Osteoarthrosis of the knee joint

Osteoarthrosis of the knee joint or gonarthrosis refers to the often occurring degenerative-dystrophic diseases among all diseases of large joints - the incidence of this condition is almost 70%. At the heart of the disease is a violation of metabolic processes, resulting in a pathological focus in the joint, but to date this process is not sufficiently studied. In the development of the disease, it is common to distinguish three stages, which are determined by clinical symptoms and an x-ray picture. The main clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis are impaired limb function and pain, which is aggravated during exercise.

How does osteoarthritis develop?

Osteoarthrosis of the knee joint is primary (it develops primarily in older women) and secondary (develops as a consequence of inflammatory processes or trauma). The development of gonarthrosis is slow, almost imperceptible to the patient. Sometimes at the very beginning of the development of the disease, joint stiffness may appear (often in the morning), which after a short walk passes. Over time, pain and stiffness become permanent, motion can crack the joint, develop limp, and in severe cases the patient can not move independently.

Osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Treatment

Despite the fact that the disease has been known for a long time, it is still a mystery for specialists. The most common treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee joint includes:

• Drug therapy;
• Injection (blockade) in the joint cavity;
• Muscular and articular technique of manual therapy ;
• Puncture of the knee joint with the removal of fluid that accumulates in the cavity;
• Therapeutic gymnastics, massage, physiotherapy;
• Operative intervention.

Many specialists recommend complete rest for the affected joint, as a rule, for this purpose in hospitals practice "cuff traction". Timely treatment of osteoarthritis in the early stages with the help of chondroprotectors can slow the progression of the disease, but unfortunately, these drugs because of their prohibitive price are not available for most patients. Massage and a complex of physiotherapy exercises is an excellent opportunity to support joints in good condition. In the event that conservative treatment does not give the desired effect, resort to endoprosthetics of the knee joint, in other words, replace it with an artificial one. Modern surgical methods of treatment can effectively treat osteoarthritis of the knee joint and at the same time ensure the preservation of work capacity.

Prevention of osteoarthritis

In order to avoid such a diagnosis as "knee osteoarthritis", experts advise obese patients to gradually reduce body weight. Rational physical activity and optimal diet will be a great help in this. It is always necessary to use a set of such physical exercises that would lead to a gradual increase in walking time and to strengthen the muscles of the lower limbs. To this end, isometric contractions are used, which are achieved by stress and bending with stress. Electrostimulation of the nerve of the knee joint is used. All these actions lead to the strengthening of the quadriceps muscle and already in six months give a visible result. More recently, for the prevention of osteoarthritis began to use podpyatnye wedges, sometimes with this purpose the usual orthopedic insole is used.

Passing drug treatment, it is important not to forget that it is necessary to alternate physical activity with rest, and then there will be much more chances for a cure for the disease.