Arthrosis of the knee (gonarthrosis) is a chronic disease caused by degenerative changes in cartilage tissue. The disease severely disrupts the normal rhythm of life, causing severe pain and limiting mobility. Medical treatment for knee arthrosis helps stop pain and stop degenerative processes in the early stages of the disease. At a later time, the problem is solved by an operation.
Treatment of arthrosis by conservative methods
Gonarthrosis therapy is performed in a comprehensive manner and includes medication, physiotherapy, massage, exercise. Medications relieve pain, improve blood circulation, and promote tissue regeneration.
The following are used during treatment:
- tablets;
- creams;
- gels;
- injections.
Modern medicine is developing new methods to treat gonarthrosis. An effective method is stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma therapy. Doctors point to the high effectiveness of the treatment and rapid tissue regeneration.
Analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs
The choice of drugs for the treatment of arthrosis depends on the extent of the disease, the characteristics of the body and the associated pathologies. In stage 1 of the disease, a person feels a slight discomfort after prolonged exercise, dystrophic processes begin in the cartilage tissue. The treatment is performed with local ointments. Recommended for discomfort and minor pain:
- exercise;
- reduces joint stress;
- take vitamin complexes;
- follow your diet.
The main drug therapy is used for stage 2 disease. The person begins to feel pain, a crackling sound is heard while walking, the cartilage tissue becomes thinner, and the range of movement is limited. The goal of treatment is to relieve pain, stop destructive processes in the joint, and restore leg mobility.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to relieve pain, which have an analgesic effect and relieve inflammatory processes in the tissues.
For a comment.Long-term use of these drugs has a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract and liver.
Nowadays, 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 arthrosis, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic. The pathogen of the infection is identified to select the right drug. To do this, take fluid from the joint cavity and place it in medium. Based on the results of the analysis, the doctor will prescribe medication.
Chondroprotectors
The main group of drugs for the treatment of arthrosis are chondroprotectors. They are used for a long time and are well accepted by the body. Thanks to the active ingredients, they stop the destructive processes of cartilage tissue, improve the production of synovial fluid, and promote tissue regeneration.
For a comment.The drugs are effective in the first two stages of gonarthrosis. In the third, the cartilage tissue is destroyed and cannot recover on its own.
The most suitable medicine is selected by a specialist.
For a comment.The medicines are available as tablets and solutions for injection. The second form is the most effective. The therapeutic effect begins within a few minutes, bypassing the process of absorption through the gastrointestinal tract.
Complementary therapy
Together with chondroprotectors, they prescribe drugs that improve metabolic processes, blood supply and enrich the body with vitamins. The following drugs are used in complex therapy:
- Muscle relaxants - eliminate smooth muscle cramps, 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, improve general well-being.
- Topical remedies in the form of creams, ointments and gels improve blood circulation in the knee joint, have a warming and anti-swelling effect, and eliminate pain.
- Medicated compresses are more effective than creams.
Intraarticular injections
Gonarthrosis is treated by another method - injections into the joint. In medicine, this way of administering drugs is called blockade. Depending on the medications used, the injection helps to stop the pain syndrome effectively, if other tools don’t help, it quickly eliminates the inflammation and creates a protective layer that protects the cartilage tissue from further destruction.
For a comment.The order of treatment is determined by your doctor. Hyaluronic acid preparations are administered only after the inflammatory process has been removed, otherwise the course of the disease may worsen.
Stem cell and plasma therapy
Modern methods of treating gonarthrosis are based on low invasiveness and a reduction in the healing period. Such methods include stem cell therapy, which is able to transform into a cartilage tissue cell after injection, contributing to its regeneration. The material needed for the procedure is obtained from embryos and adipose tissues, the bone marrow of adults.
The procedure helps to:
- eliminates pain;
- relieves swelling;
- restoration of motor functions;
- improves the nutrition of the joints;
- speeds up metabolic processes.
The harvested stem cells are propagated under laboratory conditions and injected into the patient's joint. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia.
For a comment.Therapy is performed only if cartilage tissue is still present and joint fluid is produced. In grade 3 disease, treatment does not produce positive results.
A new method of treating arthrosis is the administration of platelet-rich plasma. The procedure is simple:
- blood collection from the patient;
- the blood is placed in a test tube and centrifuge where it is divided into erythrocytes, plasma with platelets;
- only platelet problems occur;
- the drug is injected into the knee.
Increased regeneration of cartilage begins with increased platelet counts. For treatment, 2-5 procedures should be performed, with a 7-day break in between.
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 useful to humans. Allows:
- reduces the viscosity of the blood, thereby improving blood circulation;
- relieves pain syndrome;
- improves metabolic processes.
For a comment.Doctors compare the effect of leech saliva with chondroprotectors. Accelerates the process of cartilage repair. In the initial stage, the patient recovers completely.
Hirudotherapy should be prescribed with caution to the elderly and children. The procedures are contraindicated in pregnant women with poor blood clotting and heart failure.
In knee arthrosis, the use of ozokerite (black wax), a waxy mass consisting of paraffin and resins is no less effective. It is used for inflammatory and degenerative processes in cartilage structures. It has a thermal, analgesic and regenerating effect on the patient's joint.
Ozokerite is used as a compactor and application. Treatment should be at least 15 times a day.
Drug electrophoresis is no less efficient. During the session, the drug penetrates deep into the diseased areas, bypassing the stomach and liver. This reduces the intake of drugs and the effect of the procedure is more pronounced.
You can use a special device at home. The device is exposed to UV radiation and heat when used topically. As a result, blood circulation and tissue trophism are improved, and the biochemical reactions of the skin are activated. Positive patient feedback confirms the effectiveness of the procedures.
Methods of operation
Surgery is usually used in stages 3 and 4 of the disease, when the bone heads are practically bare and conservative therapy cannot give a positive result.
In the case of gonarthrosis, several operations are performed:
- Arthrodesis - remove any remaining cartilage along with the joint. It is rarely used because it does not allow limb mobility to be maintained.
- Arthroscopic debridement - the release of a joint from cartilage tissue using an arthroscope. The procedure is used to relieve pain and is a temporary solution to the problem.
- Endoprosthesis is the most common and effective method of surgical intervention for gonarthrosis. It allows you to maintain joint mobility. Modern prostheses are made according to the individual characteristics of the patient. This allows the implant to take root quickly in the body without causing discomfort to the patient.
Joint replacement surgery is performed under general anesthesia. Surgeon:
- It makes a longitudinal incision in the middle of the knee, squeezing the tissue apart.
- It processes damaged fragments of the bone surface (grinding), installs and tests prostheses (artificial cartilage).
- Can be fixed by cementing or tight fitting.
- Sew the wound together, apply a bandage and splint.
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 healing effect lasts for up to 20 years, after which a new replacement of the prosthesis is necessary because it wears out over time.
Gonarthrosis is a chronic disease that can be successfully treated at an early stage. Even small symptoms cannot be ignored - you should start complex therapy immediately in consultation with your doctor. In severe cases, only joint replacement can help avoid disability. Preventive measures include diet, vitamins, exercise, and moderate knee strain.