Knee arthrosis: symptoms and treatment, exercise, medications

Arthrosis of the knee joint (also called gonarthrosis) is a lesion of the knee joint, resulting in broken articular cartilage, deformed knee and limited knee movement. This article will help you find out about the symptoms and start the necessary treatment in a timely manner.

Arthrosis of the knee joint

Specialists divide gonarthrosis into primary and secondary forms:

1. The main causes of congenital malformations in the joints and periods of disease development occur in childhood and adolescence.
2. Secondary forms can develop at any age.

Experts call the main cause of this disease:

• poor posture;
• overweight;
• various types of knee injuries;
• metabolic and mineral metabolism disorders;
• presence of endocrine diseases;
• increased pressure on the knee joint;
• disorders of calcium metabolism due to the intake of hormone-containing drugs;
• meniscus removal operation;
• presence of arthritis;
• weak ligament apparatus;
• menopause and menopause in women.

Arthrosis of the knee joint can be bilateral or unilateral.

Stages of arthrosis and its symptoms

Depending on the symptoms and approach of the disease, experts divide the disease into 3 stages.

Early or first stage arthritis

At this stage, mild pain appears with increased pressure on the knee.The initial stages can last from 1 year to several years.To prevent the condition from getting worse, a number of steps should be taken to restore the damaged cartilage, strengthen the ligaments and restore movement in the knee.

At this stage, timely treatment will completely eliminate the pathology. But most patients ignore the symptoms in the form of mild pain and therefore do not go to the doctor. Knee arthrosis is treated by an orthopedic, rheumatologist or surgeon.

Intermediate or 2nd stage arthritis

At this stage, the symptoms of the disease appear to be more pronounced and therefore impossible to ignore. Doctors state that at level 2 most patients seek medical help. At this stage, an accurate diagnosis can be made. Timely treatment allows you to stop the transition of the disease to level 3.

Severe symptoms include:

• knee pain with hypothermia;
• presence of mild disturbance;
• swelling or swelling in the knee area;
• severe knee pain when climbing stairs or other forms of stress;
• pain and tingling in the calves;
• Stiffness in bending and knee extension.

Arthrosis last or 3rd stage

At this stage, as a result of the disease is irreversible, it is impossible to stop the development of pathology. But treatment will temporarily alleviate the patient's condition. You should not ignore the symptoms or treat yourself, as this can lead to changes in walking style, walking with a cane, or disability.

The main symptoms of level 3, in addition to the above, are referred by a doctor:

• pathology of the endocrine system (problems with the thyroid gland, diabetes);
• hereditary and age factors.

Diagnostic methods

Specialists make a diagnosis based on anamnesis from the patient's words and the results of laboratory and instrumental studies.

Laboratory tests include:

• complete blood count.With the help of research, you can identify the causative agent of the disease and assess the degree of inflammation.
• General urinalysisallows you to identify or exclude the origin of autoimmune diseases and assess whether the source of pathology of the kidneys and urinary tract.
• biochemical blood tests, which are divided into many others, are indications that almost all studies are outside the normal range.

Laboratory tests are performed during exacerbation of the disease, because during remission, all indications are within normal limits.

Instrumental studies include:

• X-ray.It is performed in two projections - posterior-anterior and lateral. Usually, doctors take pictures of both knees to compare affected and healthy knees.
• arthroscopy.This procedure should be understood not only as a research, but also as a mini-operation. The fact is that through a small hole in the knee, the doctor inserts a small LED conductor inside and a complete picture of the internal condition of the knee is displayed on the computer screen, the resulting tissue fragments are sent to the laboratory if there is a suspicion of cartilage or malignant tumors. endoscopy it is possible to correct the shape of the menisci, removing polyps and chondrophytes. In addition to diagnosing arthrosis, other diseases can be carried out and examined, as the knee joint is a large organ and allows you to get a complete picture of the condition of the body.
• Ultrasound(ultrasound).This screening method has 2 important advantages over X-rays - it is harmless and helps to see the soft tissue of the joint due to its extensive imaging capabilities.
• CT (computed tomography).This study is a better form of radiography, because during this procedure the doctor takes some pictures and thanks to them three-dimensional pictures of the affected organs are made on the computer. This form is used less frequently than others due to time costs and large amounts of radiation.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).Unlike previous methods, this method is more harmless. Also, MRI allows you to get a better picture of soft tissue compared to CT. But MRI is rarely used as a CT, because its use requires high material costs and can not be used in patients whose bodies have metal objects (pins, crowns). CT and MRI are contraindicated in people who weigh more than 120 kg.
• skintigrafi.Expensive and radiation-related methods. Therefore, it is used in cases where cheaper methods are ineffective. In this study, substances are introduced into the patient's body that responds to diseased organs and are localized around them.
• tomography.This study is based on thermal radiation from the surface of the body. Usually, the affected organ manifests itself in focal form with increasing temperature. Tomographs are a complicated tool, and the procedure is expensive, so this study is only done in large clinics.

Medication to treat and relieve symptoms

Experts state that it is impossible to start treatment without relieving pain and eliminating inflammation.Therefore, doctors prescribe various non-steroidal drugs (i. e. , non-hormones). But you should not take it longer than the specified time, because this group of drugs can not cure the disease, but relieve its symptoms, and the disease continues for a while.

Ointment for arthrosis

Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint with symptoms of edema and pain is rarely done without ointment.

Unlike other forms of drug release, this group has obvious advantages:

• quickly reduces pain and inflammation;
• ease of use facilitates integration with other treatments such as physiotherapy;
• there is no negative effect on the liver.

Years of experience in the treatment of arthrosis and research of positive feedback in patients have revealed a number of effective ointments that have a vasodilator heating effect. They contain red pepper extract, beeswax and snake venom.

Gymnastics for arthrosis

Gymnastics is one of the important methods of treating osteoarthritis of the knee joint, which should be used during the remission period after the pain symptoms have disappeared.

This contributes to:

• improves articular cartilage nutrition and overall health:
• pain relief;
• strengthens muscles and ligaments of the knee joint;
• increased joint mobility.

To see a positive effect,should be done daily or daily, increasing the load to 30 minutes per exercise.

1. Warming up. You need to walk on your toes or heels for 3-5 minutes.
2. Riding an imaginary bike 20-30 times (10-15 times with each foot).
3. Lie on your stomach, bend and straighten your knees 10-15 times. With each turn, leave the foot in this position for 5 seconds.
4. Extend your legs while lying on your back. Lift your legs and bend at the knees. The heel should be parallel to the floor.
5. Lie on your right side, lift your left leg, pull to your abdomen, and then stretch it as far as possible. Roll to the other side and repeat the exercise. Repeat 5-6 times for each leg.

Exercises should be omitted if:

• abdominal or hip hernia;
• cardiovascular disease;
• infectious diseases;
• blood diseases;
• postoperative recovery period.

Rub and compress

Various scrubs and compresses are widely used in the treatment of arthrosis. Their significant advantages include the availability of ingredients and the absence of side effects.

• Garlic.Pour 1 head of vegetable with any vegetable oil (200 ml), cover and leave in a cool, dark place for 7 days. Then wash the product overnight. To get rid of a particular odor, cover your knees with a thick gauze bandage, and in the morning rinse with water.
• Eggs.Mix vinegar with 1: 1 yellow and rub lightly on the knees. Apply 3 weeks. After rubbing, wrap the knee with something warm.
• Honey.Mix 100 grams of honey and 3 grams of mummy and immediately rub on the knees. Wrap your knees.
• Cabbage.Soak a piece of wool material with vegetable juice and apply to the knees.
• Oatmeal.Boil 1-2 tablespoons of plain porridge in water. Do not boil the debris for more than 7 minutes! Place the viscous product on a clean cloth and apply to the knee.

Wrap

Ozeoarthritis of the knee joint (symptoms and treatment with medications shown above), according to experts, can be cured with various types of bandages. The most effective are honey and herbs.

According to research, honey wrappers help:

• to restore intra-articular tissue and cartilage destroyed by the disease;
• relieves pain and inflammation;
• burns excess cholesterol.

Keep in mind that honey is most effective when combined with cinnamon.

For herbal wrappers, the above properties have:

• bark of willow, oak, birch, aspen;
valerian, comfrey, burdock;
• hop, birch, nettle leaves;
• wild rosemary and St. John's wort herbJohn;
• chamomile flowers, calendula.

Treatment of knee arthrosis with hirudotherapy

One of the most effective methods of treating knee arthrosis is hirudotherapy, which is treatment with leeches. It can be used at the first symptom and must be directed by the attending physician and under the supervision of a specialist. Before the first procedure, you should familiarize yourself with the contraindications.

Do not use leech therapy:

• children and the elderly;
• patients with reduced blood clotting, hypotension, severe body fatigue, leukemia, anemia, gastrointestinal erosion, stomach ulcers, problems with the digestive system, cancer, tuberculosis, anemia and hemophilia;
• women during pregnancy and lactation.

For effective treatment, 1-2 procedures should be performed every 5-6 months.Treatment can be done more or less - it all depends on the stage of the disease. If after 1-3 sessions the patient feels better and does not experience an allergic reaction, then treatment with leeches can be continued.

Otherwise, the patient is given a break for 9 months, and if the allergy reappears or there is no improvement, the hirudotherapy session is stopped. During treatment, the specialist treats the knee with an odorless agent, and then examines the leeches to be used for suitability.

For this, leeches are placed in ships with water. If the leech is attached to the wall, then it can be used. Specialists place 2-6 leeches on the patella.

While sucking, leeches release a number of useful enzymes into the human body that will help:

• restores and strengthens the immune system;
• restoration of blood circulation and metabolic processes;
• eliminates swelling and adhesion.

Hirudotherapy should not be used as a separate treatment. For higher efficiency, experts recommend combining it with physiotherapy, physiotherapy training and taking medication.

Take a bath of turpentine and pine

Balneotherapy, that is, by taking various baths with therapeutic effects, is not the last resort in relieving the symptoms of arthrosis.Experts state that there are many types of therapeutic baths, but turpentine and pine baths show their effectiveness. They can be taken not only at balneological resorts, but also at home.

But despite the benefits, they should be removed:

• patients with heart disease;
• in case of oncology, tuberculosis, varicose veins, diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension,
• if the patient has a heart attack or stroke;
• in case of skin diseases;
• for pregnant women.

For a turpentine bath, you need to mix 10 g of baby soap, 0, 75 ml of salicylic acid and pour the mixture with 500 ml of boiling water. During the cold mix, you need to fill the bathtub with hot water. When the mixture has cooled to 45 degrees, add turpentine and pour 15-20 ml of the mixture into the bathtub.

Due to the presence of turpentine, the temperature in the bathroom may appear to be rising.Therefore, you should not increase the dose by 1 time more than 20 ml. Bathing should be taken daily for 10-14 days, gradually increasing the dose of turpentine mixture to 80 ml in one procedure. After bathing, wash the mixture with warm water and put on warm clothes or lie down under a blanket.

For a pine bath, you need a needle or pine branch. About 25-30 branches need to be broken into small pieces to put in a pot. Rinse the branches before preparing the gravy, float and dirt, pour water and cook for 5-10 minutes. Strain the prepared gravy and pour into the hot water bath.

Bathe for 10-15 minutes.Then wipe dry and put on warm clothes. It is not recommended to do physical work and kneel. The course of pine bath treatment can include 7-12 procedures, which can be taken daily or daily. After six months, the course can be repeated. This procedure will prolong the remission period and stop the progression of the disease.

Use of chondroprotectors

Arthrosis of the knee joint (symptoms and treatment with folk remedies listed below) cannot be cured without chondroprotectors - a group of drugs aimed at restoring cartilage tissue and its nutrition. All drugs in this group are divided into 5 groups. Drugs intended for the treatment of arthrosis belong to group 4.

They are made based on:

• glucosamine;
• chondroitin sulfate;
• avocado and soy extract;
• hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid;
• synthesis of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.

Chondroprotectors are prescribed by specialists along with pain medications.But, unlike the latter, the first should be taken for life, as only in this case it is possible to slow down the development of arthrosis and stop the deformity. The effects of taking chondroprotectors can be seen only after 2-8 days.

This medicine is available in the form of gels, ointments, tablets and injections. Injections with solution are made in the knee.

Diet: what foods are allowed, dietary rules and budget estimates

Being overweight negatively affects the development of arthrosis - the disease develops faster than in patients with normal weight. Therefore, overweight people are advised to lose extra weight. But at the same time, it is impossible to starve and sit on a mono-diet or diet with dietary restrictions.

Allowed products include:

• Hormone-free farm meat that can be boiled, grilled, boiled or steamed. If there is no access to livestock meat, then you can buy regular ones, but you should get rid of the skin and fat, as all the harmful substances accumulated there are fed or injected into animals or poultry. It is better to limit the consumption of such meat 1-2 times a week, and the rest there are vegetable or fish dishes.
• fruits and vegetables that can be baked or cooked to your liking.
• all types of cereals (excluding instant cereals).
• products with pectin: currants, jelly on fructose;
• fermented dairy products;
• eggs;
• whole wheat bread and pasta.

It is important to exclude from the diet:

• baked goods, sweets and white bread;
• alcoholic beverages and beer;
• various types of fast food and snacks;
• sausages and other types of finished meat products.

With arthrosis, 1200 Kcal should be consumed daily.You should eat in fractions, ie every 2-3 hours in small portions.

People's solution

Osteoarthritis of the knee, symptoms and treatment can be done easily with traditional medicine:

• If arthrosis is accompanied by edema, then a blue clay compress will help. For that, you need to dilute the clay with water to a creamy state and place it on a dense cloth folded 4-6 times and apply it on the joints. Wrap the knee with gauze or other cloth so that the compress does not slip. Store for 2-3 hours and rinse with warm water. The fabric can be washed and reused.
• Experts recommend giving up natural tea and coffee and replacing it with decoctions and infusions. For example, boil lingonberry. For him, 2 tsp. berries need to pour 1 liter. boiling water and leave for an hour, wrapped in a towel. You need to drink 3-4 times a day.
• Massage ointment will help relieve pain and inflammation at any stage of the disease. For that, you need to mix with 50 grams of petroleum jelly, 10 grams of chopped hops, sweet clover and St. John's wort. John. You need to force the product for 2-3 hours in a dark place. Rub with light massage movements. You can wrap your knees.

How long is the recovery period

It is impossible to say for sure how long arthrosis recovery will last, as time depends on various factors. For example, the age and lifestyle of the patient, the degree and severity of the disease.

In general, the recovery period lasts 1-2 months, during which the patient with the help of a specialist:

• eliminates inflammatory and pain syndromes;
• learn to exercise and adjust your diet.

In order for the remission period to last as long as possible, the patient should exercise regularly and see a doctor. Arthrosis of the knee joint with the elimination of symptoms and the right treatment approach will allow you not to get out of the normal rhythm of life.