Knee joint disease

Causes of knee arthritis

Knee joint disease or gonorrhea, usually after the age of 40, mainly affects women. At an earlier age, this pathology can be caused by injury or professional sports. A particularly severe course of the disease has been observed in people who are overweight or suffer from varicose veins of the lower extremities.

The onset of this disease is characterized by moderate pain in the knee during exercise, especially when walking on stairs. Similarly, if a person stands for a long time or stands up after sitting down for a long time, it can also cause pain. During rest, the pain usually decreases. Knee joint arthritis does not spontaneously produce severe pain, and usually feels long-term discomfort when walking or doing physical exercise. Gradually increasing pain is one of the main signs of gonorrhea.

Stage of the disease

The first stage

In the initial stage of the development of gonorrhea, the bones of the knee do not change its shape, only joint swelling may occur, which is usually related to fluid accumulation in the knee. If its content exceeds the allowable level, edema will occur, which will affect the back of the leg. In this case, anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to relieve edema.

The second stage

The next stage of knee arthritis is characterized by a marked increase in pain intensity. Even if it is a little worse, the pain will make you feel pain, the knee joint will feel tight, and if the disease progresses, the pain will be aggravated. It is very difficult for the patient to bend the leg, there is severe pain, and it is impossible to bend on the knee at all. Also in the second stage of the disease, the joint begins to change its shape, which becomes very obvious on palpation-the expansion and congestion of the joint bone is felt. Synovitis is more intense at this stage-edema due to accumulation of water.

The third stage

The third stage of the disease is characterized by severe pain even at rest. The patient has been looking for a suitable posture for a long time, and the pain will be weaker in this posture. Due to blood circulation disorders, even during sleep, pain can bother people and cause joint soreness. The mobility of the joints is minimized, and the person is often unable to keep the legs in a straight position and is forced to bend while walking. With the obvious deformation of the bones, the gait becomes staggered, and the changes in the shape of the lower limbs become obvious.

How to recognize knee arthritis?

Knee symptoms

First refer the patient for blood tests, and then perform X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography.

In some cases, ultrasound or arthroscopy may be required (to check the joints with special devices through small incisions).

During the X-ray examination, the stage of development of the disease is determined, and the picture shows the changes in the joints and bones and the distance between the bones. In the early stages of the disease, no changes in cartilage tissue can be seen on X-rays.

Ultrasound examinations and computed tomography scans can reveal abnormalities of soft joint tissues and determine the amount of fluid accumulation during the development of synovitis.

How to treat knee arthritis?

Knee joint arthritis is treated by experts such as rheumatologists or orthopedists. In the early stages, the disease can be cured without surgery in most cases, but the treatment must be comprehensive and qualified. In the second and third stages, it is impossible to restore the joint to its previous shape without surgery, only to improve the condition of the tissues around the joint.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely used to reduce inflammation and pain of knee arthritis. After the pain syndrome is relieved, massage, therapeutic exercises, and physical therapy procedures can be prescribed for the patient.

To treat gonorrhea, drugs belonging to the group of chondroprotectants are also used, which restore cartilage tissue. Such preparations also help maintain the elasticity of cartilage, whose tissue is saturated with water. In the first and second stages, the chondroprotective agent has a gradual effect, and the treatment time is very long, and can even last for a year or a year and a half. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate work better together. In the third stage, such drugs no longer have a positive effect.

The good effect of treating arthropathy is drugs that can dilate blood vessels. They can improve the blood circulation of the joints and relieve the spasm of small blood vessels, thereby helping to restore the affected joints. It is recommended to use these drugs in combination with chondroprotective agents. In order to relieve painful muscle cramps, a muscle relaxant can be prescribed to the patient. These drugs are only used in combination with cartilage protectors and joint traction. Dimexide dressings also have a positive effect in the treatment of arthritis, reducing inflammation and pain, especially when fluid accumulation occurs. To prepare such a compress, you should mix one tablespoon of boiling water with one tablespoon of trichlorfon. Then wet the medical bandage in the resulting solution, put on the affected area, and cover it with a plastic bag and diaper. The duration of this process is twenty to sixty minutes, once a day, and then lasts two to three weeks.

Strictly follow the doctor's prescription and use all drugs without contraindications. Arthritis of the knee joint requires medication, physical therapy, and therapeutic exercise.