Knee joint arthropathy (osteoarthritis) is a complex degenerative dystrophic disease. During its development, a process that affects the osteochondral tissue of the knee joint occurs.
Pathological changes in joint tissue have a negative impact on the musculoskeletal potential of the lower limbs. The progression of knee joint disease leads to inconvenience, loss of stability, and a significant decrease in movement and shock absorption capabilities.
What should I do to maintain my physical mobility for many years? What should I do if my physical activity indicators and quality of life have declined due to knee joint disease? Let us try to understand this difficult question.
The development characteristics of knee osteoarthritis
Knee joint disease-This is a common pathology and belongs to the category of the most common diseases that have extremely negative effects on the quality of human life.
The most obvious manifestation of the degenerative malnutrition process is the physical dysfunction of the legs, accompanied by severe pain syndrome. According to the progress of the pathological process, further predict the course of the disease.
One of the disappointing predictions is paralysis of the lower limbs. The severity of the consequences of the pathological process requires qualified medical care.
What causes knee joint disease?
In order to determine the cause of knee joint arthropathy, a lot of research is needed. The long-term examination of patients and the in-depth study of pathological clinical manifestations led experts to conclude that the influence of many negative factors is the root cause of joint tissue destruction, leading to severe pain and inflammation.
Among the main reasons leading to the process of degenerative malnutrition, it is worth emphasizing:
- Injuries-A bruise, dislocation or fracture of the knee automatically classifies a person as a high-risk group and may lead to the development of the disease. Joint damage means that it is fixed, and long-term immobility is the direct way to develop arthropathy;
- Intense physical activity-intense pressure on the knee (especially in the elderly) can cause microtrauma, which can also lead to the development of negative pathological processes;
- The ligament organs are not strong enough-abnormal joint movement can also negatively affect their condition, which is mainly manifested in old age;
- Overweight-Being overweight can cause irreparable damage to the knee joint, because the possibility of meniscus injury is very high in this case. If the heavy weight is accompanied by varicose veins, then the joints of the lower limbs are likely to have severe arthropathy;
- Metabolic disorders-The failure of the metabolism of nutrients and elements in the body will cause the development of various diseases, which is due to the insufficient supply of various tissues, especially bones and cartilage;
- Increased stress levels-Worries and experiences not only negatively affect people's emotions, but also negatively affect physical health.
Typical symptoms of knee arthropathy
The symptoms of the disease allow you to track the occurrence and development of the pathological process in time, so that every patient has a chance to recover.
Before deciding who to seek help and how to treat knee joint arthropathy, it is important to understand the symptoms of the disease.
Only competent experts in this area can confirm the existence and confirm the diagnosis by treating knee joint disease. However, every patient should know the main symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, which are customarily distinguished:
- Pain-The discomfort that gradually develops into a painful sensation does not appear immediately. Their insignificant performance on the knee can bother a person for many years, but at some point they may become stronger and will not stop in a calm state;
- Tightening-the "click" during flexion/extension of the joint is a wake-up call, which is already manifested in the second and third stages of the disease;
- Synovitis-inflammation of the joint membranes in which fluid accumulates, causing local swelling;
- Deformation is a characteristic manifested in the final stage of the disease, accompanied by obvious inflammation and swelling.
Diagnosis of Knee Joint Arthropathy
The diagnosis and treatment of knee joint arthropathy is performed by an orthopedist or rheumatologist. If you want to perform a diagnostic test, every patient can turn to a therapist, who will refer you to a narrow specialist or buy a ticket for one of them.
The main diagnostic tool for experts is of course X-ray equipment. By taking photos, you can not only track the existence of pathology, but also the extent of its development.
It is important to note that X-rays eliminate the possibility of other diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
X-ray examinations provide experts with the following opportunities:
- Track the narrowing of joint space;
- Detect seals in joint tissues.
The combination of clinical symptoms and information obtained from the images provides a high-quality diagnosis and diagnosis, which defines the further treatment of knee osteoarthritis.
Degree of knee osteoarthritis
Modern medicine divides knee joint disease into several grades according to the nature of the pathological process.
First of all, it is worth noting that based on observations, the disease may have different properties:
- Unilateral (right-handed/left-handed);
- bilateral.
In addition, the pathological process has three stages of development, and each stage has its own clinical manifestations.
1st degree knee arthropathy
In the initial stage of pathology development, its successful diagnosis is an incredible success not only for the patient but also for the attending physician.
At this stage, the development of arthropathy is characterized by the absence of clinical signs and vivid symptoms. The identification of the disease can be performed during a clinical examination or during the study of another disease.
Evidence of 1st degree knee arthropathy can be:
- Local discomfort in the knee area when walking for a long time;
- Mild pain, which disappears when resting.
It is important to note that one or two joints of the lower limbs can feel pain.
Interestingly, left-handed knee joint disease is usually diagnosed in left-handed people, while right-handed knee joint disease is a typical manifestation of people related to various sports.
Knee joint 2 degrees
The symptoms of pathological secondary development are accompanied by the expansion of physical signs and usually include:
- Obvious pain syndrome;
- Stiff knee joints and severe discomfort;
- Muscle atrophy near the knee joint, which is caused by tissue damage;
- Increased pain;
- Visually obvious joint deformation;
- Liquidity restrictions.
The expansion of symptomology simplifies the diagnosis process. It is easy to track the change characteristics of knee joint 2nd degree arthropathy during palpation. During the clinical examination, experts can easily find abnormal lumps in the knee area.
Knee joint 3 degrees
It is almost impossible to not pay attention to the third degree pathology, because the patient is facing constant pain. In addition, the progression of the disease reaches a critical level, manifested as the strongest deformity of the joints, in which the limbs completely lose the ability to bend/extend.
The lack of proper treatment can lead to the complete destruction of cartilage, leading to the development of joint ankylosis (articular bone fusion).
The only solution to the final extent of the disease is expensive surgical intervention, including removal of cartilage remnants or joint replacement.
How to treat knee joint arthropathy?
The level of modern medicine is high enough to ensure the successful treatment of various diseases. Knee joint disease is no exception.
Today, there are a large number of treatments for knee joint arthropathy.
In the initial stages of pathological development, conservative treatment methods are mainly used. Conservative treatment includes:
- Physiotherapy procedures;
- Physiotherapy exercises (exercise therapy);
- Visit various massages.
In addition, actively use progressive methods to treat knee osteoarthritis. Among the modern effective methods for dealing with dangerous pathologies, there are for example:
- Ozone therapy-the local effect of ozone on the affected joint tissues. Help reduce pain and prevent inflammation. Improve blood circulation in problem areas;
- Exercise therapy is a set of exercises for knee joint arthropathy, aimed at increasing its mobility and increasing blood flow.
Use physical therapy to treat knee joint disease
Physical therapy is one of the most popular treatments for knee osteoarthritis.
Under a certain number of conditions, physical influence methods have the most positive impact on various types of pathological localization areas.
Physical therapy includes the following procedures:
- Electrophoresis
- Ultrasound
- Laser/infrared irradiation;
- Pulse magnetic therapy.
The effectiveness of the procedure varies from person to person and depends on the quality of the patient's main treatment plan.
Massage treatment of knee osteoarthritis
Massage is a useful supplement to the treatment of knee joint disease.
Most experts around the world believe that massage is an essential part of the treatment of symptoms of knee joint arthropathy. It has a beneficial effect on the metabolic process and helps speed up recovery.
Knee massage can be performed at home or in the hospital. The main thing during the massage is the initial high-quality heating of the joints and adhere to the best duration of the process (10-15 minutes).
Massage treatment of knee osteoarthritis should include techniques such as touching, rubbing and kneading.
Gymnastics and exercise therapy for knee joint disease
Knee joint arthropathy exercise is an effective way to eliminate the symptoms of discomfort and cure the disease.
The process of treating knee joint disease is a rather complicated and long process, and physical therapy exercises are an excellent assistant to achieve the desired results.
The type of exercise therapy and the exercise of knee joint disease are selected by experts according to the degree of disease development and the general health of the patient, according to individual conditions.
The main principle of knee joint arthritis gymnastics sounds like: it does not increase the pressure on the affected joints, only rational and calm movements.
Drugs for treating knee osteoarthritis
The medical treatment of knee joint disease is used to relieve symptoms such as pain and swelling, and to activate the regeneration process.
The preparations used for the treatment of knee joint arthritis can have different release forms (ointment/gel, tablet or injection, plaster).
important! Any medication must be prescribed by a specialist as part of an existing treatment plan designed for the symptoms of knee joint disease.
Self-medication is unacceptable and can lead to extremely negative consequences, especially-lower limb paralysis and disability.
Knee Arthritis Pain Relief
They are used to eliminate the symptoms of knee arthropathy.
Painkillers play an important role in the treatment of knee joint arthropathy, because their use can improve the patient's health and give him the opportunity to have a good night's rest.
Pain relief is achieved through the action of active substances.
AntispasmodicKnee osteoarthritis
Designated as active assistance. A key area of activity is fighting spasms.
The active substances that make up the preparation help relax the muscular framework and relieve pain.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Treating knee joint arthropathy with such drugs can not only eliminate pain, but also slow down and completely eliminate the progress of the pathological process.
Taking the medicine regularly allows you to observe a constant concentration of active ingredients, which guarantees a positive effect.
Cartilage protector for knee joint arthropathy
The main helper of drugs in the treatment of knee joint arthritis is chondroprotective agents.
The active role of chondroprotective agents in knee joint arthropathy is to restore exercise capacity, because the trace elements contained in the composition are an integral part of the process of building cartilage tissue.
The particularity of the principle of action of the drug assumes a rather long but at the same time effective process of getting rid of knee osteoarthritis.
Diet and general nutritional advice for knee joint disease
For overweight patients, a diet for knee joint disease is necessary. A low-calorie diet and rich nutrition will ensure weight loss and accelerate the recovery of affected joints.
The nutrition of knee joint disease must first be balanced. The daily diet should include a diet rich in beneficial vitamins and trace elements, these vitamins and trace elements are necessary for the regeneration of joint tissues and the maintenance of body balance.
It is recommended not only to quit bad habits (alcoholism and smoking), but also to quit the following dishes:
- Store semi-finished products;
- Greasy, spicy and salty foods;
- Sweet carbonated drinks.
In order to adjust the diet conveniently and appropriately, it is recommended to record a diet diary when treating knee joint disease, which helps to standardize and promote the process of adjusting daily life style.
Prevent knee osteoarthritis
The entire range of preventive measures can be divided into two groups:
- basic-Designed to reduce the risk of pathology;
- Minor-Designed to reduce the development speed of existing diseases.
The main ones are:
- Pay more attention to lower limb joints;
- Exercise to strengthen the muscles around the joints;
- Maintain optimal weight;
- swimming.
Secondary prevention includes:
- Systemic treatment process using chondroprotective agents;
- When signs of arthritis appear, seek qualified medical help in time.
Remember that early detection of the disease can significantly increase the likelihood of a complete cure.
If you have the mildest symptoms of knee arthropathy, don't neglect to see a doctor.