Osteoarthritis of the knee joint: treatment and symptoms

Osteoarthritis - a fairly common disease, provoked by a metabolic disorder, a traumatic injury or nonspecific infectious arthritis. The disease causes deforming changes in the tissues of the joints and the surrounding bone joints.

What is arthrosis?

Arthrosis is quite a serious disease affecting the joints. When the disease is damaged, the joints and the surrounding bones thicken. There is pain under the load, which gradually subsides at rest. Osteoarthritis of the knee joint, the causes of which are quite different, does not cause an inflammatory process, therefore it does not manifest itself in the form of swelling and redness, which is different from arthritis or polyarthritis. It should be noted that among the patients there are quite a lot of women suffering from diseases - varicose veins and obesity.

Why does the disease appear?

Arthrosis is an unpredictable disease that occurs due to:

1. Overloading
2. Trauma
3. Hereditary predisposition
4. Obesity
5. Flat-footedness

How to identify the disease?

Osteoarthritis of the knee joint of 1 degree - the initial stage of the disease, in which timely treatment started can work the joint. At the initial stage, the movements become limited, and the joints begin to ossify. To detect arthrosis of the knee joint, the treatment of which is quite diverse, is practically impossible at this stage: X-ray examination will not show visible bony growths. The main signs are the sharpening of the joint edges and the narrowing of the joint between the joints, which the doctor can detect during the examination. To clarify the diagnosis appoint an additional examination of ultrasound and MRI of the joints.

Typically, patients notice short-term tingling in the joint and a crunch released during the movement. Painful sensations arise after rest, and when walking quickly pass. Such "starting" pains are manifested as a result of friction of joints, on which the cartilaginous and bone destruction (detritus) settles.

At the initial stage, arthrosis does not cause significant discomfort, so patients do not pay attention to the symptoms. Therefore, if the slightest suspicion of arthrosis of the knee arises, treatment should be carried out immediately.

Treatment of arthrosis

Before you begin to fight the disease, try to find a good doctor and after a complete examination make a joint treatment plan. Do not make a diagnosis yourself, this can only aggravate the situation. There are many similar diseases, so without a survey, you can make a mistake in determining the disease.

When confirming the diagnosis of arthrosis of the knee joint, treatment is prescribed depending on the stage of the disease. At the initial stage, when the joint is even more - less preserved, they suggest carrying out drug therapy with chondroprotective drugs. To date, they are presented in a fairly wide range: Arthra (USA), Dona (Italy), Condro or Condronova (India) Structum (France), Teraflex (Great Britain), " Hondrolon "and" Chondroitin AKOS "(Russia). Regardless of the choice, take the listed drugs up to 6 months. After six months, it is recommended to repeat the course of treatment. Duration of treatment is from 3 to 5 years.

It is worth noting that the cream and ointments are not able to save the patient from arthrosis, but they can alleviate the pain. It is recommended to use warming medications that will help improve blood circulation, such as: "Menovazine", "Espol", "Gevkamen" and "Nikofleks - cream". In some cases, when arthrosis is aggravated by the phenomenon of synovitis, the following "Voltaren-gel", "Indometacin" and "Fastum" can be used.

Patients who have a confirmed diagnosis of arthrosis of the knee joint, treatment can prescribe only the attending physician. They are recommended to perform daily gymnastics and adhere to a compiled diet. Try not to overload your joints with a load. Such actions can adversely affect your health. After recovery, try to gradually increase the load and prevent the occurrence of pain.