How to treat the osteoarthritis of the knee joint to be effective?It is necessary to help your body, reduce load, normalize metabolism, improve the functioning of intestines and facilitate the task of the kidneys and liver.That is, reduce excess weight, start eating properly, reduce the amount of animal fats, meat, easily absorbed by carbohydrates.Turn on vegetable dishes, dairy products, rye, bran or thick flour in the menu.
The key to treatment is the correct diagnosis.Articular lesions are a symptom of many diseases that have various treatment regime.Therefore, a diagnostic error, and even more an independent diagnosis, can be too expensive for the patient.
The question of how to treat the osteoarthritis of the knee joint is not new for modern medicine.For treatment, there are now several methods, both therapeutic and surgical.Since the appeal to surgical methods is always an extreme measure, we consider therapeutic methods.
Medications
The effectiveness of the treatment depends on the stage of destruction of the articulation, its punctuality.They usually begin with non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs.
They do not have a direct effect on the cause of the disease and do not stop the destruction of the joint, their influence is exclusively to reduce the main symptoms.Signs of inflammation are reduced, swelling decreases, pain disappears or becomes much less pain.
With the help of anti -inflammatory drugs, severe pain is eliminated, allowing other treatment methods to be gradually moving, for example, massage, which would be contraindicated due to pain and inflammation.
But the prolonged use of these agents is not desirable, since this masks the manifestations of the disease, creating an image of a complete cure, in fact, the disease can progress.In addition, side effects can further strengthen cartilage destruction processes.Therefore, if the question is the need for prolonged use of drugs of this group, preference should be given to selective anti -inflammatory medications.
Mandatory, with the diagnosis - osteoarthritis of the knee joint, vasodilators are prescribed: improve cartilage nutrition, the synovial layer of the destruction of joint suspensions and improves recovery processes.To reduce the allergic component, desensitizing medications are prescribed.
Condroprotectors in the treatment of osteoarthritis knee
How to treat the osteoarthritis of the knee joint, if you do not try to restore the structure of the cartilage damaged by the disease?
To do this, use a group of medications called condoprotectors.
Not only do individual symptoms affect, but they affect the cause of the disease, helping to improve the condition of the cartilage surface, improving the production of joint fluid and its lubricants.
They improve synovial fluid production, improve their properties, restore cartilage substance.The only thing that must remember that it can only restore what is still fully absent, destroyed, there are bone marginal growth, these drugs will not help.
Therefore, the best result of the use of condoprotectors will be if it begins to use them early, no later than the degree of osteoarthritis I or II of the knee joints, in addition, long -term courses, several times a year.
Unfortunately, the action of these funds is far from instantaneous.Sometimes, the result requires 2-3 treatment courses, and this takes six months to a year and a half.And the drugs of this group are completely ineffective in the third stage of the disease, when the cartilage is already completely destroyed.However, of all condoprotectors used for osteoarthritis, it is the most useful for the patient for osteoarthritis, in addition, they hardly have contraindications or side effects.
Joint injections
Intra -articular drug injections give a good effect, however, it should be taken into account that the procedure itself can damage the tissue of the capsule and be the cause of joint infection.As a general rule, corticosteroid medications are introduced into the joint.For long -term action, steroid hormones are used (if you need to eliminate severe inflammation).
This procedure is generally performed to provide emergency care to the patient.In this case, the rapid elimination of pain and inflammation is achieved.But at the same time, it is not desirable for several reasons for injections in the same knee more frequently 1 time in 2 weeks.
If the joint is quieter, there are no obvious signs of inflammation, it can introduce condoprotectors directly into the joint, they quickly reach the goal and have a positive effect.
It significantly improves the sliding of the joint ends of the bone from each other and reduces the load in the cartilage of the injection of hyaluronic acid.Of course, these medications are highly efficient if there is no pronounced destruction of the cartilage.
External funds
Patients often ask the question of 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 hotly.
Unfortunately, neither ointments, neither creams, nor all kinds of garbage can cure osteoarthritis.But they can relieve the patient's condition, reducing pain and without affecting the irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, such as anti -inflammatory medications.Urtas in warming are used, as well as ointments based on non -steroid anti -inflammatory drugs.The skin absorbs only 5-7% of the active substance, so the action of these ointments is not as effective as we would like.
But the compresses for the osteoarthritis of the knee joint are more efficient.For them, you can recommend medical bile.They relieve inflammation directly at home, they have absorption and analgesics.
Massage and physiotherapy
Physiotherapy for osteoarthritis also gives a positive effect.Procedures such as ultrasound, laser, magnetotherapy, phonoforesis are used.Thanks to them, the sensitivity to the pain of the joints decreases, the inflammatory processes are reduced in them, the swelling is eliminated.
You can use radon, salt bathrooms, apply bile compresses.
If possible, you can take a manual therapy course, traction.At the same time, the ends of the bones move away from each other and the load is reduced.Only manipulations should be carried out with great care 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 in it and restoring its function in a possible degree.
Massage is especially effective in the initial stages of the disease, when it has not yet had all its destructive effect.It is good to perform after therapeutic exercises.A good preparatory stage for massage will be the adoption of a hot shower or be in a steam room.After that, the muscles heat up and the massage has a deeper therapeutic effect.In the treatment of osteoarthritis, the knee joint of the sanatorium also has a favorable effect.The therapeutic mud improves the course of recovery processes in the cartilage, improves the supply of joints with useful substances and blood supply for them.
If the joint is completely destroyed, only surgical treatment can help, replacing it with artificial.
Preventive Measures: Reduce the Destruction Process
The prevention of osteoarthritis comes from the causes of its occurrence, the main one of which is excess weight, injuries, bad physical activity.Physical education classes, the performance of feasible physical exercises strengthen the surrounding joints of the muscles.Thanks to this, the cargo in the cartilage becomes less.Morning walks, swimming is useful.
At the same time, it is important to observe alternative loads and proper rest and security when performing exercises.It is necessary to avoid injuries and overload in all possible ways.After all, it is the injuries that serve as one of the main causes of osteoarthritis.The appearance of microcks determines the presence of initial inflammation spotlights.Therefore, for athletes and sports lovers, you should not forget about protective equipment such as knees.
The prevention of the osteoarthritis of the knee joint also implies compliance with the diet.Each kilogram of additional weight is an additional load in the legs of the legs.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 osteoarthritis.Coffee and strong tea are little affected, they are eliminated from calcium bones, but natural dairy products contribute to the replacement of their reserves.