Knee joint treatment is not a quick process and it is not always possible to get rid of the pain immediately. Most often, they occur due to the destruction and deformation of cartilage tissue, but there can be other reasons. It is impossible to delay therapy, because joint diseases develop quickly and can lead to serious consequences and even disability.
Causes of knee pain
The knee is an organ in which the kneecap is aligned with two bones. The cup, located in front of the knee, is connected by the tendons of the quadriceps muscle, which continue with the ligaments. Bones are covered with cartilage, and between them are lunar cartilage - menisci. In addition, the knee has several synovial pockets for fluid, which acts as a lubricant for the knee.
This entire complex mechanism is designed for flexion, extension and shock absorption during movement. Any violation in your work leads to discomfort and pain. How to treat the knees must be determined by a traumatologist after diagnosis.
The causes of pain can be very diverse, from fatigue and overexertion to serious illnesses, and are divided as follows:
- Knee Injuries - All mechanical damage can be attributed to these reasons. Contusions, ligament tears, blood flow into the joint cavity with intra-articular fractures, meniscus injuries and tears, patellar dislocation. These causes are usually characterized by sharp 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 and elderly. Arthritis, arthrosis, chondropathy, bursitis, Schlatter's disease and other diseases. Characterized by increased pain or simply discomfort when moving, popping during knee flexion/extension, pathological joint flexibility, and chronic knee instability.
- Various infectious and viral systemic diseases also lead to inflammation and pain. These include osteoporosis, bone tuberculosis, syphilis, osteomyelitis and many others. This pain can be of a different nature depending on the inflammation of the body damaged by viruses and infections.
- Diseases in which pain radiates to the knees. Sciatic nerve injury, arthrosis of the hip joints, fibromyalgia. Such pains are a side effect, therefore, they are periodic pains or shooting character. Treatment of the knee joint in these cases will not bring relief.
Diagnosis and finding the cause of the pain will determine how to treat the knee joint. When symptoms of unknown origin appear, it is better not to self-medicate.
knee treatment
The treatment of knee pain can be conservative or surgical. Surgical methods are an operation to eliminate the cause of the pain. Conservative therapy is a set of techniques that aims to eliminate symptoms and pathologies. So what is the treatment for knee pain?
surgical methods
Such methods may be prescribed for serious injuries and inflammatory and degenerative diseases. Sharp joint pain can indicate severe injury or complete wear and tear of the cartilage. Therefore, various types of operations are used.
arthroscopy
Such an operation can be performed both to diagnose and to treat serious joint damage. Arthroscopes are inserted into the knee through micro-incisions, one is equipped with a camera and displays an "image" on the screen, the other is intended for manipulations within the joint, primarily for treatment.
Such an operation significantly reduces the postoperative and rehabilitation period, in addition, it practically leaves 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 questionable.
osteotomy
The most radical methodWith such an operation, the knee joint is completely opened, the patella is removed with the help of incisions, which allows manipulations directly into the cavity. This method is also called open. Usually, braces are applied to the bones, which greatly helps to reduce the load on the joints.
A major disadvantage of such an operation is a long rehabilitation period. The patient will be able to walk after 1-2 months and lead an active lifestyle only after one year. But this surgery usually guarantees a long remission.
You should know that osteotomy is used in case of severe damage or deformation of the connective tissue, when partial removal of the diseased element is necessary.
endoprostheses
It is performed when all other treatment methods have been 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 from a donor or it can be replaced with an artificial prosthesis. They are made of plastic, ceramic or metal alloys.
In this way, the disease disappears completely and the patient achieves permanent remission. Still, it is worth considering that the prosthesis can be rejected, and other side effects are also possible. Israel remains the leader in arthroplasty.
For reference! In most cases, knee pain is treated more gently. And this therapy is very effective and, most importantly, allows you to maintain an active lifestyle during the rehabilitation period.
Conservative treatments
Such methods are a set of techniques aimed at joint regeneration, healing and rehabilitation. It includes drug treatment, physical therapy and gymnastics exercises, physical therapy. In some cases, it may include popular methods. At the first manifestations of knee pain, it is worth choosing a knee brace or brace that will delay tissue destruction before the start of the main treatment and reduce the symptoms of the disease.
drug treatment
What is the first thing to do with knee pain? Of course, use pain relievers and pain relievers. These funds can be in different pharmacological forms. Ointments, tablets are recommended for dull and aching pains. For highs and shots, it is better to resort to injections that will instantly relieve the pain.
Once the diagnosis is made, non-steroidal drugs can be prescribed. With 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 final stage of drug treatment will be the ingestion of chondroprotectors. They are prescribed for absolutely any damage and changes in cartilage tissue. This is the basis of conservative treatment.
Fact that! Chondroprotectors, like bricks, restore cartilage. They have properties 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 a year. The pharmacological form can be in tablets, ointments and injections. By the way, these substances can also be found in food; therefore, for knee pain, doctors recommend eating jam, broth, avocado and jam.
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. This will help in the regeneration of connective tissue and recovery will happen much faster.
Exercise therapy and gymnastics
This is the most important step both after surgical treatment and after medication. Physiotherapy should also be done to prevent pain. It must take place under the supervision of a rehabilitation specialist in a special center or sanatorium for the correct implementation of a set of exercises. It usually takes 2 to 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. Not only will it allow the joint to move smoothly, but it will also improve blood circulation and metabolism, which has a positive effect on tissue repair.
Physiotherapy
Such procedures aim at safe recovery and treatment. These methods achieve the best result with the least load. These include the following methods:
- ultrasound therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- infrared ray therapy;
- several warm-ups.
How else can you heal your legs if your knee hurts a lot? A good physiotherapy procedure is also massage, which increases blood circulation and speeds up the recovery process. Massage well relieves pain and also has an overall strengthening effect.
Topical preparations can be used without a doctor's prescription, such treatment is acceptable when the knees hurt. But most likely this will only remove the symptoms, and the cause will remain and sooner or later 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 vodka and honey compresses 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 heating orthosis on a battery. It's convenient, comfortable and doesn't require a lot of effort. One session can relieve pain in just 20-30 minutes.
- Mud and seaweed wraps also have a good effect on joints. They are able to restore cartilage elasticity in a short period of time, improve blood circulation, which contributes to better tissue nutrition.
It is important to remember that with severe injuries and in the later stages of illness, alternative methods will be ineffective. Therefore, any home treatment 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 so symptomatic treatment in this case can turn the disease from an early stage into a chronic one. An integrated approach is always needed, and patient feedback confirms this.
- Female, 55 years old: "My knee has been hurting for a long time. I didn't understand why, so I still went to the doctor, and he found out that I had osteoarthritis. They prescribed chondroprotectors, which allowed me to forget about the pain. with the help of therapy of exercises. "
- Male, 35: "He suffered a serious knee injury - a torn meniscus. The attending physician prescribed arthroscopy, after a short rehabilitation he returned to large-scale sports. "
- Male, 48 years old: "Unfortunately, osteoarthritis completely destroyed my joint, I didn't pay attention to the aching pain for a long time. I had endoprostheses and a ceramic joint. I got back to an active life again and even started running in the morning. "
- Dude, 20 years old: "I had a pinched sciatic nerve, it gave me a nagging pain in my knee. I couldn't understand why and I smeared the joint with non-steroidal ointments. So I went to the doctor and found out that these pains were secondary and my knees are healthy. "