Gonarthrosis is a chronic disease of the knee joint, in which the cartilage becomes thinner and destroyed, with subsequent involvement of the bone surfaces in the process. Joint damage during gonarthrosis slowly but steadily progresses: from minor changes to severe deformation and disability. The severity of symptoms and anatomical changes in the joint are reflected in the formulation of the diagnosis, indicating the degree of the disease - from 1 to 3.
Click on photo to enlarge
Grade 1 knee joint gonarthrosis is the initial period of the disease, when pain is mild and other signs are often absent. However, even with minor, recurring complaints, it is necessary to consult a doctor (arthrologist, orthopedist or therapist), since it is at this stage that the effectiveness of treatment is the highest. For stage 1 disease, very good results are achieved by non-drug treatment methods (diet, exercise) and drugs, mainly for preventive purposes (such as chondroprotectors). If more serious medications are used, they are used in small courses only to relieve exacerbations.
The occurrence of gonarthrosis is caused by a variety of reasons that cause thinning and abrasion of the articular cartilage:
A characteristic feature of grade 1 gonarthrosis is mild symptoms or no symptoms at all (in some cases, the disease is discovered by chance, during an X-ray of the knee due to injury or for another reason). But with careful attention to their health, patients still notice certain warning signs:
change in joint shape,
Let's look at these symptoms in more detail:
A crunch in the knee, clearly audible to the patient and sometimes to people nearby, is one of the first symptoms. It occurs when there is a load on the knee joint: bending the leg at the knee, squatting. Often the crunching is accompanied by a peculiar sensation of rubbing, sliding or clicking in the knee. For a long time, crunching may be the only complaint for which patients do not consider it necessary to go to the doctor.
Knee pain in the case of 1st degree arthrosis usually has moderate intensity and is paroxysmal in nature. They occur after significant exertion, mainly in the evening hours, and go away quite quickly with rest, and therefore there is no need to take painkillers. The condition may worsen with increased pain when the weather changes (humid, windy, cold weather).
Sudden knee pain while running may be a symptom of gonarthrosis
With grade 1 gonarthrosis, there are no obvious restrictions on the function of the knee joint: patients fully bend and straighten the leg, can squat, and climb stairs. But there may be stiffness - a feeling of difficulty or stiffness when moving the knee, which is why patients are forced to make additional efforts during normal activities (walking, climbing stairs). The usual freedom of movement gradually disappears.
Due to stiffness, the load on the muscles of the lower leg and thigh increases - and at the end of the working day, aching pain in the legs often occurs.
Grade 1 gonarthrosis is not accompanied by severe joint deformation. But upon careful examination, the doctor, and sometimes the patient himself, may notice some changes in the normal shape of the knee: the appearance of outgrowths, bumps and slight swelling.
Swelling in grade 1 is also hardly noticeable to the eye. But the increase in the volume of the diseased knee compared to the healthy one is easy to determine when measured with a centimeter tape.
If any symptoms of gonarthrosis appear, even very minor ones, you should consult an arthrologist or orthopedist. Only a doctor can confirm the diagnosis, clarify the degree of destruction of the cartilage and joint and prescribe adequate treatment.
For grade 1 gonarthrosis, non-drug methods are of greatest importance:
traditional methods of treatment,
Gymnastics is a necessary component of treatment for all degrees of gonarthrosis. But at grade 1, its regular implementation gives a quick and clearly visible result: pain disappears, ease of movement is restored, and crunching disappears.
Gymnastics should be carried out daily, continuing exercises even after the condition improves. Any exercises for movements in the knee joint (flexion-extension, abduction-adduction) are useful, but they should be performed without weights, from a sitting or lying position, to reduce the load on the cartilage.
A set of exercises for grade 1 gonarthrosis. Click on the picture to enlarge
To treat gonarthrosis, almost all methods of physiotherapy are used: laser, UHF, magnet, mud, ozokerite, balneotherapy (hydrotherapy), etc. Since there are no pronounced inflammatory changes in grade 1, the doctor usually prescribes physiotherapy immediately after confirming the diagnosis and recommends repeated courses after 3–6 months.
Physiotherapy of the knee joint with laser
Folk remedies can be used as auxiliary treatment methods. And at grade 1, mild pain in the knee can be relieved only with them, without resorting to medications. They help a lot:
Proper nutrition for gonarthrosis is aimed, first of all, at correcting excess weight, as the main factor that aggravates the course and accelerates the progress of the disease. For this purpose, fractional meals are prescribed (4–5 times a day) in small portions with a limitation of fats and easily digestible carbohydrates.
The menu is also enriched with natural sources of cartilage tissue components (jelly, jellied meat, meat and bone broth are eaten) and irritants are excluded (alcohol, overly spicy, hot and too salty dishes). This dietary recommendation is relevant regardless of whether the patient is overweight or not.
For the treatment of grade 1 gonarthrosis, drugs from two main groups are used:
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs),
Chondroprotectors are drugs that are most effective precisely during initial changes in cartilage. They prevent further destruction of cartilage tissue and joints. To obtain the effect, chondroprotectors are used in long, repeated courses. They are used internally and topically (applied to the skin around the joint).
In grade 1, intra-articular administration of chondroprotectors is rarely prescribed.
Popular drugs: arthra, structum, chondroxide, teraflex, dona.
The main task of NSAIDs is to relieve pain and signs of inflammation (swelling, etc.). But since in stage 1 of the disease the pain is moderate, and signs of inflammation are usually absent, NSAIDs are used in short courses to relieve pain during exacerbations due to weather factors or heavy stress.
Drugs such as nimesulide (Nise, Nimulide), ibuprofen (Nurofen), diclofenac, indomethacin, meloxicam, etc. are used.
Despite the fact that the symptoms of grade 1 gonarthrosis are mild, the disease is very serious and requires complex treatment. Paying attention to your health and taking care of your joints will prevent severe joint damage, prolong their full functioning and help maintain physical activity.
Author: Svetlana Agrineeva
At the top of the comments feed are the last 25 question-answer blocks. I answer only those questions where I can give practical advice in absentia - this is often impossible without personal consultation.
Hello! I have a 1st degree knee joint. I do physical exercises all the time, I’m reducing my weight, and I’m starting to take the tablet. structures. Please tell us more about the so-called folk remedies (compress, etc.) so as not to cause harm. And if I may talk about supplements like red fat, omega 3, which are sold in supermarkets. Thank you.
Hello, Alexander. I cannot judge the special supplements sold in stores, since there is no way to take these products for analysis. As for folk remedies, there are many of them. For example, in the warm season, an infusion of dandelion leaves can come to the aid of patients with gonarthrosis. It requires taking 1 tablespoon of finely chopped plant leaves and pouring 1 glass of water that has just boiled. After this, the medicine is infused for 60 minutes and filtered. It is drunk immediately in full. During the day you should take 4 servings of this drink. It is unacceptable to prepare it for future use. Treatment continues until the dandelion growing season ends.
Or, a decoction of calamus root helps improve the condition of the knee joint. In order to carry out the therapy, pour 500 ml of boiling water into 50 g of crushed root and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. After it has cooled, moisten gauze folded several times in the resulting liquid and apply it to the sore joint for 30 minutes in the morning and evening. The duration of such treatment is a month.
I was diagnosed with arthrosis of the 2nd degree. I had severe pain and inflammation, I barely made it to the doctor. To relieve the pain, I was immediately given intra-articular injections, then I took meloxicam. Then the doctor prescribed a course of Elbona injections. The effect from them is not quick, but noticeable.
Igor, Elbona is classified as a chondroprotector drug. They are taken in the form of tablets and ointments for at least six months.
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Topic - upon request. I am giving information from the Internet and I hope that there will be “experts” on the disease who will share their own experience. The disease is common, unfortunately, causing a lot of inconvenience, if not worse.
Traditional treatment for knees
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is a disease that affects the cartilage tissue that covers the surface of the joints.
Causes of arthrosis: excess weight; genetic pathology; joint injuries; excessive physical activity.
Symptoms of grade 1 arthrosis of the knee joint: limited mobility, sharpening of the edges of the surface of the joints; narrowing of the gap in the joint; swelling; pain.
Symptoms of grade 2 arthrosis of the knee joint: severe crunching, severe limitation of mobility; narrowing of the joint space several times; pain even with light exertion; difficulty bending the knee.
Symptoms of grade 3 arthrosis of the knee joint: changes in cartilage tissue; severe pain; deformation of the bone of the knee joint.
Symptoms of grade 4 arthrosis of the knee joint: lack of cartilage; severe pain.
Treatment of knee arthrosis with folk remedies is used by a large number of people, and folk remedies for knee pain really help. We also note that you cannot use traditional treatment for the knee joint if you have not been to a doctor and the diagnosis has not been confirmed. Osteoarthritis of the knee joints should be treated with folk remedies only under the supervision of a doctor and in compliance with the exact instructions in the prescription.
Treatment of the knee joint with folk remedies