All about dryness of the knee joint: what it is, symptoms, causes, treatment, prevention

Osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, and osteoarthritis are synonyms that define the same disease: alteration of the cartilage tissue of the knee joint.

The human knee is formed by three bones: the femur, the tibia, and the kneecap. At the point of contact, these bones are covered with cartilage tissue, ensuring smooth slippage of surfaces between them.

Over time, these flower fibers become thinner, losing their flexibility and elasticity. Cartilage is nourished by synovial fluid; The shock-absorbing properties of the joint depend on the quantity and quality of the fluid.

The first symptoms and signs

• Most often appear in people between 45-50 years old. The disease is characteristic for both men and women, but the "weaker sex" gets it much more often.
• At the start of the illness, the patient feels pain in the knee joint that can be tolerated, over time severe pain occurs.
• The intensity of the pain changes: when movement, physical activity, the pain becomes stronger, when at rest - the pain gradually lessens.

If you do not promptly pay attention to these symptoms of an oncoming disease, the disease begins to progress and in severe cases will lead to disability.

When contacting a doctor, a diagnosis of joint disease is clarified using X-rays. The picture shows the contraction of the joint space from the inside or outside of the joint. But over time, the pathological process captures the entire joint. And along the edges of the joint surface, bone-forming cells are visible - bone growth.

The main signs of dry joints of the knee joint:

• During the day the pain increases, and at night the pain subsides gradually. But if you have varicose veins, the dull pain persists at night.
• Tension the muscles in the joint area
• Walking heard a scraping sound in the knee joint.

• In severe cases of the disease, deformation and swelling of the affected joint is observed, an increase in its volume.
• When touching, the joint is sore
• When trying to move the knee pad, pain increases
• In the late stage of the disease, the muscle shortening phenomenon occurs, the patient cannot bring the leg back to the correct position.
• If left untreated, joint mobility is reduced or completely lost

What is kneecap arthritis of the knee?

Very often from the doctor you can hear the diagnosis of "osteoarthritis" - what is it? Indeed, in the international classification of diseases such joint diseases do not exist. Few people know that degenerative knee osteoarthritis begins with the development of patella syndrome.

This syndrome occurs when a part of the body is constantly overused or injured repeatedly. That is, kneecap joint disease is the same as osteoarthritis syndrome.

The main causes of the disease are:

• congenital and acquired defects of the lower extremities;
• various abnormalities in the development of the kneecap;
• Frequent overload of the knee joint (for example, in athletes).

Osteoarthritis of the knee has the following clinical manifestations: pain in the anterior area of the knee joint, markedly increased with exertion (running, jumping, up and down stairs, various squatting movements). Pain can also increase when the person sits with their legs down. The patient may experience a feeling of tightness and stiffness in the knee, both inside and in front of it.

Patellofemoral syndrome is diagnosed clinically, as a rule, there is no need for further research.

This disease, as a rule, does not require special treatment. However, in order to relieve pain and develop undesirable consequences (kneecapheresis, knee joint deformity, accumulation of inflammatory secretions), the following procedures are necessary:

• reduced physical activity. This does not mean that the patient will have to lead a passive lifestyle, as long as the level of activity must not cause pain;
• use a special bandage worn in the knee joint area during exercise or stress, thereby supporting and stabilizing the kneecap;
• With a pronounced pain syndrome, glucocorticosteroids and anesthetics are injected into the painful areas of the joint by precise injection, which will relieve pain and help avoid future use of anti-inflammatory drugs.

If patella osteoarthritis has resulted in complications or is accompanied by other degenerative and dystrophic diseases of the knee, then treatment should be followed by a treatment regimen for the knee joint disease.

The reasons

• An occupational disease of athletes with increased stress on the knee joint. Athletes with joint injuries and damage, bruising and rupture of ligaments. After taking a break from sports, my muscle frame gradually weakens, leading to a more severe illness.
• Increases life expectancy and increases physical activity in middle-aged people
• Increased physical activity on the knee joint in people who spend all day working "on their feet"
• Genetic tendencies
• Congenital diseases of joints and bones
• Lack of collagen
• Knee injury
• Excess weight puts more strain on the knee joint
• Acquired joint diseases
• Knee surgery

To achieve positive treatment results, it is necessary to conduct a clinical examination and an X-ray, which will detect several stages of the disease:

• Osteoarthritis of the knee 1 degree. . . The joint gap is slightly narrowed, the edges of the surface are slightly ground, slightly limiting movement. During arthroscopy, the doctor probes for the soft condition of the cartilage.
• Degenerative knee joint degeneration 2characterized by a marked restriction in knee joint movement, a strong chirping sound. The picture clearly shows that bone-forming cells and joint space are narrowed 2-3 times. Small cracks are observed on the surface of the joint.
• Arthritis of the knee grade 3This is a complete restriction in mobility, when a deformation of the joint has occurred, deformation and compaction, bone and follicular cells are observed on the surface of the joint. There have been changes in cartilage tissue in its overall thickness.
• Arthritis of the knee grade 4- Arthroscopy revealed complete absence of cartilage tissue.

Medicine treatment

In the complex treatment of knee effusion, drug therapy occupies an important place. Combining it with physiotherapy procedures, therapeutic exercises and manual therapy, you can achieve very good results, up to limb rehabilitation.

When diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee, drug treatment eliminates pain, normalizes blood circulation in the problem area, improves cartilage metabolism and nutrition, and activates the healing process. restore and increase joint mobility.

Since it is impossible to apply other treatments to combat the burning sensation, first of all, the patient is prescribed pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, long-term use should not be used as in addition to side effects (often a negative effect on the digestive system), they can contribute to dehydration and destruction of cartilage tissue.

Chondroprotectors are used to restore cartilage nutrition, regenerate cartilage plaque and improve joint fluid quality.. . . The drugs of this group are injected directly into the painful joint and are safest for the patient. Instantly falls into the affected area, the chondroprotectors save the joint from destruction and help restore its functions. One of the downsides to this approach is the long waiting time for results - patients may notice an improvement after only a few months. In addition, chondroprotectors should not be used if the disease is stage 3 and the joint is almost completely destroyed.

Various ointments and creams are used to relieve pain, reduce swelling and somewhat improve joint mobility.Various warming agents are good for relaxing ligaments and muscles, improving blood circulation and speeding up the metabolism in joints. But they can not be used when inflamed, in which case it is possible to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory gels and ointments.

Compression types should not be ignored - they have penetrating properties, improve blood circulation, have anesthetic and anti-inflammatory effects, and at the same time accelerate metabolism in cartilage.

Therefore, you should not delay seeing a doctor for those who suspect that they have a disease or degenerative knee osteoarthritis - drug treatment, timely initiation and the correct choice, can save joints and help avoidsurgical intervention.

Medicine for osteoarthritis of the knee

Treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee is never complete without medication.

Drug treatment is mainly aimed at eliminating inflammation and pain, improving local blood circulation and nutrition of articular cartilage, activating metabolic processes and restoring joint mobility.

What medications are indicated for knee effusion?

1. In order to successfully treat the disease, you should initially relieve the pain and eliminate the inflammatory process. For this, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. However, you should not carry these funds with you - with prolonged use they tend to hide the real clinical picture of the disease.
2. To restore the cartilage surface of the joint, restore its structure, nourish the cartilage and improve the production of fluid in the joint, chondroprotectors are used. The effects of these drugs are very slow, so before a patient notices real improvement, you will have to undergo 2-3 rounds of treatment with chondroprotectors, which will take about a year.
3. To improve the general condition of the patient and relieve pain, it is possible to use in combination with other drugs, gels and ointments. If the inflammatory process of arthritis is accompanied by bursitis, then preference is given to ointments based on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.
4. Intra-joint medicine is used for the emergency treatment of patients with dry joints. Corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid are most commonly injected.
5. For topical treatment, compresses with drugs are prescribed - dimethyl sulfoxide, bischofite and medical bile. Dimethyl sulfoxide has the ability to penetrate the skin barrier, ie its action is directed directly at the site of inflammation. This substance has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, absorption and improves metabolism in the area of its application. Bischofite - an oil derivative - also has an anti-inflammatory effect on the affected joint, providing a warming effect. Medical bile has properties similar to dimethyl sulfoxide with bischofite, but its use is limited by a number of contraindications. Patients with skin diseases with pustules, high body temperature and inflammation of the lymph nodes should not use medical bile.

Before starting any medication for osteoarthritis of the knee, it is necessary to consult a doctor, discuss dosage, features of use, and duration of treatment.

Injections of the knee to treat joint disease

Injections into the joints are one of the most effective treatments for effusion of the knee. This rather expensive procedure significantly reduces pain and inflammation, and new modern drugs not only improve the general condition of the patient, but also treat the affected cartilage tissues.

Knee injection for osteoarthritis is quite a difficult procedure, so you should consult your doctor, even knowing what medicines and how much you need to inject.

For intra-articular injection, the following drugs are most commonly prescribed:

1. The hormone corticosteroid. These are the most common home remedies, since their post-introduction effectiveness is achieved within minutes. However, to reduce inflammation and pain, corticosteroids negatively affect the joint itself - cartilage tissue is still degenerated, in addition, drugs of this group cause narrowing of blood vessels, destroying joint tissue. Therefore, the use of corticosteroid hormones is only reasonable in case of intolerable pain in the late stages of joint disease. The injection can be repeated no more than every two weeks.
2. Chondroprotectors and enzymes. Unlike hormones, they do not reduce inflammation, so it is meaningless to take medications in the presence of joint swelling. But they have the effect of regenerating and partially restoring cartilage tissue. The use of such drugs is especially effective in the early stages of arthritis. The course of treatment is 5-10 injections.
3. Hyaluronic acid. A very effective drug, but at the same time expensive. Its effectiveness lies in the fact that the acid itself has a composition similar to that of the joint's natural lubricant. After the introduction of drugs with hyaluronic acid into the knee, the friction of the affected joint surfaces is reduced and the mobility of the knee improves. Such injectable drugs are very effective in the early stages of joint disease, the effect is slightly more relief in the second stage, and with arthritis of the third knee such drugs only alleviatecondition of the patient for a short time. The course of treatment usually involves three to four injections per year.

Injecting knee joint for osteoarthritis treatment is absolutely contraindicated in the following cases:

• skin or subcutaneous tissue infection in the area where the injection is intended;
• sepsis;
• infectious arthritis;
• hemophilia;
• presence of a viral infection;
• lack of results from previous injections;
• individual intolerance to the drug.

It is also not approved to perform intra-joint injection for prophylactic purposes.

Orthopedic knee pads for dry joints of the knee joints

During the treatment of dry joints of the knee joint, to prevent various injuries, as well as support damaged tissues and reduce stress from the joint, knee pads are used.

An orthopedic knee pad is basically like an elastic bandage. However, compared to the following type, the knee brace has an advantage: no need to bandage several times a day, no slipping or dangling, a well-sized pillow pad will not compress the leg causing swelling and other unpleasant consequences. stretched pressing.

Orthopedic knee pads for osteoarthritis perform the following functions:

• reduces inflammation and pain;
• reduce puffiness;
• reduce stiffness and tension;
• normalize blood circulation;
• to create conditions for the joints to move freely.

When choosing an orthopedic knee pad, you should pay attention to the following characteristics:

1. Knee cushion - selected depending on pain severity. There are the following types of knee pads:
   • closure - used when the localization of pain cannot be determined;
   • opening with adjustable tension - used during rehabilitation and for mild pain relief;
   • opening with spiral ribs - to relieve pain when going up and down stairs, etc. v. . . ;
   • joints - for different types of pain;
   • for tendon support - used if pain is localized under the kneecap.
2. The knee cushioning material plays a very important role, since not only the degree of fixation, but the intensity of the warming effect also depends on it. Modern knee pads are made from cotton, lycra, nylon, neoprene, spandex, camel hair and dog hair.
3. The size of the knee pads, calculated individually for each patient.

The doctor will help determine the parameters of the future purchase - he not only chooses the optimal knee size and type for the patient, but also advises which materials will be most effective.

You can buy orthopedic knee pads for joint disease at pharmacies or specialized medical equipment stores, and the prices are quite easy to accept. You should be careful when buying at amateur stores or from obscure companies, as you can easily buy counterfeit, which if it doesn't do harm, it certainly won't help.

Proper nutrition

Nutritionists have been studying the nutritional characteristics of different ethnic groups for many years. Comparing national dishes, scientists are trying to understand the effect of people's culinary preferences on the occurrence of certain diseases. This kind of research has been done many times in connection with a common illness such as dry knee disease.

Many theories have been given, many different hypotheses have been made. For example, at one point it was thought that the use of tomatoes contributed to the development of the disease, then it was thought that table salt was the "cause" of the occurrence of joint disease.

In the twentieth century, the situation with the development of this disease worsened significantly.

Proper nutrition is the key to joint health.

In order to prevent the development of the disease, it is important to understand that nutrition plays a key role in the degeneration of the knee. From the diet, the consumption of meat products in the fast food segment should be minimized. These products are:

• semi-finished products from meat production wastes: sausages, sausages, sausages, etc. v.
• Bacon is sold in stores (usually this product is processed using chemicals, not in a smoking factory).
• processed meat - ham, bacon (manufacturers in this case do not hesitate to use flavor enhancers and dyes).
• fast food.

Of course, not everyone can give up on these foods. Over the years, many people have developed a habit of enjoying smoked hot dogs or boiled sausages in the morning. In this case, we recommend buying a piece of meat on the market, baking in the oven with spices, chopping it and then using it as a base for bread. This type of "fast food" will not harm the body.

So we found that it is best to refuse semi-finished meat, bacon, and fast food. But what if it is injected with a needle?

Of course, the ideal option is to buy meat from reliable suppliers, but in urban conditions this advice is not possible.

In this regard, it is necessary to use such cooking methods so that as many harmful chemical compounds are destroyed as possible. Sometimes just using this factor can have a great effect in the fight against joint disease.

How to properly cook food for osteoarthritis

Remember that nutrition for people with osteoarthritis is not saturated with fat.

Therefore, when preparing food, it is necessary to remove the visible fat from the meat, and remove the skin on the poultry. The fat is the largest concentration of harmful substances.

Boiling, stewing, baking in foil and steaming are the healthiest ways to cook food.

When suffering from knee osteoarthritis, do not eat meats with jelly or jelly. There is opinion from the series "Grandma in the yard" that these dishes are very good for joints, but in fact they are not. A person with joint disease will only get worse due to high cholesterol levels.

Consume as little broths and meat soups as possible. Even if you rinse the first broth, there will still be a lot of unhealthy fats in the second. Better get used to the vegetable soups, which are very popular in Western countries. Mushroom soup is also very helpful.

Trying to replace meat in soups with dry broth and cubes won't lead to anything good: these products contain astonishing amounts of chemical ingredients.

Alas, fish sold in our market is also diligently injected with dyes and preservatives and is therefore harmful for arthritis of the knee. Therefore, you should buy raw fish whenever possible. Obviously not everyone has enough money for this. The methods above will help to properly cook frozen fish.

Prevention of dry joints of the knee joint

It is not possible to deteriorate the condition of life due to the disease, so the causes of joint disease must be excluded. It is much easier to prevent than it can be expensive and long-term treatment.

• You need to lose weight.
• Joints require continuous physical activity: skipping, squatting, running small. But everything should be in moderation. Excessive exercise also leads to illness. Replace the loads with the full rest time.
• Due to a knee injury, arthritis develops. When skiing, skating, cycling or rollerblading, knee pads should be worn. The discount has a choice of both padded knee pads and warm wool pads.
• Don't ignore the help of others if the weight is too much for you.
• Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. It is noted that vegetarians practically do not suffer from arthritis. Replace mayonnaise with olive or mustard oil. Particularly useful are plums, dried apricots, apricots, apples, raspberries, cranberries with honey.
• Concentrated tea and coffee wash away calcium in large quantities.
• Homemade cheese and cheese will help strengthen bones.
• Walking with a cane will help prevent you from overloading your knee joints.
• Shoes should be comfortable, with small heels.
• Swimming and water aerobics will reduce overall stress and fatigue in the knee joints.
• Among vitamins, vitamin E is particularly helpful, preventing the destruction of cartilage tissue.
• Vitamin C is involved in the synthesis of cartilage tissue.
• The disease progresses more rapidly due to lack of vitamin D.
• Calcium helps keep your bones strong. High calcium content in sesame seeds and celery.

By following these simple rules of a healthy lifestyle, you can avoid a serious illness. And in the event of a manifestation of the disease, they will delay the development of the pathology.