Treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint - drugs and physiotherapy, exercise therapy

Treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint is a complex method of combating degenerative-dystrophic pathology that destroys articular joints and bone tissue. Doctors - orthopedists and surgeons - use exercise therapy, physiotherapy procedures, massage, exercise therapy complexes that relieve the condition, reduce pain and restore mobility of the knee joint. Drug treatment and physiotherapy are effective if they are in the early stages of gonarthrosis. If the disease is neglected, most joint replacement surgery is performed.

Traditional and alternative medicine methods are also widely used, such as hirudotherapy, sand warming, herbal compresses, Chinese plasters, Tibetan balms. Before resorting to folk remedies for gonarthrosis, it is necessary to consult a doctor about the appropriateness of the chosen technique.

Treatment of knee gonarthrosis

The choice of therapeutic technique depends on the stage of the disease, other diseases in the patient's history and individual characteristics of the organism.

Medication

The main purposes of drugs prescribed for gonarthrosis of the knee joint:

• reduce pain;
• stop the inflammatory process;
• prevents degenerative changes in the joint;
• restore lost mobility of the knee joint.

Medications for gonarthrosis are divided into:

• anti-inflammatory and analgesic;
• chondroprotectors;
• vitamin and mineral complexes.

If the tablets do not give visible results, they are applied directly to the joint. This procedure is called obstruction. Chondroprotectors, anesthetics, corticosteroid hormones, hyaluronic acid are used for injections.

If a patient is diagnosed with grade 1 gonarthrosis, he is prescribed:

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The side effects of these tablets are high, so they should not be taken for a long time, otherwise a person may develop erosions and stomach ulcers.
2. Simple analgesics.
3. Ointments with skin irritation, containing bee venom, snake venom, chili pepper extract and other drugs.
4. Glucosaminoglycans or chondroprotectors are divided into natural, complex and monopreparations. Reduces pain, restores mobility of the affected joint and prevents degenerative processes.

It is important to know. Chondroprotectors are prescribed as a background treatment. They should be taken for a long period of 3 to 6 months. You can't try to replace the pills prescribed by your doctor with cheaper ones. It may not work and time will be lost and the person will develop grade 3 gonarthrosis, which is fraught with serious complications, such as synovitis.

Traditional methods

Patients with gonarthrosis are advised to eat wood lice, nettles and celery. Fresh tree lice leaves can be used to make spicy salads with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Stinging nettles can be added to vegetable soups or make an infusion of garlic and lemon:

1. For 100 g of garlic cloves you need to take 3 medium lemons and 250 g of nettle leaves.
2. Pass all ingredients through a meat grinder.
3. Pour the resulting mixture with 3 liters of boiling water and leave in a warm place for a day.

The infusion should be taken daily. On the first day, limit yourself to 70 ml of product and gradually increase the number of doses to 3 times a day.

You can make compresses from the decoction of burdock rhizome:

1. 3 tablespoons Pour a glass of boiling water with crushed raw materials.
2. Insist for 15 minutes.
3. Come to your senses, calm down.
4. Moisten the gauze in the broth and apply to the affected joint.
5. Wrap the painful area and leave overnight.

A useful and common tonic for gonarthrosis is a broth made from the bones of cattle. The healing effect is provided by gelatin released as a result of long-term heat treatment.

To prepare the broth, take the beef knees and legs, place them in a large saucepan and pour water over them to completely cover the bones.

Bring to a boil and cook until the meat and cartilage are easily separated from the bones. 100 ml of broth should be taken before meals.

Physiotherapy

If a person is diagnosed with grade 1 or 2 gonarthrosis, the doctor may prescribe various physiotherapy procedures:

1. Paraffin applications are warming procedures that prevent the development of degenerative processes in the joint.
2. Plasmolifting is when a drug is injected into the joint cavity based on the patient's own blood. Biologically active substances in blood plasma have a therapeutic effect. They cause healing and recovery of affected bone and muscle structures.
3. Cryotherapy or local exposure to liquid nitrogen at the wound site. The procedure relieves pain and begins to repair the damaged joint.
4. Laser therapy is an effective method that allows you to stop the inflammatory process in a short time and stimulate metabolism.
5. Ultrasound with glucocorticoids, which have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, stops degenerative processes.
6. Drug electrophoresis with anesthesia is the effect of an electric current on the affected joint, which helps the drug to penetrate directly into the joint.
7. Shockwave therapy, which affects the affected area with low-frequency sound waves and accelerates blood circulation and metabolism in the diseased joint.

Note. Physiotherapy procedures can be performed at home, using a magnetic therapy device that allows you to eliminate the swelling and pain, stop the inflammatory process.

Hirudotherapy

Alternative medicine includes leech treatment or hirudotherapy.. . .This treatment of gonarthrosis has many advantages:

• A lasting analgesic effect is obtained, which allows to cancel the drug treatment for 3 months;
• metabolic processes are stimulated, blood microcirculation in the affected joint area is improved;
• swelling decreases;
• joint mobility is restored;
• clots that often occur due to the development of gonarthrosis are removed.

Hirudotherapy gives the best results in the early stages of the disease. The healing effect on the affected area is the enzymes that the leech releases into the patient's blood after being absorbed from the knee pain. These are chemically active substances:

• dissolves thrombotic compounds, prevents blood clotting;
• low cholesterol levels;
• break down hyaluronic acid.

Note. Enzymes such as eglin and kininase can replace non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics.

Special exercises

Recreational gymnastics is an effective way to treat pathology that affects the joints. The purpose of the training is to strengthen the muscles, which will support the damaged joint and allow it to return to mobility.

Strength training with gonarthrosis, long walks or running are contraindicated. Classes should be replaced by rest.

If you train regularly for at least six months, the positive effect will be noticeable. Approximate set of exercises:

1. Medium amplitude swinging legs. It is best to do this while sitting in a high chair or table to keep your feet in the air.
2. Without changing the position, hold the pose for at least 3 seconds, lifting your legs alternately and straightening them to your knees.
3. The next exercise is a bicycle. Performed while lying on the floor. Simulate cycling slowly, gradually accelerating, and then slowing down again.
4. From an inclined position, you should slowly bend your knees and pull on your stomach. Then gently straighten the bent joint until the muscles become tense. You need to hold the pose for 8 seconds. Then lower the heel to the ground and slowly straighten the foot, returning to its original position.

A number of therapeutic exercises are suitable for the treatment of gonarthrosis. You should consult a physiotherapist before recharging.

Massage

This method does not cure the disease, but it can relieve symptoms, relieve inflammation, and increase the effectiveness of physiotherapy and medication.

Massagewith gonarthrosis:

• relaxes spasmodic muscles around the affected joint;
• accelerates the healing process;
• It "washes" the toxins accumulated in the tissues as a result of inflammation.

The following methods are used to treat gonarthrosis:

• Japanese, which affects the affected areas with the help of point physical force;
• Swedish rubs the aching joint with his palms;
• Finn, when all kneading movements are done with the thumbs.

Massage consists not only of mechanical action on the affected limb, but also of massaging the lower part of the spine. During the procedure, the person should not experience pain in the injured joint.

Self-massage is allowed at home. First you need to learn the technique of massage:

• to caress;
• rub;
• kneading;
• tapping or finger shower;
• vibration.

Basic rules for the procedure:

1. Your own massage is performed on an empty stomach.
2. In this case, it is better if a person takes a shower or hot bath (water temperature should not exceed 36-38 ° C).
3. The procedure is performed before 14: 00 in the morning because it tones the body.
4. All movements are performed carefully, there should be no marks, bruises on the skin, the person should not feel pain while massaging himself.
5. The procedure begins with the largest femoral muscle moving from the knee joint to the groin.
6. At the end of the exposure, it is recommended to bend and straighten the knee several times.

Important. You should consult an orthopedist before self-massage.

Disease prevention

There are various causes of osteoarthritis:

• excess weight;
• wrong lifestyle;
• excessive physical activity;
• genetic predisposition.

Prevention of gonarthrosis includes various measures, such as diet, abstinence from alcohol and smoking, physical training that eliminates the increased stress on the knee joints. Health sports activities include:

• Nordic walking using special equipment such as ski poles;
• Yoga, which increases the elasticity of the joints and speeds up the metabolism, has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole;
• Sports cycling activities that help keep your knee joints healthy.

If a person leads an active lifestyle - rollerblading, cycling, skiing, should pay attention to protective equipment that will help prevent micro-injuries and significant knee injuries. Any physical activity should be moderate and sports should be replaced by rest.