Arthritis of the knee joint, the symptoms and treatment of which are studied by rheumatologists, is an inflammation of the areas inside and near the joint. Alternative names of the disease - chases and gonarthritis. Problems with joints are common. Most often they suffer from women over the age of 30. As a rule, the onset of the inflammatory process is caused by too high loads on the knees.
Arthritis of the knee joint - reasons
Various factors lead to the development of gonitis. Depending on what caused arthritis of the knee, the symptoms and treatment of the disease may vary slightly. Sometimes it is difficult to determine what contributed to the onset of the inflammatory process, because the ailment develops slowly, and the defining symptoms are absent. The most common causes of arthritis are:
- incorrect placement of bones, which leads to an uneven distribution of load on the joint;
- frostbite or prolonged hypothermia;
- injuries and various mechanical injuries;
- allergy (sometimes perspiration manifests itself in the background of urticaria or edema of Quincke );
- brucellosis ;
- gout ;
- hereditary Bekhterev's disease ;
- excessive mechanical stress due to friction in the anterior knee (the so-called knee of a housewife).
Infectious arthritis of the knee joint
It is a complex infectious disease that can overtake patients of different sex and age. Purulent arthritis of the knee joint, as a rule, is diagnosed in people:
- suffering from chronic rheumatoid arthritis;
- who underwent operation on joints;
- injured joint;
- undergoing intra-articular injection;
- with systemic infections;
- with drug or alcohol addiction.
Infectious arthritis of the knee, whose symptoms and treatment is worth considering in detail, cause fungi, bacteria, viruses. Pathogenic microorganisms can penetrate into the joint with a blood flow, through an open wound, with surgical intervention. If a woman underwent a gonorrhea during pregnancy, the likelihood that a newborn will be diagnosed with an infectious disease is increased. In adolescents, the development of this form of gonarthrosis is facilitated by the early onset of an active sexual life.
Rheumatoid arthritis of the knee joint
Pathology is associated with degenerative changes occurring in the joints. Provoke rheumatoid arthritis of the knee infectious inflammation. The causes of the problem appear to be different, but as a rule, most of them are associated with impaired immunity. Inflammation makes cartilaginous joint tissues vulnerable to aggressive effects. As a result, their structure is broken - there is thinning, degeneration. If arthritis of the knee is not detected, symptoms and treatment do not begin on time, recovery may require the replacement of the joint mechanism.
Reactive arthritis of the knee joint
In children, the cause of its appearance is mainly immune diseases. Often children's reactive arthritis of the knee develops on the background of measles, whooping cough , and sore throats. In adulthood, in most cases, the disease occurs due to sexually transmitted infections. In the early stages of reactive arthritis of the knee, the symptoms and treatment of which depend on the individual characteristics of the organism, it does not always manifest itself. For this reason, patients turn to specialists only when excess fluid accumulates in the joint bag.
Gouty Arthritis of the Knee
This disease is a representative of a group of crystalline arthritis. That is, when a man diagnoses gonarthritis of the knee joint, it means that in his organs and tissues there is a permanent deposition of urate sodium (uric acid salts, simply put). In a greater degree of illness, men over 50 are exposed. This is explained by a defect in the gene that takes part in the exchange of uric acid. Such a deviation, as a rule, occurs only in representatives of the stronger sex. In women, the disease appears mainly during menopause.
Gouty arthritis of the knee, the symptoms and underlying treatment of which are determined individually, can be caused by other factors:
- binge eating;
- abuse of meat dishes;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- excessive consumption of alcohol (especially beer and dry wine).
Post-traumatic arthritis of the knee joint
As you can guess from the name, the post-traumatic chasing of the joint arises from the damage to the cartilaginous tissues, tendons, ligaments. Injuries lead to impaired mobility of the joint apparatus. To avoid unpleasant consequences and not to treat arthritis of the knee joint, even after receiving minor injuries it is better to consult a specialist. After all, they also lead to changes in articular and cartilaginous tissues, which is fraught with inflammation.
Arthritis of the knee joint - symptoms
If the knees hurt, arthritis is not always diagnosed, but the pain is considered one of the main symptoms of the disease. In most cases, tenderness manifests itself gradually. Often it is combined with morning stiffness. At the initial stages, the pain appears only after loads. With exacerbations, it becomes constant, pulsating. In many patients, the temperature in the affected area increases.
In case of arthritis illness, the knee joint signs and others may occur. So, for example, often on the site of inflammation a swelling is formed, which does not decrease in size and does not depend on the process of water metabolism. In the late stages in many patients joints begin to deform. This is due to muscle spasm arising as a response to pain. Over time, the joint is fixed in the wrong position.
The degree of arthritis of the knee
The signs of the disease differ depending on its degree:
- Kicking the knee joint of the first degree is characterized by minor pain. In the morning, some patients feel limited mobility of the knee, which go away after a while.
- With arthritis of the second degree, the pain intensifies, the swelling in the knee region becomes clearly visible. The skin on the affected joint turns red, swelling is formed on it.
- The third degree is the most difficult. With deforming arthritis, patients suffer from severe pains, which are accompanied by a persistent spasm of the musculature, resulting in the knee deforming.
Arthritis of the knee joint - diagnosis
Before you start treatment for gonarthritis, you must go through the diagnosis. The doctor needs to conduct a full examination: to study the gait of the patient and the range of movements in those patients who are lame, to assess the degree of swelling and tenderness of the joint apparatus. Often in order to determine the acute arthritis of the knee joint, X-rays are taken and a blood test is taken.
Arthritis of the knee joint - treatment
Gonitis therapy should be comprehensive. To fully recover the patient should not only take medication, but also do special exercises, eat right. Therefore, it is up to the expert to consider how to treat arthritis of the knee joint, taking into account all the features of the disease course in the body of a patient. Before starting treatment, the patient needs to prepare for the fact that the process of recovery will take considerable time.
Strict diets in gonite are usually not prescribed, but if the disease is caused by obesity, it will be necessary to monitor the diet. In the daily menu you need to include bread, cereals, fruits, with vegetables, sour-milk products, lean meat, poultry. In the most difficult cases, surgery may be required to replace the joint with a metal or plastic prosthesis.
Ointment for arthritis of the knee joint
One of the mandatory components of treatment is the use of ointments. Knee arthritis treatment involves such means:
- Diclofenac. Apply to the site of inflammation with a thin layer. Affected joint can be smeared with Diclofenac 2 - 3 times a day. Using ointment, you need to carefully monitor that it does not hit the wounds and mucous membranes. After applying the drug, the hands should be washed with soap.
- Ketorol. The agent is good, but it is suitable only to eliminate pain, inflammation, this ointment does not remove.
- Orthophene. It is best to apply in the early stages of the disease. In no case should you compress on the knee with arthritis with Orthophene.
- Nimesulide. This is a good tool that is used to fight gonitis at different stages. As part of the ointment - steroids, which provide a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. But it has a drawback - positive changes become noticeable at least a month after the start of regular use.
What pricks are pricked with arthritis?
For joint injections, different medications are used. A suitable means and schemes of drug treatment of acute knee arthritis are chosen by doctors depending on the state of health of the patient. In most cases, such drugs are used:
- Corticosteroids. Are intended for elimination of strong inflammatory processes. They act locally and do not affect the general condition of the body. The most popular corticosteroids are: Diprospan, Lidocaine, Celeston, Flosteron.
- Chondroprotectors. Help to stop the process of destruction of cartilaginous tissues. In addition, preparations of this group - such as Alflutop - normalize metabolic processes, stimulate the active production of collagen necessary for the formation of cartilage, and promote accelerated healing of injuries.
- Hyaluronic acid. This is the main component of the intra-articular fluid, which protects the joint from damage. Contains hyaluronic acid in Fermatron, Sinocrom, Ostenil and other preparations.
- Gas injections. They are used in modern techniques. The composition of injections includes carbon dioxide. A sharp increase in it in the muscles and joints draws blood to the sore spot. As a result, metabolic processes are accelerated, and damaged tissues are restored more quickly. In this case, the gas itself is quickly eliminated from the body.
Gymnastics for knee arthritis
There are a lot of different complexes developed. To select the most effective exercises for arthritis of the knee joint, as well as all treatment, should a specialist. The warm-up will consist of approximately such events:
- walking on the spot;
- flexion and extension of the legs in the knee;
- the transfer of gravity from the heel to the toe;
- "Scissors" (crossing legs in a prone position);
- flexion of the feet in the supine position;
- "Bicycle" (imitation of the torsion of the pedals bent at the knees with legs from the lying position).
Massage of the knee with arthritis
To enhance the effect of the use of drug therapy, patients with gonitis often prescribed a course of massage. Before you treat arthritis of the knee, you need to determine the level of muscle tension located next to the damaged joint, the potential for muscle relaxation, biologically important points on the body. After the first session, positive changes will be noticeable:
- the pain begins to subside;
- mobility is restored in the affected joint;
- stops to accumulate pathological fluid.
Arthritis of the knee joint - treatment with folk remedies
Traditionally, before you treat a knee joint with folk remedies, you should definitely consult a specialist. In one patient, rheumatologists recommend taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, diluted with a glass of water 3 to 5 times a day. The broth of bay leaves helps others. To drink such a medicine you need one glass before going to bed for three days in a row.
How to treat purulent drives the knee joint with herbs?
Ingredients:
- black elderberry (flowers) - 1 part;
- willow bark - 5 parts;
- birch leaves - 4 parts;
- boiling water - 1 glass.
Preparation and use :
- Ingredients grind and mix.
- 1 tbsp. l. the resulting mixture pour boiling water.
- Infusion wrap and leave.
- In half an hour the medicine is ready.
- Take it should be half a glass before eating 4 times a day.