Many people sooner or later come to a point in their lives where knee pain begins to bother them.It becomes difficult to walk, there is a desire to limp on the leg, which bothers you, saving it.Over time, the pain intensifies and begins to accompany the unfortunate person wherever he goes.Eventually, it becomes so intrusive that the person goes to the doctor or seeks information about their problems on their own.
Often in this case the doctor, based on the symptoms, makes a diagnosis of "deforming arthrosis of the knee joint".Let's take a closer look at what it is, how it manifests itself, where it comes from and where it leads.And, above all, how to eliminate it?
What is it?
This is a process during which cartilage tissue is destroyed.In this case, concomitant inflammation, called synovitis, often occurs.Subsequently, the knee becomes deformed and movements become painful or even impossible.
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 finding out what are the causes of knee pain that bothers you periodically or constantly, let's see which categories of people are predisposed to this pathology:
- overweight people.It is logical that obesity and excess weight when walking contribute to increased pressure on the legs.As a result, the cartilage, unable to cope with the load, is destroyed;
- athletes.The onset 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 nutrient supply;
- people with leg injuries.
Belonging to one of these categories significantly increases the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.Now let's look directly at its symptoms.
How to recognize the disease?
The development of the disease can last a long time: for several years a person does not feel anything, does not suspect that the disease is starting to develop.Over time, the manifestations intensify and obvious discomfort appears.
There are several stages of its development:
- 1st degree arthrosis of the knee joint.For a long time it can be completely asymptomatic or manifest itself with periodic mild pain and mild discomfort.The sensations intensify when a person gets out of bed in the morning and starts walking.The discomfort is felt even more clearly when a person goes down or up the stairs.This degree can last several months or even years.If you see a doctor at this stage, it will be much easier to recover than if you wait until the next stage.
- Osteoarthritis of the knee joint 2 degrees.The patient begins to notice a characteristic creaking sound when walking, which is sometimes accompanied by severe pain.Movements become limited, limited, as if with difficulty.During the examination at this stage, the doctor may detect the beginning of small deformations and fluid accumulation.This phase involves drug therapy and regular therapeutic exercises.
- 3rd degree arthrosis of the knee joint.During this period, severe deformation is visible and movements become very difficult.The patient has trouble bending and straightening the leg.The pain is constant and intensifies during changes in weather conditions.A characteristic gait appears on the semi-bent legs, which swing, while the legs have a curved X or O shape.
Treatment methods depend on the degree of manifestation of symptoms, the stage of its development and become more complex as it progresses.
Why does it appear?
There are many reasons why knee damage develops, and they directly depend on the form of the disease: primary or secondary.
The primary form occurs for congenital reasons;begins to appear at an early age.Due to pathologies in the development of the ligament system, when walking there is too much stress on it.This leads to the development of the disease.Thanks to timely medical intervention and compliance with a certain diet, the primary form of damage to the knee will be eliminated.
The secondary form is a consequence of injuries and illnesses.
Let's consider all the causes of the disease:
- rheumatic diseases (rheumatism, arthritis) may be the main cause.With prolonged arthritis, fluid accumulates, provoking inflammatory processes and, as a consequence, the development of the disease;
- the presence of excess weight also contributes to problems due to an increased load on the cartilage layer and, as a consequence, its premature damage;
- metabolic disorders leading to the deposition of salts in the joint cavity, difficulties in blood circulation;
- prolonged spasms of the muscles or blood vessels in the legs;
- surgical interventions;
- too much stress on the legs during sporting activity;
- injuries: dislocations, fractures, bruises, which were accompanied by damage to the cartilaginous layer and ligaments.
In the treatment of deforming arthrosis of the knee joints, one of the main roles is assigned to the elimination of the causes that led to the development of the disease.And only after eliminating the causes can we talk about the possibility of treating the disease itself using different means, techniques and even the right diet.
How to treat it?
How to treat gonarthrosis can only be determined by a specialist, focusing on the stage of development of the disease, the severity of cartilage damage and determining the exact cause that led to the disease.Methods, types, methods of therapy are varied and often effective only 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 any treatment method is primarily aimed at achieving remission and disappearance of symptoms.However, at the very early stage of development, when problems have just begun, it is possible to achieve complete relief from damage to the knee joint by eliminating its causes (for example, excess weight or excessive stress) and carrying out simple physical therapy.
In most cases therapy boils down to relieving a person's pain, restoring damaged cartilage and returning the possibility of full movement.
The therapy combines the following methods:
- drugs and medications, use of medicinal ointments;
- provision of therapeutic massage and manual therapy;
- physiotherapeutic methods: therapeutic exercises, physical therapy;
- surgery if necessary;
- popular and non-traditional treatment methods.
How and what drugs are used?
The first objective that pharmacological therapy should pursue is pain relief.For effective pain relief, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used.
These drugs do not cure the disease or prevent its development, but are only intended to relieve pain.Their use should be combined with the use of drugs to restore the function of cartilage damaged by arthrosis of the knee joint (slow-acting symptomatic drugs) and ointments.They have a number of side effects, mainly a negative effect on the mucous membranes.Only a doctor should prescribe the doses and frequency of taking the drugs.Do not try to cure yourself - this will inevitably lead to negative processes.
There are also observations that, at high doses, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have a destructive effect on cartilage.
Only if non-steroidal drugs no longer have an effect, the doctor can prescribe strong analgesics with central effect.
Along with painkillers, gymnastics and massage, the following group of drugs is used: corticosteroids, the purpose of which is to relieve inflammatory processes.These are hormonal drugs, the effects of which are very strong, which is why it is not recommended to take them orally.Furthermore, their use causes numerous side effects.Recently, some corticosteroids are administered to the affected area via injection.
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 that make up cartilage tissue and when they penetrate inside they stop destruction and stimulate cellular reproduction.
Before taking such drugs, be sure to consult a specialist: the fact is that these drugs are effective only for the first and second degrees of the disease.In the third degree, the cartilage has already been completely destroyed and there is nothing to restore.
What non-pharmacological methods are used?
In the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints, the combination of physical therapy and physiotherapy sessions is most effective.Physiotherapy exercises should be performed exclusively under the supervision of a specialist.Physical activity should be moderate, dosed and regular.
While performing the exercises it is useful to undergo physiotherapeutic procedures, such as ultrasound, high-frequency magnetotherapy, radon, hydrogen sulfide baths and laser treatments.All these procedures not only relieve knee damage, but also generally strengthen the body.
It should be remembered that physical therapy classes are possible only during 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 it, it is better to refuse the exercise.
Before starting therapeutic exercises, seek advice from a physiotherapy instructor who, after an examination, will create an individual exercise program for you and show you the entire complex that is performed until recovery.
Exercises must be performed strictly according to the program and exactly with the load that the instructor will determine for you.Missing lessons will make the procedures ineffective, so follow all instructions regularly and responsibly.Only then can we hope for a truly positive outcome.
The exercises should be combined and complemented with manual therapy - massage, which is performed by a specialist or by yourself, having learned how to do it.Massage allows you to relax muscles and improve blood supply to the cartilaginous layer.
What methods of help exist?
Many doctors recommend using special knee braces.They increase the effectiveness of therapy and relieve pain.For the same purpose, an elastic bandage is used.
Knee braces 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 such people.
Knee braces can be used preventively by those experiencing physical stress, by overweight people to reduce the traumatic impact of walking and by athletes during training.
When choosing knee braces, it is best to consult a doctor.Knee braces vary in the degree of fixation: tight, medium and light.In the most advanced stage of the disease, narrow ones are used, during the first stage, light ones.When using them you need to ensure that the leg does not become numb: numbness means that blood stagnation occurs, which can lead to disastrous results.
The warming effect of the knee brace relieves pain, allowing you to reduce the dose of painkillers.There are knee pads made of camel and dog hair.Wool itself has a beneficial effect, thanks to which you can, if not cure the disease, then at least alleviate the condition and speed up the treatment process.
Is it worth using folk remedies?
Folk remedies for the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints can be used only after consulting a doctor and only as an auxiliary method.By itself, the use of traditional methods alone without the use of traditional medicine is ineffective and dangerous and can lead to negative consequences.
Among the folk remedies used in the treatment of knee arthrosis, various rubbing, compresses, ointments with natural ingredients, rubbing, herbal preparations and infusions are used to relieve pain and alleviate the inflammatory process.There are many different recipes for preparing healing remedies used by our ancestors.Their healing properties have been proven over centuries of use and are beyond doubt.Burdock compresses, cranberry juice, mummy and beeswax are just some 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.The increased blood supply to the painful area significantly accelerates the regeneration of cartilage tissue and cleansing of the affected cells and provides more nutrients to the painful area.
Therefore, the use of folk remedies and hirudotherapy along with medications, manuals, physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises promotes complete recovery.