Knee arthritis: symptoms and treatment to prevent knee joint disease

What is knee joint disease

Knee joint allergy or knee arthropathy is a serious degenerative dystrophic disease of the knee joint, which leads to the destruction of the articular cartilage tissue structure, which in turn leads to its deformation and loss of function. Pathology usually leads to human disability.

Knee joint deformity occupies a dominant position in all joint diseases. If only a small part of the joint is affected at the beginning, without proper treatment, when the disease progresses to an advanced stage, all diseases are related to the pathological process.

The disease usually develops in people over 40 years old, but in athletes, it can occur at a young age (suffering severe joint damage).

Women are most prone to joint deformation, but it often occurs in men and even young children. In order not to exacerbate this situation, you need to be able to recognize the first symptoms of the disease.

Varieties

The classification of gonorrhea depends on its cause and location. Each breed has its own developmental characteristics, and doctors always have to consider these characteristics when prescribing drugs. But according to the nature of the expression, they are actually the same.

Therefore, according to the cause of the disease, the types of acute knee arthritis are as follows:

  • Primary gonorrhea.There are no prerequisites for the occurrence of this disease. People at risk include the elderly, women, and obese patients. Over the years, primary gonorrhea of ​​the knee joint can occur and develop without manifesting itself in any way. However, the earlier it is discovered, the better the prognosis of its treatment.
  • Knee
  • Secondary keratitisis ​​caused by trauma, but it may also be the result of various infectious pathologies. If the damaged joints are treated in time, patients will have a chance to avoid the disease.

Types of local osteoarthritis:

  • Right gonorrhoea, which develops in the joint tissue of the right knee. It often occurs in athletes and people whose work requires frequent exercise.
  • Left gonorrheaThe left knee is involved in the pathological process. Occurs in people who specialize in sports and patients diagnosed with obesity.
  • Bilateral osteoarthritishas a destructive effect on the joint tissues of the knees of both legs. In terms of symptoms and treatment, this disease is considered the most serious. In most cases, this type of knee arthritis develops in the elderly, namely idiopathic.

Anatomical and pathological changes

Pathological changes of knee arthritis

The knee joint is formed by the articular surfaces of the tibia and femur. The front part of its bone is the bone. During the movement, the along bone slides smoothly along the depression between the femur cons.

The femur, tibia and knee pads are covered with 5-6 mm thick elastic clay cartilage. It helps to reduce friction during physical exercise, and it also has a shock absorption function in the event of a fall.

Pathological changes of joints: stage disease

In the first stage of the development of knee gonorrhea, first, blood circulation is impaired. The blood vessels in the small bones that supply blood to the hyaline joints are destroyed, causing their surface to gradually dry out. Its elasticity decreases and cracks begin to form on its surface.

As a result, these cartilages did not slide smoothly, but touched each other. Inflammation gradually begins to develop, and the diseased cartilage slightly shifts and interferes with each other to fully perform its functions. Since a large number of microcracks are formed in the tissue area constituting the cartilage, they gradually lose their cushioning properties.

In the second stage of the development of gonorrhea, compensatory changes in the bone area begin to occur. Under the influence of increased load, the joint platform gradually begins to flatten, which leads to compaction of the subchondral area (the area of ​​bone located under the cartilage).

The joint surface along the edge began to grow with bony processes, which looked like spikes on the X-ray image.

As the lubricating fluid in the joint thickens, it loses most of its functions. This leads to accelerated cartilage degeneration. Therefore, it looks like a thin line on an X-ray photograph or becomes completely invisible.

If a similar situation is found, it means that the disease has flowed smoothly (or quickly-depending on the situation) to the third stage of development.

In the third stage of knee gonorrhoea, the bones are significantly deformed. They seem to squeeze each other, resulting in decreased joint mobility. The cartilage tissue is almost completely dry up.

Causes and predisposing factors

Symptoms of knee arthritis

The cause of knee arthritis is not yet clear-usually doctors will immediately determine the many factors leading to the development of the disease.

The most common and common reasons are:

  • Previous joint damage (moderate or high);
  • Fractures of the legs, especially in the case of intra-articular injuries;
  • Violates the integrity of the meniscus structure;
  • Ligament tears or complete tears;
  • Excessive stress on the knee joint.

Acute arthritis of the knee joint is directly related to a person's age. Therefore, it is found that people over 40 are most susceptible to this effect, because during this period, the flexibility of cartilage begins to decrease, and the lubricating joint fluid gradually "dry-up".

To delay this time, patients are advised to exercise, but physical exercise should be moderate and will not cause general discomfort.

Being overweight is also one of the factors contributing to the development of gonorrhea. The fact is that being overweight will put extra burden on bones and joints, which will only affect bone health.

In this case, the fact that the legs have more load plays an important role. For example, if your "support" is your left leg, then you are likely to develop left side gonorrhea.

In obesity, constant pressure on joints can cause minor injuries and rupture of small blood vessels. Rupture of the meniscus or ligament is considered a serious joint injury, but this type of rupture is not ruled out.

For patients with obvious symptoms of varicose veins, this disease is extremely difficult. In this case, the diagnosis and treatment of the phlebologist will be shown to the patient.

People with the following diseases are also at high risk of this disease:

  • Previously suffering from different types of arthritis;
  • has unfavorable inheritance;
  • There is a problem with the ligament device;
  • Suffering from metabolic diseases;
  • Suffered a traumatic brain injury;
  • Injured in an accident;
  • Suffering from spinal cord injury.

Many of these factors are usually closely related. Accurately determining the cause will help establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the correct and effective treatment for the patient's knee arthritis.

Clinical manifestations

Stages of knee arthritisThe symptoms of gonorrhea do not appear immediately-they begin to appear gradually, depending on the stage of the disease. Therefore, the clinical situation must be considered in stages.

The first stage

In the initial stage of the disease, patients complain of mild pain in the knee area, which increases with physical exertion. They become particularly strong during the descent and ascending of the stairs.

In addition to pain, the patient will feel a certain degree of movement "contraction" in the joint area. Feeling in the lite part, passing when the knee muscles relax.

Another feature is the so-called "onset pain syndrome". It develops in the first step of the patient. When the knee adjusted to the load, this abnormal phenomenon disappeared without a trace.

The second stage

At this time, the symptoms of knee arthritis become more intense and obvious. The pain increased, causing great difficulty and discomfort when walking. After a long period of rest, the pain syndrome disappears, but strenuous exercise will make you feel pain again.

Inflammation of the joints causes swelling of the knees, even visible to the naked eye. There will be severe discomfort when walking. Movement becomes heavier and more constrained.

The third stage

The pain becomes so severe that the patient cannot live without painkillers. It is difficult for a person to bend his knees, he will feel the stiffness of the joint movement. It will deform and increase in size. In severe cases, the patient cannot move without other support.

All these signs of knee arthritis should not be ignored by the patient. The disease causes people to lie in hospital beds for long periods of time, sometimes leading to disability.

Which doctor treats knee keratopathy?

In order to diagnose and treat knee joint disease, it is necessary to call an orthopedic traumatologist. If surgery is required, you may need the help of a surgeon.

Diagnostic measures

Diagnosis of knee joint disease

In order to determine the cause of the disease, a comprehensive method of examining patients is very important.

The diagnosis plan includes several stages:

  1. Perform a visual inspection and recall with the orthopedist. The doctor determines whether the patient has acute knee arthritis symptoms, palpates the affected area of ​​the leg, measures the bones and performs an angiogram-this test can be used to assess the range of motion of the joint at different angles.
  2. Clinical blood test for ESR assessment.
  3. Blood Biochemistry.
  4. Study the levels of fibrinogen, urea and other substances in urine and blood.
  5. Radiography is one of the most common arthritis tests. However, in the initial stage, the snapshot will not show any changes-they can only be noticed later in the development. X-ray pictures show narrowing of the joint space, hardening of the cartilage area, destruction of bone tissue and salt deposition.
  6. Ultrasound is the most useful diagnostic procedure. However, if ultrasound is performed together with radiography, a complete examination result can be obtained.
  7. MRI allows you to thoroughly examine all layers of joints, cartilage and bone tissue, and pay attention to the first dystrophic changes in the early stages of arthritis. However, MRI has a big disadvantage-the procedure is very expensive. But its high accuracy contributes to 99. 9% accurate diagnosis.

Treatment

The treatment and diagnosis of acute arthritis of the knee require a comprehensive approach. However, first, medical treatment is necessary, because diseased joints can become inflamed at any time.

Drugs

How to treat knee gonorrhea in a pharmacy, and which drugs should I choose? On this point, only traumatologists can say. Generally, the following categories of drugs are included in the following treatment options:

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs COX-1 or 2. The first type can seriously damage the gastrointestinal tract, so it cannot be used for a long time. For the drugs in the COX-2 group, a more gentle statement cannot be said to be the same. They are administered intramuscularly or intravenously.
  • The treatment of knee arthritis also involves the use of hormone drugs. They help relieve inflammation and swelling of the knee. If there is synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane), they are recommended.
  • Treat with cartilage protective agent.
  • Application of ointment, gel, cream. They can improve blood circulation, warm up, relieve swelling and inflammation.

Method 1

How to use this technique to cure knee arthritis? The main elements of this treatment plan are:

Treatment options for knee arthritis
  • Use drugs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cartilage protectors, painkillers, ointments, creams, gels);
  • Light physical therapy exercises;
  • Manual therapy;
  • Physiotherapy;
  • Heat the anti-inflammatory agent with liquid medicine.

In addition, according to well-known rheumatologists, diet plays an important role in arthritis. Thanks to the rational formulation of the diet and the use of all the above techniques, you can achieve amazing results through treatment in the shortest possible time.

Method two

Usually, like other joint pathologies, this method is used to treat knee arthritis.

The development of famous doctors is based on the following applications:

  • drugs;
  • Surgical intervention;
  • Stick to the diet to remove excess fluid in the body;
  • Exercise therapy;
  • Physical therapy.

The doctor also recommends swimming more in the pool, going to the sauna and getting a massage. This will help improve the patient's health, especially if the disease has been neglected for a long time and has not been treated.

Process according to the third method

The use of this technique to treat knee stenosis completely eliminates dynamic loads because they can significantly accelerate the deformation process. Movement should be slow and low amplitude.

Example: Sitting on the "top" chair, that is, facing backwards. Spread your legs, but do not let your legs touch the floor. Gently wave each leg in turn. Do exercises until you feel a little tired. The number of methods depends on the health of the patient.

Surgery

How to treat advanced knee joint disease? In this case, there is only one way out-operation. There are several types of surgery for knee osteoarthritis:

Surgical treatment of knee arthritis
  • Removal of deformed cartilage and diseased joints (arthrodesis). This is extremely rare.
  • Remove damaged cartilage tissue without removing joints. This intervention is called arthroscopic debridement. It is performed through a special device-arthroscope. The procedure is simple, but the effect can last no more than 3 years.
  • Saw at different angles and fix the diseased joint. This is called a periarticular osteotomy. The technique is quite complicated, but it can make 3-5 years of illness forget.

Surgical intervention is rarely used, and surgical intervention is only performed when there is no at least one cure for the disease, and lasts at least 1-2 years. In the initial stages of the disease, surgery is almost never performed.

Internal repair

Intra-articular repair is considered the most common treatment for gonorrhea. This is a type of surgery that allows you to fully maintain the mobility of the affected knee. However, despite its effectiveness, it still needs long-term repair. In addition, it can lead to quite serious consequences.

Artificial joints that can serve for 20 years are implanted in the "real" patients. Of course, it all depends on the material from which it is made. The process is not cheap, but it is quite effective, which is why it is particularly popular.

Physiotherapy practice

The course of exercise therapy is determined by the doctor according to the stage of the disease. However, the principle of the exercise is the same in all cases:

  • Avoid putting too much pressure on the knee joint;
  • Sudden or forced movement is prohibited;
  • Do not perform exercises that require full load on joint pain.

Allowed exercises:

  • The legs on the blanket spread out on the kneeling on the floor shake slightly;
  • The kneeling posture is neat in the same position;
  • In the same position, straighten your legs alternately, try not to tear your heels off the floor, and then bend them again to avoid sudden movements.

These exercises combined with medication and physical therapy can produce excellent results.

Physical Therapy

All physical therapy procedures are suitable for alleviating gonorrhea. Among the most effective techniques, you should pay attention to:

  • Electrophoresis and liquid medicine;
  • Magnetic therapy;
  • Ultrasound therapy;
  • Microwave processing;
  • Paraffin therapy;
  • Plating bath with with or hydrogen sulfide;
  • Mud treatment.

To prevent the disease from recurring, physical therapy should be performed at least twice a year. This will help extend the remission phase.

Massage

Knee Arthritis Massage

Knee massage to improve blood circulation. It is performed along the direction of lymph flow from the peripheral area to the central area. Lite Wo does not participate in this process.

Usually, manual treatments are performed at the same time as the massage, the purpose is to gradually stretch the diseased joints. Such a procedure can stabilize the patient's condition, but it can only be performed by a specialist.

Is gonorrhea completely cured?

Is it possible to completely cure knee osteoarthritis? Perhaps no one, even the most experienced traumatologist, cannot give a clear answer to this question. It all depends on the severity of the disease. If treatment is performed in the early stages of treatment, further joint deformation can be stopped.

However, if pathology is found in the final stage, there is no guarantee that the symptoms of discomfort will be completely eliminated even if surgery is performed. Surgery can only cure for a few years, after which the disease can remind yourself again.

Prevention

To prevent gonorrhea, it is necessary: ​​

  • Avoid knee injuries;
  • Constant exercise (squatting, running, raising and lowering legs);
  • Enrich your diet with foods rich in vitamins;
  • Limit the use of salt, hot spices, fried, smoked, sweet;
  • Maintain a normal body shape;
  • If you suffer a minor knee injury, please seek medical attention immediately;
  • Prevent the use of chondroprotective agents after the age of 35;
  • Daily water intake (2 liters).

By following these simple suggestions, you will reliably protect yourself from knee arthritis and other diseases that may reduce your quality of life for a long time.