How is osteoarthritis of the knee treated so that it is effective? They need to help your body relieve stress, normalize metabolism, improve bowel function, and take pressure off the kidneys and liver. That is, in order to reduce excess weight, eat right, reduce the amount of animal fat, meat and easily digestible carbohydrates. Include dishes made from vegetables, fermented milk products, rye, bran bread or whole wheat flour in the menu.
Correct diagnosis is key to treatment. Joint lesions are a symptom of many diseases with different treatment regimens. Therefore, a diagnostic error and, above all, an independent diagnosis can be too expensive for the patient.
The question of how to treat osteoarthritis of the knee joint is not new to modern medicine. There are now several methods of treating it, both therapeutic and surgical. Since turning to surgical methods is always the last resort, we will consider therapeutic methods.
Medicines
The effectiveness of treatment depends on the stage of destruction of the joint and its timeliness. It usually starts with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
They have no direct influence on the cause of the disease and do not stop the destruction of the joint. They only work to reduce the main symptoms. Signs of inflammation decrease, the swelling decreases, the pain goes away or becomes much less.
With the help of anti-inflammatory drugs, strong pain sensations are relieved, so that you can gradually switch to other treatment methods, for example massages, which would be contraindicated due to pain and inflammation.
However, long-term use of these agents is undesirable because it masks the manifestations of the disease and creates a picture of complete cure, but in fact the disease can progress. In addition, side effects can further improve the processes of cartilage destruction. Therefore, when the need for long-term use of drugs of this group is questioned, selective anti-inflammatory drugs should be preferred.If the diagnosis is made - osteoarthritis of the knee joint, vasodilators are prescribed: the nutrition of the cartilage is improved, the synovial membrane of the joint stops the destruction and improves the processes of recovery. To reduce the allergic component, desensitizing drugs are prescribed.
Chondroprotectors in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis
How can you treat osteoarthritis of the knee without trying to restore the cartilage structure damaged by the disease?
A group of drugs called chondroprotectors is used for this.
They not only act on individual symptoms, but also influence the cause of the disease and help to improve the condition of the surface of the cartilage, improve the production of synovial fluid and its lubricating properties.
They improve the production of synovial fluid, improve its properties and restore the cartilage substance. The only thing to remember is that you can only restore what is left. However, if the cartilage is completely missing, destroyed, and bone growth occurs, these drugs will not help.
So the best result when using chondroprotectors is if you start with them early, at the latest in the first or second degree of osteoarthritis of the knee joints and in long courses several times a year.
Unfortunately, these tools are far from being instantaneous. Sometimes it takes 2-3 courses of treatment to achieve the result, and it takes 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. Of all the drugs used for osteoarthritis, chondroprotectors are the most useful for the patient, in addition, they have almost no contraindications and side effects.
Joint injection
Intra-articular injections of drugs have a good effect. However, it should be borne in mind that the procedure itself can injure the tissues of the capsule and cause infection of the joint cavity. Typically, corticosteroid drugs are injected into the joint. For a long-term effect, steroid hormones are used (if there is a need to relieve severe inflammation).
This procedure is usually done to provide emergency care to a patient. This achieves quick relief from pain and inflammation. However, it is undesirable to inject into the same knee more than once every 2 weeks for several reasons.
If the joint is calmer, there are no obvious signs of inflammation, chondroprotectors can be injected directly into the joint, they quickly reach the target and have a positive effect.
Significantly improves the sliding of the joint ends of the bone relative to one another and reduces the load on the cartilage injections of hyaluronic acid. Of course, these drugs are highly effective in the absence of pronounced cartilage destruction.
External facilities
Patients often ask how knee osteoarthritis can be treated with external means. After all, with a pain in your knee, the first thing you want to do is rub it and wrap it warm.
Unfortunately, neither ointments nor creams or all kinds of rubbing can cure osteoarthritis. But they can relieve the patient's condition, relieve pain, and not act as anti-inflammatory drugs, irritating the gastrointestinal tract. Warming ointments are used, as well as ointments based on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The skin only absorbs 5-7% of the active ingredient, so the effect of these ointments is not as effective as we would like it to be.
Compresses for osteoarthritis of the knee joint are more effective. Medical bile can be recommended for them. They relieve inflammation directly in focus, have dissolving and analgesic effects.
Massage and Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy for osteoarthritis also has a positive effect. Procedures such as ultrasound, laser, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis are used. Thanks to them, the sensitivity of the joints to pain decreases, the inflammatory processes in them decrease, and the swelling is eliminated.
You can use radon and salt baths, and apply compresses with bile.
If possible, you can undergo manual therapy and traction. In this case, the ends of the bones move away from each other and the load decreases. Only manipulations should be carried out very carefully and by a qualified specialist. Manual therapy and massage of the knee joint also give good results, improve blood flow to the diseased joint, stop the development of destructive processes and restore its function as much as possible.
Massage is particularly effective in the early stages of the disease, when it has not yet developed its full destructive effect. It is good to do this after doing therapeutic exercises. Taking a hot shower or being in a steam room is a good step in preparation for a massage. After that, the muscles are warmed up and the massage has a deeper healing effect. When treating osteoarthritis of the knee joint, sanatoriums also have a beneficial effect. Medicinal mud improves the regeneration processes in the cartilage, improves the supply of nutrients to the joints and the blood supply.
If the joint is completely destroyed, only surgical treatment can help - replace it with an artificial one.
Preventive measures: Reduce the destruction process
Prevention of osteoarthritis relies on the causes of its occurrence, the main one of which is obesity, trauma and poor physical activity. Physical education classes and possible physical exercises strengthen the muscles surrounding the joints. This reduces the stress on the cartilage. Morning walks and swimming are useful.
At the same time, it is important to observe the alternation of load and rest as well as the correct level of safety during training. It is necessary to avoid injuries and overloads in every possible way. After all, injuries are a major cause of osteoarthritis. The appearance of microcracks determines the presence of initial foci of inflammation. For athletes and sports enthusiasts, protective equipment such as knee pads should not be forgotten.
The prevention of osteoarthritis of the knee joint also requires adherence to the diet. Every additional kilogram of weight puts additional strain on the joints of the legs. You need to eat less sweet and starchy foods, fruits and vegetables - as much as possible. Studies show that vegetarians are much less likely to develop osteoarthritis. Coffee and strong tea have a bad effect on the joints, they flush calcium from the bones, but natural dairy products help replenish their reserves.