Osteoarthritis of the 2nd degree of the knee joint is a deforming type of disease, which is a lesion of cartilage tissue, accompanied by severe symptoms. Discomfort in the area of the affected knee is constantly felt, regardless of the lifestyle and age of the patient, which is not observed at the initial stage of the disease. Flexion and extension of the leg is not easy, which significantly slows down the gait.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee joint:
An x-ray image clearly shows a narrowing of the articular cavity, bone growths and thickening of the bone. This stage of the disease, due to the severity of the symptoms, forces a patient with osteoarthritis of the knee region to consult a doctor for help.
Degenerative-dystrophic processes in the area of cartilage and bone tissue move from the initial stage to the second. The progression of the disease occurs due to the following reasons:
Osteoarthritis of the 2nd degree of the knee joint is accompanied by the appearance of scattered foci of destruction in the meniscus area, thinning of cartilage tissue, loss of its strength and elasticity. The progression of this condition leads to the complete disappearance of cartilage and the development of osteophytic growths and osteosclerosis in the area of the subchondral part of the bone.
When a deforming degree of the disease develops, treatment should be carried out immediately, which helps to cope with pain, difficulty bending the knee and reducing crunching in them.
Gonarthrosis is a common chronic disease that has a devastating effect on the knee joint and the tissue that surrounds it. Pathology provokes degenerative changes in the knee hyaline cartilage. It loses its functionality and strength.
Against the background of osteoarthritis, the normal supply of cartilage cells with the required amount of nutrients is disrupted. At the last stage of the disease, the cartilage disappears completely and the joint becomes immobile.
The physiological cause of the disease in question is the appearance of certain spines on the surface of the bone, which contributes to subsequent pathological deformation of the knee itself.
Why does deforming osteoarthritis develop? Deforming osteoarthritis is a pathological progression of dystrophic changes in the bone joint associated with primary damage to the cartilage. The disease can lead to degeneration of the entire osteoarticular system.
Doctors distinguish between external and internal factors that provoke this disease. The main causes of deforming osteoarthritis include:
The second degree of gonarthrosis is characterized by prolonged pain in the flexion area of the joint. In this case, the patient may experience evening and night cramps. The integrity of the joint itself is gradually compromised, and “bumps” form. Periodically there is a feeling of incapacity of the knee. Persistent swelling develops. Gymnastics does not improve the patient's condition.
If the symptoms described above occur, it is recommended to consult with an orthopedist, therapist or surgeon. A patient with similar symptoms is prescribed the following diagnosis:
Additionally, the patient is recommended to undergo:
Before undergoing drug therapy, experts recommend that patients reduce the load on the knee joint area by using additional support when walking, limiting the duration of standing, and lifting heavy objects. Drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint are prescribed according to the causes of the disease.
With the help of drug treatment, you can not only eliminate the pain syndrome, but also control the inflammatory process that provokes the pain. During periods of acute pain, it is recommended to use Diprospan, Triamcinolone or Hydrocortisone.
Chondroprotectors are usually administered intra-articularly or intramuscularly, the most effective of which are Glucosamine, hyaluronic acid and Chondrotin sulfate. The effectiveness of such treatment depends on the correct diagnosis, correct dosage, concomitant treatment and the patient’s responsible attitude to the doctor’s recommendations.
Gymnastics for osteoarthritis of the knee joint is an excellent addition to drug therapy, which helps develop joints, giving them more elasticity. Sets of exercises must be performed regularly, but only in a sitting or lying position, to avoid stress on the knee joints. When performing gymnastic exercises, there should be no pain, as this can aggravate the disease. Gymnastics is much easier and more effective for the first degree of osteoarthritis.
Gymnastics is prescribed only during remission of the disease, during a period when pain subsides and is carried out only under the supervision of experienced instructors or doctors. Before starting physical exercise sessions, it is necessary to visit a physiotherapist who will consult the patient about the stage of the disease and the characteristics of gymnastic exercises.
In combination with the above-described methods of treating gonarthrosis, the patient is prescribed:
In severe cases, surgical treatment is indicated. Patients with the disease in question are recommended to perform low-intensity and short-term physical exercise. After charging, you need to rest.
To relieve excess stress on the knees, orthopedic correction is indicated. To carry it out, the following means are used:
If the above methods of therapy are ineffective and there is a risk of grade 3 gonarthrosis, surgery is indicated. More often, arthroscopy is performed - a mini-surgical intervention for which small punctures are made.
An endoscope is inserted into the affected joint. It transmits a video image about the condition of the cartilage. Using this technique, the doctor diagnoses the degree of dysfunction, concentrates the inflammation, cutting through the external destruction of the joint tissue with small blades.
Rarely does a patient have a knee prosthesis inserted. If the natural knee joint is unsuitable, it is replaced with an artificial one. But after such an intervention, long-term rehabilitation is indicated.
In combination with the treatment methods described above, folk remedies are used. With their help, cartilage and bone tissue is maintained and strengthened. Before using any folk remedy, it is recommended to consult with your doctor.
The following decoctions help with gonarthrosis:
When the knee joint is damaged, compresses help:
You can rub an ointment made from salt and mustard into the affected joint. For better effects, warm paraffin is added to the composition. For arthrosis, it is recommended to take a bath with turpentine and sea salt.
If you start grade 2 osteoarthritis of the knee joint, the pain will intensify and the patient’s normal lifestyle will be disrupted. This can lead to various complications, including disability. To reduce the likelihood of developing this pathology, it is recommended to monitor your weight and lifestyle. Do not lift weights that overload your legs.
Orthopedists advise you to perform daily physical exercises that help strengthen the body and its resistance to osteoarthritis.
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Deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint, also called gonarthrosis, is a degenerative-dystrophic disease of the knee joint.
The knee joint is under almost constant pressure, since it must support the entire weight of the body while ensuring sufficient mobility of the legs. Over time, the hyaline cartilage begins to gradually thin out, which ensures the mobility of the joint surfaces and their shock absorption. When it disappears completely, the bone is exposed, which then begins to grow, forming exostoses (spines). As a result of these changes, the knee becomes deformed.
Patients often call this disease “salt deposition,” although in fact calcium salts have nothing to do with this disease, so this name is erroneous.
In general, this disease is considered to be age-related; people whose age has exceeded 40 years are especially susceptible to it, and women are affected approximately twice as often as men. It is believed that up to 20 percent of all people suffer from this disease in one form or another .
In general, there are primary and secondary forms of gonarthrosis.
The causes of the primary form are not exactly known; the most common version suggests that the disease occurs as a result of too much stress on the joint and age-related changes.
The secondary form of the disease usually develops in people who have had various injuries to the knee joint or have suffered other diseases.
In general, it is assumed that the appearance of deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint can be caused by the following factors:
The symptoms of this disease are quite simple and understandable, and the strength of their manifestation directly depends on the severity and stage of the disease. Typically this disease manifests itself:
At the same time, the symptoms appear weakly at first, so in most cases the person simply ignores them. But in later stages of the disease, treatment becomes more complicated, even requiring surgical intervention.
Let's figure out what are the stages of development of osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
At this stage, the disease manifests itself very weakly, so many patients simply ignore the symptoms of the disease. There is a feeling of tightness under the knee joint. Difficulties appear when walking after a prolonged stay in a static position (sleep, for example, or after a long stay in a sitting position), but the pain quickly subsides after a short movement (when the person “disperses”). There is also minor pain and discomfort after prolonged standing or physical activity.
At this stage of the disease, there are no deforming changes yet, joint mobility remains normal.
At first, the symptoms of osteoarthritis appear weakly, and patients ignore them
The symptoms become more pronounced, and many people are beginning to pay attention to them and are thinking about going to the doctor. Unfortunately, for many, everything stops at thoughts about treatment, and things don’t go further (there is no time to go to the doctor, get treatment, etc.). Although it is at this stage that treatment can bring a very good effect and return a person to a full active life.
At this stage, the disease manifests itself as severe and prolonged pain inside the joint, with pain in the calves at night and in the evenings. Deformation of the joint also begins and quickly becomes noticeable. In this case, the degree of freedom of the knee joint (flexion-extension) is limited up to its complete immobility, swelling of the knee appears, and a crunching sensation is felt in the knee when walking.
This is the stage of an “advanced” disease, during which the pain becomes permanent and becomes very long-lasting, while the pain does not subside in any position (when walking, standing, sitting, when the leg is at rest, during sleep). Sensitivity to changes in weather conditions appears.
The deformation of the joint begins to progress and can be easily seen with the naked eye. For this reason, lameness appears, the mobility of the joint is severely limited, to the point that the knee cannot be bent even at a right angle.
Treatment of this disease can be carried out using both conservative and surgical methods. The treatment method is selected depending on the severity of the disease, what the clinical picture is, what the individual indications and condition of the patient are. Treatment is carried out by a traumatologist-orthopedist.
First of all, the patient is prescribed drug therapy. Usually the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which should relieve inflammation and pain in the joint. In the acute phase of the disease, when gonarthrosis is complicated by synovitis (thinning of cartilage), intra-articular corticosteroids can be prescribed.
To support joint function, chondroprotectors are prescribed, which are used as a course of treatment.
If necessary, analgesics can also be prescribed to relieve pain, but the patient should not forget that the disease cannot be treated with medications alone.
Medication methods are designed to relieve pain and inflammation and maintain the condition of the cartilage. But they are not able to restore joint mobility.
As the cartilage protection disappears, the sick person begins to feel serious pain with any load on the joint. As a result, a person begins to “protect” the joint in order to avoid pain, and this inevitably leads to physical inactivity. It is physical inactivity that ultimately causes ligament weakness and muscle atrophy. Therefore, during an exacerbation of the disease, the patient is given a position that should ensure maximum unloading of the joint and peace. A few days after the pain and inflammation have been relieved, it is necessary to begin moving the joint.
The physical therapy complex for this disease lasts for several purposes. Its main task is to restore joint mobility and range of motion in it. After this, they begin to increase endurance and muscle strength. The last stage of exercise therapy is aerobic training. Only after completing such a course can you begin other methods of treatment.
The most difficult task in physical therapy is dosing the load. The problem is that, on the one hand, it is necessary to protect the diseased joint and not overload it, as this threatens to worsen the disease. And an exacerbation will inevitably lead to bed rest, as a result of which everything will have to start all over again. On the other hand, it is simply impossible to achieve a good effect from short-term physical activity.
We invite you to watch a video from which you will learn what exercises you need to perform for gonarthrosis:
After completing treatment, the patient must understand that he will have to live with this problem joint, he must be taken into account, which means he needs to radically change his lifestyle. Physical activity must be properly combined with the joint unloading regime.
That is why the task of exercise therapy is to accustom a person to physical activity, a healthy lifestyle, develop a new motor stereotype, and teach exercises to perform independently.
Surgical treatment of gonarthrosis is carried out using endoscopic therapeutic and diagnostic surgery - arthroscopy. During the operation, the most complete diagnosis of the disease is carried out, the condition of the joint is determined, and destroyed elements of the menisci, cartilage and other damaged structures are removed from the joint.
If the disease has taken an advanced form (stage 3 of the disease, the symptoms of which are described above), the doctor may recommend joint replacement. In this case, the diseased joint will be replaced with an artificial implant, which is called an endoprosthesis. Such endoprostheses are made from various materials - titanium, steel or polyethylene, and they last quite a long time (20-30 years), guaranteeing the preservation of a normal life for the patient.
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Read about the treatment of grade 2 osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
Quite often a person does not pay attention to the signs of the onset of the disease.
And then severe pain begins, stiffness in the joints, and, like a bolt from the blue, the diagnosis: arthrosis.
Deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint of the 2nd degree cannot be treated with the means offered by traditional medicine, and medications can only reduce pain for a while. It is for this reason that rheumatologists recommend special physical exercises, physiotherapy, vasodilators, massages, etc.
The most effective among medications are chondoprotectors, i.e. drugs that restore cartilage and joints. Be sure to use medications that contain: chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, etc.
Depending on the patient’s condition, the doctor may recommend massage sessions, laser treatments, ointments and compresses. So-called “blockades” are also used, i.e. injection of medication directly into the joint.
When the acute inflammation passes, the patient is recommended to:
It is important to remember that this disease is chronic and takes a long time to cure. And therefore you need to constantly monitor your condition.
Traditional methods of treating grade 2 osteoarthritis of the knee joint can only help at the very beginning of the disease, when there are no strong inflammatory and deforming processes yet. It is impossible to cure arthrosis with folk remedies. But it is possible to alleviate the general condition and reduce pain. There are a great many recipes for herbal mixtures, rubs, and compresses on the Internet.
For example, you can make compresses from paraffin with additives, take a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar 3 times a day, drink more tomato juice.
After the crisis inflammation has passed, doctors prescribe physical therapy. Exercises are selected strictly individually by a specialist.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is the most common disease that affects the joints, causing their destruction and therefore the disease requires immediate treatment.
It is also called arthrosis. It occurs in almost every third person at various stages.
The more advanced the disease, the more severe the destruction processes in the joints. Arthrosis has 4 degrees of development.
Among the many reasons for the development of arthrosis, the consequences of injuries take precedence. Injuries cause irreparable harm to joints and their cartilage. Damage to articular tissues often leads to irreversible processes in them.
Congenital defects in the joints also lead to the development of osteoarthritis. They are the second most common cause of the disease. If a child was born with defects in joint tissue or other abnormalities in the bone structure, he will be at risk.
The third most “popular” cause of the disease is obesity. When the weight is above the maximum norm, the load on the knee joints increases, and regeneration is impossible.
Another cause of knee joint problems is infection. Inflammation caused by infections can also lead to arthrosis. This is facilitated by autoimmune dysfunction, some disorders of the body’s endocrine system, as well as rheumatoid arthritis, staphylococcus, syphilis, etc. The development of arthrosis can also be caused by an encephalitis tick.
Heavy physical work can also provoke the development of pathology.
It is also caused by intoxication with substances harmful to the body. These include not only nicotine and alcoholic beverages, but also medications used without control and consultation with a doctor.
Classification of pathology by degree of progression is based on the general picture of development and radiographic studies. Experts distinguish three degrees.
Stage 1 is distinguished by not very pronounced features:
It is possible to determine that a person has arthrosis only after radiography.
Stage 2 osteoarthritis of the knee joint is characterized by severe pain in the joint, which is accompanied by limited mobility. It becomes difficult to move. There is heaviness and aching. The joint space is greatly narrowed, and the cartilage tissue is greatly thinned.
Stage 3 refers to advanced forms, often burdened with other complications. At this stage of development of the disease, the joint is severely deformed, movements are minimal or even impossible due to acute pain. Stage 3 of arthrosis development makes a person disabled. The processes occurring in tissues are already irreversible.
Stage 4, which is accompanied by complete blocking of the joint. Painkillers are no longer useful here. Only surgery can help at stage 4 of development. This is, in principle, not even a disease, but complete destruction of the joint. It is promptly replaced with an implant.
Since complete relief of the disease is possible only in the first two stages, it is worth dwelling on them in more detail.
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The progression of stage 2 arthrosis can be judged by:
To accurately diagnose the extent of the disease, the patient undergoes an x-ray of the knees. It is characterized by narrowed joint spaces and bone growths along the edges.
But you can determine this yourself, without a doctor or x-ray. Why?
But because this stage is characterized by such features that are very difficult to confuse with others:
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A very similar disease in terms of symptoms and causes is deforming arthrosis. This is a chronic joint disease, which is based on the gradual destruction of cartilage, leading to degeneration of the bone surface and joint deformation. This disease is of primary and secondary types. The first type begins development in normally functioning cartilage after extreme loads. In the second type, the process occurs in already damaged articular cartilage.
Symptoms of deforming osterarthrosis:
This type of arthrosis most often affects women over 40 years of age who are overweight. The disease is usually accompanied by varicose veins, spinal dysfunction and some other complications.
The cause of arthrosis is a change in the cartilage tissue of the joint. In complex therapy of the disease, properly selected and organized nutrition can be of great help in alleviating the patient’s condition. When preparing a diet, the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the daily diet is reviewed.
The daily diet should provide the human body with vitamins, minerals and microelements, proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
When solving the problem of providing the body with a sufficient amount of protein, it is worth giving preference to proteins of plant and dairy origin, while reducing the consumption of meat products.
Proteins are an important component necessary for tissue regeneration, including knee joint cartilage.
Products that meet protein needs:
Fats must be present in the diet. Their deficiency will negatively affect metabolism, causing it to slow down. The result will be weight gain and increased stress on the joint.
The diet includes:
It is not recommended to indulge in lard and cakes with whipped cream.
Carbohydrates are a source of energy necessary for all physiological processes occurring in the body.
The diet includes sources of complex carbohydrates: fruits and vegetables. Due to their slow breakdown, they are absorbed gradually and do not have time to go into fat deposits.
Limit the consumption of sugar and pastry products.
B vitamins are of particular value for arthrosis of the knee joint.
A large amount is contained in:
For better absorption of nutrients, you should give preference to stewed, boiled and steamed dishes.
At the same time, one of the goals of the diet for arthrosis of the knee joint is to combat extra pounds in overweight patients. This is necessary to relieve stress from the sore joint.
To successfully fight extra pounds, pork and lamb are replaced with poultry or rabbit meat. Vegetable protein is used in legumes. To lose weight, avoid fried and smoked foods. Meals are small, frequent, up to five times a day in small portions. It is worth avoiding eating before bedtime.
Carrying out fasting fruit or vegetable days has a positive effect.
Fasting is possible only in a medical facility under the strict supervision of doctors.
For osteoarthritis, the following are strictly prohibited:
With this pathology, it is necessary to monitor the water-salt state. This is achieved by including a sufficient amount of liquid in the diet in the form of compotes and jelly juices.
Sugary drinks and sodas are prohibited.
It is better to exclude coffee from the diet, since, having a diuretic effect, it helps to wash calcium from the bones.
Traditional medicine for osteoarthritis of the knee joint, as well as for many other diseases, is not the only method of treatment. In no case do they replace the main prescriptions of the attending physician.
Their use is possible as an addition to the main therapy.
The yolk of one egg is mixed with a teaspoon of turpentine and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. The resulting liquid is rubbed into the area of the affected joint at night and wrapped in a woolen scarf. In the morning the bandage is removed. The remaining product is thoroughly washed off with water. Rubbing is repeated after three to four days until a lasting positive effect appears.
Honey, glycerin, ethyl alcohol and iodine solution are mixed in equal quantities. The resulting mixture is infused in a dark place for several hours. Using a cotton swab, apply the prepared mixture to the joint area with movements from top to bottom.
Five tablespoons of oatmeal are poured with boiling water and simmered over low heat for about seven minutes until a viscous mass is obtained. After the oatmeal has cooled, it is spread on a piece of natural fiber cloth and applied to the affected joint, covered with plastic and bandaged. The compress is left overnight.
These measures will help you get rid of extra pounds.
Movements in the knee joint will provide nutrition to the articular cartilage due to the active circulation of synovial fluid around it:
Grade 1 deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint is a disease in which the cartilage tissue lining the inner surface of the joint is destroyed. Cartilage performs the function of shock absorption when a person moves in space, holding the body in an upright position. The pathology is chronic.
The pathogenesis of pathological changes in the joint is as follows. With age, and with increased physical activity, cartilage tissue begins to break down. A deficiency of proteoglycans occurs, chondrocytes die due to lack of nutrients, and intra-articular tissue changes its properties. The cartilage becomes less elastic and more rigid, rough. When moving, additional trauma to the cartilage tissue and other parts of the joint occurs, and hard growths appear - osteophytes. These processes provoke inflammatory processes in the joint capsule, which negatively affect the cartilage tissue. It turns out to be a kind of vicious circle.
A feature of grade 1 DOA of the hip joint is:
The main cause of the disease is physical stress on the joint. There are a number of factors that provoke the development of arthrosis of the hip joints:
Doctors distinguish 2 types of coxarthrosis – primary and secondary. The first develops on a previously healthy joint, the second as a result of injury, increased load, inflammatory processes in the joint, and endocrine changes in the body.
Diagnosis of the disease is difficult due to the similarity of symptoms with other pelvic pathologies, since the only symptom is often pain during physical activity. At rest it subsides. In the first stage, patients rarely see a doctor.
Diagnostic measures are as follows:
Deforming osteoarthritis is included in the list of diseases for which disability is issued. The patient is assigned a group depending on the severity of changes in the articular surfaces.
At this stage, treatment of grade 1 DOA of the hip joint is carried out with conservative medications. Hospitalization is indicated in rare cases. Treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis.
The general method of treating arthrosis of the hip joint is as follows:
Traditional medicine recipes are aimed at symptomatic treatment, but they cannot eliminate the cause of the development of deforming coxarthrosis. The use of such therapies should be discussed with your doctor. They can only be used as auxiliary procedures. The main emphasis is on drug treatment.
What herbalists offer:
When treating coxarthrosis with traditional methods, you should not expect quick results. This is a slow adjuvant therapy.
The use of physical therapy can improve blood supply to joint tissues. This helps maintain range of motion and improve nutrition of the joints, and therefore the condition of the cartilage.
General recommendations for exercise therapy for coxarthrosis:
Currently, various doctors have developed specialized physical methods for the treatment of joint diseases - the Bubnovsky, Gitt, Evdokimenko methods. But first of all, you should start physical therapy under the supervision of a specialist.
Coxarthrosis is easier to prevent than to treat. Prevention measures are similar to recommendations for preventing the development of dystrophic processes in other joints.
What the experts offer:
A diagnosis of first degree DOA is not a death sentence, but an incentive to work on yourself and your own health. At this stage, coxarthrosis is successfully treated. Therefore, if you have incomprehensible pain or discomfort in the pelvic area, consult a doctor and do not bring yourself to the point of disability.
Deforming arthrosis of the knee joint is a very common disease that can occur in both young and elderly people. The fact is that the knee is considered one of the most mobile and loaded parts of the support system. Over time, the tissue wears out, and pain and stiffness appear in the affected joint. Treatment of the disease should be mandatory.
Arthrosis of the knee joint is characterized by the development of degenerative and dystrophic processes within it. The cartilage tissue is gradually destroyed. Untimely treatment leads to joint deformation and inability to move normally. In addition, due to the destruction of cartilage, the body turns on the immune response and begins to grow bone tissue - osteophytes. This further limits the functionality of the knee.
This disease is constantly progressing. Its treatment is necessary in order to stop further deformation of the joint. If the therapy was incorrect or untimely, then arthrosis will deform the knee joint, after which it will no longer be possible to change anything.
To treat and prevent diseases of the BACK and JOINTS, our readers use the increasingly popular method of rapid and non-surgical treatment, recommended by leading orthopedists. After carefully reviewing it, we decided to offer it to your attention.
So, deforming arthrosis of the knee can be provoked by completely different factors, but the risk group includes people with a hereditary predisposition to diseases of the supporting apparatus, and with excessive body weight. Too much weight aggravates the condition of the joints. Moreover, deforming arthrosis of the knee can be unilateral or bilateral.
The following reasons can provoke knee joint disease:
These reasons cause defarthrosis even in youth. Naturally, treatment of all these pathological conditions will help to significantly slow down the development of the disease.
The following symptoms are typical for deforming arthrosis of the knee joint:
Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences Sergei Mikhailovich Bubnovsky tells how to distinguish the disease we are interested in from other similar ones in the program “About the Most Important Thing”:
It should be noted that each stage of the disease has its own symptoms. For example, the nature of the pain can be different:
Each degree of knee joint disease is characterized by an intensification of the main manifestations.
Defarthrosis in this case is practically not noticed by the patient, since the symptoms and signs are practically not felt. Mild pain in the knee may only appear with intense movement. That is, the patient cannot yet suspect that he is developing arthrosis.
Even slight stiffness in the joint is not alarming. There is virtually no inflammation or acute onset of the disease. This stage is characterized by the accumulation of a small amount of synovial fluid, so the appearance of a Becker cyst is possible. However, most patients, even in this case, do not see a doctor.
Despite the fact that the cartilage is already undergoing pathological changes, they are not so serious as to deform the knee joint. At this stage of the disease, even X-ray examination does not always show any destruction. Therefore, additional instrumental diagnostic methods will be required.
Treatment of this stage of the disease is carried out not only with the help of anti-inflammatory drugs, but also with therapeutic exercises. Motor activity must be maintained so that the joint produces synovial fluid that nourishes cartilage and other tissues.
Associate Professor of the Department of Neurology and Manual Therapy of KSMA Olga Sergeevna Kochergina shares her knowledge about the disease:
The second stage of arthrosis of the knee joint is characterized by increased pain, which sometimes impairs the ability to work, although the person can care for himself. This degree of gonarthrosis already forces a person to see a doctor.
The emerging symptoms disrupt the patient’s normal life, as the pain becomes almost constant and occurs with any even slight movement. It only calms down when at rest. It is especially difficult for the patient to take his first steps after waking up in the morning. Since at this stage of the disease the osteophytes grow quite strongly, this increases the discomfort. Sometimes the pain appears even at night, disrupting sleep. The man begins to limp.
The knee bends and straightens with difficulty, and swelling appears in the affected area. The muscles of the joint go into spasm. The second degree of gonarthrosis is characterized by the development of an inflammatory process. The limitation in mobility becomes very noticeable. The patient practically cannot walk without additional orthopedic devices.
Treatment of deforming arthrosis in this case is carried out using various methods: drug therapy, therapeutic massage and physical education, physiotherapeutic procedures. Complex cases require surgical intervention. Further development of the disease is fraught with disability.
The pain in the knee joint becomes constant and does not disappear even at rest. Moreover, the unpleasant sensations intensify even with a sudden change in weather. Characteristic of this degree is gait disturbance. The lameness becomes very noticeable.
Swelling of the knee joint lasts quite a long time and is significantly expressed. The deformation of the joint becomes noticeable. It takes on an X- or O-shape. The mobility of the leg is very limited, to the point that it does not bend or extend at all. Even small movements are accompanied by an unpleasant crunch.
In this case, the cartilage is destroyed very much. The x-ray shows a strong narrowing of the interarticular space. Inflammation provokes a large accumulation of fluid inside the joint. This degree of the disease is distinguished by the fact that all symptoms intensify several times. Often, drug treatment is no longer effective; surgery is required to replace the knee joint with an artificial prosthesis.
Arthrosis cannot be completely cured. The degenerative process deforms the joint so much that the person may already become disabled.
In order for the doctor to prescribe effective treatment, the patient must be examined. It uses not only radiography, but also MRI, ultrasound, and arthroscopy of the knee joint, which can also serve as a treatment.
Leading researcher at the Institute of Rheumatology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Elena Sergeevna Tsvetkova, will share useful information with you about treatment and prevention:
Despite the fact that arthrosis cannot be completely cured, it should not be left to chance. You should try to slow down the development of the disease, eliminate the symptoms and restore the functionality of the joint.
Medication therapy involves the use of the following means:
Diet is considered part of complex treatment. It does not involve fasting or strict food restrictions. However, the diet should promote weight loss if necessary. That is, meals should be frequent and fractional. It is best to follow a diet that involves eating half of the foods raw. Naturally, you should give up alcohol and tobacco.
The use of medications is only part of the therapy. It is complemented by physiotherapeutic procedures, therapeutic exercises, massage and even folk remedies. As for exercise therapy, most exercises are performed in a lying or sitting position so that the load on the knee joint is minimal.
The most popular exercises are:
Each exercise is repeated at least 5 times. Moreover, gymnastics for gonarthrosis must be done very carefully so that it does not cause discomfort.
Laser therapy is a useful physiotherapeutic procedure. It is often more effective than medications. The laser perfectly relieves the inflammatory process. Oxygen therapy has excellent reviews.
In the most difficult cases, surgical intervention is used. Knee arthrosis should be treated in this way only in extreme cases. The operation involves removal of osteophytes, as well as complete replacement of the joint.
It will be effective to use shock wave therapy (SWT) when treating stages 2-3. How this process takes place at the medical center, watch the video:
Defarthrosis can also be treated with folk remedies. For example, the following recipes are considered useful:
An important step in the treatment of deforming knee arthrosis is sanatorium treatment. Here the patient will undergo a course of therapeutic aerobics and mineral baths. In addition, the treatment recommends the use of orthopedic devices that relieve the load on the damaged joint: canes, orthoses.
In any case, deforming arthrosis requires complex treatment. This will improve the patient's quality of life.
You can learn about the basics of exercise therapy for illness from this video: