knee osteoarthritis

Arthritis of the knee (deformative osteoarthritis of the knee, DOA, knee arthropathy) is known as a degenerative dystrophic change in the joint structure, in which the cartilage layer between the bony elements first thins and then collapses. In the early stages, patients will feel discomfort and slightly limited movement, followed by joint deformation and complete loss of function as the cartilage is destroyed. Acute arthropathy is very painful and is accompanied by a significant reduction in the patient's physical activity. If treatment for knee arthritis is not started promptly, patients may remain disabled.

for reference:According to statistics, one in every five adults worldwide suffers from knee osteoarthritis. Knee osteoarthritis can be unilateral or bilateral; pathologic diagnosis is twice as common in women as in men. People over the age of 45 often face the problem of joint deformation due to age-related body changes. If this diagnosis is made in a young person, the cause is usually trauma.

Why do pathological changes occur?

The knee joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body. It bears most of the load during walking and other movements. Not surprisingly, as it ages, its elements begin to wear out and lose their functionality. First, the cartilage layer within the joint loses its elasticity and elasticity, then dries up and breaks down. The shock-absorbing properties of the cartilage are reduced, which is what causes discomfort and pain during movement: the shocks and impacts of the joint structures against each other are no longer softened by anything, and the bones are gradually exposed and rub against each other.Knee deformity in the elderly is a selective phenomenon; not everyone can be diagnosed. There are many predisposing factors which, in combination, can lead to pathological changes in the joints.The most common pathological causes are as follows:

• Overweight – the joint must bear additional loads;
• Osteoporosis is a pathology in which bone tissue undergoes demineralization.
• Chronic diseases related to metabolic disorders in the body;
• Traumatic Sports – Due to the frequent trauma to the knee joint, knee joint disease is often referred to as a football player’s disease;
• Certain types of occupational activity related to strenuous physical activity - osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis - are found in loaders;
• Spinal injuries, in which the load distribution of the lower extremity joints is disrupted;
• Genetic predisposition.

Articular cartilage does not wear out immediately. In the early stages, the manifestations of the disease are absent or inconspicuous, and the patient does not visit a doctor and does not take any measures to prevent the pathological process. However, if dystrophic changes are still detected, the patient has time to initiate treatment and prevent irreversible changes. To do this, you must first determine what the main symptoms of knee osteoarthritis are.

How to recognize disease

Symptoms of arthritis in the knee joint become apparent when the cartilage has thinned and begun to deteriorate. Grade 1 knee joint disease may go unnoticed for years. However, careful patients later recalled that they still felt atypical symptoms, but they did not pay much attention to them because these symptoms were not persistent and did not cause much discomfort.You can suspect destruction and inflammation of your right or left knee joint based on the following specific signs:

• Morning stiffness of joints;
• Restricted movement after staying in one location for a long time;
• Discomfort in the knees when climbing stairs - burning sensation, allergies;
• Knee pain at night;
• pain after physical exertion or exercise;
• Periodic sudden weakness of the lower limbs. In the case of right-sided knee joint disease or left-sided knee joint disease, only one affected leg will succumb.

However, the main symptom of knee joint destruction is still pain. They can vary in intensity and sometimes subside. But as the lesions progress, they appear more frequently, become more severe, and bother patients even at rest and without physical activity. Based on the severity of symptoms, doctors can diagnose the stage of the disease.

• Pathological manifestations of the first stage:While pain is not yet an issue, patients may notice rapid fatigue when performing sports or physical activity and slight limitations in joint range of motion after prolonged rest. An X-ray will show a slight narrowing of the space between the joint bones and an uneven surface of the cartilage with slight compaction.
• For 2nd degree knee arthrosisSymptoms appear more pronounced and more frequently. The patient is usually already aware that something is wrong with his knee. Joints can become injured and "twisted" due to changes in weather or physical activity. Even the slightest movement can cause knee pain. If a person lets the leg rest, the pain will go away. But under load they will recover again. Also at this stage of the pathology, there may be a characteristic tightness in the knee when bending and extending the leg, and difficulty and pain may occur when trying to bend the knee beyond 90 degrees. X-rays will show changes in the shape of the joint cup and the presence of fluid in the joint space.
• Knee arthritis 3rd degreeIt is characterized by severe pain that occurs regardless of whether the limb is under load or at rest. Painful joints are especially painful at night and when weather conditions change. The patient is no longer able to bend his leg at the knee, which is why his physical activity and performance decline. X-rays clearly show degenerative changes in joint tissue. The deformation is also obvious when observed with the naked eye. The patient's legs bend at the knees, forming an "o" or "x" shape, ultimately resulting in the inability to move independently without support and the inability to perform daily professional and household tasks. The person becomes disabled.

Often, patients consult their doctors in the second stage of the disease, mainly to find effective drugs for knee pain. In the first stage, knee joint disease can be difficult to identify because symptoms are mild and only minor changes can be seen on an X-ray. Pathological changes in the joints can only be discovered through a thorough examination.

diagnosis method

Diagnosis begins with visual inspection and questioning of the patient. What Indicates Possible Knee Arthropathy:

• Enlargement and shape change of the knee joint;
• A noticeable crunching sound when the kneecap shifts;
• Pain when palpating the joint;
• Joint movement is limited.

In early stages, degenerative changes in cartilage tissue may not be apparent; therefore, CT and MRI examinations are additionally recommended. With the help of modern diagnostic technology, doctors can accurately determine the severity of the affected joints, the presence of inflammation and fluid accumulation in the joint cavity, and distinguish knee osteoarthritis from other pathologies.

Classification

In modern orthopedics, there are two main types of knee osteoarthritis:

• Primary knee arthropathy;
• Secondary knee arthropathy.

The main form of the disease develops on its own due to age-related changes or metabolic disorders. Secondary is the result of another disease, injury, or unsuccessful surgical intervention. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the knee may occur within months of a bruise, subluxation, or fracture. Depending on the nature of the course, arthropathy is classified as acute or chronic. It is easier to cure the acute form of the disease.

Official medicine for treating knee joint disease

Comprehensive treatment for knee osteoarthritis is initiated only after the diagnosis is finally confirmed. If the patient's condition is not serious, doctors will first try to halt its progression with the help of medications. Physiotherapy, massage and manual therapy are used as additional methods.The main goals of comprehensive treatment are:

• Relieve pain and discomfort;
• Restore joint mobility;
• Stop the destruction of the cartilage layer and, if possible, restore it.

An important point is physical therapy and following a special diet. There are exercises and products that can help restore damaged joint tissue and at least partially restore mobility. If consulted promptly with your doctor, these measures can be enough to get your knee joint back to full function.But if the disease has reached the third stage, the joints are severely damaged, and even the most expensive drugs will not help recovery. Surgery is needed to preserve at least some function of the limb. It involves removing the remnants of the affected joint structure and placing an implant, a process called an endoprosthesis.

Drug treatment of knee joint disease

In order to eliminate unpleasant symptoms of the disease, restore and strengthen joints, drug complexes of different groups and effects are used.

• NSAIDs– Joint treatment begins with them, they quickly relieve pain, swelling, fever and partially stop the inflammatory process. But they cannot be taken for a long time, since the active ingredients in the composition have an extremely negative impact on the function of the digestive tract and blood components. Typically, NSAID treatment courses last no longer than 5-7 days. Medications may come in the form of tablets for internal use or ointments and gels for external use.
• chondroprotectant– These drugs improve the nutrition of cartilage tissue and restore its hardness and elasticity. Chondroprotectants may also provide partial relief from pain and swelling. But these drugs don't work immediately. The first effects will be visible within a few weeks of starting the treatment. It is recommended to take chondroprotectants for at least six months.
• Hormone drugs.They are also called corticosteroids. If the pain is very severe and inflammation continues to progress even after a course of NSAIDs, medications containing hormones may be used. They are administered via intramuscular injection or directly into the joint space. These medications provide immediate pain relief, reducing swelling and inflammation. But they have many contraindications and even more side effects than NSAIDs, which is why they are only used in extreme cases. Hormone drugs can only be purchased in pharmacies with a doctor's prescription. Once the patient's condition improved, corticosteroids were discontinued immediately.

Treatment is supplemented by intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid. This substance stimulates the production of synovial fluid, filling the cells with water, restoring their elasticity, hardness and preventing wear and tear. The cost of the surgery is quite high, but the results are worth it.

Remark:Of all the drugs listed above, only chondroprotectants affect the cause of the disease. They stimulate the regeneration of damaged cartilage tissue and prevent damage to surviving cartilage cells. But these drugs are expensive and must be taken regularly for months, sometimes even years, to achieve significant and lasting effects. For many patients, especially pensioners, the cost of comprehensive treatment is often prohibitive.

Unconventional treatments

Patients who have experienced firsthand what knee joint disease is and the unpleasant symptoms it exhibits, always have several remedies available in case pharmacies and medicines are not available. People suffering from joint disease and knee pain prepare tinctures, liniments and ointments based on medicinal plants in advance - almost all recipes require time and fresh ingredients and are available only in spring and summer.

Treat with dandelion

There are various ways to strengthen the joints and restore their mobility and get rid of severe pain with the help of this medicinal plant. The simplest is to eat five dandelions a day during the flowering period. This should be done on an empty stomach after rinsing the flowers with boiling water. Dandelion is also made into a tincture for rubbing on joints.The cooking recipe is as follows:

1. Collect exactly 50 open dandelion heads.
2. Place in a dark glass bottle with a tight stopper.
3. Pour in 300 ml of good quality vodka or triple cologne.
4. Avoid sunlight for a month and shake the container occasionally.
5. No need to express, transfer to the first aid kit, rub it on your sore knees before bed, then wrap the joints warmly, cover yourself with a blanket and go to bed.

There is another interesting way to use dandelions to combat osteoarthritis. First, you need to collect the leaves of the plant and dry them. Then pour boiling water and steam for half an hour. The resulting mixture must be chewed slowly and thoroughly for exactly 3000 steps.

Burdock Recipes

The simplest recipe:

1. Pick two to three young leaves and rinse them with cold water;
2. Gently mash the leaves to release the juice;
3. Apply to affected joint and immobilize with bandage.

Leave this "dressing" overnight, remove it in the morning and throw away the leaves. Repeat the procedure every day for three weeks.To enhance the effects, traditional healers recommend lubricating the knees with five-leaf oil before using burdock. Very easy to prepare. Add two tablespoons of chopped cinquefoil to 250 ml of any fragrance-free purified vegetable oil. The oil should be well preheated but not boiled. Leave the mixture for two weeks and then the oil can be used to treat the joints.

Turpentine, Eggs, and Other Joint Remedies

Using egg yolks, you can prepare an effective liniment for sore joints. It is prepared like this:

1. Lightly beat one egg yolk in a bowl.
2. Add a small spoonful of turpentine and stir.
3. Then pour in a tablespoon of vinegar and stir again.

Store the mixture in the refrigerator and use before bed. After rubbing, wrap the knee with a warm cloth overnight. In the morning, you'll need to remove the bandage and rinse off any remaining product with warm water, then apply any anti-joint ointment.Remember that all homemade preparations are only effective immediately after preparation; they cannot be kept for long (except alcohol-based tinctures, which can be kept in a cool place for up to six months). Don't expect immediate results. Folk remedies work on a cumulative system; lasting relief can only be obtained after three to four weeks of regular home remedies for the knee joint. In the later stages, they will not be effective and will only help temporarily reduce pain and swelling.Summary:Knee osteoarthritis or joint disease is one of the most common pathologies of the musculoskeletal system in older adults. In young people, it occurs after an injury or during excessive physical exertion. Only an effective and comprehensive approach in stages 1-2 can completely cure the disease. In the third stage, it is often necessary to resort to endoprosthesis in order to at least partially restore limb function and prevent complications.