Osteoarthritis is a fairly common disease caused by metabolic disorders, trauma, or nonspecific infectious arthritis. The disease causes deforming changes in the tissues of the joints and the surrounding bony joints.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a fairly serious disease that affects the joints. The disease damages the joints and surrounding bones. With exertion, there is pain that gradually subsides at rest.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint, the causes of which are quite different, does not cause an inflammatory process, so it does not manifest itself in the form of edema and redness, which are different from arthritis or polyarthritis.
It should be noted that there are many women among the patients who suffer from the disease - varicose veins and obesity.
Why does the disease appear?
Osteoarthritis is an unpredictable disease caused by:
- Overloads
- Trauma
- Hereditary predisposition
- Obesity
- Flat feet
How to define the disease?
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint of the 1st degree - the initial phase of the disease, in which timely treatment capable of joint performance is started. In the initial phase, the movements become limited and the areas of the joints begin to ossify. At this stage, it is almost impossible to detect osteoarthritis of the knee joint, the treatment of which is quite varied: X-ray examination will not show visible growths on the bones. The main signs are sharpening of the edges of the joints and narrowing of the inter-joint gap, which the doctor can detect during the examination. To clarify the diagnosis, an additional ultrasound examination and MRI of the joints are prescribed.
Typically, patients notice a short tingling sensation in the joint and a crunchy sound during movement. Painful sensations occur after rest, and pass quickly when walking. Such "initial" pains are manifested as a result of friction of the joints on which cartilage and bone destruction (detritus) is deposited.
In the initial phase, arthrosis does not create significant discomfort, so patients do not pay attention to the symptoms that have appeared. Therefore, if there is even the slightest suspicion of osteoarthritis of the knee joint, treatment should be carried out immediately.
Treatment of osteoarthritis
Before you start fighting the disease, try to find a good doctor and after a thorough examination make a joint treatment plan. Don’t make diagnoses yourself, it can only make the situation worse. There are many similar diseases, so without examination you can make a mistake in the definition of the disease.
When confirming a diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee, treatment is prescribed depending on the stage of the disease. In the initial stage, when the joint is more or less preserved, it is suggested to conduct drug therapy with chondroprotective drugs. Today they are presented in a fairly wide range. Regardless of the choice, medications are taken for up to 6 months. After six months, it is recommended to repeat the course of treatment. The duration of treatment is from 3 to 5 years.
It should be borne in mind that creams and ointments are not able to relieve the patient of osteoarthritis, but they can relieve pain. It is recommended to use warming medications that help improve blood circulation.
Sick people with a confirmed diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee joint, treatment can be prescribed only by a attending physician. They are encouraged to perform health exercises on a daily basis and adhere to a composite diet. Try not to overload the joints. This can negatively affect your health. After recovery, try to gradually increase the load and avoid pain.