Everyone is familiar with the complaints of elderly people about knee pain, a crunch, and the inability to move freely. In medicine, this condition is called simply - arthrosis of the knee joint. You need to know what kind of disease it is, how to treat it at home, what folk remedies to use, what auxiliary methods and exercises will be needed to improve the quality of life.
Clinical picture
Arthrosis is a series of pathological changes in the joint body. It becomes thinner, deformed, and the structure of cartilage tissue changes. Arthrosis does not occur unexpectedly, the disease develops over the years.
There are 4 stages of arthrosis:
- Stage 1 - a pathological process at the cellular level, thinning of the joint. Asymptomatic.
- Stage 2 - the beginning of the destruction of the joint. There is a crunch, pain, swelling of the knee.
- Stage 3 - knee arthrosis progresses , its symptoms become pronounced, the patient experiences severe discomfort.
- Stage 4 - destruction of the knee joint, disability, the need to replace the joint.
As a rule, the first symptoms appear in people after forty years (in women 2 times more often than in men). However, today arthrosis is younger, its signs are observed even in twenty-year-olds.
Who should think?
At risk are:
- overweight people;
- leading a sedentary and stressful lifestyle;
- professional athletes and amateurs who are fond of sports with a large load on the knee joints (runners, soccer players, weightlifters);
- people who have had knee injuries;
- people whose professional activity is associated with a heavy load on their knees;
- fans of restrictive diets;
- people with hormonal and autoimmune diseases, the result of which is the pathology of bone and cartilage;
- patients with infectious lesions;
- people suffering from prolonged parasitic diseases.
All these causes contribute to the development of arthrosis at an earlier age and the severe course of the disease.
Diagnostics
The main insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that at the first stage it does not manifest itself in any way, and the patient simply does not know about the problem. The second is characterized by discomfort, which the future patient does not pay attention to. Athletes attribute the arising pain and crunch to a heavy load, office workers to sedentary work. As a rule, most people seek medical help already at the third stage of the course of the disease, when severe pain and limitation of mobility appear.
Arthrosis is diagnosed by:
- x-ray examination;
- clinical blood test (arthrosis of the knee joint of the 3rd degree can be diagnosed in this way);
- visual inspection;
- puncture of the knee fluid.
As a rule, a competent doctor can diagnose arthrosis by the specific clinical picture characteristic of the disease.
General treatment
It is believed that arthrosis cannot be cured. This is not entirely true. The list of diseases that can be completely cured has recently included knee arthrosis. Its treatment is long and requires a systematic approach. In addition, a complete cure is possible with the diagnosis of the disease at its 1-2 stages.
With arthrosis of the knee, the following methods of treatment are used:
- drug therapy;
- physiotherapy using low-frequency and high-frequency currents, magnets, a laser;
- hydrotherapy (water treatment);
- physiotherapy;
- massage;
- diet;
- therapeutic ointments;
- auxiliary means (bandages and knee pads);
- folk methods;
- surgical intervention (used at 4 stages of the disease, joint replacement).
As for medical and physiotherapeutic treatment, it is used in courses under the supervision of a doctor. The operation is indicated if destructive processes in the joint threaten the patient with disability. The patient can use other methods on his own for a long time.
Drug treatment
Briefly consider what drugs can eliminate arthrosis of the knee joint. Home treatment involves the use of:
- corticosteroids ("Hydrocortisone");
- chondroprotectors ("Glucosamine");
- painkillers;
- vitamin complexes.
We will not consider therapy in a hospital. It is indicated for severe lesions and is prescribed individually by a doctor. It is important to understand how to treat arthrosis at home effectively and safely.
Home treatment
Therapy is long and systemic. In any case, you should seek the appointment of a doctor and be patient - rehabilitation can take years. The treatment of arthrosis is often shown to elderly people at home, medicine cannot stop age-related destructive changes in the joints.
People under 40-50 have a chance for a complete cure. The exception is elderly people who completely changed their thinking and lifestyle and got rid of arthrosis (and other age-related diseases) at 70, 80, 90 years old. So everyone has a chance to eliminate arthrosis of the knee joint. Home treatment involves:
- the use of folk remedies, therapeutic ointments;
- diet
- performing gymnastic exercises;
- Wearing knee pads and other accessories (elastic bandage, for example).
Naturally, a combination of all methods of treatment and rehabilitation gives a noticeable effect. They need to be considered in more detail.
Folk remedies
Even medicine recognizes that folk remedies have a wonderful effect. Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is treated in such proven ways:
- In equal parts, prepare sheep oil, stinging nettle leaves and green juniper berries. Crush leaves and berries, combine with oil. Mix well. The ointment should be stored in the refrigerator in a dark glass dish. Rub daily into the knee in the mornings and evenings.
- Warm your knee with a warm compress with sea salt for half an hour. Rub fir oil into the affected joint. Do the procedure in courses once a day.
- Take clean sand, warm it, put it on a natural linen or cotton cloth, warm the joint for about an hour. Do the procedure once every 2-3 days.
- Rub the joint with a glove, a scarf, a dog’s belt.
- Mix 200 grams of low fat cottage cheese with 200 grams of kefir. Fold the cheesecloth in 4 layers and put the composition on it, wrap. Attach to the knee, cover with parchment and wrap it well with a warm scarf or scarf. An inflamed joint will absorb all the fluid. Repeat 10 times.
- Apply burdock greased with honey to your knee.
- Rub olive oil with lemon essential oil (200 grams of oil and 5 drops of lemon oil).
Change funds alternately. Use their courses.
The use of therapeutic ointments
Ointments can be either purchased at the pharmacy or prepared on their own. They should be used regularly, applied with massage movements or rubbed.
Ointments for the treatment and restoration of the joint are divided into:
- painkillers;
- chondroprotectors;
- anti-inflammatory;
- regenerative.
Ointment for arthrosis of the knee joint is used depending on the course of the disease. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are necessarily used in the acute stage. Chondroprotectors and regenerating - courses, to restore cartilage.
In any case, the use of funds should be agreed with the attending physician. Chondroprotectors for arthrosis of the knee joint are also used in the form of ointments. They directly affect the tissue of the cartilage and have a restorative effect. An ointment for arthrosis of the knee joint of this kind is not contraindicated, but it is dangerous to self-medicate.
Diet
Special medical nutrition is of great importance. Improper diet is one of the factors causing knee arthrosis. Treatment at home involves the daily use of such products:
- fruits, vegetables, berries;
- dairy products;
- freshly squeezed juices from carrots, beets, parsley, celery, apples (you can make drinks from any combination of fruits and vegetables);
- whole grains;
- gelatin-containing products (jellied, aspic, jelly).
Clinical nutrition should begin with cleansing the body for a period of 3 days. You can eat rice, raw fruits and vegetables. The purpose of such a cleansing is to remove dead tissue, cleanse the body, and launch a recovery program.
On the days of therapeutic cleansing, hormonal preparations (for example, Diprospan) and chondroprotectors for arthrosis of the knee joint should not be used.
Such three-day cleaning posts should be carried out once a month. The rest of the time, practice the principles of proper nutrition and remember that arthrosis is best friends - alcohol, cigarettes, fast food.
Gymnastic exercises
Most patients think that arthrosis of the knee joint puts a fat cross on physical activity. Treatment at home involves regular and competent physical activity.
It is advisable that the doctor select the treatment complex individually, based on the course of the disease. Gymnastics with arthrosis of the knee joint is not just important, but mandatory. In any case, these types of loads are shown to you:
- swimming;
- physiotherapy;
- yoga;
- minimal aerobic load in the stage of joint restoration.
Some doctors recommend light dance gymnastics to their patients with arthrosis of the 2-3 degree, but in the 3-4 stage with obvious destructive processes, loads of this kind are prohibited.
Gymnastics with arthrosis of the knee should be combined with massage and applications. Your task is to maintain mobility and restore tissue. According to the experience of patients, regular gymnastic exercises give an excellent restorative effect.
Knee pads
Arthrosis is characterized by destructive processes in the tissue of the joints. Therefore, knee pads are used for arthrosis. How to choose them?
- Materials must allow air to pass through, not cause discomfort, allergies.
- Choose products from reputable companies.
- The dimensions of the knee pad must match the individual shape of the knee and the nature of the joint deformation.
Consult your doctor for the right choice of knee pads. But wearing them alone will not solve the problem. Combine use with other treatments.
A disease that many people have to deal with is arthrosis of the knee joint. Treatment at home will not only help stop the course of the disease, but also contribute to the almost complete restoration of articular tissue. However, remember that the effectiveness of the methods used is up to you.