Healing the knee joint is not a quick process and it is not always possible to get rid of the pain immediately. Most often they occur due to destruction and deformation of cartilage tissue, but there may be other reasons. It is impossible to delay therapy, as joint diseases develop rapidly and can lead to serious consequences and even disability.
Causes of knee pain
The knee is an organ in which the knee cap is aligned with two bones. The calyx, located in front of the knee, is connected by the tendons of the quadriceps muscle, which continue with ligaments. The bones are covered with cartilage, and between them are lunar cartilage - menisci. Also, the knee has several synovial fluid sacs that act as a lubricant for the knee.
This whole complex mechanism is designed to bend, stretch and absorb shocks while moving. Any disturbance in his work leads to discomfort and pain. How to treat the knees should be determined by a traumatologist after diagnosis.
The causes of pain can be very diverse, from fatigue and overexertion to serious illness, and are divided as follows:
- Knee injuries - all mechanical injuries can be attributed to such causes. Bruises, ruptures of ligaments, bleeding in the joint cavity with intra-articular fractures, injuries and tears of the menisci, dislocation of the patella. Such causes are usually characterized by acute localized pain, severe swelling, bruising and difficulty or inability to move the joint.
- Inflammatory and degenerative joint diseases are the most common cause of knee pain in the elderly. Arthritis, osteoarthritis, chondropathy, bursitis, Schlatter's disease and other diseases. They are characterized by increasing pain or simply discomfort during movement, clicks during flexion / extension of the knee, unusual flexibility of the joint and chronic instability of the knee.
- Various systemic infectious and viral diseases also lead to inflammation and pain. These include osteoporosis, bone tuberculosis, syphilis, osteomyelitis and many more. Such pains can be of different nature, depending on the inflammation of the body's damage from viruses and infections.
- Diseases in which the pain radiates to the knees. Damage to the sciatic nerve, osteoarthritis of the hip joints, fibromyalgia. Such pains are a side effect, which is why they are periodically painful or shooting in nature. Treatment of the knee joint in such cases will not bring relief.
Diagnosing and finding the cause of the pain will determine how to treat the knee joint. If symptoms of unknown origin occur, it is better not to self-medicate.
Knee treatment
Treatment of knee pain can be conservative or surgical. Surgical methods are an operation to remove the cause of pain. Conservative therapy is a set of techniques aimed at eliminating the symptoms and pathologies. So how to treat knee pain?
Surgical methods
Such methods can be prescribed for severe injuries and inflammatory and degenerative diseases. Acute joint pain may indicate severe injuries or complete cartilage wear. Therefore, several types of operations are used.
Arthroscopy
Such an operation can be performed both for the diagnosis and treatment of severe joint injuries. Arthroscopes are inserted into the knee through microincisions, one is equipped with a camera and shows a "picture" on the screen, the other is designed for manipulations inside the joint, mainly for treatment.
Such an operation significantly reduces the postoperative and rehabilitation period, in addition, leaves virtually no scars. With the help of an arthroscope, torn ligaments and menisci are operated on. It is sometimes used to treat osteoarthritis, but its effectiveness in this case is still in question.
Osteotomy
The most radical methodIn such an operation the knee joint is opened completely, the patella is removed using incisions, which allows manipulation directly into the cavity. This method is also called open. Usually braces are placed on the bones, which significantly help to reduce the load on the joints.
A major disadvantage of such an operation is the long period of rehabilitation. The patient will be able to walk after 1-2 months and lead an active lifestyle only after one year. But such an operation usually guarantees a long remission.
You should know that osteotomy is used in case of severe damage or deformation of the connective tissue, when it is necessary to partially remove the diseased element.
Endoprosthesis
It is performed when all other methods of treatment are exhausted, and the joint continues to collapse and completely ceases to perform its functions. After complete removal of the affected element by osteotomy, an implant is placed in the knee. It can be transplanted by a donor or replaced with an artificial prosthesis. They are made of plastic, ceramic or metal alloys.
In this way the disease completely disappears and the patient achieves permanent remission. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the prosthesis can be rejected and other side effects are possible. Israel remains a leader in endoprosthesis.
For reference! In most cases, knee pain is treated in more gentle ways. And such therapy is very effective and most importantly, it allows you to maintain an active lifestyle during the rehabilitation period.
Conservative treatments
Such methods are a set of techniques aimed at regeneration, healing and rehabilitation of joints. Includes drug treatment, physiotherapy and gymnastics, physiotherapy. In some cases it may involve folk methods. At the first signs of knee pain, it is worth choosing a knee orthosis or brace, which will slow down the destruction of tissue before the start of basic treatment and reduce the symptoms of the disease.
Medication treatment
What is the first thing you should do with knee pain? Of course, use painkillers and analgesics. Such agents may be in various pharmacological forms. Ointments and tablets are recommended for dull and painful pain. For sharp and shooting it is better to resort to injections, which will immediately relieve pain.
Non-steroidal drugs may be prescribed after diagnosis. In injuries, severe osteoarthritis and other degenerative diseases, the knee often swells. That's what these drugs are for. They improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
The last stage of drug treatment will be the intake of chondroprotectors. They are prescribed for absolutely all damages and changes in the cartilage tissue. This is the basis of conservative treatment.
Fact! Chondroprotectors, like bricks, restore cartilage. They have the ability to regenerate them and restore elasticity.
But it is worth preparing for the fact that treatment with chondroprotectors will be very long. The course lasts from three months to one year. The pharmacological form may be in the form of tablets, ointments and injections. By the way, such substances can also be found in food, so for knee pain doctors recommend eating jelly, meat broths, avocados and jellies.
In some cases, intramuscular injections of hyaluronic acid may be prescribed. It is this substance that is part of the synovial fluid that fills the joint cavity. It will help regenerate connective tissue and recovery will happen much faster.
Exercise and gymnastics
This is the most important stage both after surgical treatment and after medical treatment. Physical therapy should also be performed to prevent pain. It should be performed under the supervision of a rehabilitation specialist in a special center or sanatorium for the proper implementation of a set of exercises. It usually takes 2-3 months.
With its help, the knee joint gradually returns to active life, increasing the range of motion. Swimming will be the most important element. It will not only allow the joint to move smoothly, but will also improve blood circulation and metabolism, which has a positive effect on tissue repair.
Physiotherapy
Such procedures are aimed at safe recovery and treatment. These methods achieve the best result with the least load. These include the following methods:
- ultrasound therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- infrared therapy;
- various warm-ups.
How else can you heal your legs if your knee hurts a lot? A good physiotherapeutic procedure is massage, which strengthens blood circulation and speeds up the recovery process. Massage relieves pain well and also has a general strengthening effect.
Topical preparations can be used without a prescription, such treatment is acceptable when the knees hurt. But most likely this will only eliminate the symptoms, and the cause will remain and sooner or later it will cause discomfort again.
Folk methods of treatment
How to treat knee pain with folk methods, probably every patient who has ever encountered this disease knows:
- The first way will be to warm up the joint. This can be done with the help of special compresses of vodka and honey at home.
- You can visit a bath or sauna, which has a good effect on the whole body as a whole.
- A very modern method of heating will be a warming battery orthosis. It is comfortable, convenient and does not require much effort. One session can relieve the pain in just 20-30 minutes.
- Mud and seaweed wraps also have a good effect on the joints. They are able to restore the elasticity of cartilage in a short period of time, improve blood circulation, which contributes to better tissue nutrition.
It is important to remember that in the case of severe injuries and in the last stages of the disease, alternative methods will be ineffective. Therefore, any treatment at home should be discussed with your doctor.
Patient feedback on treatment methods
It is impossible to answer the question of how to treat the knee joint without determining the cause, because as soon as symptomatic treatment in this case can turn the disease at an early stage into a chronic one. An integrated approach is always needed and patient feedback confirms this.
- Woman, 55 years old: "My knee hurts for a long time. I could not understand the cause, then I went to the doctor and it turned out that I have osteoarthritis. I was prescribed chondroprotectors, which allowed me to forget about the pain. With the help of exercise therapy. "
- Male, 35: "He received a severe knee injury - rupture of the meniscus. The doctor ordered arthroscopy, after a short rehabilitation he returned to the big sport. "
- Male, 48 years old: "Unfortunately, osteoarthritis completely destroyed my joint, for a long time I did not pay attention to the pain. I had an endoprosthesis and a ceramic joint. I went back to active life and even started running in the morning. "
- Boy, 20 years old: "I had a pinch of the sciatic nerve, it was causing dull pain in my knee. I couldn't understand the cause and I applied non-steroidal ointments to the joint. Then I went to the doctor and realized that this pain was secondary and my knees were healthy. "