Knee arthropathy is a chronic disease caused by degenerative changes in cartilage tissue. The disease severely disrupts the normal rhythm of life, causing severe pain and limiting mobility. Medical treatment of knee arthropathy helps to stop the pain and to stop the degenerative processes in the early stages of the disease. At a later date, the problem is solved with the help of an operation.
Treatment of the joint with conservative methods
The treatment of knee arthritis is carried out in a complete way and includes medication, physiotherapy, massage, exercise therapy. Drugs relieve pain, improve blood circulation and promote tissue regeneration.
During treatment, use:
- pills?
- creams;
- gel;
- injections.
Modern medicine is developing new ways to treat arthritis. Stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma therapy are effective methods. Doctors point to the high effectiveness of treatment and the rapid regeneration of tissues.
Painkillers and anti-inflammatory
The choice of drugs for arthropathy depends on the degree of the disease, the characteristics of the organism and the relevant pathologies. In the 1st degree of the disease, a person feels a slight discomfort after prolonged effort, the dystrophic processes just starting in the cartilage tissue. The treatment is performed with topical ointments. For discomfort and minor pain, it is recommended:
- do they exercise?
- reduction of joint pressure.
- take vitamin complexes.
- follow a diet.
The main drug treatment is used for the 2nd degree of the disease. A person begins to feel pain, a trauma is heard when walking, the cartilage tissue becomes thinner, the range of motion is limited. The goal of treatment is to relieve pain, stop the destructive processes in the joint and restore the mobility of the legs.
To relieve pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used, which give analgesic effect and relieve inflammatory processes in the tissues.
On a note.Long-term use of these drugs adversely affects the gastrointestinal tract and liver.
Today, doctors are increasingly prescribing "new generation" NSAIDs that can be used for a long time and have minimal side effects.
If an infectious disease is combined with arthritis, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. To choose the right medicine, the causative agent of the infection is determined. To do this, take fluid from the joint cavity and place it in a medium. Based on the results of the analysis, the doctor prescribes a drug.
Chondroprotective
The main group of drugs in the treatment of arthropathy are chondroprotectants. They are applied over a long period of time and are well accepted by the body. Thanks to the active substances, they stop the destructive processes in the cartilage tissue, improve the production of synovial fluid and promote tissue regeneration.
On a note.Medications are effective in the first two stages of knee joint. In the third, the cartilage tissue is destroyed and can not recover on its own.
The most suitable drug will be selected by a specialist.
On a note.The drugs are available in the form of tablets and injectable solutions. The second form is the most effective. The therapeutic effect begins within a few minutes, bypassing the absorption process through the gastrointestinal tract.
Complementary therapy
Along with chondroprotectants, drugs are prescribed that help improve metabolic processes, blood supply and enrich the body with vitamins. For complex therapy, the following drugs are used:
- Muscle relaxants - eliminate smooth muscle spasms, reduce pain.
- Phlenotonics and vasodilators improve blood flow and nourish the tissues around the joint.
- Saturation vitamins complexes of the body with the necessary substances, have a positive effect on metabolic processes and improve overall well-being.
- Topical treatments in the form of creams, ointments and gels improve blood circulation to the knee joint, have a warming and decongestant effect and eliminate pain.
- Medication compresses are more effective than creams.
Intra-articular injections
The treatment for the knee joint is performed with another method - injections in the joint. In medicine, this method of drug administration is called exclusion. Depending on the medication used, the injection helps to effectively stop the pain syndrome when other means do not help, quickly eliminates the inflammation and creates a protective layer that protects the cartilage tissue from further damage.
On a note.The order of treatment is determined by the doctor. Hyaluronic acid preparations are administered only after the removal of the inflammatory process, otherwise the course of the disease may worsen.
Stem cell and plasma therapy
Modern methods of treating knee joint are based on low invasiveness and reduction of the recovery period. Such procedures include stem cell therapy, which, after injection, can be transformed into cartilage tissue cells, aiding in its regeneration. The material for the procedure is obtained from embryos and adipose tissue, bone marrow of an adult.
The process helps:
- elimination of pain;
- relieve swelling;
- restoration of engine functions.
- improving joint nutrition.
- accelerates metabolic processes.
The obtained stem cells are grown in laboratory conditions, injected into the patient's joint. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia.
On a note.The treatment is performed only when there is still cartilage tissue and synovial fluid is produced. In grade 3 disease, treatment will not bring positive results.
A new method of treating arthropathy is the administration of platelet-rich plasma. The process is simple:
- blood sampling by the patient.
- The blood is placed in a test tube and centrifuged, where it is divided into erythrocytes, plasma with platelets.
- only platelet concerns are produced.
- the drug is injected into the knee.
With an increased platelet count, enhanced cartilage tissue regeneration begins. For the treatment, it is necessary to perform from 2 to 5 procedures, between which there is a break of 7 days.
Other treatments
In the fight against genital warts, people use various traditional and non-traditional methods, one of which is hirudotherapy (leprosy therapy). Worm saliva contains many enzymes that are beneficial to humans. Allows you to:
- reducing blood viscosity, thus improving blood circulation.
- relieve pain syndrome;
- improving metabolic processes.
On a note.Doctors compare the effect of leech saliva with chondroprotectants. Accelerates the process of cartilage repair. In the early stages, the patient is completely cured.
Hirudotherapy is prescribed with caution to the elderly and children. The procedures are contraindicated in pregnant women, patients with poor blood clotting and heart failure.
For knee arthropathy, applications with ozokerite (black wax), a waxy mass composed of paraffin and resins, are no less effective. Used for inflammatory and degenerative processes in cartilaginous structures. It has thermal, analgesic, regenerative action on the affected joint.
Ozokerite is used as compresses and applications. The course of treatment should consist of at least 15 daily sessions.
Drug electrophoresis is no less effective. During the session, the drug penetrates deep into the diseased areas, bypassing the stomach and liver. This reduces the intake of drugs and the effect of the procedure is more intense.
At home, you can use a special device. The device, when used topically, is exposed to ultraviolet radiation, heat. As a result, blood circulation, tissue nutrition are improved, biochemical reactions in the skin are activated. Positive feedback from patients confirms the effectiveness of the procedures.
Operational methods
Surgery is usually used in grade 3 and 4 of the disease, when the bone heads are practically bare and conservative treatment can not give positive results.
With knee surgery, various types of operations are performed:
- Jointing - remove the remaining cartilage along with the joint. It is rarely used, as it does not allow the mobility of the limb to be maintained.
- Arthroscopic cleansing - the release of the joint from the cartilage tissue using an arthroscope. The procedure is used to relieve pain and is a temporary solution to the problem.
- Endoprosthesis is the most common and effective method of knee surgery. Allows you to maintain joint mobility. Modern prostheses are made according to the individual characteristics of the patient. This allows the implant to take root quickly in the body without disturbing the patient.
Joint replacement surgery is performed under general anesthesia. Surgeon:
- Make a longitudinal incision in the central part of the knee, remove the tissue.
- It treats the damaged fragments of the bone surface (grinding), places prosthesis (artificial cartilage), tests.
- It is fixed with cement or a tight fit.
- Sutures the wound, applies a bandage and splint.
The whole operation takes 2-3 hours. The recovery period lasts about 4 months. The patient initially learns to walk by gradually loading and strengthening the muscles. Exercises, massage, swimming are recommended. The healing action lasts up to 20 years, then a new replacement of the prosthesis is necessary, because over time it wears out.
Knee arthritis is a chronic disease that can be successfully treated at an early stage. Even small symptoms can not be ignored - you should immediately begin complex treatment in consultation with your doctor. In severe cases, only replacing the joint can help prevent disability. Preventive measures include diet, vitamins, exercise and moderate stress on the knees.