When walking or running, our knee joints undergo constant stress and strain, which often causes pain. The most common topic of referral to healthcare professionals is knee pain. The standard diagnosis after a physical examination is the initial stage of arthrosis of the knee joint. How to determine the cause of pain and what should be done to eliminate it?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely unambiguously answer these questions of concern to almost everyone. Problems of the knee joint are so varied, and the reasons for their occurrence are so many that one should not rush to jump to conclusions.
Today we will talk about the most common of these reasons, the consequence of which is such a pathology as the initial stage of arthrosis. In addition to this, we will explain its symptoms, as well as prevention and treatment methods.
The main cause of arthrosis of the knee joint
There is another medical term for such a joint lesion without an inflammatory process - this is gonarthrosis. It is gonarthrosis that can subsequently lead to deformation and destruction of the cartilage of the joints, which entails a pain syndrome and limits its mobility.
The cause of arthrosis of the knee joint, or gonarthrosis, can be divided into 2 stages:
- initial, that is, one that arose as a result of an existing joint pathology;
- secondary, that is, 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 manifest itself from a very early age. It is caused not by the natural formation of the surface tissue of the joints or the ligamentous apparatus of a person. It is quite natural that when walking, the degenerative joint is disproportionately loaded, this causes pain and destructive consequences.
Stage 2 includes all injuries and mechanical effects of varying severity of damage to health. These can be bruises, fractures, sprains and dislocations of the knee joint. The consequences of surgery are possible, which invariably leads to the destruction of the integrity of the knee. A high degree of sports loads, excessive obesity not corresponding to the proportions of the body - all these are factors that provoke the initial stages of arthrosis of the knee.
By the way, excessive weight not only provokes the disease, but also creates an unfavorable background that contributes to the formation of excessive pressure in the knees on the articular cartilage and completely disrupts metabolism.
At the same time, fluid accumulates in the articular cavities of the knee, which leads to additional complications, which also turn into the stage of arthrosis. We add here any previous operations on the legs or diseases accompanied by prolonged spasms of blood vessels or leg muscles - deformation is inevitable!
Usually, unilateral gonarthrosis develops due to traumatic effects on the knees or the hip joint. If this is the effect of excess weight, then it is bilateral.
The main signs of arthrosis of the knee joint
This process does not happen instantly. Usually, for a long time, at first, a person feels slight discomfort in the area of the knee joint, and only after years these sensations develop into severe pain. People over 40 years old, suffering from overweight and having additional burdens in the form of varicose veins, are prone to the initial stage of arthrosis of the knee joint much earlier.
Let's look at the traditional sequence of stages of this disease:
- Long or initial. A period of one to several years is common. From time to time, not too sharp pains are observed at moments of stress on the knees.
- Second or critical stage. Here there is already a noticeable characteristic crunching accompaniment of any sharp movement of the knee joint. The volume of his motor activity decreases and an increase in the knee is visually determined, which indicates its deformation and the possible accumulation of fluid in the articular cavity.
- The last stage of arthrosis of the knee joint, accordingly, will be characterized by an acute painful condition of the knee joint even at rest. By this time, the stage of arthrosis becomes chronic, a person reacts painfully to any weather phenomena, and his gait acquires a specific "duck" move, "waddling". In this case, the legs of the patient in this stage are bent.
In the case of arthrosis of the knee joint due to an injury, all these stages listed above begin to pass even faster.
Prevention and treatment of the initial stage of knee arthrosis
It must be borne in mind that absolutely all therapeutic measures will completely depend on the degree of knee damage. At the same time, the effectiveness of treatment can be achieved only if the cause of arthrosis is eliminated. If this process is at an early stage of formation, then a complete cure is possible! With a chronically advanced process, initially it is possible to achieve only a more or less prolonged phase of rest of the diseased organ.
In order to restore deformed cartilage, strengthen the ligaments and increase the motor activity in the joint, it is necessary to undergo complex therapy. This includes not only medications, but also manual massage, physiotherapy procedures and, if absolutely necessary, surgery.
The selection of medicines should in no case be independent, since 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 arthrosis. For this purpose, special preparations can 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, means are used to relieve vascular spasms and relax muscles. Additionally, preparations are prescribed for vitamin replenishment and restoration of cartilage tissue.
The complex of preventive measures and for the treatment of the initial stage of arthrosis of the knee must include a relaxing manual massage. With its help, an increase in the volume of movement, the removal of spasm and an increase in blood circulation is achieved, the position of the joints and bones is corrected, including the hip bones.
If the initial stage has long developed into irreversible damage to the knee joint, then in this case, a radical correction of the deformed organ is performed, namely, implantation (prosthetics). Today there is and is actively used only 1 way to replace a destroyed joint - to install a metal endoprosthesis. Such implantation is by no means durable, and its cost is so high that there is no need to talk about the mass application of this method.
Important!If you still decide to go to the operating table, keep in mind that knee replacement and rehabilitation are interrelated things. You will have to work hard to recover to a good level.
The treatment of the initial stage of arthrosis also includes a complex of rehabilitation therapy, which includes absolutely the entire spectrum of spa treatment - from physiotherapy and physiotherapy exercises to kinesitherapy. The concept of kinesiotherapy includes specially designed exercises using loads of various degrees of 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 that soften the load during movement. A large number of simple and complex recipes of traditional medicine are successfully used in the treatment of any stage of arthrosis.
It can be various compresses and ointments based on natural ingredients from animal hair and medical bile to herbal preparations. Mostly, the prescription of traditional medicine recipes is quite effective, since it is aimed at eliminating the symptoms of knee joint disease and at eliminating painful sensations.
Additional prevention methods
First of all, it is a complete and well-balanced diet. The diet, in addition to proteins and carbohydrates, should include the optimal content of vitamins and microelements. At the same time, it is strongly recommended to avoid bad habits and try to bring your weight back to normal.
General nutritional guidelines for preventing arthrosis are as follows:
- avoiding red meat;
- refusal from foods with high fat content;
- the use of jellied meat and similar dishes containing cartilage and a gelatinous substance as part of their recipe;
- increase in consumption of pure spring water up to 2. 5 liters or more;
- complete rejection of alcoholic beverages and regular intake of vitamins A, D and B.
It is highly recommended to go over your wardrobe to exclude uncomfortable shoes from it, for example, one-sided worn out or high heels. Watch your postures to avoid crossing or interlacing your legs in a sitting position. Protect your joints from prolonged cooling and, moreover, from hypothermia. Avoid stressful situations and do not get nervous over 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 hip joint. It is for this reason that self-control and extra caution are needed when playing sports, before lifting weights or performing intensively on certain exercises.
The most important preventive condition after ascertaining the initial stage of the disease is to prevent its further development, since if the process is started, it can lead to disability. In the case of timely detection of arthrosis and preventive measures to prevent it, the probability of a complete cure is high.
Be sure to consult your doctor before treating diseases. This will help to take into account individual tolerance, confirm the diagnosis, make sure that the treatment is correct and exclude negative drug interactions. If you use prescriptions without consulting a doctor, then it is entirely at your own risk. All information is presented for informational purposes only and is not a medical aid.