How to treat osteoarthritis on the knee joint so that it is effective?It is necessary to help your body, to reduce the load, to normalize metabolism, to improve the functioning of the intestines and to facilitate the task of the kidneys and the liver.In other words, reduce weight, start eating properly, reduce the amount of animal fats, meat, easily absorbed by carbohydrates.Light the dishes of vegetables, dairy products, rye, sound or coarse flour in the menu.
The treatment key is the correct diagnosis.Joint lesions are a symptom of many diseases that have various treatment diets.Therefore, a diagnostic error, and even more 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.For its treatment, there are now various methods, both therapeutic and surgical.Since the call to surgical methods is always an extreme measure, we consider therapeutic methods.
Drugs
The effectiveness of the treatment depends on the stage of the destruction of the joint, on its news.They usually start with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
They have no direct effect on the cause of the disease and do not stop the destruction of the joint, their influence goes exclusively to reduce the main symptoms.The signs of inflammation are reduced, the swelling sets, the pain disappears or becomes much less pain.
With the help of anti-inflammatory drugs, intense pain is eliminated, which allows you to gradually move to other treatment methods, for example, massage, which would be contraindicated due to pain and inflammation.
But the prolonged use of these agents is undesirable, as this masks manifestations of the disease, creating an image of a complete remedy, in fact, the disease can progress.In addition, side effects can further strengthen the cartilage destruction processes.Consequently, if the question concerns the need for prolonged use of drugs in this group, a preference should be given to selective anti-inflammatory drugs.
Compulsory, with the diagnosis - osteoarthritis of the knee joint, the vasodilators are prescribed: improve the nutrition of the cartilage, the synovial shell of the destruction of the joint suspensions and improves the recovery processes.To reduce the allergic component, desensitizing drugs are prescribed.
Chondroprotectors in the treatment of the knee of osteoarthritis
How to treat osteoarthritis of the knee joint, if you do not try to restore the structure of cartilage damaged by the disease?
To do this, use a group of drugs called chondroprotectors.
They do not only affect individual symptoms, but affect the cause of the disease, helping to improve the condition of the surface of the cartilage, improving the production of joint fluid and its lubricants.
They improve the production of synovial fluid, improve its properties, restore the substance of the cartilage.The only thing you should remember that you cannot restore what is still if there is completely absent, destroyed, there are bone marginal growth, these drugs will not help.
Thus, the best result of the use of chondroprotectors will be if you start to use them early, no later than the degree of osteoarthritis I or II of the knee, moreover, long -term courses, several times a year.
Unfortunately, the action of these funds is far from instantaneous.Sometimes the result requires 2 to 3 treatment courses, and this takes six months to a year and a half.And the drugs in this group are completely ineffective in the third stage of the disease, when cartilage is already completely destroyed.But nevertheless, of all chondroprotectors used for osteoarthritis, it is most useful for the patient for osteoarthritis, in addition, they have almost no contraindications and side effects.
Injections in the joint
Intra-articular injections of drugs give a good effect, however, it should be kept in mind that the procedure itself can hurt the fabric of the capsule and be the cause of joint infection.As a rule, cortecedness drugs are introduced into the joint.For long -term action, steroid hormones are used (if you need to eliminate serious inflammation).
This procedure is generally carried out to provide emergency care to the patient.In this case, the rapid elimination of pain and inflammation is obtained.But at the same time, it is not desirable for a certain number of reasons of injections in the same knee more often of once in 2 weeks.
If the articulation is calmer, there is no obvious sign of inflammation, you can introduce chondroprotectors directly into the joint, they quickly reach the objective and have a positive effect.
Considerably improves the sliding of the articular ends of the bone compared to each other and reduces the load on the cartilage of the injection of hyaluronic acid.Of course, these drugs are very effective if there is no pronounced destruction of cartilage.
External funds
Patients often ask how to treat knee osteoarthritis with external remedies?After all, the first thing you want to do with knee pain is to grind it and wrap it warmly.
Unfortunately, neither the ointments, nor the creams, nor all kinds of waste can cure osteoarthritis.But they can alleviate the patient's condition, reducing pain and without affecting irritation on the gastrointestinal tract, as an anti-inflammatory drug.The warming ointments are used, as well as ointments based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.The skin absorbs only 5 to 7% of the active substance, so the action of these ointments is not as effective as we would like.
But the compresses of osteoarthritis of the knee joint are more effective.For them, you can recommend Medical Bile.They relieve inflammation directly in its home, have absorption and pain relievers.
Massage and physiotherapy
Physiotherapy for osteoarthritis also gives a positive effect.Procedures such as ultrasound, laser, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis are used.Thanks to them, the sensitivity to the pain of the joints decreases, the inflammatory processes are reduced, the swelling is eliminated.
You can use the radon, salt baths, apply compresses with bile.
If possible, you can follow manual therapy, a traction.At the same time, the ends of the bones are distant from each other and the load on them is reduced.Only manipulations must be carried out very carefully and necessarily a qualified specialist.Manual therapy and knee joint massage also give good results, improving blood circulation in the sick joint, stopping the development of destructive processes and restoring its function possible.
Massage is particularly effective in the first stages of the disease, when it has not yet had its complete destructive effect.It is good to play after exercises of therapeutic exercises.A good preparatory step for massage will be the adoption of a hot shower or to be in a hammam.After that, the muscles are heated and massage has a deeper therapeutic effect.In the treatment of osteoarthritis, the knee joint of the sanatorium also has a favorable effect.Therapeutic mud improves the course of recovery processes in cartilage, improve joint supply with useful substances and blood supply.
If the joint is completely destroyed, only surgical treatment can help replace it with artificial.
Preventive measures: reduce the destruction process
The prevention of osteoarthritis comes from the causes of its occurrence, the main ones of which are an excess weight, injuries, poor physical activity.Physical education courses, the performance of achievable physical exercises strengthen the surrounding articulations of the muscles.Thanks to this, the load on cartilage becomes less.Morning walks, swimming are useful.
At the same time, it is important to observe alternating loads and rest and good safety when exercising exercises.It is necessary to avoid injury and overload in any way possible.After all, these are injuries that serve as one of the main causes of osteoarthritis.The appearance of microfissures determines the presence of the initial foci of inflammation.Therefore, for athletes and sports enthusiasts, you must not forget protective equipment such as knee buffers.
The prevention of osteoarthritis of the knee joint also implies compliance with the diet.Each additional kilogram of weight is an additional load on the leg joints.You need to eat less sweet and flour and fruits and vegetables - as much as possible.Studies show that vegetarians are much less likely to suffer from osteoarthritis.Coffee and strong tea are poorly affected, they are swept away with calcium bones, but natural dairy products contribute to the reconstruction of its reserves.