Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is a disease of the knee region that is accompanied by pain, poor functioning of the motor parts and processes of deformation of the bone and cartilaginous tissues of the joints.Most often, this disease affects people who have reached a certain age;In most cases, women who have problems with being overweight suffer from it.The causes of osteoarthritis of the knee joint are extremely varied.The disease is usually divided into stages that differ in the severity of painful symptoms and the possibility of treatment.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joints is a pathology that requires appropriate treatment and selection of medications.> As for the stages of the disease, the first of them is characterized by the fact that such a disease does not manifest itself in everyday life and is difficult to recognize by an ordinary person.Pain syndrome appears periodically, no deformation processes occur in the joint.The first stage is usually the longest and can last from a few months to several years.The pain usually occurs after prolonged physical activity and then disappears before further efforts.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joints in the first stage may be accompanied by abnormal accumulation of fluid in the joints located at the back of the knee.This fluid disappears if treated by a highly qualified doctor, prescribing the use of anti-inflammatory drugs.
The second step is more difficult.Walking is accompanied by pain, during this process there is a crunching and clicking noise, and it becomes difficult to bend the leg at the knee.In addition, at this stage a person cannot stand on his own, it becomes difficult to perform various physical exercises, and the pain intensifies.Fluid accumulation in the joints is observed in almost all cases.The deformation begins in the bone and cartilage tissues.The third stage, characterized by osteoarthritis of the knee joints, is the most difficult for the patient.Painful sensations do not leave a person and are constantly present even at rest.In this case, the knee cannot be bent and the leg cannot be fully extended.In addition, bones and cartilage are significantly deformed and physical activity is simply impossible to perform due to disability.There are many problems with walking, and treatment of the disease at this stage is extremely difficult and long, and disability can be observed.
Causes and symptoms of the disease
Osteoarthritis of the knee joints is divided into two main types: primary and secondary osteoarthritis.The first type is much less common.It is characterized by the fact that it is an independent disease, the causes of which are independent development, without the participation of any damage.It is worth saying that the main reasons for the progression of the disease have not been clarified, but it is generally accepted that the main one is disturbances in metabolic processes in the body.
In addition, there is an opinion that osteoarthritis of the knee joints can develop due to any damage to the cartilaginous tissue of the joint, for example, improper metabolism, circulatory disorders and other pathologies.When a doctor treats this type of illness, any physical activity is contraindicated and running should be replaced with some form of physical activity such as moderate walking.
The second type of knee osteoarthritis is secondary.The main reason for its appearance is improper treatment of various minor joint injuries, which most often occur as a result of:
- meniscopathies - injuries to the minicus that form after incorrect and sudden movements;
- a genetic predisposition, based on a lack of collagen in the body;
- significant physical stress on the joint, which can be prolonged without changing position;
- overweight problems lead to greater stress on the affected joint;
- loads on the joint system, for example skiing, jumping, games.
Treatment of knee osteoarthritis
To avoid cases where the development of the disease leads to disability, the doctor, especially a good specialist, prescribes non-steroidal drugs against inflammation.Their use is determined by the fact that it is necessary to relieve pain and remove inflammation of the lesion, since the pain is constant.Osteoarthritis of the knee joints with the use of non-hormonal agents is very often used before performing massages, therapeutic exercises or special physical exercises.This is due to the fact that various gymnastic loads and tasks cause increased pain, so the pain must be removed prematurely.It should be noted, and any doctor who treats a disease knows this, that these nonsteroidal medications do not treat the affected joint itself and do not eliminate the cause of the disease.They are designed to only provide anesthesia for the lesion.
Taking chondroprotectors perfectly treats osteoarthritis of the knee joints and prevents disability.
These drugs not only relieve pain, but also affect the process of restoration of cartilage tissue and improve the production of fluid in the joints.Treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis of the knee joint using chondroprotectors is the only possible and correct method of treatment.Only these drugs are designed to restore damaged joint tissues.
Another method to treat this disease is to inject into the joints.Their advantage is that they instantly eliminate pain.It is this feature that has become the reason why the doctor very often prescribes this particular drug to relieve pain.However, many experts consider the frequent use of such injections unjustified, since the effect of the drug is only pain relief.A very important aspect is that this method of treatment should be used with extreme caution and in compliance with all the rules.
Osteoarthritis is a serious pathology that requires special attention.