Among diseases of the musculoskeletal system, osteoarthritis is the leader in frequency. It is believed that by the age of 60, the vast majority of the world's population has initial signs of changes in articular cartilage, and 14% already have manifestations of osteoarthritis. The most common variant of this disease is osteoarthritis of the knee joints.
These two concepts should not be confused. Arthrosis is a process of changes primarily in the structure of the joints, and arthritis is inflammation that could arise both against the background of an “intact” structure, and against the background of arthrosis.
Bone changes during arthrosis can be compared, for example, to knotty growths on the trunk of a tree that grows close to a concrete fence and puts all its weight on this fence.
Normally, the surfaces of bones facing each other are separated by two layers of cartilage and menisci (additional cartilage plates). In addition to its role as a “buffer” between bones, cartilage ensures the sliding of bones and their mechanical conformity to each other. The contact of bones with each other is further enhanced by the menisci, which, due to large or minor (but frequent) injuries, and also lose their elasticity over time, can completely or partially rupture.
With age, and especially in the presence of a hereditary predisposition, articular cartilage becomes thinner. That is why the bones of the thigh and lower leg, which make up the knee joint at their ends, come dangerously close to each other, and friction may even arise between them.
Usually, in parallel with the thinning of the cartilage over the years, another unpleasant event occurs: the amount of intra-articular fluid decreases. This fluid is not only a purely mechanical “lubrication” of the joint from the inside. It provides nutrition to bones, menisci and articular cartilage. A disruption in the “supply” of all these structures is a real disaster for the joint!
We recommend that you start reading from the article What is arthrosis? What is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis?
Folk treatment of arthrosis with wood lice
In traditional methods of treating joint arthrosis, woodlice gives good results. Woodlice improves metabolism and is good for any joint diseases. It can be consumed all summer in salads and soups. For arthrosis of the joints there is the following recipe: tightly pack dry woodlice grass into a three-liter jar, pour in 500 g of vodka and top up with cooled boiled water. Close the lid, leave for 10 days, do not strain. Take 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals. (Healthy lifestyle recipes 2000 No. 19, p. 5)
Treatment of joints with fraction ASD-2
The ASD-2 fraction helps well in the treatment of joint diseases, including the restoration of damaged tissue. Use according to the general scheme. (2000 No. 20, p. 11)
Home treatment for arthrosis with sunflower oil
Sunflower oil helps cure joint arthrosis. You need to heat 1-2 tbsp. l. oil and rub into the sore joint overnight. 5 procedures are enough and the pain in the joint goes away. (recipe from Healthy Lifestyle 2000, No. 24, p. 5)
Apple cider vinegar is effectively used in folk remedies for treating arthrosis. Drink it 2 tsp. for 1 glass of water 3 times a day. Lemons will also help cure arthrosis; it is advisable to eat them with the peel. (Healthy lifestyle recipes 2001 No. 7, p. 21)
How to treat arthrosis with cabbage at home
Cabbage is often used in the folk treatment of arthrosis. You need to separate the cabbage leaves, grease them with honey and apply them to the sore joints overnight, securing them with a scarf. In the morning, remove the compress, wash the skin and apply a new compress until the evening. Course of treatment – 30 days (2001 No. 14, p. 16)
We recommend that you start reading from the article What is arthritis? What is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis?
Herbs in the folk treatment of arthritis of the joints
A 51-year-old man suddenly developed pain in all his joints and almost stopped working. A diagnosis of “acutely progressive deforming polyarthritis” was made. Treatment in hospitals and sanatoriums did not help; it only brought relief for several weeks. The man decided to treat arthritis with folk remedies: he fasted according to Bragg, doused himself with ice water according to Ivanov, and warmed up in a Russian oven. These arthritis treatments didn't help either.
An article about the treatment of arthritis with herbs caught his eye, he took his biology teacher with him and went into the forest to harvest herbs: meadowsweet, cinquefoil, angelica, sweet clover. He made tinctures with alcohol and took baths with decoctions of these herbs. This did him good. Over the winter, the joints stopped hurting - he gave up the crutches, only he has a slight limp on his left leg, because the knee was severely deformed. If you do not have a bathtub to treat arthritis with this method, then you can make it yourself from boards and line it with polyethylene. (Newspaper “Bulletin of Healthy Lifestyle” 2000 No. 19, p. 5, Healthy Lifestyle 2001 No. 7, pp. 20-21)
Woodlice in the treatment of arthritis with folk remedies
Woodlice improves metabolism and is good for arthritis and arthrosis. It can be consumed all summer in salads and soups. For joint diseases, there is a folk recipe: put dry chickweed (chickweed) grass as densely as possible in a three-liter jar, pour in 500 g of vodka and top up with cooled boiled water. Cover with a lid, leave for 2 weeks, do not strain. Drink 1 tbsp for arthritis and arthrosis. l. 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals. (Newspaper Healthy Lifestyle 2000 No. 19, p. 5)
Traditional treatment of arthritis with the ASD-2 fraction
Fraction ASD - 2 helps well in the treatment of joint diseases, including arthritis, up to the restoration of damaged tissue. Use according to the general scheme. (recipe from Healthy Lifestyle Newspaper 2000 No. 20, p. 11)
Older people, especially women, often suffer from knee pain. It is popularly believed that these pains are caused by salt deposits. In fact, the cause of pain in the knee joints is most often the disease gonarthrosis . Its other names are deforming arthrosis . osteoarthritis . arthrosis of the knee joint .
Painful sensations in the knees with gonarthrosis are associated with dystrophic changes in the cartilage covering the intra-articular surfaces of the bones. The process of destruction of cartilage tissue begins with a deterioration in blood circulation in the small vessels that feed the cartilage. The cartilaginous covering of the bones becomes thinner, wears away, and then dies. The bones inside the joint are exposed entirely, or in separate areas. When walking, bones that are not covered with cartilage rub against each other, which causes severe pain. Bone outgrowths (“spikes”) appear in the joint. The joint becomes deformed and the entire leg becomes bent. This is gonarthrosis.
The causes of this disease may be different. There are primary and secondary gonarthrosis.
Primary gonarthrosis is a type of disease that develops in older people, as if against the background of complete health. Doctors suggest that the cause of primary gonarthrosis is a metabolic disorder (the disease often develops in overweight or obese people).
There are theories linking the development of primary gonarthrosis with family history, long-term use of hormonal drugs, etc. None of these theories has been fully proven.
Primary gonarthrosis most often affects both knee joints, i.e. is two-sided. However, the disease can begin as one-sided, affecting only the right or only the left joint. Over time, the second joint is also involved in the pathological process. Right- or left-sided gonarthrosis can be associated with physical work or sports. when there is increased load on the right or left knee.
Arthrosis of the knee joint 1st degree is one of the most common joint diseases. Fortunately, it occurs in a fairly mild form. And the percentage of complete recovery from this illness is high. In this article we will look at the symptoms of arthrosis of the knee joint of the 1st degree and talk about treatment methods.
With gonarthrosis, the previously mobile joint loses flexibility and elasticity. Gradually it becomes very thin, delaminates, and cracks appear on it.
At the initial stage, the gaps in the joint narrow, the edges of its surface become sharper, and mobility is slightly limited. Cartilage tissue becomes soft.
In the future, microcracks and cysts may appear, which impedes mobility. These are signs of the second degree of arthrosis of the knee joint.
Interestingly, the main cause of the disease is excessive physical activity. Gonarthrosis especially often affects those who take on increased loads that are not appropriate for their age.
In addition, injuries, dislocations, and fractures lead to the appearance and development of the disease. As a result, the knee may no longer fully bend and become significantly deformed. All this leads to poor circulation and the occurrence of arthrosis. The disease usually develops over a long period of time—3-5 years.
However, unpleasant consequences can occur even earlier. For example, with an 80% probability this disease occurs after damage and subsequent removal of the meniscus. This situation is typical for athletes.
Arthrosis also occurs in people who are overweight. This negatively affects the joints to such an extent that it leads to surgery. People with congenital damage to joints and bones also often suffer from arthrosis.
Arthrosis of the first degree of the knee joint does not occur overnight. As already mentioned, it can develop over several years. Sometimes people confuse the first symptoms of the disease with simple fatigue and try to ignore them.
Signs of incipient arthrosis:
If treatment is not started in time, these symptoms gradually worsen - the knee begins to crack slightly, a slight swelling is detected near the joint, the leg muscles become slightly numb, and when hypothermia occurs, the joint ache.
If you detect at least one of these signs, you should immediately contact a specialist to prescribe treatment. This will help you regain lost health.
It is impossible to get rid of gonarthrosis in a short time. However, there are a number of measures that will help significantly alleviate your condition and prevent further development of the disease. The main thing is to treat this disease comprehensively. This will help you achieve good results.
What is needed for recovery:
Corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory hormones, will help relieve inflammation in your joints. Usually the doctor prescribes a course of injections with these drugs directly into the knee or prescribes an ointment. Taking these medications internally can cause a number of side effects.
In order to improve the effect of treatment procedures, it is necessary to use non-drug methods of healing. These include manual therapy and gymnastics. For gonarthrosis, these measures give excellent results. For example, the physical training complex developed by Sergei Mikhailovich Bubnovsky has very good reviews. Of course, when taking the course, constant supervision by a specialist is important.
In addition, physical therapy provides quick results. Namely infrared laser therapy, ultrasound therapy, magnetic therapy, radon baths. However, it is not recommended to carry out such procedures during acute inflammation.
There are also preventive measures that help get rid of the problem. These include reducing the patient’s weight and reducing physical activity. As a result of these measures, the load on the knee joints is reduced.
During treatment, it is also important to adhere to a special diet. Completely eliminate processed foods, fast food, reduce the consumption of salt, sweets, flour and soda.
It is impossible to treat arthrosis entirely with folk remedies. But this method perfectly complements medications.
Here are some remedies you can take at home:
In addition, herbal remedies have a good effect in treating the disease. Herbal treatment cannot lead to any complications. Therefore, feel free to use decoctions and alcohol tinctures. Baths with herbs also help well. The preparations used in the treatment of arthrosis must certainly have an anti-inflammatory effect and relieve pain. These can be St. John's wort flowers, chamomile, calendula, burdock root, birch and nettle leaves, oak, willow or birch bark, as well as juniper needles and fruits.
If you choose the right treatment for arthrosis of the knee joint in a timely manner, the patient’s condition can significantly improve. At the first symptoms, you should consult a specialist. The main thing is to act comprehensively and not make the disease worse.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is a degenerative disease affecting the articular cartilage. It is impossible to completely get rid of the disease, but it is quite possible to stop its progression with proper and timely therapy.
The disease develops due to the fact that there is a disturbance in the nutrition of the articular cartilage, and over time, due to constant starvation, it begins to collapse and deform and can no longer perform its functions. Arthrosis of the knee joint ranks third among all types of arthrosis and is second only to a similar ailment of the hip joint and intervertebral joints. If the patient seeks medical help too late, surgical replacement of the joint with an artificial one is required to restore normal functioning of the knee. In addition to the fact that such an operation, like any other, is a strong stress for the body, you also have to pay for it yourself, since it is not included in the list of compulsory medical services provided free of charge. Considering this and the fact that without proper treatment, the progression of arthrosis of the knee joint occurs quickly, you should immediately seek medical help, even if the symptoms of the disease are mild.
There are many reasons for the occurrence of the disease, and this is precisely what explains its widespread occurrence. Doctors name the main provocateurs of the disease:
All of the above reasons are the main ones, but besides them, doctors count many more provocateurs of the disease, which are much less common, but also occur.
Since the disease develops acutely extremely rarely, its symptoms most often increase over a period of time. At the beginning of the disease they are not very pronounced, and therefore many patients simply ignore them, considering them insignificant and not posing a health hazard. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and it is from the first, albeit minor, symptoms that therapy should begin. This is the only way to keep the joint in working condition as much as possible. The main manifestations of the disease are:
Doctors today distinguish three degrees of the disease, depending on how badly the articular cartilage is damaged. Treatment with medications and various folk remedies is possible only in the first and second stages. When the disease progresses to stage 3, the only possible treatment is surgery. Below is a brief description of the degrees of arthrosis of the knee joint:
If at the first stage of the disease for some reason it is not possible to see a doctor, you should begin to use various folk remedies to treat the disease, which, no worse than medications, stop the pathological process and maintain the health of the knee joints.
In the case when any treatment for arthrosis is absent for a long time, the patient experiences various complications. Most often, doctors diagnose the following consequences of the disease:
Even if you consult a doctor late, it is possible to prevent the development of complications, but only if the patient strictly follows medical recommendations. Any violation of them leads to the futility of therapy and further aggravation of the condition of the joint.
Traditional folk remedies can be used as the main ones only at the initial stage of the disease, when the destruction of cartilage is minimal. If the disease is in a moderate or severe stage, folk therapy is just an auxiliary remedy.
In order to prevent the development of the disease and keep the knee joints in good shape, you should follow a few simple preventive rules. To prevent the disease, doctors recommend:
If, despite all preventive measures, you still cannot avoid the disease, you should urgently consult a doctor and undergo a full course of therapy, which will help prevent further development of the disease. If you ignore the body’s first signals about arthrosis, then severe consequences cannot be avoided.
Article by Dr. Evdokimenko© for the book “Pain in the Legs”, published in 2004. Edited in 2011 All rights reserved .
Other names for this disease: gonarthrosis, deforming arthrosis of the knee joint, according to the American classification - osteoarthritis of the knee joint
Women suffer from arthrosis of the knee joints somewhat more often than men. Arthrosis usually develops after forty years, although sometimes there are cases of “young” gonarthrosis - after injuries or in professional athletes.
Arthrosis of the knee joints most severe in obese women, as well as in those who have severe varicose veins in the legs.
The disease begins gradually, with minor pain in the knee when walking. The most difficult thing for patients is going up or down stairs. Pain also often occurs when a person needs to get up from a sitting position (from a chair or bed) - the first steps are usually the most painful. Then, if you move away, the pain in your knees decreases slightly. But when walking for a long time and after it, the pain returns again.
At rest, sitting and lying down, the pain usually goes away.
Note from Dr. Evdokimenko. The initial pain sensations with arthrosis of the knee joints (gonarthrosis) do not arise “in a second,” that is, they do not appear immediately, in one day. A period of intense pain with gonarthrosis is almost certainly preceded by a period of many months or even many years of mild pain that occurs exclusively during long walking, exertion, walking up the stairs or getting up from a chair. If the pain arose abruptly, in one day or, even more so, in one second, and there was no pain in the knee before, this usually indicates some other disease or injury. For example, a pinched meniscus, a pinched synovial membrane of a joint, or a piece of cartilage (chondromic body) getting between the cartilages of the knee.
Home » Phlebology » Bischofite in the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint
Bishofite is an oil derivative, a brine obtained during oil drilling. It gained its fame thanks to drillers who were the first to pay attention to its therapeutic effect on arthrosis of the fingers. While working in oil wells, drillers experienced resorption of arthrosis nodules on their hands due to constant contact with oil brine. Later it turned out that bischofite has a moderate anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, and also has a warming effect, causing a feeling of pleasant warmth.
In case of gonarthrosis, bischofite is most effective for the treatment of moderate deformities of the knee joint, provided that the disease occurs without symptoms of synovitis.
In this case, compresses with bischofite are done as follows: the sore joint is pre-warmed with a heating pad for 3-5 minutes. Then gauze soaked in bischofite brine is placed on it, and the gauze is covered with wax paper and cotton (flannel) cloth. This compress is kept all night and removed in the morning, after which the skin is washed with warm water. The usual course of treatment is 10-15 procedures performed every other day.
Medical bile is natural bile extracted from the gall bladders of cows or pigs. Bile has a resolving and warming effect and is used in the same cases as bischofite, but has some contraindications: it cannot be used for pustular skin diseases, inflammatory diseases of the lymph nodes and ducts, febrile conditions with increased body temperature.
In the absence of contraindications, compresses with bile are made as follows: 6 layers of gauze are soaked in the preparation, applied to the affected area, covered with wax paper, and a layer of cotton wool is placed on top of the paper and the whole thing is bandaged. Keep the compress for at least 2 hours. The procedure is carried out daily for 2-3 weeks.
Diseases of the lower extremities, more details.
Today, gonarthrosis is a fairly common pathology of the musculoskeletal system.
Most often, this disease is registered among professional athletes and people who are exposed to frequent physical activity. The risk group includes people with excess body weight, metabolic disorders, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, as well as the elderly.
Gonarthrosis of the knee joint is based on pathological changes in hyaline cartilage, which becomes thinner and destroyed, and therefore cannot sufficiently provide shock absorption and protection of the articular surfaces from friction during movement.
In addition, with this disease, calcium salts can be deposited in the soft tissues of the knee. This is accompanied by pain, stiffness of movement, and in the future, if no treatment is carried out, a complete blockade of the knee joint without the ability to move.
Since this disorder can cause disability, therapy should begin at the first manifestations of the disease. Therapeutic measures should be aimed at eliminating pain, improving the nutrition of cartilage tissue and its restoration. It is also necessary to improve blood circulation in the area of the sore joint and strengthen the muscles that surround it.
Before treatment, the diagnosis must be clearly established, so consultation with a doctor is required. Only after determining the etiology of gonarthrosis and clarifying the mechanisms of its development can effective therapy be carried out.
Among the drugs that are most often prescribed, the following groups should be distinguished:
Compresses have many advantages:
Compresses for arthrosis of the knee joint are most often made on the basis of bischofite, dimexide and medical bile. Phytocompresses and fat compresses are also used.
Most often, bischofite is used for compresses in the treatment of arthrosis - a natural material saturated with many microelements.
Before applying the compress, it is recommended to warm up the joint with a massage, a heating pad or a blue lamp. Then rub bischofite into the sore spot in a circular motion. The joint is wrapped in fabric soaked in bischofite and insulated.
It is best to do such compresses at night. Usually 2-3 courses are carried out, each of which includes 12-15 procedures. They are done once every 3 days. A two-month break is required between courses.
Compresses for arthrosis with bischofite are contraindicated if:
A gauze cloth soaked in a solution of dimexide (20 grams of the drug is dissolved in 250 milliliters of chilled boiled water) is applied to the affected joint and wrapped. Apply the compress to the knee for 20–60 minutes. Repeat the procedure daily for 3 weeks.
Such compresses with dimexide are contraindicated for:
Medical bile is made from cattle bile, adding antiseptic substances and stabilizers.
Gauze is soaked in bile and applied to the affected joint. For insulation, it is better to use fabric; cellophane can cause burns.
One of the most common diseases in our time is arthrosis of the knee joint, the treatment of which combines medications, therapeutic exercises and adherence to a proper diet. The main thing is that the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints is timely.
In women, arthrosis of the knee joint is observed many times more often than in men. As a rule, symptoms of the disease appear after forty years and are a consequence of age-related changes, but, for various reasons, they can develop earlier. The impetus for the development of the disease can be an injury or an inflammatory process as a result of it, as well as constant stress, for example, in people of such professions as a dancer or a football player.
People suffering from arthrosis, for the most part, find it difficult to “disperse” in the morning, getting up after sleep, or after sitting for a long time. With difficulty walking a little, it becomes easier, the pain subsides, but over time, the disease progresses. The pain intensifies and does not go away, most often concentrating on the inside of the knee.
At first, the bone tissue of the knee is not too deformed, but the joint swells due to synovitis (abnormal fluid that accumulates in the knee).
In the future, a feeling of pain in the knee joint occurs even with minimal load. After resting, it goes away, but with the next load, it returns again. When the knee joint is in motion, a crunching sensation is felt, which intensifies as the disease progresses. It becomes more and more difficult for a person to bend his leg at the knee.
Symptoms of the third stage of the disease are characterized by pain even in a calm state and poor circulation. The joint begins to “twist”. At this stage, the functioning of the joint becomes minimal. The patient moves on bent legs, deformation of the knee joints occurs, and the gait becomes uncertain.
Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joints is a difficult, long process that is not limited to taking medications, but requires an integrated approach.
Treatment of the knee joint with folk remedies should begin only after an accurate diagnosis has been made. The use of folk remedies will help heal joints and relieve pain.
Unfortunately, over time, the number of people suffering from diseases
musculoskeletal system, grows at high speed. Medicine is increasingly diagnosing diseases such as arthritis or arthrosis. Arthrosis occurs more often in older people, as a disease that is caused by wear and tear of the joints and, subsequently, their deformation.
The deposition of salts in the joint can cause a chronic inflammatory process - arthritis.
People suffering from these diseases - rheumatists - characterize the disease simply as pain in the knee or elbow joint and in practice use folk remedies to treat the knee joint.
The symptoms of these diseases are very similar and are generally even mutually characteristic for both arthritis and arthrosis. In this regard, it is extremely important to establish an accurate diagnosis; the effectiveness of treatment depends on this. Before starting treatment for the disease, you should take an x-ray or tomogram, however, if you decide to do this with medication, your doctor will definitely prescribe such an examination.
During long-term treatment with medication, in order to avoid side effects (stomach ulcers, stomach pain, bleeding), some breaks in taking medications should be taken. To maintain the healing process, we recommend continuing treatment of the knee joint with folk remedies during these periods of time. At this stage of recovery, your doctor may simultaneously prescribe physical procedures - heating, electrophoresis, therapeutic effects of cold.
Treatment of the inflammatory process of the knee joint will significantly accelerate the restoration of “healthy” metabolic processes of the entire human body. To do this, it is necessary to establish some limitation in the variety of food consumed during treatment. Limit your salt intake as much as possible and practice therapeutic fasting for some time.
It is recommended to consume large amounts of so-called calcined cottage cheese. It is not difficult to prepare: take 0.5 liters of milk, heated to a temperature of 46 degrees, add 1.5 tablespoons of calcium chloride to it (can be purchased at any pharmacy). As soon as the milk curdles, immediately remove it from the heat and let it cool.
Then stir and place everything on a sieve, having first covered the sieve with a piece of gauze. We also cover the top of the curd with a piece of gauze and leave it overnight so that all the liquid can drain from the curd. The next morning, your cottage cheese is ready and you can eat it. The number of appointments is not limited, even every day.
• Baths with essential oils (calendula, eucalyptus or St. John's wort) will have a good anti-inflammatory effect.
• Treatment of the knee joint with folk remedies involves the preparation and use of various ointments. For example: beat one egg yolk, add a teaspoon of turpentine, one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and mix all ingredients well until a homogeneous mass is formed. Rub the resulting ointment into sore spots.
• It is recommended to rub sore joints with lemon juice daily. The duration of treatment with lemon is one month.
• Tincture of birch buds will help in the treatment of arthritis of the knee joint. Collect fresh birch buds in the spring - 20 g and fill them with 100 g of alcohol, let them brew for 20 days in a dark place. After which, strain the infusion. Take 20-30 drops, diluted in a tablespoon of water three times a day internally or used as an infusion for rubbing externally.
• Lingonberry decoction will also help relieve pain in the knee joint. Preparation: pour two teaspoons of lingonberry leaves into 200 ml of water, boil for 15 minutes. After cooling, the broth must be strained and drunk throughout the day.
• Beans - 20 chopped pods, pour 1 liter of water, boil over low heat for 40 minutes. Cool and take 100 ml 3-4 times a day.
• Treatment with burdock leaves. Wash 7-8 leaves of the plant with water, wipe dry, stack them on top of each other, place a pan of boiling water on top. After some time, smear the sore joint with vegetable oil and apply a stack of burdocks with the fluffy side to the joint. Cover the compress with cellophane and secure with a bandage or scarf.
• You can apply a compress of raw potatoes in the same way. The potatoes are peeled, minced through a meat grinder, slightly heated, placed in a linen or cotton bag, which is secured to the joint in the manner described above.
This compress is best used at night; it will keep your knee joint warm throughout the night. The course of treatment is one week, of course, every day - a freshly prepared compress.
Treatment of the knee joint with folk remedies in alternation with a complex of drug treatments will maximally help eliminate the patient’s discomfort, reduce pain, and stop or eliminate the inflammatory process in the joint.
Arthrosis of the knee joint is a common pathology that affects the musculoskeletal system and is the main cause of disability in the population. Women and men in old age are more often affected by the disease. However, it can also affect young people who play sports professionally.
It is necessary to treat arthrosis of the knee joint in a timely manner using complex methods, since there are no uniform standards of therapy.
Each patient receives an individual treatment regimen based on the severity and stage of the pathology, as well as the severity of symptoms and syndromes, and the degree of knee deformity.
As a rule, the duration of therapeutic action for such a diagnosis is quite long. For an effective result, you will need to use several methods at once, and it is important to resort to treatment at the initial stage.
The most effective methods of treating arthrosis are medications, as well as exercise therapy and massage. The use of mud therapy, acupuncture, and physiotherapeutic procedures refers to auxiliary therapy. In the most severe situations, surgery is prescribed.
The main method of treating gonarthrosis is medication. They are used at different stages of the disease and are aimed at restoring the physiological functions of the knee joint and preventing signs of pathology.
Thanks to the timely use of medications, it is possible to avoid severe destruction of the cartilage and joint, as well as stop the extensive progression of the disease, and eliminate further surgical intervention.
Basically, the following groups of medications are prescribed to treat knee arthrosis:
The best proven non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are: Diclofenac, Dimixidine, Nimesin, Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen and others.
Such medications are used orally, topically in the form of gels and ointments, and also parenterally as intramuscular injections, which can quickly relieve pain in the knee and somewhat improve its motor function.
The course of therapy with these drugs is no more than 14 days; they are prescribed by a doctor after a series of medical studies in a certain dose, since they have contraindications. They are prohibited from use by patients suffering from hypersensitivity, diseases of the digestive tract, hypertension, pregnant and lactating women.
Effective representatives are Hydrocortisone, Flosteron, Diprospan and others. These drugs should be used carefully, under the supervision of a specialist, only in acute arthrosis. Because hormones often have side effects and negatively affect health if used incorrectly.
During treatment, medications are prescribed for internal use. They are introduced into the cavity of the damaged joint approximately once every 10 days using injections.
Basically, chondroprotectors are prescribed to the patient as intra-articular injections, but they are also prescribed in the form of tablets, ointments and gels.
The drugs help to effectively relieve the symptoms of exacerbation and are prescribed at any time during the course of the pathology. The duration of use of chondroprotectors is on average 3-4 months and can reach 3 or more years.
After taking such medications, positive dynamics are observed, which can be observed on MRI and X-ray examination. Medicines are administered by a doctor in a hospital or hospital setting. Effective representatives include Dona, Adant, Fermatron, as well as combined chondroprotectors containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, such as Teraflex, Movex, Triactiv.
Hyaluronic acid helps create a special layer that protects the damaged joint and prevents friction and further destruction.
If it is not possible to cure arthrosis of the knee joint using traditional methods, they resort to surgery. At the moment, there are several methods that differ from each other in the degree of impact on the affected knee and use different medical devices.
Thanks to surgical treatment, the doctor can partially or completely restore the function of the knee joint. Before surgery, the patient undergoes a full examination, consisting of laboratory and instrumental studies. A general blood test, x-ray and ultrasound of the knee are performed.
In the treatment of gonarthrosis, the following types of surgery are distinguished:
After any surgical intervention, the patient is given certain recommendations on how to behave correctly and what should be done during the rehabilitation period. At first, it is advisable to wear special orthopedic shoes, visit sanatoriums and regularly, for a certain period of time, consult a doctor to fully evaluate the results of the operation.
Physiotherapy is considered important in the treatment of knee arthrosis. This technique, in addition to an additional method of therapy, is included as the main treatment of the disease, especially in the initial stages. Since the main goals pursued by physiotherapy are:
Depending on the therapeutic effect on the affected area, physiotherapy procedures are divided into analgesic, anti-inflammatory and normalizing blood flow and nutrition of the joint.
The most common treatment methods are shock wave therapy, infrared radiation, magnetic therapy, ultrasound treatment, therapeutic baths and some other physiotherapeutic manipulations.
To eliminate painful sensations, stop joint inflammation and further progression of pathology, traditional medicine recipes are widely used for gonarthrosis.
As a therapy, the focus is on medicinal plants, from which infusions and tinctures, decoctions and homemade ointments are obtained.
Alcohol and water extracts of herbs are made from dandelion, cinquefoil, burdock and calendula.
Warming compresses made from horseradish root and hot sand are also in great demand. Salt and clay are used for lotions. Mustard, propolis and honey are often used to make homemade ointments.
Traditional recipes should be used after consultation with a doctor, as there may be contraindications.
Unconventional remedies, which are based on the following methods, are becoming increasingly popular in the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint:
Massage and manual therapy have somewhat similar therapeutic effects. They are both aimed at relieving pain, improving joint trophism, accelerating blood flow in the knee area and restoring its motor function.
Such techniques are performed in the clinic by a certain specialist who, through manual treatment or massage, uses the active points of the body and helps in curing the disease.
For effective results, the procedures are repeated several times over a period of time. There are short intervals between courses.
Manual therapy for patients with gonarthrosis is calculated based on 3-4 sessions per year, and each course includes 3-4 sessions.
The main method of treating gonarthrosis is physical education. With its help, it is possible to speed up blood circulation, strengthen the muscle frame and properly develop the limb for subsequent movement.
In order for gymnastics to bring only positive results, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
The exercises are done in a special rehabilitation center under the watchful supervision of a doctor.
When prescribing a course of therapy for arthrosis of the knee joint, doctors attach special importance to proper nutrition. The main rules of the diet for this disease are maintaining an adequate caloric intake. The patient's menu should include a sufficient amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins.
Products that must be present in the patient’s diet include:
It is advisable to exclude fast food products, fatty and fried foods, salty foods, and alcohol from the menu. Sweets and baked goods are limited.
Prevention of arthrosis of the knee joints includes the following rules: