When walking or running, the knee joints undergo constant stress and tension, which usually causes pain. The most common topic of referral to healthcare professionals is knee pain. The standard diagnosis after physical examination is the initial stage of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. How to determine the cause of the pain and what to do to eliminate it?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to answer completely unambiguously those questions that concern almost everyone. The knee joint problems 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 a pathology like the initial stage of arthrosis. In addition, we will explain your symptoms, as well as methods of prevention and treatment.
The main cause of osteoarthritis of the knee joint
There is another medical term for this joint injury without an inflammatory process - it is gonarthrosis. It is gonarthrosis that can later lead to deformation and destruction of the cartilage in the joints, which causes a pain syndrome and limits its mobility.
The cause of knee joint arthrosis, or gonarthrosis, can be divided into 2 stages:
- initial, that is, the one that arose as a result of an existing joint pathology; secondary
- , that is, one that arose 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 not caused by the natural formation of the surface tissue of a person's joints or ligament. It is quite natural that, when walking, the degenerative joint becomes disproportionately loaded, which causes pain and destructive consequences.
Stage 2 includes all injuries and mechanical effects of varying severity of health damage. They 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. High sporting loads, excessive obesity not corresponding to the proportions of the body - all of these are factors that cause the initial stages of knee arthrosis.
In fact, excessive weight not only causes the disease, but also creates an unfavorable fund that contributes to the formation of excessive pressure in the knees on the articular cartilage and completely interrupts the metabolism.
At the same time, fluid accumulates in the knee joint cavities, which leads to additional complications, which also turn into an arthrosis stage. We add here any previous leg operations or diseases accompanied by prolonged spasms of blood vessels or leg muscles - deformation is inevitable!
Generally, unilateral gonarthrosis develops due to traumatic effects on the knees or the hip joint. If it is an effect of being overweight, then it is bilateral.
The main signs of knee joint arthrosis
This process does not happen instantly. Usually, for a long time, at the beginning, the person feels a slight discomfort in the area of the knee joint and only after years these sensations turn into severe pain. People over 40, suffering from excess weight and with additional loads 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 very acute pain is seen in times of stress in the knees.
- Second stage or critical stage. Here there is already a characteristic crushing accompaniment noticeable of any abrupt movement of the knee joint. The volume of its motor activity decreases and an increase in the knee is determined visually, which indicates its deformation and the possible accumulation of fluid in the joint cavity.
- The last stage of knee joint arthrosis, therefore, will be characterized by an acute painful condition of the knee joint, even at rest. At that moment, the stage of arthrosis becomes chronic, the person reacts painfully to any climatic phenomenon and his gait acquires a specific "duck", "waddled" movement. In this case, the patient's legs at this stage are bent.
In the case of arthrosis of the knee joint due to an injury, all of the stages listed above begin to pass even faster.
Prevention and treatment of the initial stage of knee arthrosis
It must be kept in mind that absolutely all therapeutic measures depend entirely on the degree of knee injury. At the same time, the effectiveness of the treatment can only be achieved if the cause of the osteoarthritis is eliminated. If this process is at an early stage of formation, then complete healing is possible! With a chronically advanced process, it is initially possible to achieve only a more or less prolonged phase of resting the diseased organ.
To restore deformed cartilage, strengthen ligaments and increase motor activity in the joint, complex therapy is required. This includes not only medications, but also manual massages, physiotherapy procedures and, if absolutely necessary, surgery.
The selection of medicines should under no circumstances be independent, as self-medication for such a complex disease has 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 for introduction into the cavity of the knee joint may be prescribed. The indication of hormonal drugs is not excluded.
For active blood circulation in the affected area, means are used to relieve vascular spasms and relax muscles. In addition, preparations are prescribed for the replacement of vitamins and restoration of cartilage tissue.
The complex of preventive and treatment measures for the initial stage of knee arthrosis should include a relaxing manual massage. With its help an increase in the volume of movement is achieved, the elimination of spasm and an increase in blood circulation, the position of the joints and bones, including the hip bones, is corrected.
If the initial stage has long developed irreversible damage to the knee joint, then, in this case, a radical correction of the deformed organ is performed, that is, implantation (prostheses). Today there is and is actively being used only one way to replace a damaged joint - installing a metal stent. This implant is by no means durable and its cost is so high that there is no need to talk about mass application of this method.
Important!If you still decide to go to the operating table, remember that knee replacement and rehabilitation are related. You will have to work hard to recover to a good level.
Treatment of the early stage of osteoarthritis also includes a rehabilitation therapy complex, which includes absolutely the entire spectrum of spa treatments - from physiotherapy and physiotherapy exercises to kinesiotherapy. The concept of kinesiotherapy includes exercises specially designed with loads of varying 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 from traditional medicine are successfully used to treat any stage of arthrosis.
There can be several compresses and ointments based on natural ingredients, from animal hair and medical bile to herbal preparations. Most of the time, the prescription of traditional medicine prescriptions is quite effective, as it aims to eliminate the symptoms of knee joint disease and eliminate 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 ideal content of vitamins and microelements. At the same time, it is highly recommended to avoid bad habits and try to bring the weight back to normal.
The general nutritional guidelines for preventing osteoarthritis are as follows:
- avoiding red meat;
- refusal of high-fat foods;
- the use of gelatinous meats and similar dishes with cartilage and a gelatinous substance as part of the recipe;
- increased 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 review your wardrobe to exclude uncomfortable shoes, for example, worn one-sided or high heels. Observe 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 don't be nervous about trifles.
Try to lead a healthy lifestyle in which the body is in good shape. In addition, this physical activity is extremely important, which would correspond to the state of the knees and the hip joint. That is why self-control and extra care are necessary when playing sports, before lifting weights or performing intense exercises.
The most important preventive condition after checking the initial stage of the disease is to prevent its further development, because if the process is started it can lead to disability. In the case of early detection of arthrosis and preventive measures to prevent it, the likelihood of complete cure is high.
Be sure to consult your doctor before treating illnesses. This will help to take individual tolerance into account, confirm the diagnosis, make sure the treatment is correct and exclude negative drug interactions. If you use prescriptions without consulting a doctor, it is at your own risk. All information is presented for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical aid.