Osteoarthritis of the knee joint - first symptoms and methods of treatment

The disease of arthrosis has many variants.For example, hip joint disease is called coxarthrosis, and knee disease is called gonarthrosis.

The treatment method for all subtypes is usually the same.But still, many people do not know the difference between arthrosis and gonarthrosis of the knee joint.

Based on this, many misuses of these terms have arisen among patients with this problem.

Causes

Gonarthrosis is a disease of the knee joint with damage to cartilage tissue.Many people mistakenly believe that the disease is typical only for older people, because it is degenerative.But, as practice shows, gonarthrosis occurs more often in young people.

This is confirmed by the causes of the disease:

• knee injuries (fractures, dislocations, cracks);
• weight lifting, vigorous physical activity without proper training;
• joint inflammation due to exposure to various factors, including hypothermia;
• excessive weight, because it leads to a heavy load on the joints and their subsequent degeneration;
• genetic predisposition.

As you can see, all factors for the occurrence of gonarthrosis are more typical for young people, because they lead an active lifestyle.

Although the disease can also occur in pensioners due to excess weight.According to statistics, after 50 years, gonarthrosis occurs more often in women.This is due to restructuring of the body, changes in metabolic processes.

Principles and types of treatment

Arthrosis is generally a chronic disease, so it takes a long time to treat them.Therapy can be surgical or conservative.

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

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

In addition, it is recommended to use special sets of gymnastic exercises, for example, the Bubnovsky technique.

In addition to the destruction of cartilage by gonarthrosis, muscle fibers and ligaments are subject to destruction.The goal of the treatment is:

• relief from pain;
• elimination of inflammation;
• removal of edema of the periarticular area;
• stopping the destruction of cartilage, its complete or partial restoration;
• return to full life and freedom of movement.

Even in cases where a person cannot completely cure arthrosis of the knee joint, he can partially return to a normal lifestyle thanks to therapy and prevention.The condition lasts until the next relapse.

Conservative method

This method of therapy is used in most cases and it is the main one.As a rule, patients in the initial and middle stages of gonarthrosis are treated in this way.All actions involve the use of drugs (tablets, capsules, injections) with chemically active substances.

The following may be prescribed for treatment:

• analgin;
• chondroprotectors;
• non-steroidal drugs;
• synovial prostheses;
• glucocorticosteroids.

Other conservative methods include treatment with various ointments, mud baths, etc.

Recently, gymnastics and light physical exercises have been very popular to stop the course of the disease or the possible recovery of the patient.

The body reacts strongly to non-steroidal drugs.Nevertheless, they are widely used in the treatment of arthrosis due to their multifunctional effect:

• removal of swelling in the joint;
• relief from pain;
• treatment of inflammatory processes.

Due to these properties, doctors are increasingly choosing these drugs over traditional analgesics.

Glucocorticosteroids are synthetic drugs that can replace the natural hormones produced by the adrenal glands.If we compare them with non-steroidal drugs, glucocorticosteroids are much stronger.In addition, they also have an anti-allergic effect.

Chondroprotectors act directly on the cartilage and are completely safe treatments for knee arthrosis (gonarthrosis).They are obtained from the structure of animal bones, fish cartilage and crustacean shells.Medicines are building material for cartilage, improve metabolic processes and proper nutrition of the joint.

In addition to the use of drugs, during treatment, recovery and prevention, the following is prescribed:

• physical therapy;
• physiotherapy;
• various massages;
• visiting sanatoriums and resorts.

All this allows the patient to return to normal life and improves the result obtained with conservative treatment.

Moreover, the classes are easy.A very useful exercise for the knee joint in gonarthrosis is rolling with the foot a ball placed on the floor or another cylindrical object, for example, a rolling pin.

Surgical intervention

If it is not possible to cure the disease with the help of drugs or therapeutic exercises, then it is necessary to undergo surgery.It can be used on both open and closed joints.At the same time, surgical methods are improved every day, and new methods are added to the previous ones, which are carried out on modern equipment.

New methods of performing operations include:

• microsurgical intervention to restore damaged cartilage tissue;
• laser beam treatment with the required characteristics - thickness, power, etc.;
• creation of a 1 mm thick electrolytic plasma field;
• arthroscopy;
• endoprosthetics - replacement of joint parts with artificial prostheses.

Modern surgical methods are low-traumatic and allow a large number of different manipulations of the joint.

Recipes of traditional medicine

Conservative treatment methods cannot always give the maximum result in the treatment of gonarthrosis.Recipes of traditional medicine can be used as additional medicines.

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

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

Grind all the components in a meat grinder, mix and cover with boiling water.Then put it in a pot, cover it tightly with a lid and cool it down.Take 60-70 g 3 times a day for a month.If pain appears, you can repeat the course or carry it out every six months for prevention.

You can also use this recipe:

• beat two eggs and mix with 4 tablespoons of salt;
• Apply the mixture to a bandage and apply to the painful area.

The procedure must be repeated twice in a row.Do not remove the bandage until the mixture dries.

To make the medicinal ointment, you will need the following ingredients:

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

Alternately add mustard and camphor to the alcohol.Beat the egg whites in another bowl and then combine them.The ointment is applied to the painful area.

Of course, heavy physical activity in athletes is a common cause of gonarthrosis as well as aging of the joints over time.

But recently, cases of the disease occurring without such underlying causes are becoming more common.People, on the contrary, lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is why they gain extra weight.

The load on the joints increases and prevents them from staying healthy for a long time.

Difference between arthrosis and gonarthrosis

Not everyone understands the difference between gonarthrosis and arthrosis of the knee joint.Gonarthrosis is characterized only by knee damage, while arthrosis itself is the name for a group of joint diseases that can affect any joint.

In medical theory, there are many diseases whose names contain the part "arthrosis" - osteoarthrosis, polyarthrosis, coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis.In this regard, the ignorant do not always understand the correct meaning of each of them, thinking that they are all synonyms.

Gonarthrosis can easily be confused with the following diseases:

• arthritis;
• vascular knee pain;
• periarthritis - inflammation of the knee tendon;
• meniscus damage.

But it is still possible to distinguish gonarthrosis from these diseases.For example, meniscus damage (meniscopathy) is a disease that begins with sharp and unexpected pain in the knees after an unsuccessful movement, and gonarthrosis develops and progresses over the years.If meniscopathy is left untreated, pain will occur from time to time, but no bone deformity will occur.

With coxarthrosis (disease of the hip joint) there is often reflected pain in the knees, but the two diseases can be distinguished from each other in the following ways:

• with gonarthrosis, a person can calmly move his legs in the hip joint, spread them;
• with coxarthrosis, on the contrary, the patient can freely bend and straighten the knee;
• if the pain is felt in both joints, then we can assume that it is polyarthrosis.

Arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the joints and sudden onset, but the pain does not affect the mobility of the joints (as in periarthritis) and is eliminated thanks to warming ointments.This disease causes swelling, high temperature and increased pain at night.

Vascular pain is caused by circulatory disorders - this often affects young people under the age of 20.This is due to the rapid growth of the whole organism.

Thus, arthrosis is the general name of the disease, and gonarthrosis is the name that indicates the location (knee).That is why it is correct to say either "arthrosis of the knee joint" or "gonarthrosis", but not "gonarthrosis of the knee joint".And it is quite possible to establish an accurate diagnosis through careful research and personal observations.

Arthrosis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis): diagnosis and treatment

The knee joint is a wonderful mechanism of flexion and extension that nature has given us.At rest, it occurs only in people with disabilities and obese people who have lost the ability to move.

Calculate how many times a day it makes movements and you will come to the conclusion that the knee is the most mobile part of the joint.It is no wonder that diseases often choose it as a target.

One of them is gonarthrosis or arthrosis of the knee joint.

Causes of arthrosis of the knee joint

It's hard to say what causes early cartilage loss in some people.A metabolic disorder in which the metabolism of amino acids and important trace elements occurs slowly or improperly is generally believed to be to blame.

Here, however, the following reasons are to blame:

1. Some immune-related diseases (for example, rheumatoid arthritis)
2. Self-care: sports and movement, a nutritious diet containing a whole range of vitamins, amino acids and minerals are often pushed somewhere far away for "later" ("I'll start on Monday, of course")
3. Since birth, the natural balance has been disturbed - so-called hereditary causes.It is very easy to check your genetic predisposition: see what your grandparents are sick with and ask them what their ancestors were sick with
4. Disturbed hormonal balance: such disorders especially affect the female body during the period of estrogen deficiency, an important hormone necessary for osteosynthesis.It is not for nothing that most of the victims of arthrosis are women of a wonderful mature age, when they are not yet old, but already wise, that is, "over 50".
5. Vascular diseases: Arthrosis is often combined with venous insufficiency, venous thrombosis and other diseases.
6. State of mind: If you think stress just puts you in a bad mood, you're wrong - stress can slow your metabolism down to a state of suspended animation.
7. A risk factor for osteoarthritis is being overweight

What symptoms make it possible to suspect this bad pathology?

Symptoms of gonarthrosis by stages

Each stage has its own characteristic features, but they are united by the gradual development of the disease:

You can't suddenly stop walking because of pain: a sharp, sudden symptom of knee pain most likely indicates an injury.

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

• Slight pain after a long walk, climbing stairs, etc.
• Stiffness after rest
• There is no deformity of the knee, but it may be somewhat swollen due to accumulated fluid: this phenomenon is called synovitis.Fluid can accumulate even in the posterior part - the popliteal fossa, forming a cyst, which frightened patients often mistake for a cancer tumor.The cyst usually resolves easily after treatment with injections of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or glucocorticosteroids

The second stage

In the second stage, the following signs are observed:

• Increased pain after exercise and movement and the appearance of a characteristic coarse grinding
• Increased morning stiffness
• Movement to the end or even 90 degrees is accompanied by a symptom of pain, sometimes so strong that it becomes impossible to complete it
• Due to the beginning of the deformation, the bones thicken and become rough - this can be determined by palpation
• Synovitis can get worse

The third phase

In the third stage, which is already defined as late deforming arthrosis of the knee joint, symptoms appear:

• Constant pain that does not go away even at night: knee hurts and twists, especially in cold wet weather
• Sharp reduction in range of motion: no more than 90 degrees, or even less
• Changes in gait: the patient begins to limp, walks slowly on half-bent legs, waddles, walking up stairs is especially difficult
• Visible severe deformation with mixing of the axes of the joints - because of this, the legs have the shape of the letter "X" or "O" (such signs are called hallux valgus).
• At this stage, the cartilage is, as a rule, already completely destroyed, and ossification (ossification) occurs in the ligaments.
• After that, the surface of the joint becomes overgrown with calcium deposits, which is why the knee takes on a bumpy, uneven appearance.
• Due to severe deformation and lack of synovial fluid, movements in the knee become extremely painful
• Gradually, almost complete immobility of the knee occurs in late deforming arthrosis of the knee joint

Treatment of gonarthrosis

Treatment of this disease is complex and long-term, effective only in the first stages.In the latter, conservative treatment only plays a role in alleviating the patient's condition.

Diagnostics.An important preliminary stage is diagnosis.

• The best way to diagnose and determine if the pain is caused by an injury or osteoarthritis is to use an X-ray or MRI of the knee joint.
• Arthrosis is diagnosed if the following are observed: degeneration or absence of cartilage tissue and a small gap between the joint and the capsule

Conservative treatment

During exacerbations, the most important condition for treatment is:

• Maintaining rest and light exercise
• Taking painkillers (for severe pain - in the form of intra-articular injections)
• In the third and fourth stages of arthrosis, injections with fluid to lubricate the joints are also prescribed

The following types of physiotherapy are effective for gonarthrosis:

• SWT (Shock Wave Therapy)
• electromyostimulation
• acupuncture
• magnetotherapy
• radiofrequency therapy, etc.

Rehabilitation treatment

In order to avoid contractures and even greater immobility, knee exercises should be started immediately after the acute pain has stopped - exercise therapy under the supervision of a rehabilitation specialist is prescribed for this.Long-term cyclic application of substitutes for natural cartilage components - chondroprotective drugs - is also carried out.

Attention: In the third degree, arthrosis of the knee joint cannot be cured with the help of chondroprotectors.

Surgical treatment

Effective treatment of late arthrosis is only surgical - replacing the joint that has lost its function with an endoprosthesis.

However, we must remember:

• in old age, the healing of the prosthesis is slower
• After surgery, there may be pain for a year
• long-term rehabilitation with mechanotherapy and comprehensive exercise therapy is required

If the patient refuses surgery, then conservative supportive treatment is prescribed, the purpose of which is to suppress pain and preserve the motor function of the knee.

What is arthrosis of the knee joint often confused with - gonarthrosis?

• When diagnosing gonarthrosiserrors occur as often, if not more often, than in diagnosing hip disease.
• Below is a list of diseases that are most often mistaken for arthrosis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis).
• From the practice of dr.Evdokymenka,Most often, arthrosis of the knee joint is confused with the following diseases:

Damage to the meniscus (meniscopathy) and blockage of the knee joint

Meniscus injuries and knee blockages occur in people of all ages, young and old.Men and women get sick equally often.Usually one knee joint is damaged.

Unlike gonarthrosis, the disease develops quickly.As a rule, after an unsuccessful movement when walking, running or jumping, a person hears a creaking in the knee and feels acute pain in the joint.After 10-15 minutes, the acute pain subsides slightly and the person can move.But the next day or the day after, the knee swells, and the pain increases again.

Without proper treatment, the disease continues for years - the pain either subsides or reappears.But compared to gonarthrosis, meniscopathy rarely causes deformation of the bones of the knee joint - unless damage to the meniscus causes the development of knee arthrosis.And that, it should be noted, also happens quite often.

Arthrosis of the hip joint (coxarthrosis)

The diagnosis of "gonarthrosis" is often mistaken for "referral" pain, which often occurs in hip arthrosis and extends from the hip joint to the knee.

But these conditions are very easy to distinguish - in arthrosis of the hip joint, the mobility of the knee does not decrease at all, the knee bends and straightens easily and painlessly.

But the ability of a person suffering from arthrosis of the hip joint to turn the leg "from the hip" and spread the legs to the sides sharply decreases.

A person suffering from gonarthrosis, on the contrary, easily turns the leg from the hip and easily spreads the legs to the side.But he bends his knee with difficulty and crouches in pain.

Arthritis

The knee joints are the most vulnerable joints of the human body.In addition to arthrosis and meniscopathy, the knee joints can be affected by any of the arthritis described in the second part of the book - reactive, rheumatoid, psoriatic, gout, ankylosing spondylitis and joint rheumatism.

Arthritis affects people of any age, but most often the onset of the disease occurs in young people.

With arthritis, one or both knees can become inflamed.

A characteristic feature of arthritic inflammation of the knee joint is a rapid onset (within 1-3 days), with obvious swelling and swelling of the knee, as well as increased pain in the affected joint at night (around 3-4 in the morning).That is, the pain at night, when resting, can be stronger than when walking.In arthrosis, as you remember, the pain decreases at night.

In addition, almost any arthritis leads to inflammation of not one, but several joints at once: in addition to the knees, the joints of the fingers and toes, elbows, ankles and heel tendons become inflamed and swollen in any combination.

Vascular pain in the knees

These pains, which occur due to poor blood circulation in the knee joints, are known to many.They usually begin during adolescence, a period of active growth - since vascular development in fast-growing adolescents often does not follow accelerated bone growth.

Once it occurs, vascular pain in the knees can accompany a person for almost a lifetime.But their intensity usually decreases after 18-20 years (and does not increase with age, as happens with arthrosis).And unlike arthrosis, vascular pain in the knees is not accompanied by a decrease in the mobility of the knee joints.

Painful sensations are usually symmetrical, that is, they are equally expressed in the right and left knee;they occur when the weather changes, in the cold, during a cold and after physical activity.At such times, sufferers complain that their knees "twist".

In most cases, vascular pain in the knees can be easily removed by rubbing warm ointments, massage and self-massage (strong rubbing of the knees) or by taking vasodilator drugs.This condition does not require special therapy.

Inflammation of the knee tendon (periarthritis bursa anserina)

Most of the patients are women, usually older than 40 years.The pain usually occurs when going down stairs or when carrying heavy objects or heavy bags.When you walk calmly on a flat surface, pain is extremely rare.

The pain caused by periarthritis does not extend to the entire knee.It focuses exclusively on the inside of the knee, about 3- below the point where the knees would touch when you bring your legs together.And unlike arthrosis, in periarthritis there is no limitation of knee mobility;the leg bends and extends at the knee as expected, fully.