When walking or running, our knee joints are subjected to constant stress and strain, which often causes pain. The most common topic for referral to healthcare professionals is knee pain. The standard diagnosis after a physical examination is the initial stage of osteoarthritis of the knee. How to determine the cause of pain and what should we do to eliminate it?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to answer these questions, which affect almost everyone. Knee problems are so diverse and there are so many reasons for them that one should not jump to conclusions.
Today we will talk about the most common of these causes, the consequence of which is such a pathology as the initial stage of osteoarthritis. In addition, we will explain its symptoms, as well as methods of prevention and treatment.
The main cause of osteoarthritis of the knee joint
There is another medical term for such a joint lesion without an inflammatory process - it is gonarthrosis. It is gonarthrosis that can subsequently lead to deformation and destruction of the cartilage of the joints, which leads to a pain syndrome and limits its mobility.
The cause of osteoarthritis of the knee or gonarthrosis can be divided into 2 stages:
- initially, ie one that arose as a result of existing joint pathology;
- secondary, ie one that has arisen as a result of acquired injuries or infections.
Let's stop at stage 1. This form of initial pathology is quite common and can appear from a very early age. It is not caused by the natural formation of the superficial tissue of the joints or the ligament apparatus of a person. It is quite natural that when walking the degenerative joint is disproportionately loaded, this causes pain and devastating consequences.
Stage 2 includes all injuries and mechanical effects of varying severity of damage to health. These can be bruises, fractures, sprains and sprains of the knee joint. The consequences of the operation are possible, which invariably leads to the destruction of the integrity of the knee. High level of sports activities, excessive obesity, inconsistent with the proportions of the body - all these are factors that provoke the initial stages of osteoarthritis of the knee.
By the way, being overweight not only provokes the disease, but also creates an unfavorable background, which contributes to the formation of excessive pressure in the knees on the articular cartilage and completely disrupts the metabolism.
At the same time, fluid accumulates in the joint cavities of the knee, leading to additional complications that also progress to the stage of osteoarthritis. Here we add all previous leg surgeries or diseases accompanied by prolonged spasms of blood vessels or leg muscles - deformity is inevitable!
Usually unilateral gonarthrosis develops due to traumatic effects on the knees or hips. If this is the effect of being overweight, it is bilateral.
The main signs of osteoarthritis of the knee joint
This process does not happen immediately. Usually for a long time, initially a person experiences a slight discomfort in the knee joint and only after years these sensations develop into severe pain. People over the age of 40 who are overweight and have additional weights in the form of varicose veins are prone to the initial stage of osteoarthritis of the knee much earlier.
Let's look at the traditional sequence of stages of this disease:
- Long or initial. There is often a period of one to several years. From time to time there are not too sharp pains in moments of stress on the knees.
- Second or critical stage. There is already a noticeable characteristic crunchy accompaniment of any sudden movement of the knee joint. The volume of his motor activity decreases and an increase in the knee is visually determined, which shows its deformation and the possible accumulation of fluid in the joint cavity.
- The last stage of osteoarthritis of the knee joint, respectively, will be characterized by an acute painful condition of the knee joint even at rest. At this time, the stage of osteoarthritis becomes chronic, a person reacts painfully to any meteorological phenomena and his gait acquires a specific "duck" move, "stirring". In this case, the patient's legs are bent at this stage.
In the case of osteoarthritis of the knee due to injury, all these stages listed above begin to pass even faster.
Prevention and treatment of early stage osteoarthritis of the knee
It should be borne in mind that absolutely all therapeutic measures will depend entirely on the degree of knee damage. At the same time, the effectiveness of treatment can be achieved only if it eliminates the cause of osteoarthritis. If this process is at an early stage of formation, then a complete cure is possible! With a chronically advanced process, it is initially possible to achieve only a more or less prolonged resting phase of the diseased organ.
In order to restore deformed cartilage, strengthen ligaments and increase motor activity in the joint, it is necessary to undergo complex therapy. This includes not only medication, but also hand massage, physiotherapy procedures and, if absolutely necessary, surgery.
The choice of drugs should in no case be independent, as self-medication for such a complex disease is fraught with serious consequences. The main focus of drug treatment is to eliminate pain, localize the inflammatory process and neutralize the stage of osteoarthritis. For this purpose, special preparations may be prescribed for introduction into the cavity of the knee joint. The appointment of hormonal drugs is not excluded.
For active blood circulation in the affected area are used means to relieve vascular spasms and muscle relaxation. In addition, preparations are prescribed to replenish vitamins and restore cartilage tissue.
The set of preventive measures and for the treatment of the initial stage of osteoarthritis of the knee should include a relaxing hand massage. With its help, the volume of movement is increased, spasm is eliminated and the blood circulation is increased, the position of the joints and bones, including the hip bones, is corrected.
If the initial stage has long since become irreversible damage to the knee joint, then in this case a radical correction of the deformed organ is performed, namely implantation (prosthesis). Today there is and is actively used only 1 way to replace a broken joint - to install a metal endoprosthesis. Such implantation is by no means permanent and its cost is so high that it is not necessary to talk about the mass application of this method.
Important!If you do decide to go to the operating table, keep in mind that knee replacement and rehabilitation are interrelated. You will need to work hard to recover to a good level.
The treatment of the initial stage of osteoarthritis also includes a complex of rehabilitation therapy, which includes absolutely the whole spectrum of balneotherapy - from physiotherapy and physiotherapeutic exercises to kinesitherapy. The concept of kinesiotherapy includes specially designed exercises using loads of varying severity and medical simulators.
If necessary, it is recommended to reduce the pressure on the knee with canes, crutches or orthoses - the so-called knee pads, which soften the load while moving. A large number of simple and complex recipes of traditional medicine are used successfully in the treatment of each stage of osteoarthritis.
These can be various compresses and ointments based on natural ingredients from animal hair and medical bile to herbal preparations. In particular, prescribing prescriptions from traditional medicine is quite effective, as it is aimed at eliminating the symptoms of knee disease and to eliminate painful sensations.
Additional prevention methods
First of all, this is a complete and well-balanced diet. The diet, in addition to protein and carbohydrates, should include the optimal content of vitamins and trace elements. At the same time, it is strongly recommended that you avoid bad habits and try to get your weight back to normal.
The general dietary guidelines for preventing osteoarthritis are as follows:
- avoid red meat;
- refusal of foods high in fat; the use of jelly meat and similar dishes containing cartilage and gelatin as part of their recipe;
- increase the consumption of pure spring water to 2, 5 liters or more;
- complete rejection of alcoholic beverages and regular intake of vitamins A, D and B.
It is strongly recommended to inspect your wardrobe to exclude uncomfortable shoes, such as one-sided worn or high heels. Be careful of your postures to avoid crossing or intertwining your legs in a sitting position. Protect your joints from prolonged cooling and also from hypothermia. Avoid stressful situations and don't get nervous about trifles.
Try to lead a healthy lifestyle in which the body will be in good shape. In addition, such physical activity is extremely important, which would correspond to the condition of the knees and hips. For this reason, self-control and extra caution are needed when exercising before lifting weights or performing certain exercises intensively.
The most important preventive condition after establishing the initial stage of the disease is to prevent its further development, because if the process starts, it can lead to damage. In the case of timely detection of osteoarthritis and preventive measures to prevent it, the likelihood of complete cure is high.
Be sure to consult your doctor before treating diseases. This will help to take into account individual tolerability, to confirm the diagnosis, to make sure that the treatment is correct and to exclude negative drug interactions. If you use prescriptions without consulting a doctor, it is entirely at your own risk. All information is provided for informational purposes only and is not medical assistance.