Osteoarthritis is not an acute condition, but a slowly progressive destruction of shock absorbing tissue and a decrease in the synovial fluid in the knee artulation. The elastic fabric offers flexibility and mobility of the limbs. In medium and older people, cartilage caves lose this property.
Interesting! You can often hear how people with medium -sized times talk about the "storage of salts". This expression is wrong, no salt in the body is deposited. On the contrary, there is a dystrophy of the synovial membrane.
Gradually the depreciation between thighs and basket hats decreases and they start rubbing each other. And despite the fact that the human bones are very strong and are able to withstand a straight pressure on two hundred kilograms, they are deleted from constant friction, osteophytes appear - bone growth instead of the natural joint.
The post -traumatic form of this disease occurs in young people who like to do strength or after car accident and other serious limbs damage.
If we list the main factors that contribute to the development of the disease, the main causes of the arthrosis of the knee joint can be distinguished:
- Old older than forty years, especially in women.
- Systemic diseases that affect connective tissue - arthritis, red lupus, gout.
- Diabetes of the first and second type.
- Overweight on which chronic increased load is formed on the limbs.
- Find or stand in a forced position.
- The post -traumatic condition of the legs.
In the latter case, the disease usually occurs as a complication of acute hemarthrosis with extensive bleeding in the cavity of the knee joints. The upcoming treatment method or the lack of medical intervention in emergency conditions is the cause of the transition to the chronic and more difficult phase.
Clinical picture
Signs of osteoarthritis of the knee joint in the early stages are most often unnoticed. Very rarely, a person steers minor deviations from the norm, which is characteristic of the first stage of the disease. With the arthrosis of the knee joint, the symptoms can be seen quickly enough. Such complaints appear:
- Light buddy with movements and a sharp change in posture;
- Dust in the area of the lower leg;
- Increased tiredness in the evening or after a long walk.
This applies in particular to the middle -aged people who write off this disease in old age and believe that it should be. In fact, in contrast to post -traumatic conditions, gonarthrosis does not cause serious symptoms for a long time, and very rarely people think about the prevention of such a disease.
In order not to miss the occurrence of symptoms of the second degree of arthrosis of the knee joint, such manifestations should not be unnoticed:
- Swelling;
- Fatigue and severity in the legs;
- Difficulties, if necessary, climb a steep staircase.
However, such symptoms often remain with no proper attention, and the disease continues. Clinically significant signs appear:
- Pull or press pain, reinforce yourself in the evening and after awakening.
- Bad mobility of the limb.
- Swelling that does not depend on the condition of the kidneys and the amount of drunk liquid.
- Gradually increases, which increases the creaking in the joints.
- The inability to stay in one position for a long time.
- Sometimes redness occurs around the knees.
Such changes are characteristic of chronic gonarthrosis. The symptoms grow strongly in the post -traumatic form, and a clinical image of the injury itself develops within a few hours or days. Acute, hard -to -transformed pain predominates, the damaged leg is significantly swollen, and hyperemia of the damaged area is observed, a person cannot step on the leg. Without treatment after an injury, Atroza develops the most often, in rare cases there is a slow development in which the patient is offset by discomfort after 2 to 7 years.
Important! Despite the more characteristic clinical image, the final diagnosis is made after a complete examination. Diagnostic procedures imply an ultrasound or X rays, a full time examination of a rheumatologist or traumatologist.
Internal changes in the synovial bowl and the degree of osteophytic growth will be visible on the ultrasound and X radiation photos. Depending on the neglect of the pathological process, a treatment course is prescribed, individual methods are selected.
Types of therapy for gonarthrosis
Anyone who has been made a corresponding diagnosis will necessarily ask the question: How do you treat osteoarthritis of the knee joint? Medicine offers:
- Conservative therapy using medication;
- Accompanying resort sanatorium treatment types;
- People's methods to combat the disease with proven effectiveness.
Surgical intervention is given as the ineffectiveness of the treatment.
Medication
When diagnosed with an arthrosis of the knee joint, the treatment is mainly selected from a drug complex. The traditional list includes various types of medication, starting with analgesics and chondroprotectors.
The ointments aim to reduce the pain and improve the general condition of the patient. Non -steroidal analgesics are usually used.
Sometimes medication is administered directly in the affected synovial bag. To alleviate the symptoms, are prescribed:
- Salikypate.
- Oxik.
- Derived prolional acid.
Non -steroid anti -inflammatory and analgesic medicines remove unpleasant sensations, but even severe pain pronounced side effects, they should use people with a sick stomach and liver particularly carefully.
Hormonal drugs are prescribed for the third degree of gonarthrosis when the process has gone far and requires serious counter -effect. Medicates containing cortisol are introduced directly into the cartilage cavity and have a very quick positive effect, but have a negative impact on both internal organs (liver, heart, vessels) and on the endocrine background of the patient. Therefore, they are only prescribed without pronounced contraindications and only for a short time of treatment.
Chondroprotectors are used to restore damaged joint fabric. They are always prescribed for the post -traumatic definition to stimulate the body more, create the synovial liquid and regenerate damaged cartilage. Chondroprotectors are accepted for a long time due to a slow effect. Your reception requires accuracy and systematism. Specific doses are selected taking into account the age, characteristics of the state of health and tolerance to the patient of certain medicines.
Interesting! The latest type of regeneration of cartilage fluid is hyaluronic acid, which is mainly in cosmetology.
Acupuncture for joint pathologies
This method of healing has not been accepted by official medicine for a long time. However, acupuncture is now taken through a strong position in the treatment of chronic diseases, including all types of pathologies of the lower extremities. Acupuncture sessions can be properly selected by an experienced specialist and can save a person in a rather short time from unpleasant sensations and encourage their bodies to produce a synovial fluid, and cell cells - regenerate at an accelerated pace.
The technology has an impact on biologically active zones and the restoration of the correct functions of all life systems. It is also good for the prevention of painful conditions. In the case of acupuncture, however, certain rules must be observed. Acupuncture is prohibited under the following conditions:
- Heavy immune changes - immune deficiency, strong endocrine disorders (kushing syndrome).
- Tuberculosis and tendency towards bleeding.
- History oncological diseases.
- Mental instability, depression, anxious syndrome.
- Serious injuries.
- Poisoning of any genesis, including chronic alcoholism.
It is recommended to visit the first acupuncture meetings with narrow relatives or friends, since acupuncture contributes to considerable muscle relaxation and may need help.
Therapeutic gymnastics and physiotherapy
The joint pathologies of any origin are well exposed to physiotherapy and training therapy. The concept of physiotherapy usually includes manually, magneto, mud, electrotherapy and other types of combating gonarthrosis.
Manual therapy is most often combined with the LFK complex. Exercises are used to warm up muscles and joints. The purpose of the manual method:
- Improvement of the general condition of a person;
- an increase in blood flow to painful stain;
- Strengthening the body's regeneration potential;
- Reduce pain and other symptoms of the disease.
A specialist in this type of treatment should know his work well. The right massage is always aimed at lymph flow, all painful or simply unpleasant sensations are unacceptable. It is always worthwhile to clarify the composition of the rubbing and ointments used, since the patient may have an allergy to separate components.
Nuance! If the patient examines the relevant literature and looks at the necessary photos and videos, it can learn how to grow friction movements yourself.
Folk remedy
In the early stages of the disease, folk remedies justify their use even more than conservative therapy. In contrast to steroids or NSAIDs, they are certainly for human health and have been shown to be effective in low and non -resistant manifestations and are also suitable for preventing pathological changes.
Common recipes and methods of influence:
- Exposives in the amount of 5-6 parts are attached to the aching area, which is previously lubricated with sunflower oil. They are bound with a plastic bag and a wool scarf. The compress remains at night.
- Birch leaves, necessarily early, will be placed on a aching limb in the early occurrence of April in Extreme cases. The compress should not be thinner than 3-4 cm. It is also left overnight.
- Honey massage. Lubricate the preheated leg with a thin honey layer and carefully massage for ten to fifteen minutes. Repeat a month every day.
- Onion cupilation. Cook a large onion with a bowl to complete softness. The resulting substance drinks in a glass every day.
- Celandine. To soften the plant with a bandage from a bandage (or a rag) juice, wrap your leg around the leg for half or an hour. The course takes at least one week, it is advisable to repeat it three times.
People's methods can be combined and several recipes can be used. Basic rule: They should not be used as replacement therapy, but should complement the medication of traditional medicine.
Preventive measures for gonarthrosis
The approach to healing cartilage changes should be complex and systemic. It implies a complete revision of the lifestyle and according to certain recommendations:
- Reduce body weight. Since overweight overweight affects the condition of bones and joints extremely negatively, patients are recommended for weight loss.
- The diet in the disease should be limited to calories, red and fat meat, fast food, fried food, sausages, sweets and white bread, butter exclude butter. Olive oil is recommended by vegetable fats and only as a petrol station for salads. It is useful to use sea fish and seafood, unsweetened fruit and vegetables. It is necessary to contain colds and fruit jellies with low fat, preferably without sugar in the force plan.
- The rejection of smoking and alcohol - both devastating reacts to all organs, including connective tissue, and with longer smoking experience, the bones become thinner and cause an accompanying problem - osteoporosis.
- Dosed physical activity. In the case of pathologies of the limbs, both hypodynamics and increased activity are contraindicated. People who were previously involved in power and extreme sports have to give up their hobbies and replace them with less dangerous for the body. And on the contrary, when a person is used to sitting in the office all day, they should organize hiking and jogging gymnastics exercises from the collection of training therapy. Campaigns in the pool are very useful.
- The regular calm and accompanying therapy with mineral waters in specialized resorts are extremely important.
It is shown that patients avoid excessive physical activity, especially weightlifting. For women, an oral or injectable administration of hormones is sometimes provided to increase the amount of estrogen in the blood.
Forecast for recovery
Is it possible to heal osteoarthritis of the knee joint? It is not possible to get rid of the pathology completely, but it is possible to slow down degenerative processes. It is best to treat the first and second stage of the post -traumatic definition, while in the third stage with pronounced pathological processes, conservative effects are often not sufficient and surgical intervention is required.
The surgery is carried out in the hardest cases in which the joint is completely destroyed and replaced by an analogue made of stainless steel or metal plastic. In the case of timely measures, however, the forecast remains favorable, a complete regeneration of the synovial fluid and connective tissue is possible. Observation of your health, prevention and real lifestyle, avoidance of injuries - the key to health and flexibility of the legs.