Osteoporosis of the knee joint is a disease that is characterized by deformation and damage to the joints. It can lead to loss of mobility in the knee. This is one of the most common diseases, as it occurs in 25% of people. Despite the fact that there are many methods of treating the disease, pathology is becoming more common.
Reasons for the appearance
There are several causes of osteoporosis of the knee joint. These include:
- Overweight. Deforming osteoporosis is mainly found in older people. Most often, women who are over 40 are sick. The higher the person’s mass, the more actively the disease develops. The risk of osteoporosis in a full person is 3 times higher than in a person with a normal weight. In this situation, we will already talk about the acquired disease, which is caused by a strong load on the knee. With obesity, the joints of the legs are very influenced, since they are under maximum pressure.
- Hormonal malfunctions and problems with the gastrointestinal tract contribute to the appearance of this pathology.
- Age factor. Most often, osteoporosis of the knee joint occurs in the elderly, since due to age-related changes, not only the aging of the body, but also the deformation of the joints occurs. In adulthood, cartilage is no longer able to recover on its own. Even a small activity can greatly harm and aggravate the course of the disease.
- Congenital pathology. There are times when doctors diagnose the presence of pathology in those people who have no problems with being overweight. Most likely, a hereditary factor or a congenital defect in the knee joint played a role. As medical practice shows, most often elderly people come to the clinic.
- Too high load. People who lead an active lifestyle and play sports professionally may be at risk. Heavy and excessive physical work adversely affects the structure of the joints.
- Trauma or surgery.
Sometimes doctors can not identify the cause of the disease. In this case, the doctor diagnoses idiopathic osteoporosis of the knee joint.
Features of the disease
There are primary and secondary forms of the disease. The primary factor includes all those factors under the influence of which a pathology appeared, this can occur against the background of a normal state of health. The appearance of the disease is attributed to the secondary due to the development of other pathologies. In this case, osteoporosis begins to develop. With a pathological change in the tissues of the cartilage, at the initial stage of the development of the disease, the patient does not feel discomfort.
Under the influence of certain factors, cartilage cells do not receive proper nutrition. For this reason, they die. Bone tissue becomes vulnerable and thinning. The gap between the joints narrows. Strong bone friction occurs. This has a devastating effect on cartilage. Inter-articular fluid ceases to be actively released, arthrosoarthritis appears. The liquid begins to actively accumulate. As a result, the joint capsule is stretched. The patient feels severe pain and reduces physical activity. Circulatory problems appear in neighboring tissues. In addition to the cartilage, the bone is destroyed, in which a cyst later appears. Increasingly, a person is disturbed by cramps that limit his mobility. For the reason that the motor load on the affected area decreases, the release of the necessary fluid that nourishes the joints decreases. The smaller the synovial fluid, the more severe the deformation of the cartilage and ligaments. If one of the symptoms of osteoporosis of the knee appears, you should consult a doctor.
First symptoms
The strength of the symptoms of the disease depends on the stage of joint damage. There are only a few main stages of the development of the disease. Most often, the patient complains of pain in the knees. Strong crunching during active movements causes great discomfort. Such symptoms appear even when the disease is actively gaining momentum.
Diagnosis of the disease
The patient must undergo laboratory and instrumental examination. It is important to take a general clinical blood test. This will help assess the overall health of the patient. Using X-ray diagnostics, you can detect the presence of pathology and assess the general condition of the joints. The doctor takes a picture in several projections (straight and lateral). If necessary, use additional specific styling. Using ultrasound, you can detect the presence of accumulated fluid and assess the condition of the soft tissue. Ultrasound is one of the highly informative research methods that allows you to evaluate the entire ligamentous apparatus. It is convenient for a specialist to view even small details, since it is possible to change the position of the device as necessary.
First stage
With osteoporosis of the knee joint of the 1st degree, a person feels unpleasant discomfort in the knee, which appears after a long load on the legs. Pain that intensifies during physical activity and maximum flexion-extension prevents the usual way of life. In addition, it appears:
- weakness and fatigue;
- fragility in the bones;
- aching leg pain;
- unpleasant feeling of friction while walking.
If one of the symptoms appears, it is important to consult a doctor immediately. This disease is very dangerous, because it is able to actively develop and move into more complex forms. With each stage of the development of pathology, treatment will take much longer. Alternative methods of treatment can only aggravate the situation, because only after undergoing a complete medical examination, the doctor, after analyzing the results of the diagnosis, prescribes an individual treatment. It is especially necessary to carefully approach the treatment process for those people who are diagnosed with other serious pathologies. After an x-ray, the image most often shows a narrowing of the joint spaces and the appearance of osteophytes. Unfortunately, this clinical picture is not a cause for concern for many people. Many do not go to the doctor even with diffuse osteoporosis of the knee joint. Given that the disease develops slowly, patients are delayed with a trip to a specialist.
Second stage
At stage 2, the disease is actively developing. Symptoms cannot be overlooked. The patient appears:
- Intolerable soreness, which intensifies in the morning and at bedtime. During sleep or rest, pain decreases, but does not completely disappear.
- Swelling or inflammation of the joints.
- Strong crunch in the knees.
During this period, a person cannot fully and actively move. Most often, at this stage of development, patients turn to the doctor for help. Many are interested in how to treat osteoporosis of the knee joint, but not everyone knows that everything depends on the stage of the disease.
Last stage
At the third stage of development, it is impossible to endure pain, it becomes regular and painful. Any movement for the patient becomes a test. A strong crunch is heard even by people around. The joints are severely deformed and increase in size. For the reason that fluid accumulates in them, a strong curvature of the legs occurs. At this stage of the disease, treatment is not carried out in a medical manner, since such therapy will not give a positive result. Grade 3 osteoporosis can only be cured by surgery. If the disease is not treated, then independent movement will become impossible.
Pathology treatment
The approach to treatment should be competent and professional. If you experience any pain in the knee, it is important to consult a specialist immediately. In order to diagnose the disease, the doctor uses various assessment tests. which will help evaluate the functioning and general condition of the joints. Doctors use a special test - the Leken index. The main objectives of the treatment of osteoporosis of the knee joint of the 2nd degree are:
- anesthesia of the affected area;
- restoration of cartilage and other joint structures;
- resumption of motor function of the knee.
If you consult a doctor at 1 or 2 stages of the development of the disease, then you can stop the development of pathology. In some cases, doctors repair damaged cartilage.
Integrated approach
After determining the main causes of the disease, the doctor tries to eliminate them. For example, if overweight is the main reason, you should lose weight. In case of metabolic disturbance or hormonal failure - it is necessary to normalize it. If the problem arose due to the sports load - to change activities and reduce physical activity. Only a specialist will be able to choose the right medication for the patient. Self-medication is not worth it. Most often, the treatment process includes taking:
- analgesics;
- hormonal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- chondroprotectors.
These drugs well anesthetize, nourish and restore cartilage. Often, experts prescribe special dietary supplements that contain collagen. It is important to eat properly and balanced during the treatment process. It is necessary to eat lean meat and seafood. Red sea fish helps the body produce its own collagen. In addition, the treatment of osteoporosis of the knee joint is carried out using:
- Massage
- acupuncture;
- physiotherapy;
- gymnastics;
- sanatorium therapy.
To adjust the gait, you must use a special pad on your knees.
Folk method of therapy
In addition to drug treatment of osteoporosis of the knee joint, it is desirable to use traditional medicine methods. To do this, use anti-inflammatory ointments, rubbing, compresses, tinctures. Most effective:
- herbal gathering;
- beekeeping products.
Before using any method of treatment, it is important to consult with your doctor, as self-medication can only aggravate the situation.
Preventative methods
If you follow all the recommendations of specialists, then you can significantly reduce the risk of a disease. These include:
- Physical exercise. Moderate physical activity helps to normalize body weight. In addition, blood circulation is enhanced and muscle mass is strengthened. In the process of doing exercises, it is important to be careful, because excessive loads and injuries will lead to problems. It is advisable to regularly consult with a trainer. The best option would be articular gymnastics - it is very simple and does not require special skills. It is useful to engage in swimming, as the pressure on the joints decreases in water.
- Balanced diet. You need to rethink your diet. It is best to exclude red meat and fatty foods from your diet. It is necessary to focus on vegetables and fish. Experts recommend consuming a sufficient amount of purified water. It is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle. Drugs and spirits should be discarded.
- It is important to protect the joints from overheating and hypothermia.
- You need to wear only high-quality and comfortable shoes.
- Do not cross legs while sitting.
It is very important to control your weight and lead a healthy lifestyle. It is necessary to exclude stress and anxiety. Many diets only harm health. It is best to eat and exercise properly. In all, measure should be observed. Flour and sweet foods are best excluded from the diet.
Safe diet
This is most likely not a diet, but proper nutrition. The whole point of the diet is to reduce the portion of food to the one that is necessary for a person to saturate. Experts conducted many experiments on this subject. They concluded that the initial size of an adult’s stomach is about a fist. But for the reason that people eat an excessive amount of food, it stretches.
The essence of diet
You must eat every three hours. One serving - 5 tbsp. It is advisable to measure all food with the same spoons. No need to pour yourself 5 tbsp. l potatoes, and then take bread and tomato. One meal strictly 5 tbsp. l Based on the description of the diet, you can eat at least 5 tablespoons of condensed milk, but you can not eat for 3 hours. No snack and fruit at this time. This is the whole trick. A person will immediately think that the diet is just super, because you can eat anything. But after one such day you will understand that it is better to eat wholesome food. After all, from sweet and floury saturation will not be.
The diet lasts 21 days. In theory, this time is enough to lose extra pounds and reduce your stomach.
This diet will help you lose weight quickly and effectively without harming your health, and this is the most important thing. In any case, you need to be wary of any diets, because they can specifically harm. Five tablespoons will help you reduce the size of your stomach and teach you how to appreciate food and enjoy every bite! Proper nutrition will reduce the risk of osteoporosis of the knee. Symptoms and treatment of the disease are what many people are interested in. But it is important to remember that only after a full medical examination, the doctor prescribes complex therapy, which will help eliminate the unpleasant signs of pathology.