Arthosis is not an acute state, but a slowly progressive destruction of tissue that absorbs shock and a decrease in the amount of synovial liquid in the knee joint. The elastic tissue provides flexibility and mobility of the limbs, however, in medium and elderly people, the breasts of the cartilage lose this property.
Interesting! Often you can hear how middle -aged people speak of the "deposition of salts". This expression is not correct, it is not deposited salt in the body, on the contrary, there is a synovial membrane dystrophy.
Gradually, the amortization between the femoral and the caps decreases and begin to rub each other. And, despite the fact that human bones are very strong and are able to resist the straight pressure 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 love strength sports or after a car accident and other serious damage to the limbs.
If we list the main factors that contribute to the development of the disease, the main causes of arthrosis of the knee joint can be distinguished:
- Age more than forty years, especially in women.
- Systemic diseases that affect the connective tissue: arthritis, red lupus, gout.
- Diabetes of the first and second type.
- Overweight, due to which a chronic load increased on the limbs is formed.
- Find in a forced position sitting or standing.
- The post -traumatic status of the legs.
In the latter case, the disorder usually occurs as a complication of acute eagerness with a large bleeding in the cavity of the knee joints. The imminent method of treatment or the absence of medical intervention in emergency conditions is the cause of the transition to the chronic and heavier phase.
Clinical image
The arthrosis signs of the knee joint in the early stages are often unnoticed. Very rarely, a person attracts attention to minor deviations from the characteristic rule of the first stage of the disease. With the arthrosis of the knee joint, the symptoms can be seen quite quickly. Such deserves appear:
- light cutting during movements and a strong change of posture;
- numbness in the area of the lower part of the leg;
- Increase in thoroughness in the evening or after a long walk.
This is particularly true for middle -aged people who erase this condition to grow old and believe it should be like this. In fact, gonartrosis, unlike the post -traumatic conditions for a long time, does not cause serious discomfort and very rarely people think about the prevention of this disease.
In order not to lose the occurrence of symptoms of the second degree of arthrosis of the knee joint, these manifestations should not go unnoticed:
- swelling;
- fatigue and heaviness in the legs;
- The difficulties, if necessary, climb a steep staircase.
However, often these symptoms are left without due attention and the disease progresses. Clinically significant signs appear:
- Pull or press the pain, intensify 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 fluid drunk.
- Gradually increasing creaks in the joints.
- The inability to remain in a sitting position or standing for a long time.
- Sometimes the redness around the knees occurs.
These changes are characteristic of chronic gonartrosis. In the post -traumatic form, the symptoms grow sharply, a clinical picture of the injury itself develops in a few hours or days. The acute, hard - -transformed pain predominates, the damaged leg is significantly swollen and the hyperemia of the damaged area is observed, a person cannot trample the leg. Without treatment after an injury, Atroza develops more often quickly, in rare cases there is a slow development, in which the patient has to face the malaise after 2-7 years.
Important! Despite the rather characteristic clinical picture, the final diagnosis is carried out after a complete examination. The diagnosis methods imply an ultrasound or a X -ray, a complete examination of rheumatologist or traumatologist.
On ultrasound and in the X -rays photos, internal changes will be visible in the synovial shell and the degree of osteophytic growth. Depending on the abandonment of the pathological process, a treatment course is prescribed, individual methods are selected.
Types of Gonartrosis therapy
Anyone who has been asked a corresponding diagnosis will necessarily ask the question: how to treat the arthrosis of the knee joint? Medicine offers:
- conservative therapy using drugs;
- types of concomitant resort-cornerum treatment;
- Popular methods to combat disease with proven effectiveness.
With the ineffectiveness of the treatment, surgery is indicated.
Drug
If a person was diagnosed with the arthrosis of the knee joint, the treatment is mainly selected by a complex of drugs. The traditional list will include various types of drugs, starting with analgesics and chondroprotectors.
Ointments aim to reduce pain and improve the patient's general conditions. Usually non -short analgesics are used.
Sometimes the drugs are administered directly in the synovial bag concerned. To relieve the symptoms are prescribed:
- Salicipati.
- Oxics.
- Derivative hygid.
The anti -inflammatory drugs and non -pounded analgesics effectively remove unpleasant sensations, even serious pain, however, have pronounced side effects, should use people with a sick stomach and a liver in a particular way.
Hormonal drugs are prescribed for the third degree of gonartrosis, when the process has gone far and requires serious contraction. Cortisol drugs are introduced directly into the cartilage cavity and have a very rapid positive effect, but the side effects negatively influence both the internal organs (liver, heart, pots) and on the patient's endocrine background. Therefore, they are prescribed only in the absence of pronounced contraindications and only for a short period of treatment.
To restore the damaged joint tissue, chondroprotectors are used. They are always prescribed for post -traumatic defartrosis in order to stimulate the body by generating more actively the synovial fluid and regenerating the damaged cartilage. Condroprotectors are accepted for a long time due to a slow action. Their welcome requires precision and systematicity. Specific dosages are selected taking into account age, the characteristics of the state of health and tolerance for the patient of certain drugs.
Interesting! The last way for the regeneration of the cartilage fluid is hyaluronic acid, which is mainly in cosmetology.
Acupuncture in joint pathologies
This healing method has not been accepted for a long time by official medical science. But now acupuncture is occupied by a strong position in the treatment of chronic diseases, including any type of pathologies of the lower ends. Correctively selected correctly by an expert specialist, the acupuncture sessions are able to save a person from unpleasant sensations in a fairly short time and stimulate his body to produce a synovial fluid and the cells in the cartilage - they regenerate at an accelerated rhythm.
The technique involves the impact on biologically active areas and the restoration of the correct functioning of all life systems, it is also positive for the prevention of painful conditions. However, with acupuncture, some rules must be followed. Acupuncture is prohibited in the following conditions:
- Serious immune changes: immunodeficiency, strong endocrine disorders (Kushing syndrome).
- Tuberculosis and tendency to bleeding.
- History of oncological diseases.
- Mental instability, depression, anxious syndrome.
- Serious injuries.
- Intoxications of any genesis, including chronic alcoholism.
It is recommended to visit the first acupuncture sessions with close relatives or friends, because acupuncture contributes to a significant muscle relaxation and help may be necessary.
Therapeutic gymnastics and physiotherapy
The joint pathologies of any origin are well exposed to physiotherapy and exercise therapy. The concept of physiotherapy usually includes manual, magnet, mud, electrotherapy and other types of gonartrosis of the struggle.
Manual therapy is often combined with the LFK complex. The exercises are used to heat the muscles and joints. The purpose of the manual method:
- improve the general conditions of a person;
- an increase in blood flow to the sore point;
- strengthen the body regeneration potential;
- Reduce pain and other symptoms of the disease.
A specialist in this type of treatment should know his job well. The appropriate massage is always directed towards the lymphatic flow, any painful or simply uncomfortable sensation is unacceptable. It is always worth clarifying the composition of the rubbing and ointments used, since the patient can have an allergy to separate the active components.
Nuance! If the patient studies the relevant literature and watch the necessary photos and videos, he could well learn to grow rubbing movements alone.
Popular remedies
In the early stages of the disease, popular remedies justify their use even more than conservative therapy. Unlike steroids or fans, they are safe for human health and have shown effectiveness in case of low and non -resistant events and are also suitable for the prevention of pathological changes.
Common recipes and influence methods:
- The charges in the quantity of 5-6 pieces are attached to the sore point, previously lubricated with sunflower oil. They are tied with a plastic bag and a wool scarf. The picture is left at night.
- The birch leaves, necessarily in advance, collected in the early April -in -law, in extreme cases, in May, are placed on a painful limb. The picture should not be thinner than 3-4 cm. It is also left during the night.
- Honey massage. Lubricate the preheated leg with a thin layer of honey and gently massage for ten or fifteen minutes. Repeat every day for a month.
- Onion decoction. Boil a large onion with the peel until complete softness. The drink of substance resulting every day in a glass.
- Ceilandi. To immerse the plant with a bandage from a bandage juice (or a rag), wrap the leg for half an hour or an hour. The course lasts at least a week, it is advisable to repeat it three times.
Folk methods can be combined with each other, use multiple recipes simultaneously. Basic rule: they should not be used as a replacement therapy, but should integrate the drugs of traditional medicine.
Preventive measures for gonartrosis
The approach to healing cartilage changes should be complex and systemic. Implies a complete revision of the lifestyle and following some recommendations:
- Reduce body weight. Since overweight affects negatively on the condition of bones and joints, patients are recommended for weight loss.
- The diet in the disease should be limited in calories, exclude red meat and fat, fast food, fried foods, sausages, desserts and white bread, 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 include low -fat colds and fruit jelly, preferably without sugar in the energy plane.
- The refusal of smoking and drinking alcohol - both acts devastating on all organs, including connective tissue, and with an experience of prolonged smoke, the bones become thinner, causing an accompanying problem - osteoporosis.
- Dosed physical activity. With the pathologies of the limbs, both hypodynamia and the increase in activity are contraindicated. The people who previously engaged in power and extreme sports will have to abandon their hobbies and replace them with less dangerous for the body. And, on the contrary, if a person is used to sitting in the office all day, he should organize excursions and jogging, gymnastics exercises from the collection of operating therapy. The campaigns in the pool are very useful.
- Periodic rest and accompanying therapy with mineral waters in specialized resorts are extremely important.
Patients have shown to avoid excessive physical activity, in particular weight lifting. For women, oral or injectable hormone administration is sometimes provided in order to increase the amount of estrogen in the blood.
Forecast for recovery
Is it possible to take care of the arthrosis of the knee joint? It will not be possible to completely get rid of the pathology, but it is possible to slow down the degenerative processes. The first and second phase of the post -traumatic defartrosis is better therapy, while in the third stage, with pronounced pathological processes, the conservative effects are often not sufficient and surgical intervention is necessary.
The operation is performed in the most serious cases when the joint is completely destroyed, it is replaced by a stainless steel analogue or metal plastic. However, with timely measures adopted, the prognosis remains favorable, complete regeneration of the synovial fluid and connective tissues is possible. Observation of health, prevention and the right lifestyle, avoiding injuries: the key to the health and flexibility of the legs.