Sooner or later, many people come to a point in life where they suffer from knee pain.Walking becomes difficult, there is a desire to limp on the leg, which bothers you and spares it.Over time, the pain intensifies and begins to accompany the unfortunate person everywhere.Eventually it becomes so intrusive that the person goes to the doctor or finds out about their problems on their own.
In this case, the doctor often diagnoses “deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint” based on the symptoms.Let's take a closer look at what it is, how it manifests itself, where it comes from and where it leads.And most importantly: how do you get rid of it?
What is that?
This is a process in which cartilage tissue is destroyed.In this case there is often an accompanying inflammation, a so-called synovitis.As a result, the knee becomes deformed and movements become painful or no longer possible at all.
Who can get sick?
This disease is diagnosed based on a number of symptoms.In general, they are quite specific and characteristic of all types of diseases.
Before we find out what is the cause of knee pain that regularly or constantly bothers you, let's see which groups of people are susceptible to this disease:
- People who are overweight.It is logical that obesity and being overweight contribute to increased pressure on the legs when walking.This destroys the cartilage that can no longer withstand the load;
- Sportsman.The occurrence of the disease is associated with the excessive stress that athletes experience during training;
- Varicose veins.In this case, the cause is a violation of blood supply, a reduction in the supply of nutrients;
- People with leg injuries.
Belonging to one of these categories significantly increases the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.Now let's look at the symptoms directly.
How do you recognize the disease?
The development of the disease can take a very long time - for several years a person does not feel anything, does not suspect that he is beginning to develop a disease.Over time, the manifestations intensify and significant symptoms appear.
There are several phases of its development:
- Osteoarthritis of the knee joint, grade 1.Over a long period of time it can be completely asymptomatic or manifest itself as periodic mild pain and mild discomfort.The sensations intensify when a person gets out of bed in the morning and begins to walk.The discomfort is felt even more clearly when a person goes down or up the stairs.This completion can take several months or even years.If you consult a doctor at this stage, recovery will be much easier than if you wait until the next stage.
- Osteoarthritis of the knee joint 2 degrees.The patient experiences a characteristic crunching sound when walking, which is sometimes accompanied by severe pain.Movements are restricted, limited, as if it were difficult.When examined at this stage, the doctor may notice the beginning of minor deformation and fluid accumulation.This phase includes drug therapy and regular therapeutic exercises.
- Osteoarthritis of the knee joint, grade 3.During this period, severe deformations are visible and movements become very difficult.The patient has problems bending and straightening his leg.The pain is constant and increases with changing weather conditions.With half-bent legs, a characteristic waddling gait is seen, while the legs have a curved X or O shape.
Treatment methods depend on the degree of manifestation of symptoms and the stage of their development and become more complex as the disease progresses.
Why does he appear?
There are many reasons why knee damage develops, and they directly depend on what form the disease has - primary or secondary.
The primary form is congenital;begins to appear at a young age.Due to pathologies in the development of the ligamentous system, it is subjected to too much strain when walking.This leads to the development of the disease.Timely medical intervention and adherence to a specific diet can eliminate the primary form of knee damage.
The secondary form is a result of injury and disease.
Let's consider all the causes of the disease:
- Rheumatic diseases (rheumatism, arthritis) can be the cause.With prolonged arthritis, fluid accumulates, which leads to inflammatory processes and, as a result, the development of the disease;
- the presence of excess weight also contributes to problems due to increased load on the cartilage layer and, as a result, its premature damage;
- Metabolic disorders leading to the deposition of salts in the joint cavity, circulatory disorders;
- persistent cramps of the muscles or blood vessels in the legs;
- surgical procedures;
- excessive strain on the legs during sporting activities;
- Injuries: dislocations, fractures, bruises, which were accompanied by damage to the cartilage layer and ligaments.
In the treatment of deforming arthrosis of the knee joints, one of the main roles is assigned to eliminating the causes that led to the development of the disease.And only when the causes are eliminated can we talk about the possibility of curing the disease itself using various means, techniques and proper nutrition.
How do you treat it?
How to treat gonarthrosis can only be determined by a specialist who focuses on the stage of development of the disease, the severity of the cartilage damage and determining the exact cause that led to the disease.Methods, types and methods of therapy are diverse and often only effective in combination.Therefore, you need to approach this problem responsibly and carefully follow all the doctor's recommendations.
It should be borne in mind that this is a chronic disease that can rarely be completely cured.Therefore, all treatment methods are primarily aimed at achieving remission and disappearance of symptoms.However, in the very first stage of development, when the symptoms are just beginning, it is possible to achieve complete relief from knee joint damage by eliminating the causes (e.g. excess weight or excessive strain) and simple physiotherapy.
In most cases, therapy involves relieving pain, restoring damaged cartilage and restoring the ability to move fully.
The therapy combines the following methods:
- Medicines and medicines, use of healing ointments;
- Providing therapeutic massages and manual therapy;
- physiotherapeutic methods: healing exercises, exercise therapy;
- surgical intervention if necessary;
- folk and non-traditional treatment methods.
How and which medications are used?
The first goal that drug therapy should pursue is pain relief.Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to effectively relieve pain.
These medications do not cure the disease or prevent its development - they are only intended to relieve pain.Their use should be combined with taking medications to restore the function of cartilage damaged by arthrosis of the knee joint (symptomatic slow-acting drugs) and ointments.They have a number of side effects - especially a negative effect on the mucous membranes.Only a doctor should prescribe the dosage and frequency of taking the medication.Do not try to do something good for yourself - this will inevitably lead to negative processes.
There are also observations that anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs in high doses have a destructive effect on cartilage.
Only when non-steroidal medications no longer have any effect can the doctor prescribe strong painkillers with a central effect.
In addition to painkillers, gymnastics and massage, the following group of drugs is used: corticosteroids, the purpose of which is to relieve inflammatory processes.These are hormonal medications whose effects are very strong, which is why taking them orally is not recommended.In addition, their use causes many side effects.Recently, some corticosteroids are administered by injection into the affected area.
The next group of drugs - symptomatic delayed action - stimulates the synthesis of healthy cartilage cells (chondrocytes), which replace the destroyed ones.The active ingredients that make up these drugs are in many ways similar to those of cartilage tissue, and when they get inside, they stop destruction and stimulate cell reproduction.
Before taking such drugs, be sure to consult a specialist: the fact is that these drugs are effective only in the first and second degrees of the disease.In the third degree, the cartilage is already completely destroyed and there is nothing left to restore.
Which non-drug methods are used?
When treating arthrosis of the knee joints, a combination of exercise therapy and physiotherapy sessions is most effective.Physiotherapeutic exercises should only be carried out under the supervision of a specialist.Physical activity should be moderate, measured and regular.
During the exercises, it is useful to undergo physiotherapeutic procedures such as ultrasound, high-frequency magnetic therapy, radon, hydrogen sulfide baths and laser treatments.All of these procedures not only relieve knee damage, but also generally strengthen the body.
It should be borne in mind that exercise therapy courses are possible only in the first degree of the disease or during its remission, that is, only when visible manifestations (inflammation, pain) are absent or almost absent.If your condition does not allow this, it is better to avoid sports.
Before starting therapeutic exercises, consult a physiotherapy instructor who, after an examination, will create an individual exercise program for you and show you the entire complex that will be performed until recovery.
The exercises must be carried out strictly according to the schedule and exactly with the load that the instructor sets for you.Missing courses make the procedures ineffective.Therefore, follow all instructions regularly and responsibly.Only then can we hope for a truly positive result.
The exercises should be combined and supplemented with manual therapy - massage performed by a specialist or by yourself after you have learned how to do it.Massage allows you to relax the muscles and improve blood circulation in the cartilage layer.
What help methods are there?
Many doctors recommend using special knee braces.They increase the effectiveness of therapy and relieve pain.An elastic bandage is used for the same purpose.
Knee pads fix the ligaments and partially resist the deformation process.This makes it easier for a patient in the second stage of the disease to move because walking is already a problem for them.
Knee pads can be used for prevention during physical exertion, for overweight people to reduce the traumatic effects of walking, and for athletes during training.
When choosing knee pads, it is better to consult a doctor.Knee pads vary in the degree of fixation: firm, medium and light.In the most advanced stage of the disease, narrow ones are used, and in the first stage, light ones are used.When using it, care must be taken to ensure that the leg does not become numb: numbness leads to blood stagnation, which can have catastrophic consequences.
The warming effect of the knee brace relieves pain, which allows you to reduce the dose of painkillers.There are knee pads made from camel and dog hair.Wool itself has a beneficial effect, thanks to which, although you cannot cure the disease, you can at least alleviate it and speed up the treatment process.
Is it worth using folk remedies?
Folk remedies for the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints can only be used after consulting a doctor and only as an auxiliary method.In itself, the sole use of traditional methods without the use of traditional medicine is ineffective and dangerous and can have negative consequences.
Among folk remedies for the treatment of knee arthrosis, various rubs, compresses, ointments made from natural ingredients, rubs, herbal preparations and infusions are used to relieve pain and relieve the inflammatory process.There are many different recipes for making remedies that our ancestors used.Its healing properties have been proven for centuries and are beyond doubt.Burdock compresses, rubs with cranberry juice, mummy and beeswax are just a few of the many folk remedies.
Recently, treatment with leeches (hirudotherapy) has become increasingly popular.Hirudotherapy sessions relieve inflammation and act as a powerful pain reliever.
As you know, leeches increase blood circulation in the treated area.Increasing the blood supply to the sore area significantly accelerates the regeneration of cartilage tissue and the cleansing of the affected cells, providing the sore area with more nutrients.
Thus, the use of folk remedies and hirudotherapy along with medications, manual physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises promotes complete recovery.