How to treat arthrosis of the knee joint so that it is effective?It is necessary to help your body, reduce the load, normalize the metabolism, improve the functioning of the intestines, and facilitate the task of the kidneys and liver.That is, reduce excess weight, start eating properly, reduce the amount of animal fats, meat, easily absorbed by carbohydrates.Turn on dishes from vegetables, dairy products, rye, bran bread or coarse flour in the menu.
The key to treatment is the correct diagnosis.Joint lesions are a symptom of many diseases that have various treatment regimen.Therefore, a diagnostic error, and even more so an independent diagnosis, can be too expensive for the patient.
The question of how to treat arthrosis of the knee joint is not new for modern medicine.For its treatment, there are now various methods, both therapeutic and surgical.Since the appeal to surgical methods is always an extreme measure, we consider therapeutic methods.
Medicines
The effectiveness of treatment depends on the stage of destruction of the joint, its timeliness.They usually begin with non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs.
They do not have a direct effect on the cause of the disease and do not stop the destruction of the joint, their influence goes exclusively to reduce the main symptoms.Signs of inflammation are reduced, swelling subsides, the pain disappears or becomes much less pain.
With the help of anti-inflammatory drugs, severe pain is removed, which makes it possible to gradually move to other methods of treatment, for example, massage, which would be contraindicated due to pain and inflammation.
But the prolonged use of these agents is undesirable, as this masks the manifestations of the disease, creating a picture of a complete cure, in fact, the disease can progress.In addition, side effects can even more strengthen the processes of cartilage destruction.Therefore, if the question is about the need for prolonged use of drugs of this group, preference should be given to selective anti -inflammatory drugs.
Mandatory, with the diagnosis - arthrosis of the knee joint, vasodilators are prescribed: enhancing the nutrition of cartilage, the synovial shell of the joint suspenses destruction and enhances the recovery processes.To reduce the allergic component, desensitizing drugs are prescribed.
Chondroprotectors in the treatment of arthrosis knee
How to treat arthrosis of the knee joint, if you do not try to restore the structure of cartilage damaged by disease?
To do this, use a group of drugs called chondroprotectors.
They do not just affect individual symptoms, but affect the cause of the disease, helping to improve the condition of the cartilage surface, improving the production of joint fluid and its lubricants.
They improve the production of synovial fluid, improve its properties, restore the substance of cartilage.The only thing you need to remember that you can only restore what is still if there is completely absent, destroyed, there are bone marginal growths, these drugs will not help.
So, the best result from the use of chondroprotectors will be if you start using them early, no later than the I or II degree of arthrosis of the knee joints, moreover, long -term courses, several times a year.
Unfortunately, the action of these funds is far from instant.Sometimes the result requires 2-3 courses of treatment, and this takes from six months to a year and a half.And the drugs of this group are completely ineffective at the third stage of the disease, when the cartilage is already completely destroyed.But nevertheless, of all the chondroprotectors used for arthrosis, it is the most useful for the patient for arthrosis, in addition, they have almost no contraindications and side effects.
Injections in the joint
Intra -articular injections of drugs give a good effect, however, it should be borne in mind that the procedure itself can injure the capsule tissue and be the cause of the joint infection.As a rule, corticosteroid drugs are introduced into the joint.For long -term action, steroid hormones are used (if you need to remove severe inflammation).
This procedure is usually performed to provide emergency care to the patient.In this case, the rapid removal of pain and inflammation is achieved.But at the same time, it is undesirable for a number of reasons to injections in the same knee more often than 1 time in 2 weeks.
If the joint is more calm, there are no obvious signs of inflammation, you can introduce chondroprotectors directly into the joint, they quickly reach the goal and have a positive effect.
Significantly improves the sliding of the articular ends of the bone relative to each other and reduce the load on the cartilage of hyaluronic acid injection.Of course, these drugs are highly efficient if there is no pronounced destruction of cartilage.
External funds
Patients often ask the question of how to treat knee arthrosis with external remedies?After all, the first thing you want to do with pain in the knee is to grind it and wrap it warmly.
Unfortunately, neither ointments, nor creams, nor all kinds of rubbish can cure arthrosis.But they can alleviate the patient's condition, reducing pain and without affecting irritating on the gastrointestinal tract, as anti-inflammatory drugs.Warming ointments are used, as well as ointments based on non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs.The skin absorbs only 5-7% of the active substance, so the action of these ointments is not as effective as we would like.
But compresses for arthrosis of the knee joint are more efficient.For them, you can recommend medical bile.They relieve inflammation directly in its hearth, have absorption and painkillers.
Massage and physiotherapy
Physiotherapy for arthrosis also gives a positive effect.Such procedures as ultrasound, laser, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis are used.Thanks to them, the pain sensitivity of the joints decreases, inflammatory processes in them are reduced, swelling is removed.
You can use radon, salt baths, apply compresses with bile.
If possible, you can take a course of manual therapy, traction.At the same time, the ends of the bones are pushed away from each other and the load on them is reduced.Only manipulations should be carried out very carefully and necessarily a qualified specialist.Manual therapy and massage of the knee joint also give good results, improving blood circulation in the diseased joint, stopping the development of destructive processes in it and restoring to a possible degree its function.
Massage is especially effective in the initial stages of the disease, when it has not yet had its full destructive effect.It is good to perform after exercises of therapeutic exercises.A good preparatory stage for massage will be the adoption of a hot shower or being in a steam room.After that, the muscles are heated, and massage has a deeper therapeutic effect.In the treatment of arthrosis, the knee joint of the sanatorium also has a favorable effect.Therapeutic mud improve the course of recovery processes in cartilage, improve joint supply with useful substances and blood supply to them.
If the joint is completely destroyed, only surgical treatment can help - replacing it with artificial.
Preventive measures: reduce the process of destruction
The prevention of arthrosis stems from the causes of its occurrence, the main of which are excess weight, injuries, poor physical activity.Physical education classes, the performance of feasible physical exercises strengthen the surrounding joints of the muscles.Thanks to this, the load on the cartilage becomes less.Morning walks, swimming are useful.
At the same time, it is important to observe alternating loads and rest and proper safety when performing exercises.It is necessary to avoid injuries and overload in every possible way.After all, it is injuries that serve as one of the main causes of arthrosis.The appearance of microcracks determines the presence of the initial foci of inflammation.Therefore, for athletes and sports lovers you need to not forget about such protective equipment as knee pads.
The prevention of arthrosis of the knee joint also involves compliance with the diet.Each extra kilogram of weight is an additional load on the joints of the legs.You need to eat less sweet and flour, and fruits and vegetables - as much as possible.Studies show that vegetarians are much less likely to suffer from arthrosis.Coffee and strong tea are poorly affected, they are washed out of calcium bones, but natural dairy products contribute to the replenishment of its reserves.