Knee arthrosis (gonarthrosis) is a chronic disease caused by degenerative changes in cartilage tissue. The disease severely disrupts the normal rhythm of life, causes severe pain and limits mobility. Medical treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint helps to stop the pain and degenerative processes in the early stages of the disease. Then the problem is solved with the help of the operation.
Conservative treatment of osteoarthritis
Treatment of gonarthrosis is carried out in a complex way and includes medication, physiotherapy, massage, exercise therapy. Medications relieve pain, improve blood circulation and promote tissue regeneration.
During treatment they use:
- pills;
- creams;
- gels;
- injections.
Modern medicine is developing new methods for the treatment of gonarthrosis. Stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma therapy are effective methods. Doctors note the high effectiveness of treatment and rapid tissue regeneration.
Analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs
The choice of medication for osteoarthritis depends on the degree of the disease, the characteristics of the organism and the associated pathologies. In the 1st degree of the disease, a person feels a slight discomfort after prolonged stress, dystrophic processes in the cartilage tissue begin anew. Treatment is carried out using local ointments. Recommended for discomfort and minor aches:
- to do gymnastics;
- reduce joint stress;
- take vitamin complexes;
- follow a diet.
The main drug therapy is used for the 2nd degree of the disease. A person begins to feel pain, wheezing is heard during walking, cartilage tissue becomes thinner, the range of motion is limited. The purpose of treatment is to relieve pain, stop destructive processes in the joint, restore mobility of the legs.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to relieve pain and have analgesic effects and relieve inflammatory processes in the tissues.
Note.Long-term use of these drugs has a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract and liver.
Today, doctors are increasingly prescribing "new generation" NSAIDs that can be used for a long time and have minimal side effects.
If an infectious disease is associated with osteoarthritis, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. The causative agent of the infection is identified to select the right medication. To do this, take fluid from the articular cavity and place it in a nutrient medium. Based on the results of the analysis, the doctor prescribes a drug.
Chondroprotectors
The main group of drugs in the treatment of osteoarthritis are chondroprotectors. They are applied in a long course and are well absorbed by the body. Thanks to the active ingredients, it stops the destructive processes in cartilage tissue, improves the production of synovial fluid and promotes tissue regeneration.
Note.The drugs are effective in the first two degrees of gonarthrosis. Third, cartilage tissue is destroyed and cannot be repaired on its own.
The most appropriate medication will be selected by a specialist.
Note.The drugs are available in the form of tablets and injectable solutions. The second form is the most effective. The therapeutic effect begins within a few minutes, passing through the process of absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.
Complementary therapy
Along with chondroprotectors, drugs are prescribed to help improve metabolic processes, blood supply and enrich the body with vitamins. The following drugs are used for complex therapy:
- muscle relaxants - eliminate smooth muscle spasms, reduce pain;
- Venotonics and vasodilators improve blood flow and tissue trophism around the joint;
- Vitamin complexes saturate the body with the necessary substances, have a positive effect on metabolic processes and improve overall well-being.
- Local remedies in the form of creams, ointments and gels improve blood circulation in the knee joint, have a warming and decongestant effect, relieve pain.
- Medications and compresses are more effective than creams.
Intraarticular injections
Therapy for gonarthrosis is carried out by another method - an injection into the joint. In medicine, the method of application of these drugs is called blockade. Depending on the medication used, the injection helps to effectively stop the pain syndrome when other means do not help, quickly eliminates inflammation and creates a protective layer that protects cartilage tissue from further destruction.
Note.The sequence of treatment is determined by the doctor. Hyaluronic acid drugs are used only after the elimination of the inflammatory process, otherwise the disease may worsen.
Stem cell and plasma therapy
Modern methods of combating gonarthrosis are based on low invasiveness and reduced recovery time. Such procedures include stem cell therapy, which contributes to the regeneration of cartilage tissue after injection. Material for the procedure is obtained from embryos and adipose tissue, bone marrow of an adult.
The procedure helps:
- relieve pain;
- eliminate swelling;
- to restore motor functions;
- improve joint nutrition;
- accelerate metabolic processes.
The obtained stem cells are grown in the laboratory and injected into the patient's joint. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia.
Note.Treatment is performed only when cartilage tissue is present and synovial fluid is produced. In the 3rd degree of the disease, treatment will not give a positive result.
A new method of treating osteoarthritis is the use of platelet-rich plasma. The procedure is simple:
- take a blood sample from the patient;
- blood is placed in a test tube and centrifuge, where it is divided into erythrocytes, platelets and plasma;
- only platelet disturbances are produced;
- The drug is injected into the knee.
With an increase in the number of platelets, enhanced regeneration of cartilage tissue begins. It is necessary to perform 2 to 5 procedures for treatment, with an interval of 7 days between them.
Other treatments
In the fight against gonarthrosis, people use a variety of traditional and non-traditional methods, one of which is hirudotherapy (leech therapy). The saliva of worms contains many enzymes that are beneficial to humans. This allows you to:
- reduce blood viscosity, thereby improving blood circulation;
- eliminate pain syndrome;
- improve metabolic processes.
Note.Doctors compare the effect of leech saliva with chondroprotectors. Accelerates the process of cartilage regeneration. At the initial stage, the patient recovers completely.
Hirudotherapy is prescribed with caution to the elderly and children. The procedure is contraindicated for pregnant women, patients with poor blood clotting and heart failure.
Applications with ozokerite (black wax), a waxy mass of paraffin and resins for knee arthrosis, are no less effective. Used for inflammatory and degenerative processes in cartilaginous structures. The patient has a thermal, analgesic, restorative effect on the joint.
Ozokerite is used as compresses and applications. The course of treatment should consist of at least 15 daily sessions.
Electrophoresis with drugs is no less effective. During the session, the drug bypasses the stomach and liver and penetrates deep into the affected areas. This reduces the intake of drugs and the effect of the procedure becomes more pronounced.
At home, you can use a special device. When used locally, the device is exposed to ultraviolet radiation and heat. As a result, blood circulation, tissue trophism improves, biochemical reactions in the skin are activated. Positive feedback from patients confirms the effectiveness of the procedure.
Methods of operation
Surgery is commonly used in stages 3 and 4 of the disease, when the heads of the bones are practically bare, and when conservative therapy does not give a positive result.
There are several types of surgery for gonarthrosis:
- Arthrodesis - remove the remaining cartilage with the joint. It is rarely used because it does not allow to maintain the mobility of the joint.
- Arthroscopic debridement is the removal of a joint from cartilage tissue using an arthroscope. The procedure is used to relieve pain and is a temporary solution to the problem.
- It is the most common and effective method of surgery for endoprosthetic gonarthrosis. This allows you to maintain the mobility of the joint. Modern prostheses are made according to the individual characteristics of the patient. This allows the implant to take root quickly in the body without disturbing the patient.
Joint replacement surgery is performed under general anesthesia. Surgeon:
- Makes a longitudinal incision in the central part of the knee, pushing the tissue apart.
- Processes (grinds) damaged fragments of bone surface, installs prostheses (artificial cartilage), conducts tests.
- Corrected by cementation or tight fit.
- He repairs the wound, applies bandages and tires.
The whole operation takes 2-3 hours. The recovery period lasts about 4 months. The patient first learns to walk, gradually loading and strengthening the muscles. Exercise therapy, massage, swimming are recommended. The effect of treatment lasts up to 20 years, after which the prosthesis needs to be replaced with a new one, because it wears out over time.
Gonarthrosis is a chronic disease that can be successfully treated at an early stage. Even minor symptoms cannot be ignored - you should immediately start a complex therapy in consultation with your doctor. In severe cases, only joint replacement can help prevent disability. Preventive measures include diet, vitamins, exercise and moderate knee stress.