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 dealing with degenerative-dystrophic pathology that destroys the articular 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 gonarthrosis is in its early stages. If the disease is neglected, joint replacement surgery is most often resorted to.

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 with a doctor about the appropriateness of the chosen technique.

Knee gonarthrosis therapy

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

Medication

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

• reduce pain;
• stop the inflammatory process;
• inhibit degenerative changes in the articular joint;
• restore the lost mobility of the knee joint.

Medicines for gonarthrosis are divided into:

• pain relievers 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 a blockage. Chondroprotectors, anesthetics, corticosteroid hormones, hyaluronic acid are used for injections.

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

1. Anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs. These tablets have a high incidence of side effects, so they cannot be taken for a long time, otherwise a person may develop erosion and stomach ulcers.
2. Simple analgesics.
3. Ointments with skin irritating effect, which include bee venom, snake venom, chili pepper extract, and other preparations.
4. Glucosaminoglycans or chondroprotectors are divided into natural, complex and monopreparations. They reduce pain, restore mobility to the affected joint, and inhibit degenerative processes.

It's important to know. Chondroprotectors are prescribed as a background treatment. They must 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 counterparts. They may not work, and time will be lost, and the person will develop grade 3 gonarthrosis, which is fraught with serious complications, for example, synovitis.

Traditional methods

Patients with gonarthrosis are advised to eat woodlice, nettles and celery. Fresh woodlice 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 ingredients through a meat grinder.
3. Pour the resulting mixture with 3 liters of boiling water and leave 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 tbspPour the crushed raw materials with a glass of boiling water.
2. Insist for 15 minutes.
3. Cool down.
4. Moisten gauze in the broth and apply to the affected joint.
5. Wrap up the sore spot and leave overnight.

A useful and general tonic for gonarthrosis is a boiled broth from the bones of cattle. 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 them 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 various physiotherapy procedures:

1. Paraffin applications are warming procedures that prevent the development of degenerative processes in the articular joint.
2. Plasmolifting, when a drug is injected into the articular 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 restoration of the affected bone and muscle structures.
3. Cryotherapy or local exposure to liquid nitrogen on a sore spot. The procedure relieves pain and starts regeneration of the damaged joint.
4. Laser therapy, which is an effective method that allows you to stop the inflammatory process and stimulate metabolism in a short time.
5. Ultrasound with glucocorticoid, which has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, stops degenerative processes.
6. Medicinal electrophoresis with anesthetic is the effect of an electric current on the affected joint, which promotes the penetration of medicinal substances directly into the articular joint.
7. Shockwave 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 carried out at home, using a magnetic therapy 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 treatment of gonarthrosis 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 area of the affected joint is improved;
• puffiness subsides;
• the mobility of the articular joint is restored;
• clots are eliminated, which are often formed due to the development of gonarthrosis.

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

Special exercises

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

With gonarthrosis, strength exercises, prolonged walking or running are contraindicated. Classes must be alternated with rest.

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

1. Swinging legs with moderate amplitude. It is better to perform it while sitting on a high chair or table so that your legs hang in the air.
2. Without changing position, you can alternately 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. Simulate cycling slowly at first, gradually accelerating the pace, and then slowing down again.
4. From a prone position, you need to slowly bend your knee and pull it to your stomach. Then, also gently straighten the bent limb until there is tension in the muscles. It is necessary to hold the pose for 8 seconds. Then lower the heel to the floor and slowly straighten the leg, returning to its original position.

A set of therapeutic exercises is suitable for the treatment of gonarthrosis. A physiotherapist should be consulted before charging.

Massage

This method cannot get rid of the disease, but it is able to alleviate the symptoms, ease periods of exacerbation, and also increase the effectiveness of physiotherapy and medications.

Massagewith gonarthrosis:

• relaxes spasmodic muscles around the affected joint;
• accelerates the healing process;
• "Flushes out" toxic substances accumulated in 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 point physical exertion;
• Swedish uses rubbing, stroking a sore joint with palms;
• Finnish, when all kneading movements are performed with thumbs.

Massage includes not only mechanical action on the affected limb, but also massaging the lower spine. During the procedure, the person should not experience pain in the damaged joint.

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

• stroking;
• rubbing;
• kneading;
• tapping or finger shower;
• vibration.

Basic rules for the procedure:

1. Self-massage is done on an empty stomach.
2. It is better if a person takes a shower or a warm bath at this time (the water temperature should not exceed 36-38 ° C).
3. The procedure is carried out in the morning, before 14: 00, because it tones the body.
4. All movements are performed with care, there should be no marks, bruises on the skin, a person should not feel pain during self-massage.
5. The procedure is started from the largest femoral muscle, moving from the knee joint towards the groin fold.
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 need to consult an orthopedist.

Disease prevention

Various reasons lead to arthrosis:

• excess weight;
• 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. Health sports activities include:

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

If a person leads an active lifestyle - rollerblading, cycling, skiing, he must 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.