Diseases of the musculoskeletal system lead to significantly limited human mobility. In order not to bring complications, need to conduct timely treatment. Osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common type of joint injury and the most common cause of disability. But with a timely doctor visit, you can get rid of the disease.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Osteoarthritis is the unofficial name for this disease. In medicine, it is called osteoarthritis. This word is made up of two ancient Greek words - bones and joints. Other synonyms:
- deformed osteoarthritis or DOA in abbreviated form (the first word in the name reflects the main clinical symptom - deformity of the joint);
- gonarthrosis (from a combination of the ancient Greek words "knee" and "joint").
It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as arthritis, although traditionally this term refers to a connective tissue disease that has nothing to do with joint disease.
The essence of joint disease is that the cartilage tissue lining the surface of the joint is damaged, so inflammation begins to occur, bone and joint activity is interrupted and pain occurs. Unfortunately, this is a very common pathology, diagnosed mainly in the elderly (especially overweight) and in young athletes due to trauma.
For effective treatment, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination of patients with osteoarthritis, especially to determine the causes of problems with the musculoskeletal system. Usually, the following factors lead to disease:
CAUSE AND SYMPTOMS
For effective treatment, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination of patients with osteoarthritis, especially to determine the causes of problems with the musculoskeletal system. Usually, the following factors lead to disease:
broken leg- ;
- dislocation, cartilage injury, inflammation;
- metabolic impairment;
- endocrine diseases;
- weak ligament apparatus;
- genetic predisposition;
- autoimmune and infectious diseases that damage joint tissue.
Late visit to a doctor causes constant pain in the knee area and complete loss of joint mobility.To prevent this, you need to sign up for a consultation with a therapist if you find your knees clumping when walking and you feel severe pain when going down or climbing stairs. If treatment is not started at this stage, the situation will get worse - the pain will be gone, movement is restricted and the knee will be deformed.
The more you don't see a doctor, the more difficult, time-consuming and expensive treatment of gonarthrosis is.
STAGE OF THE DISEASE
Arthritis is diagnosed by a doctor. He not only identifies the disease, but also determines its extent. There are three of them:
- First. It is possible to cure the disease at an early stage, because at this time the tissue has not had morphological disorders, the muscle weakens but has not changed, the joint begins to bear less load due to dysfunction of the synovial membrane and biochemical composition. of the cartilage and khum culture chamber fluid. Overuse leads to inflammation and pain.
- Second. At this stage, the cartilage and cartilage begin to collapse, the load on them leads to pathological development on bone tissue, narrowing of joint space. Because of this, the knee increases in size and looks deformed. Treating a grade 2 knee fibroid is inherently more difficult than in the early stages. Pain and inflammation become chronic.
- Tuesday. This degree has been considered serious. At the same time, the deformation of the bone is clearly manifested, the axis of the limb is altered, so the mechanical load is not correctly distributed. The ligaments of the joint are shortened, natural movements are restricted because of this, and the leg can then become completely motionless. Treatment of degenerative knee joint 3 without surgery is impossible, because the disease is in a severe stage.
If the pain seems to be tolerable for a long time, people think they only have arthritis in the early stages and postpone their visit. But this opinion is not correct. Each day, the load on the main elements of the joint, which has already begun to collapse, increases, and pathological changes can lead to complete destruction of the joint and severe dysfunction of the extremities.
CURRENT CLINICAL
The progression of the disease is accompanied by characteristic symptoms. The pain appeared in the middle of the night, even when the leg was motionless. Feeling tense in the morning.
It becomes difficult to walk over a certain distance, then when it starts to move. In severe cases, a person cannot normally walk 100 meters, and when standing and sitting both become painful. You have to move with the help of special equipment.
Slightly lame at an early stage which then becomes noticeable. Therefore, walking, taking public transport, performing specialized tasks, everyday functions and even self-service can become completely impossible.
TREATMENT METHOD
Folk recipes, compresses and ointments will not help cure the disease, as the approach must be comprehensive.Usually reversible only in a hospital, where a doctor will treat arthritis of the knee.What kind of recommendations should be made to the patient, he decides on the basis of the indicated complaints and the associated pathologies. The following points are usually required:
- reduces the load on the joints;
- is orthopedic compliant;
- physical therapy (exercise therapy);
- is doing physical therapy.
All of this helps slow the progression of joint disease and prevent loss of motor function. It should be understood that the methods used will depend largely on the availability of the hospital and the availability of one or other physiotherapy device. Ideally, the patient has the opportunity to visit a therapeutic spa or to an orthopedic clinic, which will be provided with a modern approach to medication selection, diet, methodology, etc. v.
USING MEDICINE
The inflammatory and painful sensations make the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee impossible without the use of the drug in the form of tablets, creams, ointments and injections. In the first stage, you can use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Diclofenac, Indomethacin, Nimesulide, . . . In the second and third stage, you usually have to fight inflammation with steroid drugs - Triamcinolone, Hydrocortisone. These hormones are used during acute pain periods.
In addition, you will need intramuscular and intraocular injections of drugs that improve the condition of the cartilage tissue (vasodilators and protective chondroprotectors).
PHYSICAL THERAPY METHODS
Significant improvements can be made with the physiotherapy. The following techniques are considered to be the most effective:
- Shock wave therapy. This method has been working well for the past 20 years. Its essence lies in impacting the damaged area with a special apparatus that emits radial sound waves that activate blood supply and stimulate tissue repair.
- Muscle stimulation. This therapy targets the muscles around the joint. The weak pulse current increases leg mobility, reduces pain and increases endurance during exertion.
- Electrophoresis. This technique harmoniously combines ultrasound therapy and the use of products in the form of ointments, gels and creams. Normally, such dosage forms are only 5-7% absorbed, but high frequency ultrasonic waves will heat up the tissues, and absorption is increased many times. In addition to a good therapeutic effect, this saves the consumption of expensive drugs.
- Ozone therapy. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect can be achieved by acting on the joint with active oxygen. This is a good supplement, and in some cases an alternative to taking hormonal medications.
MEDICAL EXERCISE
Pain when exertion on the joint leads to the person trying to avoid it. In the long run, this threatens to inactivity, leading to muscle atrophy and weak ligaments. Of course, during the exacerbation phase it is necessary to completely remove the load to the joint, but only after a few days of the inflammation and pain go away, physical therapy should begin.
It is believed that precise and consistent therapeutic motor exercises can help patients without surgical intervention. Currently, experienced specialists have developed many special daily exercise methods that help strengthen muscles, increase endurance and endurance, inhibit the destruction of pathological tissue, restore mobility. movement of the joint and range of motion.
The most important thing about this type of treatment is regularity.Only patients who understand the need for lifestyle changes and strictly adhere to their physician's recommendations on the rate of physical activity and rest time for joints can have a good effect.
PASSIVE KINESITERAPY
Lymph drainage, massage, and manual therapy are a good complement to medication, physical therapy, and exercise therapy. They are indispensable for sedentary patients and can improve the condition of muscles, joints and ligaments.
Another method of passive kinetic therapy is mechanical therapy. It uses special devices - vibration simulators, weight materials, mechanical massagers, to help improve treatment efficiency.
Expansion of joints, in which the space of their cavities mechanically increases, allowing you to get rid of pain and stop destructive processes. Regular use of this therapy will prolong the health of your knees for many years.
COMPLIANCE WITH THE DRINK MODE
Since obesity is often the cause of arthritis, such diagnosed patients need to lose weight. Losing weight will reduce stress on the joints and facilitate exercise therapy. Sometimes the diet is inadequate, followed by surgery to remove the cyst, but such cases are very rare.
Another sign of adherence to a certain diet could be any joint disease related pathology. If there is no obesity or other illnesses, with changes in eating habits, there is no need for a special diet. However, you can help strengthen the affected cartilage tissue by including foods rich in collagen, including jelly and meats, fish oils, berries and fruits. It's better to limit unhealthy foods like sugar, carbonated drinks and alcohol.
SURGICAL INTERVENTION
In advanced cases, the quick solution to problems with the musculoskeletal system is to perform operations. With joint disease, the following types of surgical interventions are prescribed:
Puncture- allows you to remove the fluid that has accumulated in the joint cavity. As a result, inflammation is reduced, so the mobility of the knee joint is restored.
- Arthroscopy helps to clean the joint surface from damaged tissue fragments. It is carried out using thin flexible instruments using a video camera, thus avoiding dissection of the joint cavity.
- Periostomy allows you to change the angle of one of the bones that make up the knee joint, thereby redistributing the load, increasing mobility and reducing pain. This intervention is quite painful, because the bone must be saw.
- Endogenous drug that allows the replacement of a diseased joint with a biocompatible structure. At the same time, the previous motor range is restored, but the operation is quite new and very complex, after which a long-term rehabilitation is required.
Surgery is rarely required in the early stages. Second, it is only occasionally needed, but the third cannot do without it.
PATIENT ASSESSMENT
Which treatment should be used in each case is up to the doctor. The specialist will select the best method, and the patient's task is to strictly adhere to the orthopedic doctor's recommendations. This is the only way to get a good result quickly. This is confirmed by patients who have already been diagnosed with gonarthrosis disease.