Do you feel sharp pain in the knee joint when moving? Are the same signs noticeable if you bend or bend your leg? Doctors diagnose a disease like osteoarthritis. At the same time, it is impossible to delay treatment of the disease.
Take note of the fact that the sooner you start taking effective action, the faster you will deal with the disease, and the outcome of the disease will not be so dramatic. It is impossible to start the disease itself, because it wears out the articular cartilage.
Knee osteoarthritis is also called gonarthrosis. In terms of the frequency of the disease, it occupies a leading position. Statistics show that there are more patients with this diagnosis in clinics than people with other serious diseases. As for the treatment, it takes an impressive amount of time. An integrated approach and drug use are important here.
The disease is characterized by calcification in soft tissues and ligaments, as well as in places where tendons are fixed. Salt deposits are limited. The process is characterized by an imbalance in the optimal blood circulation in the bony vessels, which causes changes in the cartilage tissues.
Causes
Pathological microtrauma occurring on cartilage. The main causes of the disease include excessive mechanical load on the cartilage surface.
In other words, osteoarthritis of the knee develops rapidly in those who are exposed to frequent physical exertion and excessive strain on the joints. Osteoarthritis can develop in those who often squat. The size of the load increases rapidly if the person is overweight.
The main causes of osteoarthritis of the knee should be highlighted:
- Chronic errors. Dysplasia affects the formation of chronic cartilage microtrauma. This factor leads to an imbalance in the proper loading of the joints. Keep in mind that the risk of developing a terrible disease increases in people with damage to the musculoskeletal system.
- Obesity. This factor is the main reason for the development of arthrosis. It has been clinically proven that overweight people are more likely to get sick. So every 6 kg. weight increases the chance of developing osteoarthritis by 45%.
- Genetic predisposition. It has been proven that arthrosis of the interphalangeal joints occurs much more often in women than in men. This indicator is explained by autosomal dominant inheritance.
- Inflammation. The fact is that infectious and chronic arthritis cause arthrosis. The appearance of immunoglobulins indicates the role of similar factors in the development of arthrosis.
- Neurogenic disorders. Violations cause a decrease in muscle tone located near the joint. Thus, the load on the joints only increases.
Symptoms of knee osteoarthritis
The main symptoms of osteoarthritis include sharp pains observed in the knee joint. They appear during exertion and then disappear again, provided the patient is at rest.
In nodular arthrosis, dense formations approximately the size of a pea appear. In addition, seals in the form of cysts, viscous fluids, can appear near the nail bed.
If the knee joints are affected during the development of the disease, the pain increases with prolonged walking or climbing stairs. The main symptom of osteoarthritis is crunching during movement. In hip arthrosis, pathologies related to the development of the hip joint are observed.
Signs of illness:
- knee pain that doesn't go away for a long time
- If you have an X-ray, osteophytes have been found.
- when taking the analysis for synovial fluid, it is confirmed that the composition is really characteristic of the disease.
- The disease is characterized by the fact that the joint space is narrowed.
- joint stiffness in the morning
- soft tissue changes, osteoporosis and cartilage calcification.
Optional signs: these are subluxations or dislocations, as well as various erosions and cysts. In total, osteoarthritis of the knee joint is divided into three stages of development, which we will discuss below.
1 degree
Recognizing first degree is quite problematic. It is an interesting fact that a person also moves as usual for her, however, sometimes the disease can manifest itself in the form of pain and stiffness.
But such signs are often attributed to a change of weather or an awkward position. And even if you go through an X-ray through the study, the imperfection may not be noticed immediately. Here you will need qualified help as well as palpation and a thorough examination to help detect an uneven surface in the area of the affected joint.
People with disabilities turn to traditional medicine as their first aid. And this is a competent approach to solving the problem, because in the initial phase, the disease is difficult to treat.
2nd degree
In case, after you have noticed the first signs of the disease, you have not taken action, it passes to the second. In this case, the arthrosis is chronic and the cartilage begins to deteriorate rapidly.
These signs are especially noticeable with increased physical exertion. However, it makes no sense to give preference to traditional medicine. However, it can be used as an effective adjunct to conventional treatments.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint and its symptoms are beginning to manifest more and more: unreasonable fatigue appears, and the joints of the legs begin to "hurt", and after a while it comes to the abdomen. If left untreated, the disease leads to joint deformity.
3rd degree
It also happens that, noticing obvious changes, the patient still does not take action, while the mechanisms working against him begin to actively move. Meanwhile, inaction causes irreparable consequences.
It is also worth noting that severe joint pain occurs. This factor does not depend on whether you are in action or at rest. There are also cases when the joints do not allow a person to move.
Treatment of knee osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis therapy is a very long process and will primarily depend on the stage of the disease.
Basically, the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee is based on the following stages:
- Anesthetize the affected joint. As a rule, the doctor prescribes painkillers - analgesics.
- Inflammation should be removed. In case inflammation is indicated in the affected area, as well as swelling, such a defect should be removed immediately. In this case, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed.
- Cartilage tissue regeneration. This is considered to be the most important factor in treatment. In case it cannot be reconstructed, then it is necessary to stop the degenerative flow. You should not expect immediate action of medications, but they must be taken based on individual characteristics.
If the joint is affected in the absence of symptoms, then in this case the patient will be prescribed effective ointments with a warming effect. Their main purpose is to increase blood circulation in the affected area.
Includes heating fats that have no side effects. The treatment is accompanied by a pleasant feeling of warmth.
Prevention of osteoarthritis of the knee joint
It is divided into secondary and primary.
The first focuses on weight control and injury prevention. The likelihood of developing osteoarthritis can be reduced by wearing appropriate footwear and regularly performing exercises that strengthen muscles and support joints.
Secondary prevention involves eating healthy foods, and red meat and foods of animal origin are best replaced with lean fish and poultry. Try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and preventively - capsules that contain fish oil. Drink at least 8-9 glasses of water.
Focus on minerals and vitamins that promote optimal bone function. Antioxidants that actively fight free radicals that destroy cartilage have also been recognized as your allies. Osteoarthritis is a disease that is not tolerated by amateurs, so you should seek the help of an experienced doctor.