Osteoarthritis of the knee joint
Osteoarthrosis of the knee or gonarthrosisrefers to the often occurring degenerative-dystrophic diseases among all diseases of large joints - the incidence of this condition is almost 70%. At the heart of the disease is a violation of metabolic processes, resulting in a pathological focus in the joint, but to date this process is not sufficiently studied. In the development of the disease, it is common to distinguish three stages, which are determined by clinical symptoms and an x-ray picture. The main clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis are impaired limb function and pain, which is aggravated during exercise.
How does osteoarthritis develop?
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is primary(it develops mainly in women of the older age group) and secondary (develops as a consequence of inflammatory processes or trauma). The development of gonarthrosis is slow, almost imperceptible to the patient. Sometimes at the very beginning of the development of the disease, stiffness in the joint may appear (often in the morning), which after a short walk passes. Over time, pain and stiffness become permanent, movement can crunch the joint, develop limp, and in severe cases the patient can not move independently.
Osteoarthrosis of the knee joint. Treatment
Despite the fact that the disease has been known for a long time, it is still a mystery for specialists. The most common treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee joint includes:
- drug therapy;
- injection (blockade) in the joint cavity;
- muscular and articular technique of manual therapy;
- puncture of the knee joint with the removal of fluid that accumulates in the cavity;
- therapeutic gymnastics, massage, physiotherapy;
- operative intervention.
Many experts recommend complete rest forthe affected joint, as a rule, for this purpose in hospitals practice "cuff traction". Timely treatment of osteoarthritis in the early stages with the help of chondroprotectors can slow the progression of the disease, but unfortunately, these drugs because of their prohibitive price are not available for most patients. Massage and a complex of physiotherapy exercises is an excellent opportunity to maintain joints in good condition. In the event that conservative treatment does not give the desired effect, resort to endoprosthetics of the knee joint, in other words, replace it with an artificial one. Modern surgical methods of treatment can effectively treat osteoarthritis of the knee joint and at the same time ensure the preservation of work capacity.
Prevention of osteoarthritis
In order to avoid such a diagnosis as"Osteoarthrosis of the knee joint," experts advise obese patients to gradually reduce body weight. Rational physical activity and optimal diet will be a great help in this. At the same time, it is necessary to use a set of such physical exercises that would lead to a gradual increase in walking time and to strengthen the muscles of the lower extremities. To this end, isometric contractions are used, which are achieved by stress and bending with stress. The electrostimulation of the nerve of the knee joint is used. All these actions lead to the strengthening of the quadriceps muscle and in six months yield a visible result. Most recently, for the prevention of osteoarthritis began to use podpyatnye wedges, sometimes with this purpose the usual orthopedic insole is used.
Passing drug treatment, it is important not to forget that it is necessary to alternate physical activity with rest, and then there will be much more chances for recovery from the disease.
