The leading cause of acute knee pain in patients over the age of 50 is gonarthrosis (deformed arthrosis of the knee joint).
The disease is characterized by rapid progression and can lead to disability and inability to work, therefore, timely detection of symptoms of knee joint arthrosis and treatment of the disease, including at home, is the main task in examining patients at risk for musculoskeletal system pathology.
What is knee osteoarthritis
The knee joint is one of the most mobile joints of the human skeleton, prone to injury and other mechanical damage. It connects the tibia and femur, as well as the largest sesamoid bone, located in the quadriceps femoris tendon (patella or patella). The surface of the joint is covered with cartilage tissue - a dense, elastic material that surrounds chondrocytes (oval -shaped cells formed from chondroblasts) and creates a protective shell around it, and also acts as a shock absorber.
The composition of cartilage contains collagen - a fibrillar protein, which is a key element of connective fibers and provides cartilage strength and elasticity - and glucosamine. Glucosamine is a substance produced by cartilage. Glucosamine is part of the synovial fluid - a yellowish elastic mass that fills the joint cavity and acts as a lubricant. If the synthesis of glucosamine and proteoglycans is impaired, the amount of synovial fluid decreases, leading to joint exposure and the occurrence of severe pain, therefore, treatment of stage 1 knee joint arthrosis always includes the use of chondroprotective drugs.
What happens to joints with arthrosis:
- the cartilage becomes soft and loose, and deep ulcers appear on its surface;
- synovial membrane thickened;
- the composition of synovial fluid changes, its secretion decreases;
- there is a sprain of the ligaments and joint capsules;
- the articular cavity is filled with exudate - inflammatory fluid released from the blood vessels during the period of acute inflammation.
In the absence of timely and adequate treatment, arthrosis leads to complete deformation and destruction of the knee joint, while the patient may show both unnatural mobility and complete immobility of the joint. To stop the process of destruction of the articular surface and cartilage in the case of diagnosed knee arthrosis, a doctor may recommend arthroplasty - a surgical operation to replace a damaged joint with an artificial prosthesis that fits the size.
The cost of primary knee arthroplasty varies by region and can range from $ 255 to $ 1465.
If there are signs, operations can be performed according to the quota in the CHI program.
Classification and etiological factors
Arthrosis of the knee joint can be primary and secondary. Primary arthrosis is diagnosed in cases where it is impossible to accurately determine the pathological cause. If cartilage deformation is preceded by other diseases and pathologies, knee injury, arthrosis is considered secondary, that is, develops against the background of primary disease.
The main causes of secondary arthrosis of the knee joint include:
- various dysplasia and other pathologies in which abnormal tissue development and formation occurs;
- neurodystrophic disease of the lumbar or cervical spine;
- inflammation of the knee joint (arthritis);
- joint injuries and microtraumas;
- surgery to remove the damaged meniscus or part of it (menicectomy);
- endocrine system diseases and hormonal disorders, in which the rate of metabolic reactions slows down, metabolism in bone tissue is disrupted.
Primary arthrosis of the knee joint often develops in people who lead an inactive lifestyle, or, conversely, who regularly experience increased physical activity on the knee joint. Overweight patients, people over the age of 50, residents of unfavorable environmental areas, patients with various types of addiction to toxic substances (smokers, drug addicts, alcohol) are also at high risk for the development of gonarthrosis.
Frequent hypothermia can contribute to inflammation and further deformation of the knee joint, so people prone to diseases of the musculoskeletal system are advised to observe the temperature regime and abandon activities associated with prolonged exposure to low temperatures (working outdoors, in refrigerators and freezers. , etc. ). d. ).
Women over 45 interested in treating knee arthrosis should know that provoking factors in the development of pathology can reduce estrogen synthesis, which can occur after menopause and with some gynecological diseases: endometrial hyperplasia, uterine myoma, fibroadenoma, endometriosis. A negative factor is also a variety of diets that limit the intake of foods rich in minerals, vitamins and other elements necessary for joint health.
Signs and symptoms
In order for the prognosis of later life to be better, it is important not only to know how to treat knee arthrosis, but also what symptoms the disease itself shows. This is necessary for timely access to specialists and early detection of possible deformities and other injuries to the knee joint. In the early stages, the pathology has relatively few symptoms, so it is possible to identify stage 1 knee arthrosis only after conducting hardware and instrumental diagnostics.
The first symptoms of the disease include:
- morning stiffness in the knees;
- pain when walking when walking distance exceeds 1-1. 5 km;
- pain in the knee with prolonged sitting (more than 2 hours in a row);
- pain in the knee joint after long standing;
- pain in the knee that occurs at the end of the day or in the first half of a night’s sleep.
If the patient does not receive the necessary treatment at this stage, the disease will progress. To choose the right medication for arthrosis of the knee joint, it is necessary to undergo a series of diagnostic examinations (MRI, computed tomography, radiography, etc. ) and determine the degree of deformation, the level of synovial fluid in the joint. cavity, cartilage tissue density and synovial membrane. Symptoms of 2nd and 3rd degree knee arthrosis are shown in the table below.
| diagnostic sign | 2 degree knee arthrosis | 3 degree knee arthrosis |
|---|---|---|
| Pain while resting at night | May appear when changing body position or getting out of bed. | Occurs without any movement. |
| Ability to use public transportation (excluding low -level buses) | Patients experience pain while climbing stairs, but with certain restrictions can use public transportation without assistance. | Patients cannot ride the bus or tram on their own due to limited movement of the knee joint. |
| Lameness | Expressed a little. | Lameness is very noticeable, additional support (crutches) are needed for movement. |
| Stiffness in the knee after waking up | Holds less than 10-15 minutes. | Lasts about 20-30 minutes or so. |
| Pain when walking | Occurs after passing 800-1000 m. | They start at the beginning of the movement and grow stronger after passing a distance of less than 500 m. |
| Self -service ability | Usually saved. | The patient cannot perform some actions without outside help. |
Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint at home
Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint can be done with the help of:
- medical methods;
- physiotherapy training;
- massage.
The use of traditional medicine recipes is possible only after consultation with the attending physician and can not replace the main treatment prescribed by a specialist.
The choice of medication and method of treatment depends not only on the age of the patient and his chronic disease, but also on the stage of arthrosis and the degree of deformation of the cartilage and articular surfaces.
Arthrosis 1 degree
This is the mildest form of arthrosis, which in most cases can be cured with minor medication corrections and additional measures: massage, exercise therapy, physiotherapy. The most effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis, regardless of its stage, is laser therapy. This is the main method of physiotherapy, which gives relatively good results in the early stages of arthrosis.
It helps to achieve the following effects:
- the level of inflammation in the joint cavity is reduced;
- pain intensity decreases;
- the process of tissue regeneration is stimulated;
- the need for the use of glucocorticosteroids and other drugs with serious side effects disappears.
As an alternative to laser therapy, doctors may offer pulse magnetotherapy, acupuncture, electromyostimulation and electrophoresis.
All these methods are quite effective in the treatment of arthrosis.with a deformation degree of not more than 20-25%, but the effectiveness of treatment will be higher if combined with physiotherapy and massage exercises.
Orthopedists and surgeons noted the positive effects of the use of water exercises aimed at developing muscle strength in the legs.
Patients with knee arthrosis of 1-2 degrees can be offered sanatorium treatment (during a period of stable remission), including mud therapy, warming up in the sauna, therapeutic baths. Overweight patients are prescribed a special diet, because obesity is one of the main factors in the development of knee arthrosis.
Arthrosis 2 degrees
Treatment of stage 2 knee arthrosis includes physiotherapy and massage (outside of the acute period), special nutrition, physiotherapy exercises and medications. It is very important to reduce the load on the damaged joint: limit walking, avoid movements that require knee flexion. With rapid progressive arthrosis, the use of special orthoses is indicated - orthopedic devices designed to repair diseased joints and limit their mobility.
The drug treatment regimen may include the following medications:
- chondroprotector;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid;
- glucocorticosteroid hormone injections.
The diet for knee osteoarthritis patients should contain adequate amounts of collagen -rich foods.
this:
- products with gelling additives (jelly, jelly, jelly, aspic);
- products with the addition of pectin;
- fish fat.
Almost all fruits and berries contain essential amino acids and minerals to keep joints healthy and mobile, but these foods should be eatenlimited to diabetics.
Arthrosis 3 degrees
The treatment of stage 3 knee joint arthrosis is no different from the therapy used for stage 2 arthrosis.
With severe ineffectiveness and limitation of movement, patients were given surgical treatment with further prosthetics on the damaged joint.
People's method
Before you learn how to treat knee joints at home with alternative medicine recipes, you need to consult a doctor. The use of the methods listed below is only allowed for stage 1 arthrosis and in the early stages of stage 2 arthrosis.
Nettle and Lemon Infusion
This infusion should be taken orally 20-30 minutes before meals. One dose is 50-80 ml.
To prepare the infusion, you must:
- Mix 100 g of dried or fresh nettle leaves with three heads of peeled garlic;
- pass the mixture through a meat grinder;
- add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice;
- mix everything, add 250 ml of boiling water and cover;
- insist for 4 hours.
The duration of treatment in this way is at least 60 days. In the first week, the infusion should be taken 1 time a day, in the next 7-10 days - 2 times a day. Starting from the third week of treatment, the number of doses should be increased to 3 times a day.
Honey ointment for joints
This ointment helps relieve inflammation and reduce pain. The first results can be seen after a week of daily use, but to achieve stable results, you need to use it for 30-45 days.
To prepare the ointment, you must:
- melt 2 tablespoons of butter;
- mix the oil with two tablespoons of honey and one tablespoon of 6%apple cider vinegar;
- Place the mixture in the refrigerator to set.
Apply such an ointment to your knees 2-3 times a day (the last time - before bedtime).
Bathe with dandelions
For such a bath, the color of dandelion roots is used. To prepare it, you need to mix 120 g of crushed dandelion root with 150 ml of vodka and insist in a dark place for a day. Before bathing, the contents of the container must be poured into water and stirred. It is recommended to take such a bath 1-2 times a week. After the procedure, the pain in the knee becomes less, and mobility in the joints is gradually restored. The effectiveness of the treatment will be higher if you add 150 g of sea salt enriched with iodine and bromine into the water.
Reviews
- "Just an injection of hyaluronic acid helped me with arthrosis. An excellent remedy with minimal side effects and high efficiency. Now I barely feel pain in my knee, even though before I couldn't go down the stairs without help. "
- "It seems that knee arthrosis is a disease that can not be cured. You can relieve the pain a little, but then it will come back. During the exacerbation, I was treated with ficus and Jerusalem artichokes. It helps no worse than pills, just no harm to the heart and liver.
- "I also have a diagnosis of stage 2 knee arthrosis. The reason is, most likely, overweight (at the time I weighed over 130 kg). For treatment, a salt-free diet, chondroprotectors, anti-inflammatory ointments and hormone injections were prescribedI did everything according to instructions - the arthrosis was completely gone.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is a severe pathology of the musculoskeletal system, prone to rapid development. The treatment regimen should be selected by the attending physician after a comprehensive diagnosis and identification of degenerative stages, dystrophic processes and deformities of cartilage and articular surfaces. The prognosis of treatment depends on compliance with medical prescriptions and obtaining timely medical help.