Arthrosis of the knee joint: symptoms

The main cause of acute pain in the knees in patients over 50 is gonarthrosis (deforming arthritis of the knee joint).The disease is characterized by rapid progression and can lead to disability and incapacity for work. Therefore, timely detection of symptoms of arthrosis of the knee joint and treatment of the disease, including at home, are the main tasks of examining patients at risk of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

What is osteoarthritis of the knee

The knee joint is one of the most mobile joints in the human skeleton, prone to injury and other mechanical damage. It connects the tibia and the femur, as well as the larger sesamoid bone, located in the tendons of the quadriceps femoris (patella or patella). The surfaces of the joint are covered with cartilage tissue - a dense, elastic substance that surrounds chondrocytes (oval-shaped cells formed from chondroblasts) and creates a protective shell around them, and also acts as a shock absorber.

The composition of cartilage contains collagen - a fibrillar protein, which is the main element of connective fibers and provides the strength and elasticity of cartilage - and glucosamine. Glucosamine is a substance produced by cartilage. Glucosamine is part of synovial fluid - a yellowish elastic mass that fills the joint cavity and acts as a lubricant. If the synthesis of glucosamine and proteoglycans is impaired, the amount of synovial fluid decreases, which leads to the exposure of parts of the joint and the appearance of severe pain. Therefore, the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint of the 1st degree always includes the use of chondroprotective drugs.

What happens in joints with osteoarthritis:

1. the cartilage becomes soft and loose, and deep ulcerations appear on its surface;
2. the synovial membrane thickens;
3. the composition of synovial fluid changes, its secretion decreases;
4. there is a sprain of the ligaments and joint capsule;
5. the joint cavity is filled with exudate - an inflammatory fluid released from blood vessels during a period of acute inflammation.

In the absence of timely and adequate treatment, arthrosis leads to complete deformation and destruction of the knee joint, while the patient may experience both unnatural mobility and complete immobility of the joint. To stop the process of destruction of the articular and cartilaginous surface in case of diagnosed arthrosis of the knee, the doctor may suggest arthroplasty - a surgical operation to replace the damaged joint with an artificial prosthesis of the appropriate size.

The cost of a primary knee replacement surgery varies by region and can range from $255 to $1, 465.

If there are indications, the operation can be performed according to the quota of the CHI program.

Classification and etiological factors

Arthrosis of the knee joint can be primary and secondary. Primary arthrosis is diagnosed in cases where it is impossible to accurately determine the cause of the pathology. If the deformation of the cartilage was preceded by other diseases and pathologies, knee injuries, arthrosis is considered secondary, that is, developing against the background of a primary disease.

The main causes of secondary osteoarthritis of the knee joints include:

• various dysplasias and other pathologies in which abnormal development and formation of tissues occur;
• neurodystrophic diseases of the lumbar or cervical spine;
• inflammation of the knee joint (arthritis);
• injuries and microtraumas of the joint;
• surgical removal of a damaged meniscus or part of it (meniscectomy);
• diseases of the endocrine system and hormonal disorders, in which the rate of metabolic reactions slows down, the metabolism in the bone tissue is disturbed.

Primary arthrosis of the knee joint often develops in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle or, conversely, regularly experience increased physical activity on the knee joint. Overweight patients, people over 50 years old, residents of unfavorable environmental zones, patients with various types of addictions to toxic substances (smokers, drug addicts, alcoholics) are also at an increased risk of developing gonarthrosis.

Regular hypothermia can contribute to inflammation and deformation of the knee joint, so people with a tendency to diseases of the musculoskeletal system are advised to observe the temperature regime and abandon associated activitiesprolonged exposure to low temperatures (working outdoors, in refrigerators and freezers, etc. ). d. ).

Women over 45 years old who are interested in the treatment of arthrosis of the knee should know that a provoking factor in the development of pathology can be the reduction in the synthesis of estrogens, which can occur after menopause and withsome gynecological diseases: endometrial hyperplasia, uterine myoma, fibroadenoma, endometriosis. A negative factor is also various diets that limit the consumption of foods rich in minerals, vitamins and other elements necessary for joint health.

Signs and symptoms

In order for the prognosis in later life to be as favorable as possible, it is important not only to know how to treat arthrosis of the knee, but also what symptoms the disease manifests. This is necessary for quick access to a specialist and early detection of possible deformities and other injuries of the knee joint. At the initial stage, the pathology has rather meager symptoms, therefore it is possible to identify arthrosis of the knee of the 1st degree only after carrying out hardware and instrumental diagnostics.

Early symptoms of the disease include:

1. morning stiffness in the knee;
2. pain when walking when walking a distance of more than 1-1. 5 km;
3. pain in the knees when sitting for a long time (more than 2 hours in a row);
4. pain in the knee joint after prolonged standing;
5. pain in the knees that occurs at the end of the day or in the first half of a night's sleep.

If the patient does not receive the necessary treatment at this stage, the disease will progress. In order to choose the right drug for arthrosis of the knee joint, it is necessary to undergo a series of diagnostic examinations (MRI, computed tomography, x-ray, etc. ) and determine the degree of deformation, fluid levelsynovial in the joint cavity, the density of cartilage tissue and synovial membrane. Symptoms of knee osteoarthritis 2 and 3 degrees are presented in the table below.

Differential diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee joint 2 and 3 degrees:

diagnostic sign	Knee osteoarthritis 2 degrees	Knee osteoarthritis 3 degrees
Pain at rest at night	May appear when changing body position or getting out of bed.	Occurs without any movement.
Ability to use public transport (excluding low-floor buses)	The patient experiences pain when climbing stairs, but with certain restrictions can use public transport without assistance.	The patient cannot board the bus or tram alone due to the limited mobility of the knee joint.
Lameness	Slightly voiced.	The lameness is strongly pronounced, additional supports (canes) are needed for movement.
Stiffness in the knee after waking up	Lasts less than 10-15 minutes.	Lasts about 20-30 minutes or more.
Pain when walking	Occur after passing 800-1000 m.	They begin at the beginning of the movement and intensify after crossing a distance of less than 500 m.
Self-service capability	Usually backed up.	The patient cannot perform a number of actions without outside help.

Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint at home

Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint can be carried out with the help of:

• medical methods;
• physiotherapy exercises;
• massage.

The use of traditional medicine recipes is possible only after consultation with the attending physician and should not replace the main treatment prescribed by a specialist.

The choice of drugs and methods of treatment depends not only on the age of the patient and his chronic diseases, but also on the stage of arthrosis and the degree of deformation of the cartilage and articular surface.

1 degree osteoarthritis

This is the mildest form of arthrosis, which in most cases can be cured with minor drug correction and additional measures: massage, exercise therapy, physiotherapy. The most effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis at any stage is laser therapy. This is the main method of physiotherapy, which gives quite good results at the initial stage of arthrosis.

It helps to achieve the following effect:

1. the degree of inflammation in the joint cavity decreases;
2. pain intensity decreases;
3. the process of tissue regeneration is stimulated;
4. the need to use glucocorticosteroids and other drugs with serious side effects disappears.

As an alternative to laser therapy, the doctor can offer pulsed magnetic therapy, acupuncture, electromyostimulation and electrophoresis.

All of these methods are quite effective in the treatment of arthrosis.with a degree of deformation not exceeding 20-25%, but the effectiveness of the treatment will be higher if combined with physiotherapy exercises and massage.

Orthopedists and surgeons note the positive effect of using water exercises aimed at building muscle strength in the legs.

Patients with arthrosis of the knees of 1-2 degrees can be offered sanatorium treatment (during a period of stable remission), including mud therapy, warming up in a sauna, therapeutic baths. Overweight patients are prescribed a special diet, since obesity is one of the main factors in the development of osteoarthritis of the knees.

Osteoarthritis 2 degrees

Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint of the 2nd degree includes physiotherapy and massage (outside the acute period), special nutrition, physiotherapy exercises and medication. It is very important to reduce the load on the damaged joint: limit walking, avoid movements that require bending of the knee. With rapidly progressive arthrosis, the use of special orthoses is indicated - orthopedic devices designed to fix the diseased joint and limit its mobility.

The drug treatment regimen may include the following drugs:

• chondroprotectors;
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid;
• glucocorticosteroid hormone injections.

The diet of patients with knee osteoarthritis should contain a sufficient amount of foods rich in collagen.

This:

• products with gelling additives (jelly, jelly, jelly, aspic);
• products with the addition of pectin;
• fish fat.

Almost all fruits and berries contain essential amino acids and minerals to keep joints healthy and mobile, but these foods should be eatenlimited in diabetic patients.

Osteoarthritis 3 degrees

The treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint of the 3rd degree does not differ from the therapy used for arthrosis of the 2nd degree.

With its inefficiency and severe limitation of movement, the patient is prescribed surgical treatment with further prostheses of the damaged joint.

Folk methods

Before learning how to treat knee joints at home with alternative medicine recipes, you need to consult a doctor. The use of the methods listed below is permissible only for arthrosis of the 1st degree and at the initial stage of arthrosis of the 2nd degree.

Infusion of nettle and lemon

This infusion should be taken orally 20 to 30 minutes before meals. A single dose is 50-80 ml.

To prepare the infusion, you must:

1. Mix 100 g of dried or fresh nettle leaves with three peeled heads of garlic;
2. pass the mixture through a meat grinder;
3. add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice;
4. mix everything together, add 250 ml of boiling water and cover;
5. insist for 4 hours.

The duration of treatment in this way is at least 60 days. During the first week, the infusion should be taken 1 time per day, in the next 7-10 days - 2 times per day. From the third week of treatment, the number of doses should be increased to 3 times a day.

Honey ointment for the joints

This ointment helps relieve inflammation and reduce pain. The first result is noticeable after a week of daily use, but to get a stable result, you need to apply it for 30-45 days.

To prepare the ointment, you need:

• melt 2 tablespoons of butter;
• mix the oil with two spoonfuls of honey and one spoonful of 6% apple cider vinegar;
• Place the mixture in the fridge to set.

Apply such an ointment to your knees 2-3 times a day (the last time - before going to bed).

Dandelion bath

For such a bath, tincture of dandelion roots is used. To prepare it, you need to mix 120 g of crushed dandelion roots with 150 ml of vodka and insist in a dark place for a day. Before taking a bath, the contents of the container should be poured with water and stirred. It is recommended to take such a bath 1-2 times a week. After the procedure, the pain in the knees decreases and the mobility of the joints is gradually restored. The effectiveness of the treatment will be higher if you add 150 g of sea salt enriched with iodine and bromine to the water.

Comments

1. "Only hyaluronic acid injections helped me with osteoarthritis. A very good medicine with minimal side effects and high efficiency. Now I hardly feel any pain in my knees, whereas beforeI couldn't even go down the stairs without help.
2. "It seems to me that osteoarthritis of the knees is such a disease that nothing can cure it. You may ease the pain a little, but it will still come back. During exacerbations, I am treated with ficus and Jerusalem artichoke. It helps no worse than pills, only there is no harm to the heart and liver.
3. "I was also diagnosed with 2nd degree knee joint osteoarthritis. The reason for this was probably excess weight (at that time I weighed more than 130 kg). For treatment, a salt-free diet, chondroprotectors, anti-inflammatory ointments and hormonal injections were prescribed. I did everything according to the instructions - arthrosis was completely gone.

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Arthrosis of the knee joint is a severe pathology of the musculoskeletal system, prone to rapid progression. The treatment regimen should be selected by the attending physician after a comprehensive diagnosis and identification of the degree of degenerative, dystrophic processes and deformation of the cartilage and articular surface. The prognosis of treatment depends on compliance with medical prescriptions and the timely search for medical help.