It is time to talk about diseases, of which no one is safe, or rather, of the osteoarthritis of the knee.What is the osteoarthritis 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?
In fact, according to medical statistics, osteoarthritis affects knee much more frequently 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 it brings constant and unbearable pain.So let's deal with the issue in advance and do not give a single opportunity to a disease!
Deforming osteoarthritis, the osteoarthritis of the knee joint or gonarrosis: these are all the names of a disease that affects hyaline cartilage in the knee.
The causes of gonartitis
The reasons for their manifestation can be different.In addition, as a rule, a combination of several negative factors for the development of degenerative-dystophical phenomena in the articulation is necessary.
In general, the disease can cause:
- Age without prolition, since over the years the elasticity of tissues decreases, and physical activity causes deformation in the joint;
- Excess weight as an additional load in the knee;
- The hereditary tendency to joint disorders, that is, people whose relatives suffered from osteoarthritis should be doubly more careful;
- osteoporosis;
- Professional knee loads.For example, when you often have to squat at work, walk through the steps;
- Sports career, especially in the middle age;
- Metabolism violation, for example, diabetes;
- column injuries;
- Knee damage, ligaments, lower legs.Sometimes, after such injuries, gonarrosis is formed after a few years, but with serious disorders, the damage to the joint is possible after 2-3 months;
- greater physical effort in the legs;
- Bekhterev's disease;
- drop;
- reactive, reactive, psoriatic arthritis;
- varicose veins;
- The 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 an effective treatment it is important to diagnose the disease as soon as possible.
Gonartrosis symptoms
Sometimes it is difficult to suspect gonarrosis, it is similar in symptoms with manifestations of other ailments.For example, damage to the meniscus, spondel ankylosing, inflammation of knee tendons, vascular pain.The doctor will help determine the diagnosis.
In general, such manifestations will help to suspect the problem:
- The pain after sleep or a long stamp, which soon passes, but returns again after the next break;
- discomfort with long data;
- Crunch when moves;
- Unpleasant sensations for the knees.
In addition, symptoms depend directly on the degree of damage to the joint.So:
- In 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 the ordinary walk or the lifting of the load, a restriction of movement and joint movement is possible, that is, the patient cannot fold and straighten the leg without unpleasant sensations;
- The third gradeIt is characterized by stronger pain, which sometimes interferes with sleep and life.The deformation of the joint is visible to the naked eye, the legs acquire a shape in the form of OH or X, a change of march is observed, a person cannot walk without a cane or other support.
How to treat the osteoarthritis of the knee joint
The problem treatment is determined according to the degree of disease.If at the beginning it is possible to completely restore the structure of the articulation with ointments and tablets, then in the second stage the injections are already intramuscular, intravenously and even within the joint, and in the third stage often it has often to go to surgery.But especially in order.
1 grade
The treatment of the disease in the first degree is more effective.At this time, joint deformations are minimal and can make a conservative form, which gives good results.That is just a problem: few people listen so much to their body that these first knee alarm bells notice.What's there, even in an X -ray image, sometimes the initial stage is not visible?Only after the correct diagnosis, the doctor will decide how to treat the disease.
As a general rule, in the first degree they are used:
- Special gymnastics to improve blood circulation, strengthen muscles, increase joint mobility;
- massage courses;
- NSAID reception (non -steroid medications) in the form of tablets;
- Rub ointments in a painful place;
- The use of symptomatic preparations of a slow action that helps restore cartilage tissue.In the initial stage, they are more effective, at this stage it is still possible to use such drugs in the form of ointments and creams.
2 degrees
If gonarrosis was diagnosed in 2 degrees, then the treatment of the disease must begin immediately, otherwise, tissue deformations will be so significant that conservative therapy will be impotent.
For this, doctors use:
- Anti -inflammatory drugs for oral and local use.As a general rule, the pharmacological treatment of the damaged articulation implies the use of, in addition to non -steroidal anti -inflammatory hormonal medications, even stronger that help to relieve pain faster, but are used by brief courses during exacerbations due to side effects;
- constant analgesics;
- 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 brings prolonged and clear relief, but it is only necessary to cut it into the hospital, it is important to enter the joint bag.A professional who has such experience should do this, since when he enters the bloodstream, the medicine can cause embolia;
- Ointments with analgesics and anti -inflammatory components are used externally;
- With severe pain, it is shown that the devices reduce the load in the knee, that is, canes, crutches and knee orthosis.
3 degrees
If the disease is neglected like this, there are only two treatment methods: serious drugs in the form of injections and surgery.
In the first case, all these medications are used as in previous stages, but their strongest options.More often, no tablets are used, but intravenous, intramuscular and even within the joint effect injections.If conservative treatment does not give a result, it must 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 from bone growths that interfere with their movement with special devices, the operation is considered slightly invasive, so the restoration is faster;
- With a severe deformation of the joint, prostheses are used.That is, the doctor makes an incision, eliminates part of the bone, places an artificial joint instead and, if necessary, adjacent a piece of another bone, using pin and medical cement.On the destroyed joint site, an artificial device is installed mainly from titanium.
In any case, the human capacity to move normally after surgery depends directly on the effectiveness of rehabilitation and perseverance.As a general rule, it is necessary to go from six months to a year in the restoration of mobility in the knee, so operations are carried out more frequently younger patients.
What doctor is the osteoarthritis of the knee joint
The rheumatologist is above all the problem of osteoarthritis in the joints, including the knee.It is this doctor who can confirm or refute the diagnosis, specializes in the inflammatory and distribution processes of the tissues and connective joints.As a general rule, it uses conservative methods in the 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 deals with arthritis.This is a surgeon specialized in joint diseases.Unfortunately, you can find such a professional in large cities.
Well, in advanced stages, when traditional treatment does not give results, an orthopedic surgeon comes to the rescue.He, depending on the condition of the articulation, chooses tactics that preserve organs (that is, they resume joint functions), or decide the need for endoprothetic and establish artificial "details" at the site of the destroyed joint.
Diagnosis
To make a diagnosis, the doctor must:
- Inspect the leg, feel the bones, its deformation, placement, structure;
- Verify the mobility in the articulation with a special corner;
- See the joint to see the presence of swelling, edema;
- Listen if there is a crunch when it moves;
- Direct to X -Ray, MRI and CT;
- Request to pass blood analysis to exclude similar diseases in symptoms (for example, Bekhterev).
Let me remind you that in the first stage, even an X line may not show a clear image of the disease.Therefore, it is recommended to take pictures periodically 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 osteoarthritis in the knee joint at home, but treatment with popular remedies can become a good addition to pills and ointments prescribed by a doctor.
Some good recipes:
- Apply a fresh gross leaf to the sore knee, hugging it at night with a warm scarf, while it is important to join a sheet to the skin with the back;
- Lubricate the sore place at night with a grinding of a chicken yolk and a teaspoon of treem.Wrap your leg at the top with a warm cloth and wash the skin well in the morning.The effect will be 3-4 days, but for recovery you must use the product for approximately three weeks;
- Apply a piece of fabric moistened with fresh juice to the knee, after 45-50 minutes, the matter must be removed and lubricated with vegetable fat.Repeat every day for a week, then relax for 10 days and begin a new course.
Ointments
Having entered the pharmacy or watching commercials on television, it is lost in the abundance of modern drugs in the joints.And each manufacturer guarantees a literally instant and long -term result.Who to believe, how to choose the best drug?
With osteoarthritis, 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 medications is more appropriate in their composition and principle of action.
Diet
We are what we eat, therefore, subject to a special diet, we can successfully combat many diseases, including deformation in the knee.
It is recommended that patients with such ailment be eliminated from the diet:
- pork and beef;
- Any fast food that causes the so -called "metabolic osteoarthritis;
- Smoked meats, especially unnecessary, made with a chemical "liquid smoke";
- fried and too sharp products;
- Meat dishes prepared with dyes, preservatives, taste additives (sausages, sausages, sausages);
- White cabbage;
- alcohol;
- Salty and melted cheeses.
In addition, it does not rest on chocolate, sweets, cakes, radishes and radish, spinach, acedera.
In return, you must 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 objective: lose weight to reduce the load on the knees.That is too fanatic to address this is not worth it.The excessively hard diet and hunger exhaust the body and cause calcium leaching, which can further aggravate the situation.
Therefore, you must eat varied, but often fractionally.With the edema of the joint, an abundant drink is indicated, the orange and grenade juice is useful, since they relieve inflammation.In general, the power must be complex, balanced, but in the presence of excess weight allows you to slowly return, but with confidence, the body to normal.
Hyaluronic acid
He briefly mentioned the use of hyaluronic acid in the treatment of gonarrosis, but now it is worth revealing this problem more completely.
In fact, hyaluronic acid replaces the lubricant in the joint, due to which the volume of painless movements increases, a crunch and pain syndrome are eliminated.That is just delivering the medicine to the destination is not so simple.With oral use in the stomach, the capsules dissolve in the same way as a tablespoon of a crossing, without benefit, and if you enter Vienna, it can cause complications to death.Therefore, the only way out: injections in the joint, although there are deficiencies.
Fortunately, the articular gap in the knee is quite large, so if it has experience, it can enter it, but there is still the probability of nerve damage or, again, the penetration of the drug in the blood.In addition, many patients are arrested for a considerable price of such medications, and scientists have not yet confirmed the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid in the restoration of the tissue, so far it is only known that it replaces natural lubricants.
But there is good news: the medicine in the articulation operates up to one year and relieves the pain almost instantly.So decide for yourself if you try medications with this substance.
How to choose knee joint osteoarthritis
It is demonstrated that knee pads help reduce inflammation, eliminate swelling, relieve pain, reduce the pressure on the joint, accelerate blood circulation and give the joy of moving the patient, but for this he also needs to choose them correctly.
One of the main selection criteria is the size, since the too large knee pad will not give the desired fixation, but will break the excessively strong blood flow.To determine the size of the knee and leg volume, 15 centimeters higher and under it, it will help.
The form of the product is also important:
- Open is ideal for people after an injury and with light pain;
- Open elastic with reinforcement ribs for people who experience discomfort in the squats;
- Open with voltage 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 knee problems;
- The heater improves blood circulation and relieves inflammation.
Again, the treating doctor will help choose knees, taking into account the characteristics of the disease course.
Gymnastics for osteoarthritis 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.These therapeutic exercises do not imply muscle pumping, force methods.On the contrary, all movements must be so soft, smooth, without acute turns, twisted together and other potentially dangerous actions.
It is also forbidden to carry out training during exacerbation.First you must relieve pain, and only then to go to classes.
Prevention
Prevention can be divided into primary and secondary school, that is, the first implies the prevention of the disease and the second: its relapses.
The first belongs to:
- weight control;
- wearing adequate 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;
- Take medications and products that contribute to the normal condition of the bones.
As usual, it is easier not to give diseases to appear and walk than then treat it with different medications and methods.
Fortunately, we now know not only how to treat osteoarthritis, but also the first signs for a complete victory over the disease.