagnosis will the doctor decide how to treat the disease.
As a rule, at the first degree they are used:
- special gymnastics for improving blood circulation, strengthening muscles, increasing the mobility of the joint;
- massage courses;
- Reception of NSAIDs (non -steroidal medicines) in the form of tablets;
- rubbing ointments into a sore spot;
- The use of symptomatic preparations of a slow action that helps restore cartilage tissue.In the initial stage, they are most effective, in this stage it is still possible to use such drugs in the form of ointments and creams.
2 degree
If gonarthrosis was diagnosed in 2 degrees, then the treatment of the disease must begin immediately, otherwise the deformations of the tissues will be so significant that conservative therapy will be powerless.
For this, doctors use:
- Anti -inflammatory drugs for oral and local use.As a rule, drug treatment of the damaged joint involves the use of, in addition to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, even stronger hormonal drugs that help relieve pain faster, but are used by brief courses during the exacerbations due to side effects;
- constant intake of painkillers;
- a diet that eliminates fats and carbohydrates to reduce weight and normalize metabolic processes;
- medical gymnastics for joint development;
- the use of symptomatic preparations of a slow action already in the form of intra -articular injections;
- An injection in the injection of hyaluronic acid, it brings prolonged and clear relief, but it is only necessary to chop it in the hospital, it is important to get into the joint bag.A professional who has such an experience should do this, since when it enters the bloodstream, the medicine can cause embolism;
- Ointments with painkillers and anti -inflammatory components are externally used;
- With severe pain, devices are shown to reduce the load on the knee, that is, canes, crutches and knee orthosis.
3 degree
If the disease is so neglected, then only two methods of treatment remain - severe drugs in the form of injections and surgery.
In the first case, all those medications are used as in earlier stages, but their stronger options.More often, not tablets are used, but injections intravenously, intramuscularly and even inside the joint for the maximum effect.If conservative treatment does not give a result, you have to move on to the second method.
The operation is now carried out in two ways:
- Small holes make small holes in the knee, the joints are cleaned of the bone growths that interfere with its movement with special devices, the operation is considered slightly invasive, so the restoration is faster;
- With severe deformation of the joint, prosthetics are used.That is, the doctor makes an incision, removes part of the bone, puts in his place an artificial joint and, if necessary, adjacent a piece of another bone, using pin and medical cement.At the site of the destroyed joint, an artificial apparatus is installed mainly from titanium.
In any case, the human ability to move normally after surgery directly depends on the effectiveness of rehabilitation and its perseverance.As a rule, it is necessary to spend from six months to a year on the restoration of mobility in the knee, so the operations are more often done younger patients.
Which doctor treats arthrosis of the knee joint
The rheumatologist is most of all the problem of arthrosis in the joints, including the knee.It is this doctor who can confirm or refute the diagnosis, he specializes in the inflammatory and dystrophic processes of connective tissues and joints.As a rule, he uses conservative methods in treatment, that is, prescribes ointments, tablets, injections, and can also recommend the help of a physiotherapist, an exercise therapist and a manual therapist.
Also in some large medical centers there is a specialist who treats arthritis.This is a surgeon specializing in joint diseases.Unfortunately, you can find such a professional only in large cities.
Well, in the advanced stages, when traditional treatment does not give results, an orthopedic surgeon comes to the rescue.He, depending on the condition of the joint, chooses either organ -preserving tactics (that is, resumes joint functions), or decides on the need for endoprosthetics and sets artificial “details” on the site of the destroyed joint.
Diagnostics
To make a diagnosis, the doctor must:
- inspect the leg, feel the bones, their deformation, placement, structure;
- Check mobility in the joint with a special corner;
- check the joint for the presence of swelling, edema;
- listen to whether there is a crunch when moving;
- direct to x -ray, MRI and CT;
- Ask to pass blood tests to exclude similar diseases in symptoms (for example, Bekhterev).
Let me remind you that at the first stage, even an X -ray may not show a clear picture of the disease.Therefore, it is recommended to periodically take pictures and compare them in dynamics to determine the problem and course of the disease.
Home treatment
Of course, it is difficult to completely get rid of arthrosis in the knee joint at home, but treatment with folk remedies can become a good addition to pills and ointments prescribed by a doctor.
A few good recipes:
- Apply a fresh sheet of burdock to the sore knee, huging it at night with a warm scarf, while it is important to attach a sheet to the skin with the back;
- Lubricate the sore spot at night with a grinding of one chicken yolk and a teaspoon of turpentine.Wrap the leg on top with a warm cloth, and wash the skin well in the morning.The effect will be in 3-4 days, but for recovery you need to use the product for about three weeks;
- Apply a piece of fabric moistened with fresh juice to the knee, after 45-50 minutes, the matter should be removed and lubricated with vegetable fat.Repeat every day for a week, then relax for 10 days and start a new course.
Ointments
Having entered the pharmacy or watching commercials on TV, you are lost in the abundance of modern drugs in joints.And each manufacturer guarantees literally instant and long -term result.Who to believe, how to choose the best drug?
With arthrosis, you can use two types of ointments:
- anti -inflammatory;
- Symptomatic preparations of slow local action.
It is important not to self -medicate, but to visit a doctor who, after installing the diagnosis, will tell you which of the drugs is most suitable in its composition and principle of action.
Diet
We are what we eat, therefore, subject to a special diet, we can successfully fight many diseases, including deformation in the knee.
Patients with such an ailment are recommended to be removed from the diet:
- pork and beef;
- any fast food that provokes the so-called “metabolic arthrosis;
- smoked meats, especially unnecessary, made using a chemical “liquid smoke”;
- fried and overly sharp products;
- ready -made meat dishes using dyes, preservatives, taste additives (sausages, sausages, sausages);
- white cabbage;
- alcohol;
- Salted and melted cheeses.
Also, do not lean on chocolate, sweets, pastries, radishes and radish, spinach, sorrel.
In return, you should use more:
- fish rich in omega-acids;
- hard cheese, milk and cottage cheese;
- mineral water;
- vegetables and fruits, especially with a high calcium content;
- eggs;
- legumes;
- seafood;
- cereals;
- Kurags, raisins, nuts.
In addition to enriching the body with useful vitamins and minerals to restore cartilage tissue, the diet pursues another target - weight loss to reduce the load on the knees.That's just too fanatical to approach this is not worth it.Excessively hard diet and starvation deplete the body and cause leaching of calcium, which can further aggravate the situation.
Therefore, you need to eat varied, but often fractionally.With edema of the joint, a plentiful drink is indicated, orange and pomegranate juice is useful, as they relieve inflammation.In general, the power should be complex, balanced, but in the presence of excess weight allows you to slowly, but confidently return the body to normal.
Hyaluronic acid
Briefly mentioned the use of hyaluronic acid in the treatment of gonarthrosis, but now it is worth revealing this issue more fully.
In fact, hyaluronic acid replaces the lubricant in the joint, due to which the volume of painless movements increases, a crunch leaves, and the pain syndrome is removed.That's just delivering the drug to the destination is not so simple.With oral use in the stomach, the capsules dissolve in the same way as a spoonful of a junction, without benefit, and if it enters Vienna, it can cause complications up to death.So there remains the only way out - injections in the joint, although here there are shortcomings.
Fortunately, the joint gap in the knee is quite large, so that if you have experience, you can get into it, but still there is the likelihood of damage to the nerves or, again, the penetration of the drug into the blood.In addition, many patients are stopped by a considerable price of such medicines, and scientists have not yet confirmed the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid in tissue restoration, so far only is known that it replaces natural lubricants.
But there is good news - the medicine in the joint operates up to a year and almost instantly relieves pain.So decide for yourself whether to try medicines with this substance.
How to choose knee arthrosis of the knee joint
It is proved that knee pads help reduce inflammation, remove swelling, relieve pain, reduce pressure on the joint, accelerate blood circulation and give the joy of moving the patient, but for this you also need to choose them correctly.
One of the main selection criteria is the size, since too large the knee pad will not give the desired fixation, but will break the blood flow excessively tight.To determine the size of the knee and leg volume, 15 centimeters higher and below it, will help.
The shape of the product is also important:
- Open is ideal for people after injury and with light pain;
- open elastic with stiffener ribs for people experiencing discomfort in squats;
- open with tension regulators is useful during the rehabilitation period after surgery;
- Closed is ideal with an incomprehensible source of pain;
- The hinge is suitable for all people with problems in the knee;
- The warmingman improves blood circulation and relieves inflammation.
Again, the attending physician will help choose knee pads, taking into account the characteristics of the course of the disease.
Gymnastics for arthrosis of the knee joint
Gymnastics, that is, specially designed exercises, helps relieve muscle spasm, improve blood circulation in the knee, and stop the destruction process.Such therapeutic exercises do not involve muscle pumping, strength methods.On the contrary, all movements should be as soft, smooth, without sharp turns, twisting joints and other potentially dangerous actions.
It is also forbidden to perform training during exacerbation.First you need to relieve pain, and only then move on to classes.
Prevention
Prevention can be divided into primary and secondary, that is, the first implies the prevention of the disease, and the second - its relapses.
The first belongs to:
- weight control;
- wearing proper shoes;
- moderate physical activity to maintain muscle tone;
- Avoiding injuries.
Secondary prevention implies:
- use of a special diet;
- abundant drink up to 9 glasses per day;
- Taking drugs and products that contribute to the normal condition of bones.
As it usually happens, it is easier not to give illness to appear and walk around than then treat it with different drugs and methods.
Fortunately, now we know not only how to treat arthrosis, but also the first signs for a complete victory over the disease.