The treatment of the knee joint is not a quick process and it is not always possible to eliminate the pain immediately. Most of the time, 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 there is lunar cartilage - menisci. In addition, the knee has several synovial sacs for fluid, which acts as a lubricant for the knee.
All this complex mechanism is designed for flexion, extension and shock absorption during movement. Any violation in your work leads to discomfort and pain. An orthopedic surgeon must determine how to treat the knees after diagnosis.
The causes of pain can be very diverse, from fatigue and overexertion to serious illnesses, and are divided as follows:
- Knee injuries - all mechanical damage can be attributed to such reasons. Contusions, ligament ruptures, outflow of blood into the joint cavity with intra-articular fractures, injuries and tears of the menisci, dislocation of the patella. These causes are usually characterized by sharp localized 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 older and older people. Arthritis, osteoarthritis, chondropathy, bursitis, Schlatter's disease and other diseases. Characterized by increased pain or simply discomfort on movement, clicking noises during knee flexion/extension, pathological joint flexibility, and chronic knee instability.
- Various infectious and systemic viral diseases also cause inflammation and pain. These include osteoporosis, tuberculosis of the bone, 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. Sciatic nerve injury, osteoarthritis of the hip joints, fibromyalgia. Such pains are a side effect, therefore they are a periodic pain or a stabbing character. Treatment of the knee joint in such cases will not bring relief.
Diagnosis and discovery of the cause of pain will determine how to treat the knee joint. When symptoms of unknown origin appear, it is better not to self-medicate.
knee treatment
Treatment of knee pain can be conservative or surgical. Surgical methods are an operation to remove the cause of 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 serious injuries and inflammatory and degenerative diseases. Acute joint pain can indicate serious injury or complete wear and tear of the cartilage. Therefore, various types of operations are used.
arthroscopy
Such an operation can be performed both for the purpose of diagnosing and treating serious joint injuries. Arthroscopes are inserted into the knee through 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 reduces the postoperative and rehabilitation period, moreover, it practically does not leave 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 remains questionable.
osteotomy
The most radical methodWith such an operation, the knee joint is completely opened, the patella is removed with incisions, which allows manipulations directly in the cavity. This method is also called open. Usually, braces are applied to the bones, which greatly helps to reduce the load on the joints.
A big disadvantage 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 connective tissue, when partial removal of the diseased element is required.
stent
It is carried out 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 replaced with an artificial prosthesis. They are made of plastic, ceramic or metal alloys.
In this way, the disease completely disappears and the patient achieves a permanent remission. Still, 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 more gently. 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 regeneration, healing and rehabilitation of joints. It includes drug treatment, physiotherapy and gymnastics exercises, physiotherapy. In some cases, it may include popular methods. At the first manifestations of pain in the knee, it is worth choosing a knee orthosis or brace that will slow down tissue destruction before the start of the main treatment and reduce the symptoms of the disease.
Pharmacotherapy
What is the first thing to do with knee pain? Mind you, use painkillers and painkillers. Such funds can be in different pharmacological forms. Ointments, tablets are recommended for dull and aching pains. For acute and stabbing cases, it is better to resort to injections that will relieve the pain instantly.
Once the diagnosis is made, nonsteroidal medications may be prescribed. With injuries, severe arthrosis 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 absolutely 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 their elasticity.
But it is worth preparing for the fact that the treatment with chondroprotectors will be very long. The course lasts from three months to one 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 the connective tissue and the recovery will be much faster.
Exercise therapy and gymnastics.
This is the most important stage both after surgical treatment and after medication. Physiotherapy should also be done to prevent pain. It should be carried out 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 to 3 months.
With its help, 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 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 ray therapy;
- various warm-ups.
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. 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 eliminate the symptoms, and the cause will remain, and sooner or later, it will 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 by heating the joint. This can be done with the help of special vodka-honey compresses at home.
- You can visit a bath or sauna, which has a good effect on the whole body in general.
- A very modern method of heating will be a battery-powered heating orthosis. It is convenient, comfortable and does not require much effort. One session can relieve pain in just 20-30 minutes.
- Mud and seaweed wraps 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 serious injuries and in the last stages of diseases, alternative methods will be ineffective. Therefore, any home treatment should be discussed with your doctor.
Patient feedback on treatment methods
It is impossible to answer the question of how to treat the knee joint without determining the 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 required, and patient feedback confirms this.
- Woman, 55 years old: "My knee hurts for a long time. I could not understand the reason, so I still went to the doctor and it turned out that I had osteoarthritis. They prescribed me chondroprotectors, which allowed me to forget about the pain with the help of the therapy of exercises".
- Man, 35 years old: "He received a serious knee injury, a torn meniscus. The treating doctor prescribed an arthroscopy, after a brief rehabilitation, he returned to big sports. "
- Male, 48 years old: "Unfortunately, osteoarthritis completely destroyed my joint, I did not pay attention to the pain for a long time. I had stents and a ceramic joint. I returned to an active life again and even started running in the morning. "
- Boy, 20 years old: "I had a pinched sciatic nerve, it gave me dull pains in my knee. I could not understand why and I smeared the joint with non-steroidal ointments. Then I went to the doctor and discovered that these pains were secondary, and my knees are healthy ".