Methods for the treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint: drugs and physiotherapy, exercise therapy.

Treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint: complex methods of treating degenerative-dystrophic pathology that destroys the joint joint and bone tissue. Doctors, orthopedists and surgeons, use drug therapy, physiotherapeutic procedures, massage, recommend exercise therapy complexes that alleviate the condition, reduce pain and return the knee joint to mobility. Drug treatment and physical therapy are effective if knee osteoarthritis is in its early stages. If the disease is neglected, joint replacement surgery is most often resorted to.

The methods of traditional and alternative medicine are also widely used, for example, hirudotherapy, warming with sand, compresses based on medicinal plants, Chinese plasters, Tibetan balms. Before resorting to treating gonarthrosis with folk remedies, it is necessary to consult with a doctor about the suitability of the chosen technique.

Knee osteoarthritis therapy

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

Medicine

The main goals of prescription drugs for gonarthrosis of the knee joint:

• reduces pain;
• stop the inflammatory process;
• inhibit degenerative changes in the joint joint;
• restore lost mobility to the knee joint.

Medications for gonarthrosis are divided into:

• pain relievers and anti-inflammatories;
• chondroprotectors;
• vitamin and mineral complexes.

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

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

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These tablets have a high incidence of side effects, so they should not be taken for a long time, otherwise a person may develop erosion and stomach ulcers.
2. Simple pain relievers.
3. Ointments with an irritating effect on the skin, including bee venom, snake venom, chili pepper extract, and other preparations.
4. Glycosaminoglycans or chondroprotectors are divided into natural, complex and monopreparations. They reduce pain, restore mobility to the affected joint and inhibit degenerative processes.

It is important to know. Chondroprotectors are prescribed as background treatment. They should be taken for a long time, from 3 months to six months. You cannot attempt to replace the pills prescribed by your doctor with cheaper counterparts. They may not work, time will be lost, and the person will develop grade 3 knee osteoarthritis, which is fraught with serious complications, for example, synovitis.

Traditional methods

Gonarthrosis patients are advised to eat mealybugs, nettles, and celery. Fresh cochineal leaves can be used to prepare salads, which are seasoned with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Nettle can be added to vegetable soups, or you can make an infusion with 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 the ingredients through a meat grinder.
3. Pour the resulting mixture with 3 liters of boiling water and leave it for a day in a warm place.

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

You can make compresses from a decoction of burdock rhizome:

1. 3 tbsp. Pour the crushed raw materials with a glass of boiling water.
2. Insist for 15 minutes.
3. Cool down.
4. Dip a gauze pad in the broth and apply it to the affected joint.
5. Wrap the sore spot and leave it overnight.

A useful and general tonic for gonarthrosis is a broth boiled from cattle bones. The healing effect is provided by gelatin, which is released as a result of prolonged heat treatment.

To prepare the broth, take the beef knees and hooves, place them in a large saucepan and pour water over the top so that they completely cover the bones.

Bring to a boil and simmer until the meat and cartilage easily separate 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 several physiotherapy procedures:

1. Paraffin applications are heating procedures that prevent the development of degenerative processes in the joint joint.
2. Plasmolifting, when a drug is injected into the joint cavity from the patient's own blood. Biologically active substances contained in blood plasma have a healing effect. They cause the healing and restoration of the affected bone and muscle structures.
3. Cryotherapy or local exposure to liquid nitrogen in a painful area. The procedure relieves pain and begins regeneration of the damaged joint.
4. Laser therapy, which is an effective method that allows you to stop the inflammatory process and stimulate the metabolism in a short time.
5. Glucocorticoid ultrasound, which has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, stops degenerative processes.
6. Medicinal anesthetic electrophoresis is the effect of an electric current on the affected joint, which promotes the penetration of medicinal substances directly into the joint joint.
7. Shock wave therapy, which acts on the damaged area with low frequency sound waves and accelerates blood circulation and metabolism in the diseased joint.

On a note. Physiotherapy procedures can be performed at home, using a magnetotherapy device, which allows you to relieve swelling and painful sensations, to stop the inflammatory process.

Hirudotherapy

Alternative medicine methods include leech therapy or hirudotherapy.. . .This gonarthrosis treatment has many advantages:

• within 3 months, a persistent analgesic effect is achieved, which allows you to cancel drug therapy;
• metabolic processes are stimulated, blood microcirculation in the affected joint area is improved;
• swelling decreases;
• joint joint mobility is restored;
• Clots, which often form due to the development of gonarthrosis, are removed.

Hirudotherapy gives the best results in the early stages of the development of the disease. The healing effect on the affected area is due to the enzymes that leeches release into the patient's blood after sucking on the sore knee. These are chemically active substances that:

• dissolve thrombotic compounds, prevent blood clotting;
• lower cholesterol levels;
• break down hyaluronic acid.

On a note. Enzymes such as eglin and kinase can replace pain relievers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Special exercises

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

With knee osteoarthritis, prolonged strength exercises, walking or running are contraindicated. Classes must alternate with rest.

The positive effect will be noticeable if you exercise regularly for at least six months. Approximate set of exercises:

1. Leg swing with moderate amplitude. It is best done sitting on a high chair or table so that the legs hang in the air.
2. Without changing position, you can alternately lift your legs, straightening them at the knees, holding the posture for at least 3 seconds.
3. The next exercise is a bicycle. It is done lying on the floor. Simulate pedaling slowly at first, gradually picking up your pace and then slowing down again.
4. From a prone position, you should slowly bend your knee and pull it toward your stomach. Then also gently stretch the bent limb until there is tension in the muscles. You need to hold the pose for 8 seconds. Then lower your heel to the floor and slowly straighten your leg, returning to its original position.

A set of therapeutic exercises is suitable for the treatment of gonarthrosis. A physical therapist should be consulted before loading.

Massage

This method cannot eliminate the disease, but it can alleviate symptoms, relieve periods of exacerbation, and also increase the effectiveness of physical therapy and medications.

Massagewith gonarthrosis:

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

For the treatment of gonarthrosis, the following methods are used:

• Japanese, which acts on the affected areas with the help of a specific physical effort;
• The Swede uses rubbing, stroking a sore joint with his palms;
• Finnish, when all kneading movements are done with the thumbs.

The massage includes not only mechanical action on the affected limb, but also massage on the lower part of the spine. During the procedure, the person should not feel pain in the damaged joint.

Self-massage at home is allowed. First, you should study the technique of performing massage movements:

• caressing
• rubbing;
• kneading;
• finger tapping or showering;
• vibration.

Basic rules for the procedure:

1. Self-massage is done on an empty stomach.
2. It is better if a person takes a warm shower or bath at this time (the water temperature should not exceed 36-38 ° C).
3. The procedure is performed in the morning, before 2: 00 p. m. , because it tones the body.
4. All movements are performed carefully, there should be no marks, bruises on the skin, a person should not feel pain during self-massage.
5. The procedure starts from the largest femoral muscle, moving from the knee joint to the groin crease.
6. At the end of the presentation, it is recommended to bend and straighten the leg at the knee several times.

Important. Before resorting to self-massage, you should consult with an orthopedist.

Disease prevention

Several reasons lead to osteoarthritis:

• overweight;
• wrong lifestyle;
• excessive physical activity;
• genetic predisposition.

Prevention of gonarthrosis includes various measures, for example, dieting, avoiding alcohol and smoking, physical education, which eliminates increased stress on the knee joints. Sports health activities include:

• Nordic walking, which uses special equipment, such as ski poles;
• yoga, which increases the flexibility of the joints, accelerates the metabolism, has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole;
• Exercise bike activities that help keep knee joints healthy.

If a person leads an active lifestyle (skating, cycling, skiing), they should take care of the protective equipment that will help prevent micro-injuries and major knee injuries. Any physical activity should be moderate and sports activities should be alternated with rest.