Our joints are very healthy. The ends of the bones fit exactly next to each other and are covered with cartilage from above for better sliding. The joint itself is protected by a joint capsule, and the ligaments and muscles strengthen it in front, behind and on the sides. Inside the joint capsule, there is a special liquid that enables smooth movement without twitching, squeaking and creaking. This is how healthy joints work. And what happens to their arthrosis?
How and why arthrosis occurs: obesity, trauma, arthritis
For starters, how is osteoarthritis different from arthritis? Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints and can be treated and treated until complete recovery. In arthrosis, the cartilage on the articular surfaces of the bones is deformed, thinner, loses elasticity, is covered with cracks and becomes layered, the amount of synovial fluid is reduced. And these changes are already, unfortunately, irreversible. Therefore, this disease is called degenerative or destructive. Joint destruction is affected by age - over time, the cartilage wears out, but basically everything is our upright posture, which is why there is a great load on the knee joints.
Gonarthrosis is an arthrosis of the knee joint. This type of arthrosis is more common in women, and it is worsened by obesity and venous diseases. Many older people suffer from osteoarthritis, which is explained by age-related changes in the joint. At a young age, osteoarthritis can occur with joint injuries during sports or with great physical effort. In addition, the development of osteoarthritis is influenced by weakness of ligaments and muscles in the knee area, sedentary lifestyle, arthritis, stress and metabolic disorders, and in everyday life high-heeled shoes and carrying weights (for example, buying a bag). The defeat of the joints is mutual, but it can also develop on one leg.
Manifestations of osteoarthritis: pain, creaking, stiffness
Knee pain, creaking, stiffness when bending and extending the joint, especially when a person gets up and sits down - these are all signs of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. However, the pain does not come suddenly. At the beginning of the disease, it is a discomfort in the knee, which turns into pain with great effort, running and exercise. If the pain is acute, it can be associated with dislocation, sprain, damage to the meniscus (elastic cartilaginous pads in the joint).
In arthrosis of the 2nd degree, pain in the knee becomes a frequent companion, it is especially noticeable after long walks, lifting weights. If you give the joint peace, the pain disappears, but returns again when the load continues. An additional symptom of osteoarthritis is swelling of the knee joint. In addition, there is an excessive accumulation of joint fluid (synovitis), a characteristic squeaking when moving, with pain occurring and then limited mobility in the knee. The patient is not able to easily bend and separate the leg. Trying to completely correct causes severe pain.
When osteoarthritis reaches the third degree, the knee joint sometimes completely loses mobility. People walk on their feet slightly bent at the knees, suffer from pains that often occur when the weather changes and can suffer at rest, including at night. Patients must resort to pain medication. At this stage it is also possible to change the shape of the legs - they bend either outwards (wheels with a wheel) or inwards. It is not uncommon for people to rub sore knees, intuitively trying to improve blood flow in them.
Treatment of osteoarthritis: weight loss, movement is life
The diagnosis of arthrosis is made by X-ray examination. Typical changes are narrowing of the joint space, the appearance of osteophytes (salt deposits), bone destruction. Many patients come to the doctor at a stage when it becomes problematic to fall asleep at night without anesthesia. Despite the fact that the changes in the joints are irreversible, there are some things you can do to improve the patient’s life. Osteoarthritis treatment begins with weight loss. Moreover, it will be necessary to rely on a rational and not too high-calorie diet, as the possibility of physical activity is limited. This is the first thing any doctor will tell a patient with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Another aspect of osteoarthritis treatment is, surprisingly, movement. When the changes in the joints are not yet fatal, not in the last phase, only the movements - but the movements are correct! - I can prolong their life. There are no blood vessels in the cartilage, the diet is by diffusion, and in order for the exchange to take place, so that the cells can renew and the cartilage can live, movement is necessary.
But which movements should be considered correct? Of course, those that do not strain the knee joint. Let's not bother the reader - the best sport for osteoarthritis is swimming. This is an excellent training of ligaments, cartilage, muscles without vertical load, which is given by walking and standing. It is necessary to avoid running, sports games, jumping. Yes, joint pain will not allow you to accelerate much.
The second way of moving is suitable for those who visit the gym or have bought a simulator called an ellipsoid at home. Standing looks like a bicycle, and at the same time like cross-country skiing. When working on this simulator, we avoid impact loads on the knee joints and train muscles and ligaments at the same time. The ellipsoid moves smoothly, but gives a good aerobic load, so by exercising on it we solve the problem of excess weight.
Medical and surgical treatment of the knee joint
As for the medical part of the treatment of osteoarthritis, it is the application of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers. The doctor will help you choose a dose that will remove both pain and inflammation (and it will still be present), and swelling. Sometimes analgesics are added because the pain can be very severe - they interfere with sleep, interfere with eating, and generally interfere with life. In some cases, it comes down to prescribing antidepressants.
If, despite all efforts, the described treatment of osteoarthritis does not help, and the destruction of the joint continues, which leads to complete immobility (and, as you know, the less we move, the fat layer grows faster), there is a radical cure - surgical replacement of the diseased joint. prostheses. It consists of an imitation of the end of the femur (upper) and meniscus, which fit on the surface of the tibia (lower). The operation is not simple, but well-established and, one could say, routine. There are a lot of them in the world. After the operation, a rehabilitation program was developed that enables a person not only to move, but also to return to a full-fledged, active lifestyle.