In modern life, pathological changes affecting the musculoskeletal system are increasingly observed.One of the most common such diseases is arthrosis of the knee joint, so the symptoms and treatment of such a disease should be known to everyone.This is a serious condition that causes significant cartilage deformation as it progresses.
According to statistics, the pathology usually affects people whose joints are constantly under excessive stress.Osteoarthritis and arthritis of the knee joint are mostly a disease of the elderly, but cartilage deformation can also occur at a younger age.In such cases, people turn to a wide variety of therapeutic methods.For example, some people buy knee pads for arthrosis of the knee joint, but they may not always have an effect on the body.
%20and%20affected%20by%20osteoarthritis%20(left).jpg)
Most susceptible to arthrosis of the knee joint are women, as well as people over 40 years old.
Causes of the disease
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint according to ICD10 is referred to as gonarthrosis, which is assigned the international classification code M17.The development of the disease is influenced by human physiology itself.The knee is the largest joint in the body.The femur, fibula and tibia are connected here.The resulting structure acts as a hinge, allowing the lower leg to perform flexion, extension, circular and rotational movements.
Since the knee is subjected to such a large load, pathological processes invariably begin to appear in the tissues with age.This is usually due to an inevitable collagen deficiency, against the background of which cartilage tissue loses its elasticity.In addition, over time, the body reduces the synthesis of synovial fluid, which normally lubricates the joints, preventing them from rubbing against each other.
Even ordinary walking over time, under the influence of the above factors, leads to cartilage deformation and the development of an inflammatory process.A number of reasons can provoke pathology at a younger age.Among them:
- Meniscus injuries, ligament sprains and any other injuries;
- Heavy load on the legs as a result of sports training or prolonged standing;
- Surgical intervention in the knee area, in particular to remove the meniscus;
- Being overweight, especially if it causes varicose veins;
- Local inflammatory processes, such as arthritis of the knee joint;
- Metabolism problems;
- Connective tissue dysplasia.
Some people are predisposed from birth to pathologies of the musculoskeletal system due to heredity.It is also believed that the disease can be triggered by overwork and chronic stress.When deciding how to treat arthrosis of the knee joint, the doctor pays attention to the causes of the disease.For positive dynamics, it is necessary not only to use special drugs and a set of exercises, but also to influence the factor that caused the disease.
The development of the disease depends on a combination of negative factors that worsen with age and can eventually lead to the destruction of the knee cartilage.
Stages of pathology
It is accepted to distinguish 3 degrees of the knee joint, as it is affected by arthrosis.Initially, any problems can only really be noticed if an X-ray is taken.Knee osteoarthritis of the 1st degree does not have any signs that a person can detect on his own.Sometimes patients complain of pain when walking and feeling tired, but these symptoms are very mild and disappear after a short rest.
Since few people decide to diagnose and treat the disease in the early stages, knee arthrosis of the 2nd degree soon develops.Despite the actual presence of the inflammatory process, it is sterile in nature and then proceeds very slowly.Arthritis of the 1st degree can reach the second after a few months or years.When this happens, the situation will be characterized by the following manifestations:
- When bending the leg, a dull crunch is heard, which is accompanied by pain.The sound is associated with a serious deficiency of hyaluronic acid.
- If you walk for a long time, severe joint pain occurs.Even simple movements cause a feeling of heaviness and burning in the knees.
- Limb mobility is limited;they can no longer operate at the same amplitude.Some patients with stage 2 osteoarthritis of the knee joint can only walk on bent legs, while others are forced to use a cane.
- Changes in cartilage tissue are manifested externally.The bones and cartilage swell and enlarge, and the skin over them thickens and turns red.As a result, the temperature rises locally and muscle atrophy begins around the diseased area.
If you do not start therapy even when such symptoms appear, knee arthrosis of the 3rd degree will begin.At this stage, the cartilage tissue is destroyed.This leaves exposed areas of bone.Arthritis of the 3rd degree is associated with constant sharp pain from any movement.In this case, patients are often no longer able to walk.At the third stage, the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint with folk remedies is impossible.Only one operation can bring at least some result.Third-degree deforming arthrosis of the knee joints can lead to disability.
The first degree of arthrosis is characterized by mild pain when the leg is in one position for a long time, which disappears after rest.
Diagnosis and basics of exposure
Before you start treating knee arthrosis at home, you must be diagnosed by a doctor.It is usually worth seeing an orthopedist.The specialist will conduct an examination, collect anamnesis and refer the patient for an X-ray examination.Some changes can be noticed even in the first stage of the disease, and the second image will show:
- Partial exposure of the bones
- Thinning and destruction of cartilage,
- Reduction of joint space,
- Accumulation of osteophytes.
In rare cases, CT scan, MRI and blood test are needed for diagnosis.If differentiation is necessary, the patient is referred to a rheumatologist, surgeon or endocrinologist.After the diagnosis, the specialists will choose a complex for arthrosis of the knee joints.It is impossible to completely improve the condition if the disease is already in the second stage.Therapy is aimed at preventing further progression of the pathology and relieving symptoms.
Deforming arthrosis of the knee joint requires limited mobility in periods of exacerbation.The attending physician may recommend that the patient wear various devices, for example orthoses.Knee osteoarthritis knee braces are designed to help manage pain.Closed types are recommended if the diagnosis is not clearly established.In this case, the joint is supported over a larger area.Open ones are used for intermittent pain, while hinged ones are suitable for treating post-traumatic conditions.
Pay attention!Many people are interested in how to choose knee pads for arthrosis of the knee joint.However, only a doctor can choose the right option, and with such a diagnosis you should be constantly monitored.
Non-drug treatment of the pathology includes various procedures and stress.With arthrosis of the knee joint, folk recipes can be accompanied by only complex effects.For example, some compresses are applied after physical therapy and magnetic laser therapy.Alternative treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee joint should also be supervised by a doctor.
Treatment of the disease includes a complex of orthopedic procedures and drug therapy.It is also possible to use traditional medicine in the initial stages of arthrosis.
Physical activity
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is often treated with special exercises.It is usually included in a complex of physiotherapy, electrophoresis and other procedures.Complex treatment is common in various clinics.However, such complexes are inaccessible to most people.Free hospitals only offer physiotherapy.Exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee joint helps:
- Reduce the pain
- Establish blood flow
- Strengthening of nearby muscles
- Expand the joint space
- Improve the functioning of the respiratory system
- Correct the condition of the spine.
The main criterion for effectiveness is the systematic performance of a set of exercises.You can't practice using a video once and expect it to produce results.Reviews of such courses note their benefits only if adequate time is devoted to the classes.It is also necessary to understand that in the third stage no physical therapy will help.
Exercises for arthrosis of the knee joint should be based on a system of alternating intense load and rest.Typically, ten-minute periods of tension with rest are used.Total training time is half an hour.A gradual increase in the duration and amplitude of the load is permissible.Therapeutic exercises for osteoarthritis of the knee usually require three sessions per day, with up to six repetitions of each exercise.
The doctor decides whether it is possible to play sports with this diagnosis.In most cases, however, Pilates, yoga and exercise bikes are not contraindicated.There are specialized courses in therapeutic gymnastics.
Physical therapy for arthrosis will help strengthen muscles, reduce tension in diseased joints and activate blood circulation in them.
injections
This disease is very difficult to treat and therefore pills are usually ineffective.In most cases, people try to choose injections for arthrosis of the knee joint.Injections can be placed into the muscle tissue.In this case, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used, as well as analgesics, antispasmodics and vitamin complexes.
Knee osteoarthritis cannot be treated at home with injections.Many patients cannot inject themselves and risk using drugs that are not suitable for them.Fortunately, you can buy nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for internal use only with a doctor's prescription.
Pay attention!With the exception of the injectable form, other types of drugs are freely dispensed in pharmacies.
Some NSAIDs are injected directly into the joint tissue.It is believed that in this way it is possible to better stop the inflammatory process and achieve an effect already in the first minutes of the drug.Preparations for injections into the knee joint for arthrosis are presented:
- glucocorticoids,
- hyaluronic acid,
- chondroprotectors,
- plasmolifting,
- Pain blockers.
The former fight inflammation most effectively.It is better to take the purchased product to a specialist, since it is even more difficult to inject into the joint than into the muscle tissue.
To eliminate pain and relieve inflammation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used, which are most effective as injections into the joint tissue.
External means
Ointments for arthrosis of the knee joint are not effective and practically have no effect by themselves.Traditional remedies are presented:
- Application of red, blue or white clay;
- Compresses from bran, oats, horseradish or potatoes;
- Baths with sea salt or pine needles.
Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint at home is possible only in the early stages of the disease.In severe symptoms, only surgery is effective.In the third stage of arthrosis of the knee joint, surgery is necessary.