How to treat knee osteoarthritis in order to be effective? You need to help your body, reduce stress, normalize metabolism, improve bowel function, make it easier on the kidneys and liver. That is, to reduce excess weight, start eating properly, reduce the amount of animal fats, meat, easily soluble carbohydrates. Include in the menu dishes made from vegetables, fermented milk products, rye, wholemeal bread or wholemeal flour.
Accurate diagnosis is the key to treatment. Joint lesions are a symptom of many diseases with different treatment schemes. Therefore, a diagnostic error, and even more so an independent diagnosis can be very expensive for the patient.
The question of how to treat knee osteoarthritis is not new to modern medicine. For its treatment, there are now various methods, both therapeutic and surgical. Since the use of surgical methods is always a last resort, consider therapeutic methods.
Medications
The effectiveness of the treatment depends on the stage of destruction of the joint, its timing. It usually starts 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 effect is only in reducing the main symptoms. The signs of inflammation diminish, the swelling subsides, the pain disappears or becomes much smaller.
With the help of anti-inflammatory drugs, strong pain sensations are relieved, which makes it possible to gradually switch to other methods of treatment, for example, massage, which will be contraindicated due to pain and inflammation.
But the long-term use of these drugs is undesirable, as it masks the manifestations of the disease, creating a picture of a complete cure, but in fact the disease can progress. In addition, side effects can further enhance cartilage destruction processes. Therefore, if there is a question about the need for long-term use of drugs of this group, preference should be given to selective anti-inflammatory drugs.If the diagnosis is made - osteoarthritis of the knee, vasodilators are prescribed: improvement of cartilage nutrition, synovial membrane of the joint stops the destruction and enhances the recovery processes. To reduce the allergic ingredient, desensitizing drugs are prescribed.
Chondroprotectors in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis
How to treat osteoarthritis of the knee joints if it does not try to restore the structure of the cartilage damaged by the disease?
For this, a group of medicines called chondroprotectors are used.
They not only act on individual symptoms, but affect the cause of the disease, helping to improve the condition of the cartilaginous surface, improving joint fluid production and its lubricating properties.
They improve synovial fluid production, improve its properties and restore cartilage substance. The only thing to remember is that you can only restore what is still there, but if the cartilage is completely missing, destroyed, there is marginal bone growth, these medications will not help.
So the best result from using chondroprotectors will be if you start using them early, no later than grade I or II of osteoarthritis of the knee joints, moreover, with long courses, sometimes a year.
Unfortunately, these tools are not immediate at all. Sometimes 2-3 courses of treatment are required to get the result, and this lasts from six months to a year and a half. And drugs of this group are completely ineffective in the third stage of the disease, when the cartilage is completely destroyed. But still, of all the drugs used for osteoarthritis, it is the chondroprotectors that are most beneficial to the patient, in addition, they have almost no contraindications and side effects.
Joint injection
Intra-articular injections of the drug give a good effect, however, it should be borne in mind that the procedure itself can damage the capsule tissue and cause infection of the joint cavity. As a rule, corticosteroid drugs are injected into the joint. For long-term action, steroid hormones are used (if necessary to relieve severe inflammation).
This procedure is usually performed to provide urgent care to a patient. This achieves rapid relief of pain and inflammation. But it is undesirable for a number of reasons to be injected into the same knee more often than once every 2 weeks.
If the joint is calmer, there are no visible signs of inflammation, chondroprotectors can be injected directly into the joint, they quickly reach the goal and have a positive effect.
Significantly improves the sliding of the articular ends of the bones in relation to each other and reduces the load on cartilage injections of hyaluronic acid. Of course, these medications are very effective if there is no marked cartilage destruction.
External objects
Patients often ask the question how to treat knee osteoarthritis with external means? After all, the first thing you want to do with knee pain is grind it and wrap it warmly.
Unfortunately, neither oils, nor creams, nor all types of rubbing can cure osteoarthritis. But they can alleviate the patient's condition, reducing pain and not acting irritating to the gastrointestinal tract, as anti-inflammatory drugs. Warming oils are used as well as oils based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The skin absorbs only 5-7% of the active substance, so the effect of these oils is not as effective as we would like.
But compresses for knee osteoarthritis are more effective. For them, medical bile may be recommended. They relieve inflammation directly in its focus, have laxative and analgesic effects.
Massage and physiotherapy
Physiotherapy for osteoarthritis also has a positive effect. Procedures such as ultrasound, laser, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis are used. Thanks to them, the sensitivity of joint pain is reduced, inflammatory processes in them are reduced and the swelling is removed.
You can use radon, salt baths, apply bile compresses.
If possible, you can undergo a course of manual, withdrawal therapy. In this case, the ends of the bones move away from each other and the load on them is reduced. Only manipulations should be performed very carefully and by a qualified specialist. Manual therapy and massage of the knee joint also give good results, improving blood circulation to the diseased joint, stopping the development of destructive processes in it and restoring its function to the extent possible.
Massage is particularly effective in the early stages of the disease, when it has not yet had its full destructive effect. It's good to do it after improving gymnastics exercises. Taking a hot shower or being in the steam room is a good step in preparing for a massage. After that, the muscles warm up, and the massage has a deeper healing effect. In the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joints, sanatoriums also have a beneficial effect. Healing clay improves the flow of regenerative processes in cartilage, improves the supply of nutrients to the joints and their blood supply.
If the joint is completely destroyed, only surgical treatment can help - replace it with an artificial one.
Preventive measures: reduce the destruction process
Prevention of osteoarthritis stems from the causes of its occurrence, the main of which are overweight, trauma and poor physical activity. Physical education, performing possible physical exercises strengthens the muscles that surround the joints. Thanks to this, the load on the cartilage becomes less. Morning walks and swimming are helpful.
At the same time, it is important to observe alternating load and rest and proper safety during exercise. Injury and overload should be avoided in every way possible. Above all, it is the injuries that are one of the leading causes of osteoarthritis. The appearance of microcracks determines the presence of initial foci of inflammation. Therefore, for athletes and sports enthusiasts, we should not forget about such protective equipment as knee pads.
Preventing osteoarthritis of the knee also means adhering to a diet. Every extra pound of weight puts extra stress on the ankles. You should eat less sweet and starchy foods, and fruits and vegetables - as much as possible. Studies show that vegetarians are less likely to develop osteoarthritis. Coffee and strong tea have a bad effect on the joints, they wash away calcium from the bones, but natural dairy products help replenish its reserves.