Treatment of the knee joint is not a quick process and it is not always possible to get rid of pain immediately. Most often, they occur due to the destruction and deformation of cartilage tissue, but there may be other reasons. It is impossible to delay therapy, because joint diseases develop rapidly and can lead to serious consequences and even disability.
Causes of knee pain
The knee is an organ in which the patella is aligned with two bones. The cup, located in front of the knee, is connected by the tendons of the quadriceps muscle, which continue with the ligaments. The bones are covered with cartilage, and between them are the lunar cartilage - menisci. In addition, the knee has several synovial fluid sacs, which act as a lubricant for the knee.
The entire complex mechanism is designed for flexion, extension and shock absorption during movement. Any violation in his work leads to discomfort and pain. How to treat the knees should be determined by a traumatologist after diagnosis.
The causes of pain can be very different, from fatigue and overexertion to serious illness, and are divided as follows:
- Knee injuries - all mechanical damage can be attributed to such reasons. Bruises, ligament ruptures, outflow of blood into the joint cavity with intra-articular fractures, injuries and ruptures of the menisci, dislocation of the patella. These causes are usually characterized by localized acute pain, severe swelling, bruising, and difficulty or inability to move the joint.
- Inflammatory and degenerative joint diseases are the most common cause of knee pain in the elderly and elderly. Arthritis, osteoarthritis, chondropathies, bursitis, Schlatter's disease and other diseases. Characterized by increasing pain or simply discomfort during movement, clicking during knee flexion / extension, pathological joint flexibility, and chronic knee instability.
- Various systemic infectious and viral diseases also lead to inflammation and pain. These include osteoporosis, bone tuberculosis, syphilis, osteomyelitis, and many others. Such pain can be of a different nature, depending on the inflammation of the body damaged by viruses and infections.
- Diseases in which pain radiates to the knees. Injury of the sciatic nerve, arthrosis of the hip joints, fibromyalgia. Such pains are a side effect, so they are periodic aching or stabbing characters. Treatment of the knee joint in such cases will not bring relief.
Diagnosis and discovery of the cause of the pain will determine how to treat the knee joint. When symptoms of unknown origin appear, it is best not to self-medicate.
knee treatment
Treatment for knee pain can be conservative or surgical. Surgical methods are an operation to eliminate the cause of the pain. Conservative therapy is a set of techniques aimed at eliminating symptoms and pathologies. So what is the treatment for knee pain?
Surgical methods
Such methods can be prescribed for severe injuries and inflammatory and degenerative diseases. Acute joint pain can indicate severe injury or complete wear of the cartilage. Therefore, different types of operations are used.
Arthroscopy
This can be done both for the purpose of diagnosing and treating severe joint injuries. Arthroscopes are inserted into the knee via micro-incisions, one is equipped with a camera and displays an "image" on the screen, the other is intended for manipulations within the joint, mainly for treatment.
Such an operation significantly shortens the postoperative and rehabilitative period, in addition, it practically leaves no scars. With the help of an arthroscope, torn ligaments and menisci are operated on. It is sometimes used to treat osteoarthritis, but its effectiveness in this case is still questionable.
Osteotomy
The most radical methodWith such an operation, the knee joint is fully opened, the patella is removed with the help of incisions, which allow manipulations directly into the cavity. This method is also called open. Usually, braces are applied to the bones, which greatly help reduce the load on the joints.
A big drawback of such an operation is a long rehabilitation period. The patient will be able to walk after 1-2 months and lead an active lifestyle only after a year. But such surgery usually guarantees a long remission.
You should know that osteotomy is used in case of severe damage or deformation of the connective tissue, when partial removal of the diseased element is necessary.
Endoprosthesis
It is performed when all other methods of treatment have been exhausted and the joint continues to collapse and completely ceases to perform its functions. After complete removal of the affected element by osteotomy, an implant is placed in the knee. It can be transplanted from a donor or it can be replaced with an artificial prosthesis. They are made of plastic, ceramic or metal alloys.
In this way, the disease disappears completely and the patient gets a permanent remission. However, it is worth considering that the prosthesis can be rejected and other side effects are also possible. Israel remains the leader in arthroplasty.
For reference! In most cases, knee pain is treated in more gentle ways. And such therapy is very effective and, most importantly, allows you to maintain an active lifestyle during the rehabilitation period.
Conservative treatments
These methods are a set of techniques aimed at the regeneration, healing and rehabilitation of the joints. It includes drug treatment, physiotherapy and gymnastics exercises, physiotherapy. In some cases, it can include folk methods. At the first manifestations of knee pain, it is worth choosing a knee orthosis or a brace that will slow down the destruction of tissue before the start of the main treatment and reduce the symptoms of the disease.
Pharmacological treatment
What is the first thing to do with knee pain? Of course, use pain relievers and analgesics. Such funds can be in different pharmacological forms. Ointments, compresses are recommended for dull and aching pains. For acute and shooting, it is best to resort to injections that instantly relieve pain.
Once the diagnosis is made, non-steroidal drugs can be prescribed. With injuries, severe osteoarthritis, and other degenerative diseases, the knee often swells. That's what these drugs are for. They improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
The final stage of drug treatment will be the intake of chondroprotectors. They are prescribed for any damage and changes in cartilage tissue. This is the basis of conservative treatment.
Done! Chondroprotectors, like bricks, restore cartilage. They have properties to regenerate them and restore elasticity.
But it is worth preparing for the fact that treatment with chondroprotectors will be very long. The course lasts from three months to a year. The pharmacological form can be in tablets, ointments and injections. By the way, such substances can also be found in food, so for pain in the knees, doctors recommend eating jelly, meat broths, avocado and jelly.
In some cases, intramuscular injections of hyaluronic acid may be prescribed. It is this substance that is part of the synovial fluid that fills the joint cavity. It will help the regeneration of connective tissue and recovery will happen much faster.
Physical therapy and gymnastics
This is the most important stage both after surgical treatment and after therapy. Physical therapy should also be done to prevent pain. It should take place under the supervision of a rehabilitation specialist in a special center or sanatorium for the correct implementation of a set of exercises. It usually takes 2-3 months.
With the help of him, the knee joint gradually returns to active life by increasing the range of motion. Swimming will be the most important element. It will not only allow the joint to move smoothly, but it will also improve blood circulation and metabolism, which has a positive effect on tissue repair.
Physiotherapy
Such procedures are aimed at safe recovery and treatment. These methods achieve the best result with the least load. These include the following methods:
- ultrasound therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- infrared therapy;
- various heaters.
How else can you heal your legs if your knee hurts a lot? A good physiotherapy procedure is also massage, which increases blood circulation and speeds up the recovery process. The massage relieves pain well and also has a general strengthening effect.
Topical preparations can be used without a prescription, such treatment is acceptable when the knees hurt. But most likely, this will only remove the symptoms and the cause will remain and, sooner or later, cause discomfort again.
Folk methods of treatment
How to treat knee pain with folk methods, probably, every patient who has ever encountered this ailment knows:
- The first way will be to warm up the joint. This can be done with the help of special vodka and honey compresses at home.
- You can visit a bath or sauna, which has a good effect on the whole body as a whole.
- A very modern method of heating will be a heating orthosis on a battery. It is comfortable, comfortable and does not require a lot of effort. One session can relieve pain in just 20-30 minutes.
- Mud and seaweed packs also have a good effect on the joints. They are able to restore the elasticity of cartilage in a short period of time, improve blood circulation, which contributes to better nutrition of tissues.
It is important to remember that with severe injuries and in the late stages of the disease, alternative methods will be ineffective. Therefore, any home treatment should be discussed with the doctor.
Patient feedback on treatment methods
It is impossible to answer the question of how to treat the knee joint without determining its cause, because as soon as symptomatic treatment in this case can turn the disease at an early stage into a chronic one. An integrated approach is always needed and patient feedback confirms this.
- Woman, 55: "My knee had been hurting for a long time. I could not understand why, then I went to the doctor anyway and it turned out that I had osteoarthritis. They prescribed chondroprotectors, which allowed me to forget the pain with the help of physical therapy.
- Man, 35 years old: "He has received a serious knee injury - a ruptured meniscus. The attending physician has prescribed arthroscopy, after a brief rehabilitation he has returned to very successful sports. "
- Man, 48: "Unfortunately osteoarthritis completely destroyed my joint, I didn't pay attention to the aching pain for a long time. I had the endoprosthesis and a ceramic joint. I went back to an active life again and I also have started running in the morning. "
- Boy, 20: "I had a pinched sciatic nerve, it gave me dull pain in my knee. I couldn't understand why and I smeared the joint with non-steroidal ointments. Then I went to the doctor and found that these pains were secondary and my knees are healthy. "