Our joints are very healthy. The ends of the bones fit together exactly and are covered with cartilage from above for better gliding. The joint itself is protected by the joint capsule, and ligaments and muscles strengthen it in front, behind and on the sides. Inside the joint capsule is a special fluid that allows smooth movement without jerks, crackles and crackles. This is how healthy joints work. And what happens to them with osteoarthritis?
How and why osteoarthritis occurs: obesity, trauma, arthritis
To begin with, how is osteoarthritis different from arthritis? Arthritis is inflammation of the joints and can be treated and treated until healing is complete. With osteoarthritis, the cartilages of the articular surfaces of the bones deform, thin, lose elasticity, become covered with cracks and overlap, the amount of synovial fluid decreases. And these changes are already, unfortunately, irreversible. Therefore, this disease is called degenerative, that is, destructive. The destruction of the joint is affected by age - over time the cartilage wears down, but at the heart of everything is our upright posture, due to which a great load is placed on the knee joints.
Gonarthrosis is arthritis of the knee joint. This type of osteoarthritis is more common in women and is aggravated by obesity and venous disease. Many older people suffer from osteoarthritis, which is caused by age-related changes in the joint. At a young age, osteoarthritis can occur with joint injuries during sports or with high physical exertion. In addition, the development of osteoarthritis is influenced by weak ligaments and muscles in the knee area, a sedentary lifestyle, arthritis, stress and metabolic disorders, and in everyday life - shoeshigh heels and weights (eg, Shopping Bags). The defeat of the joints is bilateral, but it can also develop on one leg.
Manifestations of osteoarthritis: pain, cracking, stiffness
Knee pain, cracking, stiffness when flexing and extending the joint, especially when a person stands up and sits - all signs of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. However, the pain does not come suddenly. At the onset of the disease, it is rather discomfort in the knee, which turns into pain during intense efforts, running and exercise. If the pain is acute, it may be associated with dislocation, sprains, damage to the menisci (elastic cartilage pads in the joint).
With osteoarthritis of the 2nd degree, knee pain becomes a frequent companion, it is especially noticeable after long walks, lifting weights. If you leave the joint at rest, the pain goes away, but returns again when the load is resumed. Another symptom of osteoarthritis is swelling in the knee joint. In addition, there is an excessive accumulation of joint fluid (synovitis), a characteristic tightening during movement, in which pain occurs, and then limited mobility of the knee. The patient is unable to easily bend and unfold the leg. Trying to straighten it completely causes severe pain.
When osteoarthritis reaches the third degree, the knee joint sometimes completely loses its mobility. People walk on their legs slightly bent at the knees, suffer from aching aches that often occur when the weather changes, and can torment when resting, including at night. Patients should resort to pain relievers. At this point, it is also possible to change the shape of the legs - they bend either outward (legs with a wheel) or inward. It is not uncommon for people to rub their sore knees, intuitively trying to improve blood flow to them.
Osteoarthritis treatment: weight loss, movement is life
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is made by radiographic examination. Typical changes are narrowing of the joint space, the appearance of osteophytes (salt deposits), destruction of bones. Many patients see the doctor at the stage where it becomes problematic to fall asleep at night without anesthesia. Despite the fact that the changes in the joints are irreversible, there are some things you can do to improve the patient's life. Treatment for osteoarthritis begins with weight loss. In addition, it will be necessary to rely on a rational diet and not too high in calories, because the possibility of physical activity is limited. This is the first thing any doctor will say to a patient with osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
The second aspect of osteoarthritis treatment is, oddly enough, movement. When the changes in the joints are not yet fatal, not at the last stage, only the movements - but the movements are correct! - can extend their lifespan. There are no blood vessels in the cartilage, nutrition takes place by diffusion, and for the exchange to take place, for cells to renew themselves and for cartilage to live, movement is necessary.
But which movements should be considered correct? Of course, those who do not load the knee joint. Let's not torment the reader - the best sport for osteoarthritis is swimming. It is an excellent training of ligaments, cartilage, muscles without vertical load, which is given by walking and standing. We must avoid running, playing sports, jumping. Yes, joint pain and above all will not allow you to speed up.
The second method of movement is suitable for those who visit the gym or have purchased a home simulator called an ellipsoid. It looks like a bicycle in a standing position and at the same time cross-country skiing. When we work on this simulator we avoid shock loads on the knee joints and at the same time we train the muscles and ligaments. The ellipsoid moves smoothly, but gives a not weak aerobic load. Therefore, by training on it, we also solve the problem of excess weight.
Knee joint medical and surgical treatment
As for the medical aspect of the treatment of osteoarthritis, it is the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs against pain. Your doctor will help you choose a dose that will get rid of both the pain and inflammation (and it will still be there) and the swelling. Sometimes pain relievers are added, as the pain can be very intense - they interfere with sleep, interfere with eating, and usually interfere with life. In some cases, this is like prescribing antidepressants.
If, despite best efforts, the described treatment of osteoarthritis does not help, and the destruction of the joint continues, resulting in complete immobility (and, as you know, the less we move, the more the fatty layer isdevelops rapidly), there is a radical remedy - surgical replacement of the diseased joint on the prosthesis. It consists of an imitation of the end of the femur (upper) and the menisci, which adapt to the surface of the tibia (lower). The operation is not simple, but well established and, one might say, routine. There are a lot of them in the world. After the surgery, a rehabilitation program has been developed that allows a person not only to start moving, but also to return to a full-fledged active lifestyle.