When walking or running, our knee joints are exposed to constant stress, which often causes pain. The most common topic when referring to a healthcare professional is knee pain. The standard diagnosis after a physical exam is the initial stage of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. How to determine the cause of pain and what should be done to get rid of it?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to give absolutely clear answers to these worrying questions for almost everyone. The problems of the knee joint are so diverse, and the reasons for their occurrence are so diverse, that one should not rush to reach 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 osteoarthritis. In addition, the symptoms as well as prevention and treatment methods are explained.
The main cause of osteoarthritis of the knee joint
There is another medical term for such a joint lesion without an inflammatory process - this is gonarthrosis. It is osteoarthritis of the knee, which can subsequently lead to the 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 joint or gonarthrosis can be divided into two stages:
- initial, ie one that has arisen as a result of an existing joint pathology;
- secondary, that is, one that has arisen as a result of acquired injury or infection.
Let's stop at level 1. This form of initial pathology is widespread and can manifest itself from a very young age. It is not caused by the natural formation of the surface tissues of the joints or ligaments of a person. It is quite natural that the degenerative joint is disproportionately stressed when walking, which causes pain and destructive consequences.
Level 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 always leads to the destruction of the integrity of the knee. A high level of athletic stress, excessive obesity that does not match the proportions of the body - all these are factors that provoke the initial stages of osteoarthritis 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 the metabolism.
At the same time, fluid accumulates in the joint cavities of the knee, which leads to additional complications that also lead to the stage of osteoarthritis. We add here any previous operations on the legs or diseases that are accompanied by persistent spasms of the blood vessels or leg muscles - deformation is inevitable!
Usually, unilateral osteoarthritis of the knee develops due to traumatic effects on the knee or hip joint. If this is the effect of being overweight, then it is bilateral.
The main signs of osteoarthritis of the knee joint
This process does not take place immediately. Usually, at first, a person feels slightly uncomfortable in the knee joint area for a long time, and only after years these sensations develop into severe pain. People over 40 years of age who are overweight and have additional stress in the form of varicose veins are susceptible to the initial stage of osteoarthritis 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 much pain is observed in moments of knee strain.
- Second or critical level. A characteristic crunching accompaniment to a sharp movement of the knee joint can already be seen here. 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 osteoarthritis of the knee joint will accordingly be characterized by an acute painful state of the knee joint even at rest. At this point the stage of osteoarthritis becomes chronic, a person reacts painfully to weather phenomena and their gait receives a certain "duck" movement, "waddling". In this case, the patient's legs are bent at this stage.
In the case of osteoarthritis of the knee joint due to an injury, all the stages listed above begin to pass even faster.
Prevention and treatment of the initial stage of knee osteoarthritis
It must be taken into account that absolutely all therapeutic measures depend entirely on the degree of knee damage. 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 in the early stages of formation, a complete cure is possible! With a chronically advanced process, it is initially possible to achieve only a more or less long resting phase of the diseased organ.
In order to restore deformed cartilage, strengthen the ligaments and increase motor activity in the joint, complex therapy is required. This includes not only medication, but also manual massages, physiotherapy procedures and, if absolutely necessary, surgery.
The choice of drugs should in no case be independent, since self-medication has serious consequences in such a complex disease. The main focus of drug treatment is the elimination of pain, the localization of the inflammatory process and the neutralization of the stage of osteoarthritis. For this purpose, special preparations can be prescribed for insertion into the cavity of the knee joint. The appointment of hormones is not excluded.
For active blood circulation in the affected area, means are used to relieve vascular spasms and relax the muscles. In addition, preparations for replenishing vitamins and restoring cartilage tissue are prescribed.
The complex of preventive measures and treatment of the initial stage of osteoarthritis of the knee must include a relaxing manual massage. With its help, an increase in the volume of movement, the elimination of spasms and an increase in blood circulation is achieved, the position of the joints and bones, including the hip bones, is corrected.
If the initial stage has long developed into irreversible damage to the knee joint, in this case a radical correction of the deformed organ is carried out, namely implantation (prosthetics). Today there is and is only one way actively used to replace a damaged connection - to install a metal endoprosthesis. Such an implantation is by no means permanent and its cost is so high that there is no need to talk about the mass application of this procedure.
Important!If you do decide to go to the operating table anyway, remember that knee replacement and rehabilitation are related. You have to work hard to recover to a good level.
Treatment of the early stages of osteoarthritis also includes a complex of rehabilitation therapy, which absolutely covers the entire spectrum of spa treatment - from physiotherapy and physiotherapy exercises to kinesitherapy. The concept of kinesiotherapy includes specially developed exercises of various degrees of severity and medical simulators.
If necessary, it is recommended to relieve the pressure on the knee with sticks, crutches or orthotics - so-called knee pads, which relieve the strain during movement. A large number of simple and complex traditional medicine recipes are successfully used in the treatment of stages of osteoarthritis.
It can be a variety of compresses and ointments that are based on natural ingredients, from animal hair and medicinal bile to herbal supplements. Most often, prescribing traditional medicine prescriptions is very effective, as it is aimed at eliminating the symptoms of knee joint disease and eliminating painful sensations.
Additional prevention methods
First of all, it is a complete and balanced diet. In addition to proteins and carbohydrates, the diet should contain the optimal content of vitamins and microelements. At the same time, it is highly recommended that you avoid bad habits and try to get your weight back to normal.
The general nutritional guidelines for preventing osteoarthritis are as follows:
- Avoiding red meat;
- Rejection of foods with a 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 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 search your wardrobe to exclude uncomfortable shoes from it, e. g. B. shoes or high heels worn on one side. Be careful with your posture to avoid crossing or crisscrossing your legs in a sitting position. Protect your joints from prolonged cooling and, moreover, from hypothermia. Avoid stressful situations and don't get nervous about little things.
Try to lead a healthy lifestyle in which the body is in good shape. In addition, such physical activity, which would correspond to the condition of the knees and hip joint, is extremely important. For this reason, certain precautions and special care should be taken when exercising, lifting weights, or doing intense exercise.
The main preventive condition after determining the initial stage of the disease is to prevent its further development, as it can lead to a disability at the beginning of the process. With timely detection of osteoarthritis and preventive measures to prevent it, the likelihood of a complete cure is high.
Be sure to ask your doctor before treating any illness. This will help take individual tolerance into account, confirm the diagnosis, ensure that treatment is correct, and rule out negative drug interactions. If you use prescriptions without consulting a doctor, you do so at your own risk. All information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a medical aid.