Knee pain is a common complaint to doctors.What causes pain and how can you help yourself if it happens?There is no exact answer, because knee joints can suffer from different types of lesions caused by many reasons.One of these reasons (and a very common one) is incipient arthrosis.Today we will give you detailed information about arthrosis of the knee joint: what are its causes, types, symptoms and signs, we will talk about treatment and prevention methods.
Types and causes of the disease
Arthrosis of the knee joint or gonarthrosis is a mostly non-inflammatory lesion that over time leads to the destruction of the articular cartilage, deformation of the knee and limited range of motion.There are two main forms of the disease:
- primary – occurs due to a congenital defect of the joint;
- secondary - occurs as a result of other diseases or injuries.
The primary form begins to develop during childhood or adolescence and is caused by improper formation of the articular surfaces or ligaments.During walking, such a joint is subjected to a load disproportionate to its capabilities, which causes degenerative changes in it.
The development of a secondary form of pathology can lead to:
- Injuries: fractures of the leg bones, bruises and sprains of the knee, accompanied by damage to the bony and cartilaginous parts of the joint and its ligaments.In this case, post-traumatic arthrosis of the knee joint develops.
- Operations to remove the meniscus, because it causes disruption of the integral structure of the knee and its rapid wear.
- A disproportionately high load on the legs, which athletes are often exposed to.
- Excessive obesity also provokes osteoarthritis, because it causes excessive pressure on the articular cartilage of the knee from the body weight.
- Arthritis is inflammation of the joints.Long-term arthritis is accompanied by the formation of fluid in the joint cavity, and over time it can be complicated by arthrosis.
- Metabolic disorders that lead to the deposition of salts in joint spaces.
- Long-term other factors and diseases accompanied by spasm of leg muscles or blood vessels.
- Deferred transactions.
The pathological process can be unilateral or bilateral.Unilateral arthrosis due to injury (for example, right knee) is more likely to develop, and bilateral arthrosis without obesity.
Characteristic symptoms
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint develops gradually, sometimes months and years before the initial period, when there are no obvious symptoms (for example, severe pain and visible deformation), but from time to time there is a feeling of discomfort in the knees.
Most often, overweight women over 40 years of age are affected, especially those who suffer from varicose veins as an aggravating factor.
The development of gonarthrosis goes through several stages:
- The initial stage can last for months, and sometimes years.A person experiences periodic knee pain, especially when taking the first steps after getting out of bed in the morning, as well as going up and down stairs.
- In the second stage, the pain intensifies and occurs with any movement accompanied by a characteristic crunching sound.Fluid may accumulate in the joint space and initial deformity may be observed during examination.Range of motion in the affected knee begins to decrease.
- The third stage is characterized by pain that does not go away even with rest.Anxiety often increases before the weather changes.By this time, the joints have significantly lost their function: the legs can barely bend at the knees or cannot be fully extended.Gait changes: "walking" or half bent legs.Deformation of the knees is severe: the legs bend and become O- or X-shaped.
Symptoms of post-traumatic arthrosis of the knee joint develop faster.As a result of the injury, there is pain and swelling in the knee area.Such pain constantly accompanies a person and intensifies after physical activity.Gradually, it is accompanied by a feeling of tightness and stiffness in the knee.Sometimes with this form of the disease, only a few months pass from the initial symptoms to irreversible changes.
Treatment of gonarthrosis
The extent of treatment depends on the stage of the disease and the severity of the lesion.But since the disease is chronic, the only thing that can be achieved is a long-term remission (a resting phase when the manifestations of the pathology are minimal or absent).At the same time, if it is possible to eliminate the cause of arthrosis of the knee joint in the early stages (for example, by reducing body weight), almost complete recovery is possible.
Goals of gonarthrosis treatment:
- relieve pain
- restore damaged cartilage and ligaments if possible,
- increase the range of motion in the joint.
Treatment methods:
- drug treatment,
- massage and manual therapy,
- surgical intervention,
- rehabilitation therapy (physical therapy, physiotherapy and other methods).
Only a doctor can choose the right drugs;under no circumstances set them for yourself.Their main activities are focused on:
- Eliminating the symptoms of arthrosis of the knee joint: eliminating pain and inflammation.For this purpose, appropriate drugs are prescribed, including hormones are injected into the joint cavity.
- Improving blood supply to the affected area.It is provided by agents that relieve vascular spasms and relax muscles.
- Cartilage tissue regeneration.For this purpose, drugs that nourish and restore cartilage are prescribed.
Manual manipulation and massage reduce pain, relax spastic muscles near the affected knee, help increase range of motion, correct bone alignment, and increase blood circulation.
In the case of advanced, irreversible damage, knee arthrosis is treated by a radical method - prosthesis, that is, by implanting a metal prosthesis in place of the destroyed joint.This is still the only method that gives a chance for complete recovery, but endoprostheses have a limited service life, after which they must be replaced.Since the cost of such operations is very high, this method of treatment is not yet widespread.
Rehabilitation therapy includes physiotherapy, kinesiotherapy (exercises using special loads and machines), physiotherapy and sanatorium-spa treatment.
Orthopedic methods are aimed at relieving the painful knee - these are walking sticks, orthoses, etc. (used when necessary).
There are many folk recipes for various ointments and compresses based on natural woolen herbs, medical bile and warming bandages.Basically, the effect of such methods is aimed at relieving pain and eliminating the main symptoms.
Preventive measures
Prevention of knee arthrosis involves many factors:
- Balanced diet: the diet should contain a sufficient amount of protein, vitamins and trace elements.
- Fighting unhealthy lifestyle and getting rid of bad habits.
- Weight normalization.
- Adequate physical activity.
- Prevention of injuries during sports and heavy lifting.
When determining a pathology such as knee arthrosis, the most important thing is not to allow the disease to progress, because its advanced stages cause disability.But if you focus all your efforts on timely treatment and prevention - without wasting time and when the symptoms are insignificant - there is a chance to get rid of the disease completely.