Every year, more and more people are faced with such a disease as arthrosis of the knee joint - the treatment is long and complicated, and getting rid of this disease forever is almost impossible. The main task of the patient is to prevent the progression of the disease.
Classic medical treatments
Inflammatory processes occurring in the knee joint are terrible not only because of the appearance of pain. Especially dangerous are the destructive processes occurring in the tissues, the consequences of which are such that the organ cannot always be restored. Therefore, the treatment of arthrosis involves complex therapy. It should start on time and be done under strict medical supervision.
The action of the prescribed medical care is aimed at eliminating pain, adequately nourishing the cartilage and accelerating the regeneration process. In addition, the therapy improves blood circulation in the affected joint, strengthens the adjacent muscles, and also increases the distance between the joint bones and increases mobility in the knee.
Depending on the stage of the disease, doctors offer drug or surgical treatment. To consolidate the results of the main therapy, special physical education, massage, the use of a stick and proper nutrition are additionally prescribed.
Medical treatment
Drug therapy is prescribed if irreversible changes have not occurred in the joint and the tissues of the knee joint are allowed to recover and nourish. Only this can be the key to a successful recovery.
The doctor faces the difficult task of choosing a competent overall treatment, which should include:
- chondroprotectors;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- immunostimulants;
- antibiotics (for infectious complications);
- Active ingredients that improve blood microcirculation.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are necessarily included in the treatment complex for arthrosis. The purpose of these drugs is to relieve inflammation and severe pain, which interferes with complex treatment. In the course of taking these drugs, not only the mobility of the knee joint improves, but also the possibility of performing massage procedures opens up.
Due to their properties, non-steroids are not intended for long-term use. First, by relieving pain and the patient's condition, they can create the illusion of healing from the disease, while the destructive processes are actively progressing. Second, this group of drugs has a wide range of serious side effects. Third, oral intake contributes to the drying out of cartilage, which accelerates its destruction.
The course of treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be prolonged if selective drugs are used. The likelihood of side effects and complications in this case is much less.
chondroprotectors
When treating arthrosis, it is necessary to provide the cartilage tissue with sufficient nutrition and pay special attention to the restoration of the structure of the damaged cartilage. To do this, it is necessary to use chondroprotectors - glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. The action of these substances is not aimed at relieving symptoms, but at treating the disease.
Chondroprotectors are most effective in the early stages of osteoarthritis. They are essential for the regeneration of cartilage and the production of synovial fluid. However, the action of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate is rather slow, so treatment is carried out in courses and can last up to 1. 5 years in total. In the later stages of the disease, when the cartilage is sufficiently destroyed, the use of chondroprotectors is practically useless.
Surgical intervention
Surgery is the most effective method of treating arthrosis of the knee joint in the later stages of the disease. However, we resort to it extremely rarely - only in those cases when drug therapy becomes powerless.
Modern medicine offers several types of surgical interventions. In some of them, they try to achieve partial immobility of the knee, due to which severe pain disappears. More modern methods involve the use of a laser or the installation of a special prosthesis designed to replace part or all of the native joint. The latter options are quite expensive, so not everyone can afford them.
The method of surgical intervention for arthrosis of the knee joint is selected by the doctor based on the results of the examination, age, general health of the patient and possible allergic reactions..
auxiliary treatments
Very often, in addition to drug therapy, physical therapy, exercise therapy and massage are prescribed. However, they can be carried out only after eliminating severe pain symptoms and leaving the acute stage of the disease behind.
Movement therapy for arthrosis of the knee joint is required to strengthen the lower and thigh muscles and improve knee mobility. First of all, you should perform exercises with minimal load, preferably while sitting. As the patient's condition improves, it is desirable to make the task more difficult. There are many specially designed training complexes for the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint. They can also be done at home.
At the same time, the complex should not include dynamic exercises such as running, brisk walking or jumping. Such loads negatively affect the condition of the joint and wear out the cartilage tissue even more.
Manual therapy and physiotherapy
In osteoarthritis of the knee, physiotherapy is used very successfully as an adjunctive therapy. Patients are traditionally prescribed a knee magnet, paraffin, ozokerite, phonophoresis with hydrocortisone or electrical stimulation of the muscles of the lower extremities. The above procedures are designed to relieve swelling, improve blood flow to adjacent tissues, and strengthen the musculoskeletal system.
Manual therapy has a special place in the fight against arthrosis. With its help, it is possible to increase the mobility of the knee and improve the nutrition of the cartilage tissue. Because the reflex zones are influenced during the massage, the self-healing processes of the joint begin.
diet
Osteoarthritis of the knee joints often affects overweight people. In such cases, it is very important to pay special attention to your diet. At the same time, it is not necessary to follow a strict diet.
The most important thing is to provide a balanced diet 5-6 times a day to exclude random snacks. At the same time, it is desirable to minimize the use of salt, flour products, spicy and fatty foods.
Make sure to include the following in your menu:
- fresh vegetables;
- Fruit;
- buckwheat and oat porridge;
- Low-fat dairy products.
Small amounts of lean meat can be consumed. It's important to monitor the amount of fluid you drink - you need to drink at least two liters of water a day. Drinking strong tea and coffee should be limited.
Despite the fact that arthrosis of the knee joint is a chronic disease that requires constant monitoring, today it is possible to slow down its development, which will make life as full as possible. Patience and a well-prescribed treatment are the two main components in fighting this disease.