Osteoarthritis of the Knee - Initial Symptoms and Treatment

There are many types of joint disease.For example, diseases of the hip joint are called coxarthrosis, and diseases of the knee joint are called knee joint disease.

Treatment is usually the same for all subtypes.But there are still many people who don’t know the difference between knee arthrosis and knee arthropathy.

On this basis, many incorrect uses of these terms occur among patients with this problem.

reason

Knee joint disease is a disease of the knee joint in which cartilage tissue is damaged.Many people mistakenly believe that this disease only occurs in older people because it is degenerative.However, practice shows that knee joint disease is more common in young people.

This is confirmed by the causes of the disease:

• Knee injuries (fractures, dislocations, cracks);
• Performing heavy lifting or strenuous physical activity without proper training;
• Joint inflammation caused by exposure to various factors, including hypothermia;
• Excess weight, as it places a heavy load on the joints and leads to joint degeneration;
• Genetic predisposition.

As you can see, all the factors that contribute to the development of joint disease are more typical in younger people because they lead active lifestyles.

However, the disease can also occur in pensioners due to excess weight.According to statistics, knee joint disease mostly occurs in women after the age of 50.This is due to the reorganization of the body and changes in metabolic processes.

Principles and types of treatment

Generally speaking, joint disease is a chronic disease and therefore takes a long time to treat.Treatment can be surgical or conservative.

With the first and second methods, doctors try to somehow influence the cause of the disease and eliminate pathological symptoms.

It should be noted that surgical intervention is more typical for stages 3-4 of arthropathy.On the fourth day, this is inevitable, and on the third day, you can still try to overcome the disease with conservative methods.

In addition, it is recommended to use special gymnastic exercises, such as the Bubnovsky technique.

In addition to the destruction of cartilage caused by knee arthrosis, muscle fibers and ligaments are also susceptible to damage.The goals of treatment are:

• relieve pain;
• Eliminate inflammation;
• Eliminate edema in the periarticular area;
• Stops the destruction of cartilage and allows it to be fully or partially restored;
• Restore full life and freedom of movement.

Even if a person is not completely cured of knee arthritis, he can partially return to a normal lifestyle through treatment and prevention.This continues until the next relapse.

conservative law

This treatment method is used in most cases and is the main one.Typically, patients in the early and middle stages of knee joint disease are treated in this way.All actions involve the use of medicines (tablets, capsules, injections) containing chemically active substances.

The following prescriptions can be prescribed during treatment:

• Anagin;
• chondroprotectant;
• non-steroidal drugs;
• synovial prosthesis;
• Glucocorticoids.

Other conservative methods include various ointment treatments, mud baths, etc.

Recently, gymnastics and light physical exercise have become very popular in order to arrest the progression of the disease or to rehabilitate the patient.

The body reacts strongly to nonsteroidal medications.However, due to their multifunctional effects, they are widely used in the treatment of arthropathy:

• Eliminate joint swelling;
• relieve pain;
• Treats inflammatory processes.

Because of these properties, doctors are increasingly choosing these drugs over traditional analgesics.

Glucocorticoids are synthetic drugs that replace the natural hormones produced by the adrenal glands.If we compare them with non-steroidal drugs, the effect of glucocorticoids is much stronger.In addition, they have anti-allergenic properties.

Chondroprotectants act directly on cartilage and are a completely safe method of treating knee joint disease.They are obtained from the skeletal structures of animals, fish cartilage and crustacean shells.These drugs are the building blocks of cartilage, and they improve metabolic processes and proper nutrition of joints.

In addition to the use of medications, the following measures should be taken during treatment, recovery and prevention:

• physical therapy;
• physiotherapy;
• Various massages;
• Visit sanatoriums and resorts.

All of this allows patients to return to their normal lives and restore the results achieved with conservative treatments.

Also, the course is easy.A very useful exercise for those with knee arthritis is to use your feet to roll a ball or other cylindrical object, such as a rolling pin, placed on the floor.

surgical intervention

If the disease cannot be cured with medications or therapeutic exercises, surgery may be necessary.It can be done on both open and closed joints.At the same time, surgical methods are improved every day, and new ones are added to previous ones and performed using modern equipment.

New ways of doing business include:

• Microsurgery to repair damaged cartilage tissue;
• Processing is performed using a laser beam with the necessary characteristics (thickness, power, etc.);
• Creates a 1 mm thick electrolytic plasma field;
• Arthroscopy;
• Endoprosthesis - Replacement of certain parts of a joint with an artificial prosthesis.

Modern surgical methods are less invasive and allow a number of different operations on the joints.

traditional medicine recipes

Conservative treatment methods do not always provide the best results in treating knee joint disease.Traditional medicine recipes can be used as additional remedies.

To get rid of knee pain and creaking, you can use the following methods:

• 150 g garlic;
• 4 lemons with peel;
• 250 g celery root.

Grind all the ingredients in a meat grinder, mix and pour boiling water.Then add it to the pot, cover tightly and cool.Take 60-70 grams three times a day for one month.If pain occurs, you can repeat the process or do it every six months for prevention.

You can also use this recipe:

• Crack in two eggs, add 4 tablespoons of salt and mix well;
• Apply the mixture to a bandage and apply it to the sore area.

This process must be repeated twice in succession.Do not remove the bandage until the mixture is dry.

To make the salve, you will need the following ingredients:

• 200 grams of alcohol;
• 4 egg whites;
• 50g camphor;
• 50 g mustard powder.

Alternately add mustard and camphor to the alcohol.Whisk the egg whites in another bowl and mix together.Apply the ointment to the painful area.

Of course, strenuous physical activity by athletes is a common cause of joint disease, as is the aging of joints over time.

But recently, cases of the disease that develop without these underlying causes have become more frequent.Instead, people lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is why they gain weight.

The load on the joints increases, making it impossible for the joints to remain healthy over the long term.

The Difference Between Arthropathy and Knee Arthropathy

Not everyone understands the difference between knee joint disease and joint disease.Knee arthritis is characterized solely by damage to the knee, while arthrosis itself is the name given to a group of joint disorders that can affect any joint.

In medical theory, there are many diseases with the "arthrosis" part in their names - osteoarthrosis, polyarthrosis, hip arthrosis, knee arthrosis.In this regard, ignorant people do not always correctly understand their respective meanings, thinking that they are all synonyms.

Knee arthritis can easily be confused with:

• arthritis;
• Knee vascular pain;
• Periarthritis - inflammation of the tendons of the knee;
• Meniscus damage.

But it is still possible to distinguish knee arthrosis from these diseases.For example, meniscus injury (meniscal disease) is a condition that begins with severe and unexpected pain in the knee after failure to exercise, and knee arthropathy can develop and progress over time.If meniscal lesions are left untreated, pain may occur from time to time, but no bone deformation will occur.

Reflex knee pain is often felt with coxarthrosis (disease of the hip joint), but the two conditions can be distinguished by:

• With knee joint disease, patients can calmly move their legs apart at the hip joints;
• In contrast, patients with hip joint disease can freely bend and straighten their knees;
• If pain is felt in both joints, then we can assume it is polyarthrosis.

Arthritis is characterized by sudden onset of joint inflammation, but the pain does not interfere with joint movement (as with periarthritis) and can be eliminated with warming ointments.With this disease, swelling, high temperatures, and increased pain at night occur.

Vascular pain is caused by circulatory impairment - this usually affects young people under the age of 20.This is due to the rapid growth of the entire organism.

Therefore, arthrosis is the general term for the disease, and arthroarthrosis is the name for the site (knee).This is why it is correct to say "arthrosis of the knee" or "arthrosis of the knee" rather than "arthrosis of the knee".With careful study and personal observation, it is very possible to make an accurate diagnosis.

Knee Arthritis (Gonarthrosis): Diagnosis and Treatment

The knee joint is a wonderful flexion and extension mechanism provided by nature for us.At rest, this occurs only in disabled people who have lost mobility and in people who are excessively obese.

Count how many times he moves in a day and you will come to the conclusion that the knee is the most mobile part of the joint.No wonder disease often chooses him as its target.

One of them is knee joint disease or joint disease.

Causes of knee arthritis

It's difficult to say what causes early cartilage defects in some people.Metabolic disorders are generally believed to be the culprit, in which the metabolism of amino acids and important trace elements occurs slowly or incorrectly.

In turn, the following reasons are the culprits:

1. Some immune-related diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis)
2. Indifference to oneself: exercise and exercise, nutritional supplements containing various vitamins, amino acids and minerals are often pushed to "later" by people from far away ("Of course, I will start on Monday")
3. Even from birth, the natural balance is disrupted - so-called genetic causes.Verifying your genetic predisposition is easy: See what diseases your grandparents had and ask their ancestors what diseases they had
4. Disturbances in hormonal balance: This disorder affects the female body especially during periods of deficiency of estrogen, an important hormone necessary for bone suturing.It is not unreasonable that most of the victims of joint diseases are women of a wonderfully mature age, who are not yet old, but already have the wisdom that is the mark of "over 50".
5. Vascular diseases: Arthropathy is often complicated by venous insufficiency, venous thrombosis and other diseases
6. Mindset: If you think stress only ruins your mood, you’re wrong—stress slows metabolism and puts you in a state of suspended animation
7. A risk factor for joint disease is being overweight

What symptoms make one suspect this undesirable pathological state?

Symptoms of various stages of knee joint disease

Each stage has its own unique characteristics, but they are unified by the gradual progression of the disease:

You should not stop walking suddenly because of pain: Sudden, severe pain in your knees is a likely sign of an injury.

first stage.In the first stage, the following symptoms will appear:

• Mild pain after long walks, climbing stairs, etc.
• stiffness after rest
• The knee is not deformed, but may be somewhat swollen from fluid accumulation: this phenomenon is called synovitis.Fluid can even accumulate in the back-popliteal fossa, forming cysts that frightened patients often mistake for cancerous tumors.Cysts usually resolve easily with treatment with NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) injections or corticosteroids

second stage

During the second phase, notice the following signs:

• Increased pain with a characteristic rough crunching sound after exercise and movement
• Increased morning stiffness
• The entire movement, even 90 degrees, will be accompanied by pain symptoms, and sometimes it will be so severe that it cannot be completed.
• The bone thickens and becomes rough due to the onset of deformation - this can be determined by palpation
• Synovitis may worsen

The third stage

In the third stage, which has been defined as advanced deformity of the knee joint, symptoms appear:

• Pain that persists even at night: pain and twisting in the knee, especially in cold, wet weather
• Range of motion is drastically reduced: no more than 90 degrees, or even less
• Changes in gait: The patient begins to limp, walks slowly with half-bent legs, staggers, and has particular difficulty walking up steps.
• Severe deformations are seen, the joint axes are mixed - as a result, the legs take the form of the letter "X" or "O" (such signs are called hallux valgus).
• At this stage, the cartilage has usually been completely destroyed and the ligaments have ossified (ossified).
• The joint surface then becomes overgrown with calcium deposits, which is why the knee takes on a bumpy appearance.
• Movement of the knee becomes extremely painful due to severe deformation and lack of synovial fluid
• Gradually, the knee joint becomes almost completely immobile - advanced knee deformity

Treatment of knee joint disease

Treatment of this disease is complex and lengthy, effective only in the first stage.For the latter, conservative treatment can only alleviate the patient's condition.

diagnosis.An important initial stage is diagnosis.

• The best way to diagnose and determine whether the pain is caused by an injury or joint is to use an X-ray or MRI of the knee joint.
• A joint is diagnosed if you notice: Degeneration or loss of cartilage tissue and a small gap between the joint and joint capsule

Conservative treatment

During an exacerbation of the disease, the most important conditions for treatment are:

• Keep resting and exercising lightly
• Take painkillers (for severe pain - in the form of intra-articular injections)
• In the third and fourth stages of arthrosis, fluid injections are also needed to lubricate the joints

For knee joint disease, the following types of physical therapy are effective:

• SWT (Shock Wave Therapy)
• electromyostimulation
• Acupuncture
• Magnet therapy
• Radiofrequency treatment, etc.

Rehabilitation

To avoid contractures and greater immobility, knee exercises should be started as soon as the acute pain subsides - for this purpose, exercise therapy should be performed under the supervision of a rehabilitation specialist.Long-term cyclic administration of chondroprotective drugs, alternatives to the natural components of cartilage, has also been performed.

Notice:In the third degree, arthrosis of the knee joints cannot be cured with the help of chondroprotectants.

surgical treatment

The only effective treatment for advanced joint disease is surgery - the replacement of non-functioning joints with endoprostheses.

However, we must remember:

• Prosthetics heal more slowly as you age
• You may have pain for up to a year after surgery
• Long-term rehabilitation requiring mechanical therapy and comprehensive exercise therapy

If the patient refuses surgery, conservative supportive care is performed, which aims to combat pain and preserve knee motion.

Is knee joint disease often confused with knee joint disease?

• When diagnosing knee joint diseaseErrors occur as often as, if not more than, hip disease is diagnosed.
• Below is a list of conditions that are most commonly mistaken for knee joint disease (arthrosis of the knee).
• From the practice of Dr. Evdokimenko,Most commonly, knee arthritis is confused with:

Meniscus damage (meniscal disease) and knee blockage

Meniscal injuries and knee blockage occur in people of all ages, young and old.Men and women are affected equally frequently.Usually one side of the knee is damaged.

Unlike knee joint disease, this disease progresses rapidly.Often, people hear creaking in their knees and feel sharp pain in their joints after an unsuccessful movement while walking, running, or jumping.After 10-15 minutes, the acute pain subsides slightly and the patient is able to move.But the next day or the day after, the knee swelled again and the pain worsened.

Without proper treatment, the disease can persist for years—the pain either subsides or returns.But compared with knee arthrosis, meniscal disease rarely causes bone deformation in the knee joint—unless meniscal damage causes knee arthrosis.It should be noted that this happens quite often as well.

Hip joint (coxarthrosis)

The diagnosis of "knee arthritis" is often mistaken for "referred" pain, which often occurs with hip arthritis and extends from the hip to the knee.

But these conditions are easy to distinguish - when arthrosis occurs in the hip joint, the range of motion of the knee does not decrease at all, and the knee can be bent and straightened easily and painlessly.

But people with hip arthritis have a dramatically reduced ability to rotate their legs "from the hip" and spread the legs out to the sides.

In contrast, people with knee joint disease can easily rotate their legs away from their hips and spread their legs to the sides easily.But he bent his knees with difficulty and squatted down in pain.

arthritis

The knee joint is the most fragile joint in the human body.In addition to arthropathy and meniscal disease, the knee joint may be affected by any of the arthritis described in Part II of this book—reactive arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, and articular rheumatism.

Arthritis affects people of any age, but it most commonly affects young people.

With arthritis, one or both knees may become inflamed.

One of the characteristics of arthritis inflammation of the knee joint is its rapid onset (within 1 to 3 days), obvious swelling and swelling of the knee joint, and worsening joint pain at night (around 3 to 4 a.m.).That said, the pain may be more intense at night when you're resting than when you're walking.As you know, with arthropathy, the pain is lessened at night.

In addition, almost all arthritis causes inflammation of multiple joints at once rather than just one: In addition to the knees, any combination of finger and toe joints, elbow joints, ankle joints, and heel tendons can become inflamed and swollen.

knee vascular pain

These pains are caused by poor blood circulation in the knee joint, which many people are familiar with.They usually begin during adolescence, a period of active growth—because the development of blood vessels in rapidly growing adolescents often cannot keep up with accelerated bone growth.

Once knee vascular pain occurs, it will accompany a person almost throughout his life.But their strength usually weakens after 18-20 years (and does not increase with age like arthropathy does).Unlike joint pain, knee vascular pain is not accompanied by a decrease in knee joint mobility.

The pain is usually symmetrical, meaning it is felt equally in the left and right knees; it can occur during changes in weather, cold, colds, and after physical activity.At such moments, suffering people complain that their knees are "twisted."

In most cases, knee vascular pain is easily eliminated by applying warm ointments, massage and self-massage (rubbing the knee vigorously), or taking vasodilator medications.This condition does not require special treatment.

Knee tendon inflammation (ancillitis)

Most women are affected, most commonly those over 40 years of age.The pain usually occurs when walking down stairs or carrying heavy items or bags.Pain is extremely rare when walking calmly on flat ground.

Pain from arthritis does not extend throughout the knee.It specifically targets the inside of the knee, approximately 3 degrees below the point where your knees touch when your legs are together.Unlike arthrosis, periarthritis does not limit knee joint movement; the leg flexes and extends fully at the knee as intended.