Knee pain is a common complaint for which they see a doctor. What causes the pain and how can you help if it happens? There is no definitive answer, as the knee joints can suffer from different types of injuries which occur for many reasons. One of these reasons (and very common) is nascent osteoarthritis. Today we will tell you in detail about osteoarthritis of the knee joint: what are its causes, types, symptoms and signs, we will talk about methods of treatment and prevention.
Types and causes of the disease
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint or gonarthrosis is a predominantly non-inflammatory lesion that ultimately leads to the destruction of articular cartilage, deformity of the knee and limited range of motion. The disease occurs in two main forms:
- primary - results from a congenital joint defect;
- secondary - occurs as a result of other illnesses or injuries.
The primary form begins to develop in childhood or young age and is caused by improper formation of the joint surfaces or the ligament apparatus. When walking, such a joint is exposed to a disproportionate load in relation to its capabilities, which provokes degenerative changes in it.
The development of a secondary form of pathology can lead to:
- Injuries: fractures of the bones of the legs, contusions and dislocations of the knee, accompanied by lesions of the bony and cartilaginous parts of the joint and its ligamentous apparatus. In this case, post-traumatic arthritis of the knee joint develops.
- Operations to remove the meniscus, as they lead to a violation of the integral structure of the knee and its rapid wear and tear.
- The disproportionate load on the legs that athletes often submit to.
- Excessive obesity also causes osteoarthritis because it puts excessive pressure of the body weight on the articular cartilage of the knee.
- Arthritis is inflammation of the joints. Long-term arthritis is accompanied by the build-up of fluid in the joint cavity and over time may develop into osteoarthritis.
- Metabolic disorders leading to the deposition of salts in the joint cavities.
- Other factors and diseases are accompanied by a long-term spasm of the muscles of the legs or blood vessels.
- Transferred transactions.
The pathological process can be uni or bilateral. As a result of trauma, unilateral osteoarthritis (for example, of the right knee) is most likely to develop, and obesity - bilateral.
Typical symptoms
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint develops gradually, sometimes it is preceded by months and years of the initial period, when there are no obvious symptoms yet (such as severe pain and deformityvisible), but every now and then there is a feeling of discomfort in the knees.
Most often, overweight women over 40 are sick, and most importantly, as an aggravating factor, they suffer from varicose veins.
The development of knee osteoarthritis goes through several stages:
- The initial phase can last for months and sometimes years. A person is worried about periodic pain in the knees, especially when taking the first steps after getting up in the morning, as well as when going up and down the stairs.
- In the second stage, the pain becomes stronger and already occurs with all movements accompanied by a characteristic crunch. The accumulation of fluid is possible in the joint cavity and on examination you may notice the beginning of deformity. The painful knee's range of motion begins to decrease.
- The third stage is characterized by pain that does not go away even with rest. The discomfort is often worse before the weather changes. At this point, the joints have largely lost their function: the legs may hardly bend at the knees or may not bend all the way. The gait changes: it becomes "waddling" or on bent legs. The deformity of the knees is very pronounced: the legs are bent and take an O or X shape.
Symptoms of post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the knee joint develop more quickly. Against the background of the injury, pain appears in the knee area and its swelling. Such pain constantly accompanies a person and increases after physical exertion. Gradually, a feeling of tightness and stiffness in the knee joined him. Sometimes with this form of the disease, only a few months pass from the first signs to irreversible changes.
Treatment of knee osteoarthritis
The extent of treatment depends on the stage of the disease and the severity of the injury. But since the disease is chronic, the only thing that can be achieved is long-term remission (phases of rest when the manifestations of the pathology are minimal or absent). At the same time, if in the early stages it is possible to eliminate the cause of osteoarthritis of the knee joint (for example, to reduce body weight), almost complete recovery is possible.
Goals of knee osteoarthritis treatment:
- eliminate pain,
- if possible, restore the destroyed cartilage and ligamentous apparatus,
- increase range of motion in the joint.
Processing methods:
- drug therapy,
- massage and manual therapy,
- surgical intervention,
- rehabilitation therapy (exercise therapy, physiotherapy and other methods).
Only a doctor can choose the right drug - in any case do not prescribe it yourself. Their main action aims to:
- Elimination of symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee joint: relieve pain and inflammation. For this, appropriate drugs are prescribed, including hormones, which are injected into the joint cavity.
- Improve the blood supply to the affected area. It is provided by means that relieve vascular spasms and relax muscles.
- Cartilage restoration. For this, drugs are prescribed that nourish and restore the cartilage.
Manual impact and massage reduce pain, relax spasmodic muscles near the affected knee, help increase range of motion, correct bone position, and increase blood circulation.
With large-scale and irreversible lesions, osteoarthritis of the knee is treated by a radical method - prosthesis, that is, the implantation of a metal prosthesis to replace the destroyed joint. So far, this is the only way that gives a chance for full recovery, however, stents have a limited lifespan, after which they must be replaced. The cost of such operations being very high, this method of treatment has not yet become widespread.
Rehabilitation therapy includes physiotherapy, physiotherapy (exercises using special loads and simulators), physiotherapy and spa treatments.
Orthopedic methods are aimed at relieving the painful knee - these are canes, orthotics, etc. , which facilitate walking (used if necessary).
There are many folk recipes for various ointments and compresses based on herbs, medical bile and warming bandages made of natural wool. Basically, the action of such methods is aimed at relieving pain and eliminating the main symptoms.
Preventative measures
Prevention of osteoarthritis of the knee includes many factors:
- Balanced diet: the diet should contain a sufficient amount of protein, vitamins and minerals.
- Fight against bad lifestyle and get rid of bad habits.
- Weight normalization.
- Adequate physical activity.
- Prevention of injuries by playing sports, lifting weights.
The most important thing in identifying such a pathology as osteoarthritis of the knee is not to trigger the disease, since its far-reaching stages lead to disability. But if all efforts are directed in time to treatment and prevention - until time is wasted and symptoms are insignificant - there is a chance that the disease will be completely cured.