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

Treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint - complex methods for dealing with degenerative-dystrophic pathology that destroys the joint and bone tissue. Doctors - orthopedists and surgeons - use drug therapy, physiotherapy procedures, massage, recommend exercise therapy complexes that relieve the condition, reduce pain and return the knee joint to mobility. Drug treatment and physical therapy are effective if gonarthrosis is at an early stage. If the disease is ignored, surgery to replace the joints is most often resorted to.

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

Treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee

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.

Medicines

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

• pain reduction;
• stopping the inflammatory process;
• inhibit degenerative changes in the joint;
• restoration of lost mobility of the knee joint.

Medicines for gonarthrosis are divided into:

• analgesics and anti-inflammatory;
• 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 the patient is diagnosed with grade 1 gonarthrosis, he is prescribed:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These pills have a high frequency of side effects, 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 an irritating effect on the skin, which include bee venom, snake venom, pepper extract and other preparations.
4. Glucosaminoglycans or chondroprotectors are divided into natural, complex and monopreparations. They reduce pain, restore the mobility of the affected joint and inhibit degenerative processes.

It is important to know. Chondroprotectors are prescribed as a background treatment. They should be taken for a long time, from 3 months to six months. You cannot try to replace the pills prescribed by your doctor with cheaper analogues. They 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 recommended to eat woodlice, nettle and celery. Fresh leaves of woodlice can be used to prepare salads seasoned with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Nettle 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 the ingredients through a meat grinder.
3. The resulting mixture is poured 3 liters of boiling water and left for one day in a warm place.

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

You can make compresses from a decoction of burdock rhizome:

1. 3 tablespoonsPour the crushed raw materials with a glass of boiling water.
2. Insist for 15 minutes.
3. Relax.
4. Moisten gauze in the broth and apply on the affected joint.
5. Wrap the sore spot and leave overnight.

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

To prepare the broth, take the veal knees and hooves, place them in a large saucepan and fill them with water so that they completely cover the bones.

Bring to a boil and simmer until the flesh 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, when a drug is injected into the joint cavity based on the patient's own blood. The biologically active substances contained in the blood plasma have a healing effect. They provoke healing and recovery of the affected bone and muscle structures.
3. Cryotherapy or topical exposure to liquid nitrogen in an inflamed area. The procedure relieves the pain and begins the regeneration of the damaged joint.
4. Laser therapy, which is an effective method that allows you to stop the inflammatory process and stimulate metabolism for a short time.
5. Glucocorticoid ultrasound, which has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, stops degenerative processes.
6. Healing electrophoresis with anesthesia is the effect of electric current on the affected joint, which promotes the penetration of drugs 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 magnetic therapy device that allows you to relieve swelling and pain, stop the inflammatory process.

Hirudotherapy

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

• within 3 months a stable analgesic effect is achieved, which allows you to cancel the drug therapy;
• stimulate metabolic processes, improve blood microcirculation in the affected joint;
• the swelling subsides;
• joint mobility is restored;
• clots, which often form due to the development of gonarthrosis, are eliminated.

Hirudotherapy gives the best results in the early stages 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 the diseased 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 kininase can replace non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics.

Special exercises

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

In gonarthrosis, strength training, prolonged walking or running are contraindicated. Classes should alternate with breaks.

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

1. Swinging legs of moderate amplitude. It is better to do it while sitting on a high chair or table so that your feet hang in the air.
2. Without changing position, you can consistently raise your legs, straightening them at the knees, holding the pose for at least 3 seconds.
3. The next exercise is a bicycle. It is performed while lying on the floor. First simulate cycling slowly, gradually accelerating the pace and then slowing down again.
4. From a supine position you should slowly bend your knee and pull it towards your abdomen. Then also slightly straighten 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 legs, returning to their original position.

A set of therapeutic exercises is suitable for the treatment of gonarthrosis. You should consult a physiotherapist before charging.

Massage

This method can not get rid of the disease, but is able to relieve symptoms, relieve periods of exacerbation, as well as increase the effectiveness of physiotherapy and drugs.

Massagewith gonarthrosis:

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

The following methods are used to treat gonarthrosis:

• Japanese, which acts on the affected areas with the help of point physical activity;
• Swedish uses rubbing, stroking a sore joint with the palms;
• Finnish, when all kneading movements are performed with the thumbs.

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

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

• ironing;
• friction;
• kneading;
• tapping or showering with your finger;
• vibration.

Basic rules for the procedure:

1. The self-massage is done on an empty stomach.
2. It is better to take a shower or hot bath at this time (water temperature should not exceed 36-38 ° C).
3. The procedure is performed in the morning, before 14: 00, because it tones the body.
4. All movements are performed carefully, there should be no marks, bruises on the skin, one should not feel pain during self-massage.
5. The procedure starts from the largest thigh muscle, moving from the knee joint to the groin.
6. At the end of the exposure, it is recommended to bend and straighten the leg at the knee several times.

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

Disease prevention

Various causes lead to osteoarthritis:

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

Prevention of gonarthrosis includes various measures, such as diet, avoidance of alcohol and smoking, physical education, which eliminates the increased stress on the knee joints. Health sports activities include:

• Nordic walking, which uses special equipment such as ski poles;
• yoga, which increases the flexibility of the joints, speeds up metabolism, has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole;
• Exercises with an exercise bike that help maintain healthy knee joints.

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