Musculoskeletal disorders lead to significant restrictions on human mobility. In order to avoid complications, treatment should be given in a timely manner. Knee arthrosis is the most common form of bone bone joints and the most common cause of disability. But by visiting a doctor in time, you can get rid of the disease.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Arthrosis of the knee joint is not the official name of the disease. It is called osteoarthritis in medicine. The word consists of two ancient Greek words - bone and joint. Other synonyms:
- deforming osteoarthritis or DOA in abbreviated form (the first word of the name reflects the main clinical symptom - joint deformity);
- gonarthrosis (from a combination of the ancient Greek words "knee" and "joint").
Sometimes the disease is mistakenly called arthritis, although traditionally this term refers to a connective tissue disease that has nothing to do with arthrosis.
The essence of arthrosis is that the cartilage tissue that covers the surface of the joint is damaged, causing inflammation to start, bone work to stop working, and pain to appear. Unfortunately, this is a very common pathology that is diagnosed mainly in elderly people (especially overweight) and young athletes due to injuries.
Effective treatment requires a full examination of the patient with arthrosis, with particular reference to identifying the causes of the musculoskeletal problem. The most common factors that lead to the disease are:
CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS
Effective treatment requires a full examination of the patient with arthrosis, with particular reference to identifying the causes of the musculoskeletal problem. The most common factors that lead to the disease are:
- leg fractures;
- displacements, cartilage injuries, inflammation;
- impaired metabolism;
- endocrine diseases;
- tape device weakness;
- hereditary predisposition;
- Autoimmune diseases and infections that cause damage to joint tissue.
Late access to the doctor threatens constant knee pain and complete loss of joint mobility.To prevent this, you should consult a professional if you experience a knee crack while walking and painful feelings increase when you go down or up stairs. If treatment is not started at this stage, the situation worsens - the pain disappears, movements become restricted, the knee is deformed.
The longer you don’t see a doctor, the harder, more time-consuming, and more expensive it is to treat gonarthrosis.
DEGREE OF THE DISEASE
Arthrosis is diagnosed by a doctor. It not only identifies the disease but also determines its extent. There are three:
- First. Cure of the disease is possible in the initial stage, as there are no morphological abnormalities in the tissue at this time, muscles are weakened but not yet changed, and the joint is less tolerant of load due to synovial membrane dysfunctions and cartilage-feeding cavity fluid biochemical composition. menisci. Excessive use leads to inflammation and pain.
- Second. At this stage, the cartilage and meniscus begin to collapse, and the load placed on them leads to a pathological increase in bone tissue and a narrowing of the joint space. As a result, the knee size increases and appears deformed. Treatment of grade 2 bilateral gonarthrosis of the knee joint is more difficult than in the first stage. Pain and inflammation become chronic.
- Third. This grade is already considered severe. At the same time, the deformity of the bone is clearly expressed, the axis of the limb changes, due to which the mechanical load is not properly distributed. The ligaments in the joint are shortened, natural movements are therefore limited, and then the foot may become completely immobile. Treatment of grade 3 knee arthrosis without surgery is impossible because the disease is very advanced.
If the pain seems to be tolerable for a long time, people will think that they only suffer from arthrosis in the first stage and postpone seeing a doctor. But this view is not correct. Every day, the load on the main elements of the joint is already beginning to collapse, and pathological changes can lead to complete destruction of the joint and severe dysfunction of the limbs.
CLINICAL PROCESS
Progression of the disease is accompanied by characteristic symptoms. The pain occurs in the middle of the night, even when the foot is motionless. The stiffness can be felt in the morning.
Walking becomes difficult after a certain distance and then at the beginning of the movement. In severe cases, a person cannot walk 100 meters normally, it becomes painful for him to stand and sit. You have to move with the help of special equipment.
Slight lameness becomes more pronounced later in the first stage. As a result, walking, using public transport, performing professional tasks, everyday functions, and even self-service may become impossible.
TREATMENT METHODS
Folk recipes, pharmaceutical compresses and ointments do not help to get rid of the disease, as the approach must be comprehensive.Healing is usually only possible in a hospital where a doctor treats arthrosis of the knee.Decide what recommendations to give to the patient based on the reported complaints and related pathologies. The following points are usually required:
- reduces the load on the joints;
- adherence to the orthopedic system;
- physiotherapy (exercise);
- undergoes physiotherapy.
All of this helps slow the progression of arthrosis and prevent the loss of motor function. It should be understood that the methods used are highly dependent on the capabilities of the hospital and the availability of one or the other physiotherapy device. It is best if the patient has the opportunity to go to a spa treatment or special orthopedic clinic where a modern approach is provided by medications, diet, methods, and so on. In his choice.
MEDICINE USE
Inflammatory processes and painful feelings make it impossible to treat knee osteoarthritis without medications in the form of tablets, creams, ointments and injections. In the first stage, you can use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - diclofenac, indomethacin, nimesulide, etc. The same hormones are used during periods of acute pain.
In addition, intramuscular and intraarticular injections of drugs that improve cartilage tissue condition (vasodilators and chondroprotectors) will be required.
PHYSIOTHERAPY METHODS
Significant improvements can be made with physiotherapy. The following techniques are considered to be the most effective:
- Shockwave therapy. This method has worked well for the last 20 years. The point is to emit radial acoustic waves to the affected area with a special device that activates the blood supply and stimulates tissue recovery.
- Myostimulation. This therapy targets the muscles surrounding the joint. Weak current pulses increase leg mobility, relieve pain, and increase endurance during physical exertion.
- Phonophoresis. This technique harmoniously combines ultrasound therapy with the use of products in the form of ointments, gels and creams. Generally, such dosage forms are absorbed in only 5-7%, but high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations heat the tissues and increase the absorption by a factor of several. In addition to a good therapeutic effect, this saves the consumption of expensive drugs.
- Ozone therapy. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect is achieved by the action of the joint with active oxygen. It is a good supplement and in some cases an alternative to taking hormonal medications.
MEDICAL PRACTICE
Pain during physical exertion of the joint leads to the person trying to avoid it. In the long run, this threatens physical inactivity, leading to muscle atrophy and ligament weakness. Of course, during the exacerbation period, the load on the joint must be completely eliminated, but after a few days after the inflammation and pain have resolved, physiotherapy exercises must be started.
It is believed that correctly and consistently performed exercise therapy exercises can save the patient from the need for surgery. Currently, experienced professionals have developed a number of special methods of daily training that strengthen muscles, increase their strength and endurance, inhibit the pathological destruction of tissues, and restore the mobility and range of motion of joints.
Regularity is paramount in this type of treatment.A good effect is only achieved by patients who understand the need to make lifestyle changes and strictly follow the doctor's recommendations on the ratio of physical activity to joint rest periods.
PASSIVE KINESITHERAPY
Lymphatic drainage, massage, manual therapy are good supplements for medication, physiotherapy and exercise. These are essential for sedentary patients and can improve the condition of their muscles, joints and ligaments.
Another passive physiotherapy method is mechanotherapy. It uses special tools - vibration simulators, weighting agents, mechanical massagers that increase the effectiveness of the treatment.
Elongation of joints, in which the area of their cavity increases mechanically, allows you to get rid of pain and stop destructive processes. Regular use of this therapy will prolong knee health for years.
DIET COMPLIANCE
Because obesity is often the cause of arthrosis, patients with this diagnosis should take care to lose weight. Weight loss reduces joint stress and makes it easier to exercise. Sometimes diet is not enough, then bariatric surgery is required, but such situations are rare.
Another sign of adherence to a particular diet could be any pathology associated with arthrosis. If there is no obesity or other illnesses that necessitate a change in eating habits, there is no need for a separate diet. However, it can help the body strengthen the affected cartilage tissue by including collagen-rich foods in its diet that contain jelly and aspic, fish oil, berries and fruits. It is better to refrain from consuming unhealthy foods such as sugar, carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
Surgical intervention
In advanced cases, a quick solution to the problems of the musculoskeletal system is to perform the operations. In the case of arthrosis, the following types of surgery are prescribed:
The- Puncture allows you to get rid of the fluid that has accumulated in the joint cavity. As a result, inflammation is reduced, as a result of which knee mobility is restored.
- Arthroscopy allows the surface of the joint to be cleaned of destroyed pieces of tissue. They are performed with thin, flexible devices, using a video camera, thus avoiding dissection of the joint cavity.
- Periarticular osteotomy allows you to change the angle of inclination of one of the bones that make up the knee joint, which redistributes the load, increases mobility, and relieves pain. This procedure is quite traumatic as the bone needs to be sawed.
- Endoprostheses allow the replacement of a diseased joint with a biocompatible structure. At the same time, the former range of motion is restored, but the operation is quite new and very complicated, after which long rehabilitation is required.
Surgery is rarely needed in the first stage. The second is only needed occasionally, while the third is not without it.
PATIENTS 'OPINIONS
Which of the many treatments we use in each case depends on the doctor. The specialist selects the best method and it is the patient’s responsibility to strictly follow the orthopedist’s recommendations. This is the only way to get good results quickly. This is confirmed by patients diagnosed with gonarthrosis.