How to cure osteoarthritis effectively? You need to help your body, reduce stress, normalize metabolism, improve bowel function, make kidney and liver easier. That is to lose excess weight, you need to start eating in moderation, reducing the amount of animal fat, meat, and easily digestible carbohydrates. Include on the menu of vegetable dishes, yogurt products, rye, bran bread or whole wheat flour.
Proper diagnosis is the key to treatment. Injury to joints is a symptom of many diseases with different treatment regimens. Thus, a diagnostic error, and even more, an independent diagnosis can be too expensive for a patient.
The question of how to cure knee osteoarthritis is not new to modern medicine. To treat it, currently there are many different methods, both therapeutic and surgical. Since using surgical methods is always the last resort, consider treatment options.
Medicines
The effectiveness of treatment depends on the stage of joint destruction, how timely it is. It usually starts with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
They have no direct effect on the cause of the disease and do not prevent joint destruction, their effect is only to reduce the main symptoms. The inflammation decreases, the swelling decreases, the pain goes away or lessens.
With the help of anti-inflammatory drugs, the intense pain will subside, so it is possible to gradually switch to other treatments, such as massage, which will be contraindicated due to painand inflammation.
But long-term use of these drugs is undesirable, as it obscures the manifestations of the disease, creating a picture of a complete cure, but in fact the disease can still progress. In addition, side effects may increase cartilage destruction. Therefore, if there is any question about the need for long-term use of drugs of this group, selective anti-inflammatory drugs should be preferred.
If the diagnosis is confirmed - osteoarthritis of the knee, vasodilators are prescribed: to enhance nutrition for the cartilage, the synovial membrane of the joint stops destruction and enhances the recovery process. To reduce the allergic composition, a desensitizing antidote is prescribed.
Chondroprotectors in the treatment of knee arthritis
How to treat osteoarthritis of a knee without attempting to restore the cartilage structure damaged by the disease?
For this, a group of drugs called chondroprotectors are used.
They not only act on individual symptoms but on the cause of the disease, improve the condition of the cartilage surface, improve joint fluid production and its lubricating properties.
They improve the production of synovial fluid, improve its properties and restore cartilage. The only thing to remember is that you can only restore what is still there, but if the cartilage is completely absent, destroyed, there is bone growth, these drugs won't help.
So the best results from using chondroprotectors would be if you start using them early, no later than level I or II of the knee joint, moreover, with long courses, fewonce a year.
Unfortunately, these tools don't have an immediate effect. Sometimes 2-3 treatments are needed to get a result, and the process takes six months to a year and a half. And the drugs of this group are completely ineffective in the third stage of the disease, when the cartilage is completely destroyed. But nevertheless, out of all the drugs used for arthritis, the drug chondroprotectors are most useful for the patient, in addition, they have almost no contraindications and side effects.
Joint injection
Injecting the drug into the joint works well, however, it should be noted that the procedure itself can damage the capsule tissues and cause an infection of the joint cavity. As a rule, corticosteroids are injected into the joint. For long-term effects, steroid hormones are used (if necessary to reduce severe inflammation).
This procedure is usually done in the emergency department of the patient. This provides quick relief from pain and inflammation. But for some reason it is undesirable to inject into the same knee more often every 2 weeks.
If the joints are calmer, there are no obvious signs of inflammation, chondroprotectors can be injected directly into the joint, they quickly achieve their goal and have a positive effect.
Significantly improves the slippage of the joint ends of the bones relative to each other and reduces the load on the cartilage to inject hyaluronic acid. Of course, these drugs are highly effective if there is no apparent cartilage destruction.
External facilities
Patients often ask the question of how to cure osteoarthritis of the knee? After all, the first thing you want to do when you have knee pain is massage and wrap.
Unfortunately, not ointments, creams, or anything else you rub can cure arthritis. But they can soothe the patient's condition, relieve pain, and not irritate the digestive tract like anti-inflammatory drugs. Warming ointments are used, as are ointments based on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The skin absorbs only 5-7% of the active substance, so the effect of these ointments is not as effective as we would like.
However, compresses for knee arthritis are more effective. For them, medical honey may be advisable. They reduce inflammation directly at its center of gravity, have a tackling and analgesic effect.
Massage and Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy for dry joints has also had a positive effect. Procedures such as ultrasound, laser, magnetotherapy, and electrophoresis are used. Thanks to them, the pain sensitivity of the joints is reduced, the inflammatory process in them is reduced and swelling is eliminated.
You can use radon, salt baths, and compresses.
If possible, you can go through a manual, drag-and-pull session. In this case, the bones move apart and the load on them decreases. Only manipulations should be performed very carefully and by a qualified specialist. Manual treatment and massage of the knee joint also gives good results, improves blood circulation in the diseased joint, prevents the development of destructive processes in it and restores its function to the extent possible. .
Massage is especially effective in the early stages of the disease, when it is not fully effective. Should be done after exercise. A hot bath or steam bath is a good preparatory step for a massage. Then, the muscles are heated up, the massage has a deeper healing effect. In the treatment of dry knee disease, Anabasms also have a tonic effect. Healing sludge improves the regeneration process in cartilage, improves the supply of nutrients to the joints and their blood supply.
If the joint is completely destroyed, only surgical treatments can help - replace it with an artificial joint.
Precautions: reduce destruction
Prevention of joint diseases stems from the main causes of the disease, including overweight, injury and poor physical activity. Physical education, perform possible physical exercises strengthen the muscles around joints. As a result, the load on the cartilage becomes less. Morning walks and swimming are very helpful.
At the same time, it is important to adhere to the proper rotation of load and rest and safety during exercise. It is necessary to avoid injury and overload in any possible way. After all, it is trauma that is one of the main causes of joint disease. The appearance of small cracks determines the presence of primary inflammatory foci. So for athletes and sports enthusiasts, don't forget to wear protective gear like knee pads.
Preventing degenerative knee disease also means adhering to the diet. Every pound of added weight puts extra strain on the leg joints. Eat less sweet and starchy foods, fruits and vegetables - the more the better. Studies show that vegetarians are less likely to develop joint disease. Strong coffee and tea have a bad effect on joints, they deprive the bones of calcium, but natural dairy products help replenish its reserves.