Knee pain is a common complaint with which they seek medical help. What causes the pain and how to help yourself if it occurs? There is no definite answer, as the knee joints can suffer from different types of lesions, which occur for many reasons. One of these causes (and a very common one) is nascent osteoarthritis. Today we will tell you in detail about osteoarthritis of the knee joint: what are its causes, types, symptoms and signs, we will talk about methods of treatment and prevention.
Types and causes of the disease
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint or gonarthrosis is mainly a non-inflammatory lesion, which ultimately leads to destruction of the articular cartilage, deformation of the knee and limitation of the range of motion in it. The disease has two main forms:
- primary - arises from a congenital defect of the joint;
- secondary - occurs as a result of other diseases or injuries.
The primary form begins to develop in childhood or adolescence and is caused by improper formation of joint surfaces or ligaments. When walking, such a joint is exposed to a load disproportionate to its capabilities, which provokes degenerative changes in it.
The development of a secondary form of pathology can lead to:
- Injuries: fractures of the bones of the legs, bruises and sprains of the knee, accompanied by damage to the bones and cartilage of the joint and its ligaments. In this case, post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the knee joint develops.
- Operations to remove the meniscus, as they lead to disruption of the integral structure of the knee and its rapid wear.
- The disproportionately high load on the legs to which athletes are often subjected.
- Obesity also provokes osteoarthritis, as it leads to excessive pressure from body weight on the articular cartilage of the knee.
- Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints. Long-term arthritis is accompanied by the formation of fluid in the joint cavity and over time can be complicated by osteoarthritis.
- Metabolic disorders leading to salt deposition in the joint cavities.
- Other factors and diseases accompanied by long-term spasm of the muscles of the legs or blood vessels.
- Transferred operations.
The pathological process can be unilateral or bilateral. As a result of trauma, it is most likely to develop unilateral osteoarthritis (for example, of the right knee), and obesity - bilateral.
Typical symptoms
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint develops gradually, sometimes preceded by months and years of the initial period, when there are still no obvious symptoms (such as severe pain and visible deformity), but from time to time there is discomfort in the knees.
Most often, women over 40 who are overweight are ill and especially as an aggravating factor suffer from varicose veins.
The development of gonarthrosis goes through several stages:
- The initial stage can last for months and sometimes years. One worries about intermittent knee pain, especially when taking the first steps after getting out of bed in the morning, as well as when going up and down stairs.
- In the second stage, the pain becomes stronger and appears with all movements, which are accompanied by a characteristic crunchiness. Accumulation of fluid is possible in the joint cavity and on examination you may notice an initial deformation. The range of motion in the diseased knee begins to decrease.
- The third stage is characterized by pain that does not disappear even at rest. The discomfort is often worse before the weather changes. At this time, the joints have largely lost their function: the legs may hardly bend at the knees or may not bend completely. The gait changes: it becomes "spots" or on bent legs. The deformation of the knees is very pronounced: the legs are bent and take on an O- or X-shape.
The symptoms of post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the knee develop faster. Against the background of the injury there is pain in the knee and swelling. Such pain constantly accompanies a person and increases after exercise. Gradually it is joined by a feeling of tightness and stiffness in the knee. Sometimes with this form of the disease, only a few months pass from the initial signs to irreversible changes.
Treatment of gonarthrosis
The scope of treatment depends on the stage of the disease and the severity of the lesion. But because the disease is chronic, the only thing that can be achieved is long-term remission (phases of rest when the manifestations of pathology are minimal or absent). At the same time, if in the early stages it is possible to eliminate the cause of osteoarthritis of the knee joint (for example, to reduce body weight), then almost complete recovery is possible.
Objectives of the treatment of gonarthrosis:
- pain relief
- if possible, restore the destroyed cartilage and tendon apparatus,
- increase the range of motion in the joint.
Treatment methods:
- drug therapy,
- massage and manual therapy,
- surgical intervention,
- rehabilitation therapy (exercise therapy, physiotherapy and other methods).
Only a doctor can choose the right drugs - in no case do not prescribe them yourself. Their main action is aimed at:
- Eliminate the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee joint: relieve pain and inflammation. Appropriate medications are prescribed for this, including hormones that are injected into the joint cavity.
- Improving the blood supply to the affected area. It is provided with agents that relieve vascular spasms and relax muscles.
- Cartilage restoration. For this, drugs are prescribed that nourish and restore cartilage.
Manual impact and massage reduce pain, relax spasmodic muscles near the affected knee, help increase range of motion, correct bone position and increase blood circulation.
In distant, irreversible lesions, osteoarthritis of the knee is treated with a radical method - prosthetics, ie implantation of a metal prosthesis to replace the destroyed joint. So far, this is the only way to give a chance for full recovery, but endoprostheses have a limited service life, after which they must be replaced. As the cost of such operations is very high, this method of treatment is not yet widespread.
Rehabilitation therapy includes physiotherapy, kinesitherapy (exercises with special loads and simulators), physiotherapy and balneotherapy.
Orthopedic methods are aimed at unloading the diseased knee - these are canes, orthoses, etc. , which facilitate walking (used if necessary).
There are many folk recipes for various ointments and compresses based on herbs, healing bile and warming bandages made of natural wool. In general, the action of such methods is aimed at relieving pain and eliminating the main symptoms.
Prevention measures
Prevention of osteoarthritis of the knee includes many factors:
- Balanced diet: the diet should contain sufficient amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals.
- Fight the wrong lifestyle and get rid of bad habits.
- Normalize weight.
- Adequate physical activity.
- Prevention of injuries during sports, lifting weights.
The most important thing in identifying such a pathology as osteoarthritis of the knee is not to start the disease, as its distant stages lead to damage. But if all efforts are directed in time to treatment and prevention - until time is lost and the symptoms are insignificant - there is a chance for a complete cure of the disease.