Every year more and more people are faced with diseases such as arthrosis of the knee joint - the treatment is long and complicated, and it is almost impossible to get rid of the disease forever. The main task of the patient is to prevent the progression of the disease.
Classical medical treatment
The inflammatory process that takes place in the knee joint is devastating not only with the appearance of pain. A particular danger is the process of destruction that takes place in the tissue, the result of which is such that the organ cannot always be restored. Therefore, the treatment of arthrosis involves complex therapy. It should start on time and take place under the close supervision of a doctor.
Prescribed medical treatment actions are aimed at eliminating pain, providing adequate nutrition to the cartilage and speeding up its regeneration process. In addition, the therapy improves blood circulation to the affected joint, strengthens adjacent muscles, and also increases the distance between the articulatory bones and increases mobility in the knee.
Depending on the stage of development of the disease, doctors offer medical or surgical treatment. To consolidate the outcomes of primary therapy, special physical education, massage, use of crutches and proper nutrition are also prescribed.
Medical treatment
Drug therapy is prescribed in cases where irreversible changes do not occur in the joint, and the knee joint tissue is able to recover and receive nutrition. Only this can be the key to a successful recovery.
Physicians are faced with the difficult task of selecting a competent complete treatment, which should include:
- chondroprotector;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- immunostimulant;
- antibiotics (for infectious complications);
- agents that increase blood microcirculation.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are necessarily included in the treatment complex for arthrosis. The purpose of these medications is to relieve severe inflammation and pain that interfere with complex treatment. While taking these medications, not only is the movement of the knee joint improved, but also the possibility of performing an open massage procedure.
Due to their properties, non-steroids are not intended for long-term use. First, by relieving pain and relieving the patient’s condition, they can create the illusion of healing from the disease, while the destructive process will actively develop. Second, this group of drugs has a variety of serious side effects. Third, taking it orally contributes to cartilage dehydration, which accelerates its destruction.
The course of treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory substances can be extended if selective drugs are used. The possibility of side effects and complications in this case is much less.
Chondroprotectors
In the treatment of arthrosis, it is necessary to provide cartilage tissue with adequate nutrition and give special emphasis to restore the damaged cartilage structure. For this, it is necessary to use chondroprotectors - glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. The action of these substances is not intended to relieve symptoms, but to treat disease.
Chondroprotectors are most effective in the early stages of arthrosis. They are essential for cartilage regeneration and joint fluid production. However, the action of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate is relatively slow, so treatment takes place in a course and overall it can take up to 1. 5 years. In the final stages of the disease, when the cartilage is adequately destroyed, the use of chondroprotectors is practically useless.
Surgical intervention
Surgery is the most effective way to treat arthrosis of the knee joint in the later stages of the disease. However, we rarely use it - only in cases when drug therapy becomes ineffective.
Modern medicine offers several types of surgical interventions. In some of them, they try to achieve partial immobility of the knee, as the severe pain disappears. More modern methods involve the use of a laser or the installation of a special prosthesis, which is supposed to partially or completely replace the original joint. The latter option is a bit expensive, so not everyone can afford it.
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 the possibility of allergic reactions..
Additional treatment
Often, in addition to drug therapy, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, and massage are prescribed. However, it becomes possible to perform it only after the symptoms of severe pain are removed, and the acute stage of the disease is left.
Exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee joint is needed to strengthen the muscles of the lower legs and thighs, as well as improve knee mobility. Initially, you should do the exercise with a minimum load, preferably from a sitting position. When the patient's condition improves, it is desirable to complicate the task. There are many training complexes specially designed for the treatment of knee joint arthrosis. They can also be done at home.
At the same time, the complex should not contain dynamic exercises, such as running, brisk walking or jumping. Such a load has a negative effect on the condition of the joints and further wear of the cartilage tissue.
Manual therapy and physiotherapy
In osteoarthritis of the knee joint, physiotherapy is very successfully used as an adjunctive treatment. Patients are traditionally given knee magnets, paraffin, ozocerite, phonophoresis using hydrocortisone, or electrical stimulation to the lower leg muscles. The above procedure is designed to relieve swelling, improve blood circulation in adjacent tissues and strengthen the musculoskeletal system.
A special place in the fight against arthrosis is occupied by manual therapy. With its help, it is possible to increase the mobility of the knee, improve the nutrition of cartilage tissue. Due to the fact that during the sequence of reflexogenic zones are affected, the process of self -healing of the joints begins to begin.
Diet
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint often affects overweight people. In such cases, it is very important to pay special attention to your diet. At the same time, there is no need to go on a strict diet.
The most important thing is to ensure a proper 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 you include in your menu:
- fresh vegetables;
- fruits;
- buckwheat and oatmeal;
- dairy products with a low percentage of fat.
A small amount of lean meat can be eaten. It’s important to monitor the amount of fluid you drink - you need to drink at least two liters of water per 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 its progression, thanks to which life will be as full as possible. Patience and well -prescribed treatment are the two main components in fighting the disease.