There are diseases that progress over time. It is impossible to completely cure them and return to square one, but it is quite possible to diagnose and stop them in a timely manner. Previously, it was possible to encounter symptoms of knee joint osteoarthritis in older people, but now the disease is "aging" and often causes disability. So, what are the signs you need to look out for in time to start treatment?
The essence of what is happening
Before starting treatment or determining the specific signs of the disease, it is necessary to understand what is happening in the joint.
The articular surfaces of human bones are covered with cartilage. In some joints, such as the knee, there are menisci - layers of cartilage that act as shock absorbers. The joint fluid produced by the capsule acts as a lubricant.
Polyarthrosis is a disease that affects all or most of the joints in the body. The disease develops due to the destruction of joint cartilage and bone exposure.
When the knee joint is affected, changes in joint fluid production also occur. Some or all of the cartilage is lost and, over time, the joint wears out. When this is observed in most joints, the diagnosis is made: polyarthrosis.
The body tries to cope with such a violation, as well as limit the pain. With the progression of the disease, the joint is deformed, the bones begin to grow due to the spikes (osteophytes). Often they can be felt during probing in advanced situations, when polyarthrosis has developed. The surface of the bones is uneven and they do not fit together. The result is reduced mobility.
From the above symptoms, it becomes clear that these are not salts, which everyone is so often used to think of with pain in the knee.
When to sound the alarm
The first thing that arthrosis of the knee, or polyarthrosis, manifests itself in is pain, which can occur after prolonged physical exertion or simply disturb you all the time. Its nature is different, often the pain intensifies in the evening or night, preventing sleep, leading to disruption of normal life. Already at this stage, it is worth visiting the doctor, because the simplest diagnosis - an x-ray, can reveal a violation and, in some cases, polyarthrosis. The image will show a narrowing of the joint gap, indicating thinning of the cartilage.
Symptoms
There are three degrees of osteoarthritis, each of which has its own specific signs. With their help, you can also suspect polythro, which will require special treatment.
In the first phase, the pain is not severe and to many it seems that it will soon pass. Beyond that there is discomfort and a slight swelling that occurs periodically. This will require minor treatment, which will be discussed below. In addition, laser therapy and other physiotherapies are indicated.
In the second degree, the symptoms become more complex, a crunch is added to all this, and mobility is reduced. There may be a slight bleeding.
Laser therapy and doctor's recommendations on taking medications can help in this case. If this is not done, the pain will become permanently pronounced and it will be time to think about the third degree.
In the third stage, the integrity of the cartilage is completely destroyed. The pain is constant and one cannot speak of a normal gait. Climbing the stairs becomes a real problem, the joints are swollen. When moving, a pronounced crunch occurs, the joint is deformed, pain is felt on palpation.
Polyarthrosis also manifests itself with redness of the skin, it is hot to the touch. There is bleeding on the skin due to the bursting of blood vessels or a venous network. If this cosmetic defect interferes, it is really possible to eliminate it with a laser.
In the latter stages, the person becomes unstable due to muscle and ligament weakness. Walking is only possible with the support of a stick, and again for short distances. It all ends with a deformation of the knee, which not even a laser can correct. Changes can no longer be undone, a person becomes disabled. In this case, the joints are deployed towards each other or in opposite directions.
Medical diagnostics may reveal a slight change in shape, and for significant ones, additional diagnostics will be required. Usually, the doctor prescribes an x-ray, which shows the changes in the joints. A more subtle diagnosis is done using CT, MRI, and an ultrasound of the knee joint is also used.
Treatment
The treatment of this disease excites many, and only a doctor can understand this. The arsenal of drugs is very large, it is impossible to use them uncontrollably.
With the improper use of drugs, a stomach ulcer can also be added to osteoarthritis. But it is almost impossible to restore the damaged cartilage.
First of all, the doctor prescribes the patient non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which, together with inflammation, relieve pain. But the cure does not end there. Exercises, physiotherapy are widely used. Special therapeutic exercises are selected only by a doctor, so they give the maximum therapeutic effect. About everything in more detail.
Drug use
The main treatment falls on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition, agents are used that improve the nutrition of cartilage and promote its gradual regeneration. The most tested in this regard are drugs based on glucosamine and chondroitin. Special creams and ointments that have a local effect allow you to fix the treatment.
It is worth noting that drugs reduce pain and relieve inflammation, but it is very dangerous to use them constantly. Long treatment adversely affects the condition of the gastric mucosa, liver and heart. Recently, they began to produce drugs with a minimal negative effect, according to some manufacturers they can be used for several months.
Gymnastics and physiotherapy
Complementary therapies can improve blood flow and, consequently, joint nutrition. Special exercises can strengthen ligaments and muscles. This is just the effect of gymnastics in the early stages, when the joint hasn't changed much. Exercises are selected strictly individually, depending on the severity of the course of the disease and the physical capabilities of the patient.
In addition, the exercises are complemented by physiotherapy, there are a lot of them. We use magnetotherapy, laser therapy, diodynamics, UHF, electrophoresis with novocaine, ultrasound and much more.
Injections into the joint
In the last stages, when physiotherapy or a laser does not help, to relieve pain, they resort to injections into the joint cavity. Preparations based on hyaluronic acid are introduced, which increase the restorative properties of the cartilage. The introduction of hormonal drugs is often practiced, however, this is not safe, because over time the duration of the therapeutic effect is reduced and the cartilage simply becomes unusable.
Endoprosthesis
Joint replacement is a last resort when your joint cannot be saved and is no longer able to function. This operation is called arthroplasty and allows you to almost completely restore the lost function, remove pain. In reality it is possible to replace the entire joint (total arthroplasty) or its most altered part. At present, the level of the surgical technique, of the implants made is so perfect that it allows to obtain positive results and to introduce this method of treatment everywhere.
It is not difficult to diagnose polyarthrosis of the knee, especially if you pay attention to the characteristic symptoms. A visit to the doctor will allow you to refute or confirm the diagnosis. There are many treatment options, as well as the choice of drugs, which allows you to quickly remove the pain. But it's not worth taking your knees to a joint replacement, because your native joint is so much better than the artificial one, no matter how high quality it may be.