Osteoarthritis of the knee joint - symptoms and treatment at home

Osteoarthritis of the knee joint occupies a leading position in the incidence of arthrosis lesions in joints. By severity of the course, the disease is in second place after coxarthrosis.

Gonarthrosis affects every fifth person on the planet. A predisposition to this disease is especially in people over 40 years old and, as noted in this case, in women the incidence is almost 2 times higher than that of men. According to statistics, 7-22% of people in the world suffer from gonarthrosis.

It can be said that with this disease the articular cartilage crackles, becomes thinner, while losing its fibrous and amortization properties, which, in principle, does not make it possible during the movement to soften the periodic impacts of the knee and body.

Today we will examine arthrosis of the knee joint, find out what it is, what are the symptoms of this ailment, and also tell you the effective methods of treatment, including at home.

Causes

What are the causes of arthrosis of the knee joint, and what is it? Every day our knee joints undergo physical exertion in the process of walking, withstanding the weight of the whole body. Cartilage tissue wears out over the years, causing changes in the joint. Therefore, people of advanced age have arthrosis of the knee joints.

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In the risk groupdiseases of gonarthrosis include people:

with excessive body weight;
suffering from osteoporosis;
with hereditary disorders;
the elderly;
with specific professions;
with metabolic disorders in the body;
with micronutrient deficiency;
injured on the spine;
engaged in some sports.

The disease develops gradually, it is very important in time to seek qualified help from a doctor to avoid restriction of joint motion and disability in the future.

Symptoms

With arthrosis of the knee joint, certain symptoms are observed. The nature of pain:

discomfort after awakening, when trying to get up after a long sitting;
pain in the knee with prolonged standing;
burning and irritation when climbing the stairs;
night pain, and also after physical exertion;
weakness in the legs, "podkashivanie" limbs.

The most important symptom of the onset of gonarthrosis is pain in the knee joint region. At the same time, the disease does not occur sharply, the pain will increase over many months and even years. First they will disturb the patient only with increased stress on the legs, and then even at rest.

Osteoarthritis of the knee joint 1 degree

Arthrosis of the 1st degree proceeds practically without any visible symptoms. For this phase of development are characterized by:

fatigue in the legs;
a slight decrease in mobility, which is usually observed immediately after sleep.

Painful symptoms, if they do, appear to a small extent. At this point, knee arthrosis looks like an x-ray in the form of small irregularities on the cartilaginous tissue and the surface of the bones.

There may also be a slight narrowing of the lumen between the bones. At this stage, it is extremely difficult to diagnose pathology, therefore it is mandatory to undergo radiography.

Arthrosis of the knee joint 2 degrees

With arthrosis of the knee joint of the 2nd degree, the symptoms are more pronounced. The pains arise from the minimal load or immediately after it. In the affected part of the leg, pain is caused by almost any movement. After a fairly long rest, it usually completely passes. However, the next physical action immediately causes pain.

Approximately at the second stage of the development of the disease, painful sensations are added:

crunching in the knee joint during movements;
decreased ability to normally bend the leg in the knee;
change of joint bones;
progressive synovitis.

Rough arthritic joint crunch, as a rule, is barely audible at first, but with the course of the disease it becomes very loud and distinct. There is a sharp pain when trying to bend the leg in the knee. In some cases, this can only be done up to an angle of 90 degrees, and then with difficulty and overcoming the pain. It also becomes apparent the change in the shape of the joint, which is further aggravated by the accumulation of pathological fluid in it.

Arthrosis of the knee joint 3 degrees

Characteristic features of grade 3 arthrosis are severe pain, independent of the number and intensity of physical exertion. The joint disturbs the person even at night, this gives significant inconvenience.

The mobility of the knee joint is broken and the person can not flex his own leg in the knee. There is a sensitivity to the changes in the weather, to which the affected area reacts very sensitively.

The radiograph can show the global changes in the cartilaginous tissue, the surface of the joint, uncharacteristic growths. O-shaped or X-shaped curvature leads a person to disability.

Diagnostics

The doctor, after listening to the patient's complaints, first of all draws attention to visible changes in the structure of the limb (coarsening of bone contusions, deformation), decrease in mobility in the joint. The palpation is accompanied by pains, when the kneecap is shifted, a crunch is heard.

The main method of diagnosing gonarthrosis is joint radiography (in this case, at the first stage, the pathology may not be detected). There can be several such pictures to trace the dynamics of the disease. In addition to X-rays, MRI or computed tomography may be prescribed.

All these studies are necessary to correctly determine the causes of the disease, as well as differentiate gonarthrosis from other joint diseases.

Methods of treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint

With diagnosed arthrosis of the knee joint, the treatment can include such methods:

therapy with medicinal preparations;
massage and manual therapy;
surgical intervention;
Restorative therapy (exercise therapy, physiotherapy and other methods).

Goals of treatment of gonarthrosis:

eliminate pain;
if possible, repair the destroyed cartilage and ligament apparatus;
increase the amount of movement in the joint.

Very important massage procedures, exercise therapy and proper balanced diet (diet). If the doctor comes too late or does not give any method of result, an operation on the joint can be performed: a surgical procedure is the installation of an endoprosthesis.

How to treat arthrosis of the knee joint

The main categories of medications used to treat arthrosis include the following categories:

NSAIDs are a non-steroidal group of anti-inflammatory drugs;
Chondroprotectors;
Treatment creams, ointments and triturates;
Means used for compresses.

As NSAIDs, diclofenac, ketoprofen, piroxicam, butadione, indomethacin, ibuprofen, nimulide, cefrebsex and their derivatives are used.

With arthrosis non-steroid, i.e. non-hormonal, anti-inflammatory drugs have traditionally been used to eliminate inflammation and pain, because because of severe pain, there is no possibility to begin treatment. Only after the pain is eliminated with anti-inflammatory drugs, you can go to massage, a complex of therapeutic gymnastics and physiotherapy procedures.

Hormonal preparations

In the event that the treatment of NSAIDs is not enough, and the disease continues to progress, the doctor may prescribe injections of hormonal drugs. They refer to the means of "heavy artillery" and help to quickly eliminate pain, relieve inflammation and swelling of surrounding tissues.

Frequently used hormonal drugs:

Hydrocortisone;
Diprospan;
Kenalog;
Celeston;
Flosteron.

In view of the large number of side effects, hormonal drugs are prescribed in short courses, only in the acute period of the disease, when an inflammatory fluid accumulates in the joint cavity. The drug is injected into the articular cleft no more than once in 10 days.

Chondroprotectors

Are the only medications that directly affect the cause of arthrosis of the joints. Especially in the early stages and especially those that contain chondroitin and glucosamine sulfate.

Chondroprotectors include:

Don;
Chondrosamine;
Arkoxia;
Alflutop;
Teraflex;
Structum;

The effect of these drugs is based on the restoration of normal production of synovial fluid and damaged cartilaginous tissue.

Hyaluronic acid

Sufficiently effective in the initial stages of arthrosis of the knee joint. It is administered intra-articularly.

The procedure is not cheap. Helps reduce galling of the cartilage surfaces of the joint. The main thing is that the medicine does not penetrate the bloodstream, there is a risk of embolic complications.

Ointments

There is a large list of ointments and gels aimed at getting rid of pain and reducing the inflammatory process.

This list includes ointments for arthrosis of the knee joint:

Fastum gel;
Heparin ointment;
Ferbedone;
Arthroactive;
Dolobien;
Traxivasin;
Diclofenac;
The Dolgit.

The list of ointments for the knee joints is quite large and is not limited to those listed, and the composition of the medicines included in the ointment is similar to each other.

Folk remedies for the treatment of arthrosis

How to treat arthrosis of the knee at home? Medicamental therapy is able to supplement some recipes of traditional medicine.

Treatment with dandelion flowers. Every day you need to eat 5 dandelion flowers washed with boiled water. You can make infusion. For these purposes, take 5 bottles of dark glass and fill half the flowers, and fill the remaining space with triple cologne. Insist in a dark place for 1 month and rub your knees before going to sleep. Even for the treatment you need to dry the leaves, which are then filled with boiling water. Every day 1 tbsp. This mixture must be chewed for as long as necessary to commit 3 thousand. steps. Such treatment with folk remedies is quite effective.
LappingIs a remedy that must be rubbed into the knee joint area with arthrosis. It's quite simple to do it. To do this, take the yolk of a chicken egg and mix with a small spoon of turpentine. There is a large spoon of apple cider vinegar. All is mixed and applied at night. Before bed, this medicine rubs on the knee, wrapped in a woolen scarf, which is removed only in the morning. Opening the scarf, you will need to thoroughly wash the place of rubbing the product. In order to treat arthrosis with this prescription, you need to regularly use it for several weeks. Although, the first results will already be visible on the 3rd day of using the tool.
Burdock. According to the folk prescription it is necessary to take 2-3 young leaves of burdock and attach to the diseased knee, wrapped in bandage. To achieve the effect, the knee should be warmed with a warm kerchief and leave a compress for the night. The procedure should be repeated every day throughout the week. This will remove the tumor and reduce pain. To enhance the effect, it is recommended to pre-lubricate the knee with oil saber. In this case, the burdock must always be applied to the knee with the back side, and over it a polyethylene bandage and warming with a woolen shawl.
With arthrosis is effectivecelandine juice.The fabric impregnated with it is superimposed on the diseased joint. After 50 minutes. With vegetable oil, the joint is lubricated. Duration of treatment - a week. Break - 10 days, and repeat everything.
Two tablespoonsthe dried root of harpagofituyou need to fall asleep in a thermos, pour 1 liter of boiling water and insist for at least 2 hours. To successfully treat arthrosis, you should drink 3-4 glasses of the drug in a warm day.

Many patients with arthrosis of the knee joint notice significant improvement in the condition and reduction of painful and unpleasant sensations after the application of folk medicine intended for external or external use.

Video exercises for arthrosis of the knee joint

A positive result is not possible without a course of medical gymnastics that can be performed at home. It strengthens muscles, improves blood circulation in the joint. To get the desired effect, you need to forget about the intense tension of the joint.

You can lie on your back and, lifting your foot, hold it in its straightened state in the balance. Or lift one leg from the same position lying on his back 10 to 15 times.

The main rule in the treatment of gymnastics - slow and measured movements without any jerks.

Approximate diet

Proper nutrition is an important component of successful treatment for arthrosis of the knee joint.

Sample menu:

Breakfast: oatmeal in water without oil and sugar, fruit juice, boiled egg.
The second breakfast: a glass of low-fat natural yogurt.
Lunch: meat or fish, steamed, stewed vegetables, tea without sugar.
Afternoon snack: cottage cheese casserole with nuts, a glass of fruit juice.
Dinner: vegetable salad, apple, tea without sugar.
Second dinner: a glass of fat-free yogurt.

Eat more often while eating small portions. This will speed up the metabolism, which will lead to weight loss. Between meals, when snacks occur, snacks are allowed. Fruits can be used for them, except for grapes and bananas, whole wheat loaves.