While walking or running, our knee joints experience constant stress and tension, which often causes pain. The most common topic of reference for healthcare professionals is knee pain. The standard diagnosis after physical examination is the initial stage of arthrosis of the knee joint. How to determine the cause of pain and what to do to get rid of it?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to answer these questions of concern clearly to almost everyone. Knee joint problems vary greatly, and the reasons for this are so numerous that one does not have to rush to a conclusion.
Today we will discuss the most common causes, the consequences of which are pathologies such as the early stages of arthrosis. In addition, we will describe the symptoms, as well as methods of prevention and treatment.
The leading cause of knee joint arthrosis
There is another medical term for such a joint lesion without an inflammatory process - this is gonarthrosis. This is gonarthrosis which can then lead to deformity and destruction of the cartilage of the joint, causing pain syndrome and limiting its movement.
Causes of arthrosis of the knee joint, or gonarthrosis, can be divided into 2 stages:
- early, i. e. , arising from existing joint pathology;
- secondary, which is caused by injury or infection.
Let's stop at stage 1. This early form of pathology is quite common and can manifest itself from an early age. It is caused not by the natural formation of the surface of a person's joint tissue or ligament apparatus. It is natural that when walking, degenerative joints are loaded unbalanced, this causes pain and destructive consequences.
Level 2 covers all injuries and mechanical effects of various levels of damage to health. These can be bruises, fractures, sprains and dislocations in the knee joint. Consequences of surgery may occur, which always leads to the destruction of the integrity of the knee. High sports load, excessive obesity, mismatches - all of these are factors that provoke the early stages of knee arthrosis.
By the way, being overweight not only provokes the disease, but also creates a bad background that contributes to the formation of excessive pressure on the knee on the articular cartilage and completely disrupts metabolism.
At the same time, fluid accumulates in the articular cavity of the knee, leading to additional complications, which also turn into a degree of arthrosis. We add here any previous surgery on the foot or disease accompanied by prolonged blood vessel or leg spasm - deformation is inevitable!
Usually, unilateral gonarthrosis develops due to traumatic effects on the knee or hip joints. If this is the effect of being overweight, then it is bilateral.
The main signs of arthrosis of the knee joint
This process does not happen immediately. Usually, for a long time, at first, a person feels a little discomfort in the knee joint area, and only after many years this sensation develops into severe pain. People over the age of 40, who are overweight and have extra load in the form of varicose veins, are prone to early stages of knee joint arthrosis.
Let's look at the early stages of the disease:
- Long or early. A period of one to several years is normal. From time to time, pain is not too sharp observed at the moment of pressure on the knee.
- Second or critical level. Here there is already a special feature of the sharp knee movement. The volume of its motor activity decreases and the increase in the knee is visually determined, which indicates its deformation and the possible accumulation of fluid in the articular cavity.
- The last stage of arthrosis of the knee joint, therefore, will be characterized by severe knee pain in the knee joint even at rest. During this time, the degree of arthrosis becomes chronic, a person responds painfully to any weather phenomenon, and his gait acquires a certain "duck", "wandering" movement. In this case, the patient's legs at this stage are bent.
If the arthrosis of the knee joint is caused by an injury, all the stages listed above begin to pass faster.
Prevention and treatment of early stages of knee arthrosis
Keep in mind that all therapeutic measures depend entirely on the degree of knee damage. At the same time, the effectiveness of treatment can be achieved only if the cause of arthrosis is eliminated. If this process is in the early stages of formation, then complete healing is possible! With chronically more advanced processes, it is initially possible to achieve a longer or longer lasting phase of diseased organs.
To restore defective cartilage, strengthen ligaments and increase motor activity in the joints, it is necessary to undergo complex therapy. This includes not only medications, but also manual massage, physiotherapy procedures and, if absolutely necessary, surgery.
The choice of medicines cannot be done independently, as the medicines themselves for this so complex disease are fraught with serious consequences. The main focus of drug treatment is to relieve pain, localize the inflammatory process and neutralize the degree of arthrosis. For this purpose, special preparations can be prescribed for inclusion in the knee joint cavity. The appointment of hormone medications is no exception.
For active blood circulation in the affected area, the tool is used to relieve vascular spasm and relax muscles. In addition, preparations are prescribed for vitamin supplementation and cartilage tissue recovery.
Complex preventive measures and for the treatment of early stages of knee arthrosis must include a relaxing manual massage. With its help, increased range of motion, elimination of cramps and increased blood circulation are achieved, joint and bone position is corrected, including hip bone.
If the initial stage has long developed into irreversible damage to the knee joint, then in this case, radical correction of the defective organ is performed, that is, implantation (prosthetic). Today there is and is actively used only 1 way to replace the destroyed joint - to install a metal endoprosthesis. Such implants are not durable, and the price is so high that there is no need to talk about the use of this method on a large scale.
Important!If you are still deciding to go to the operating room, keep in mind that knee replacement and recovery are interrelated. You have to work hard to recover to a good level.
Early treatment of arthrosis also covers a complex of rehabilitation therapies, covering the entire spectrum of spa treatments - from physiotherapy and physiotherapy training to kinesitherapy. The concept of kinesiototherapy includes specially designed exercises using various levels of severity and medical simulators.
If necessary, it is recommended to reduce pressure on the knee with a crutch, crutch or orthosis - the so-called knee protector that softens the load during movement. A large number of simple and complex traditional medical recipes have been successfully used in the treatment of arthrosis of any stage.
Various compresses and ointments based on natural ingredients from animal hair and medical bile to herbal preparations. For the most part, traditional medicine recipes are quite effective, as they aim to relieve the symptoms of knee joint disease and relieve painful sensations.
Additional prevention methods
First of all, it is a complete and balanced diet. Diet, in addition to proteins and carbohydrates, should include optimal vitamin and micro element content. At the same time, it is highly recommended to avoid bad habits and try to return your weight back to normal.
The general nutrition guidelines for preventing arthrosis are as follows:
- avoid red meat;
- rejection of foods with high fat content;
- the use of jelly meats and similar dishes containing cartilage and agar-agar as part of their recipes;
- increased use of pure spring water to 2. 5 liters or more;
- complete rejection of alcoholic beverages and regular intake of vitamins A, D and B.
It is best to go to your wardrobe to exclude uncomfortable shoes from it, for example, one-sided wear or high heels. Observe your body posture to avoid crossing your legs or wrapping your legs in a sitting position. Protect your joints from prolonged cooling and, more importantly, from hypothermia. Avoid stressful situations and do not panic.
Try to lead a healthy lifestyle where the body will be in good condition. In addition, such physical activity is very important, which corresponds to the condition of the knee and hip joints. For this reason self-control and caution are required when playing sports, before lifting weights or doing intensive training on certain exercises.
The most important preventative condition after ensuring the early stages of the disease is to prevent its further development, because if the process is started, it can cause disability. If timely detection of arthrosis and preventive measures to prevent it, the likelihood of complete healing is high.
Make sure you see a doctor before treating the disease. This will help to take into account individual tolerance, confirm the diagnosis, ensure proper treatment and exclude negative drug interactions. If you use a prescription without consulting a doctor, then that is your own risk. All information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a medical aid.