Every day our knees have to withstand the weight of the body and physical activity.Over the years, the cartilage wears down and changes occur in the joint.It is for this reason that elderly people suffer from arthrosis of the knee joint.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis) is a degenerative pathology of the joint, during which cartilage is destroyed, muscles and ligaments are damaged, and bones are deformed.
Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint at home is a certain set of actions that alleviate the patient's condition.
If the therapy is supplemented with a competent medical prescription, the progression of the disease can be slowed down and sometimes completely stopped.
Symptoms and causes of arthrosis of the joints
The first sign that indicates gonarthrosis of the knee joint is the stiffness of the knee and the appearance of pain after light exercise, sleep and sitting for a long time.If the patient warms up a little, the pain subsides.When bending the knee, a crackling sound is often heard, and after hypothermia, the pain intensifies.
Such signs of the disease appear over several years and are sometimes disturbing.If the problem is not treated, over time it becomes difficult to walk, the knee joint becomes deformed and it becomes impossible to move without crutches.
The development of pathology can be accelerated by the following:
- Excess weight of the patient, which increases the rate of progression three times.
- regular exercise.
- Meniscus injuries, fractures and knee injuries.
- Bone placement defects (X and O-shaped).They deform the cartilage tissue and the joint as a whole.
Stages of development of arthrosis of the knee joint
Stage 1
Legs get very tired, mobility is limited and there is a feeling of cramping.Joint pain also occurs at rest and during prolonged exercise.At this stage of the disease, there is no deformation of the knee and the joint gap is only narrowed.
Stage 2
Deformed arthrosis of the knee joint, grade 2, requires urgent treatment, as the pain increases and limits movement.A person cannot move long distances and needs a lot of rest.Lameness occurs with loud convulsions and deformation.Bone grows and osteophytes are formed, fluid accumulates during synovitis.
Stage 3
The most difficult stage of the disease.Pain appears even at rest, and the leg becomes almost immobile.The joint gap can disappear completely.
Who is at risk?
- people with extra pounds;
- To all those who lead a lifeless lifestyle;
- patients with knee injuries;
- Professional and amateur athletes who put a lot of stress on their knees;
- People who have a profession that puts a lot of stress on their knees;
- patients with pathologies of cartilage and bone substances;
- People with infectious and parasitic diseases.
All these reasons accelerate the development of the disease at an early age and lead to a complex course of the disease.
Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint
At the moment, doctors do not single out one treatment regimen, because there is no specific drug that helps patients in the same way.When planning treatment at home, doctors take into account the degree of the problem, the age of the patient, the severity of the pain and the degree of deformation of the joints.
Therefore, the treatment of such a disease, using various methods of affecting the knee, will take a lot of time and diligently.
Principles of nutrition
Everyone should understand that it is necessary to start the treatment of arthrosis at home by adjusting the diet.In this case, increasing the amount of calcium, vitamins "B" and "E" is considered a prerequisite.The body can get these elements from sprouted wheat, dairy products, almonds, cereals, bread and pasta.
Salt should be limited and increased in vegetarian salads and vegetables after rapid heat treatment.
Those who plan to treat arthrosis of any degree should exclude acidic fruits such as grapefruit, lemons, oranges, as well as alcohol and coffee.The amount of meat consumed should be reduced, as well as dried fruit and cereals.
Jellied meat made from bone broth is considered a healthy dish because it is enriched with collagen, which is needed to build cartilage and bone material.Equally important is the use of gelatin, which contains essential flavor protectors.
gymnastics
Even in the most advanced degree of arthrosis, treatment includes performing three exercises:
- You should sit on a high chair or table so that your legs hang freely.Then they start speaking them with an amplitude of up to 10 cm.Severe patients are allowed to exercise for 5 minutes every hour, and for other patients - 10 minutes several times a day.
- Sit on a chair, put your feet on the floor.The heel resting on the toe rises 12 cm from the floor and then falls freely.After 3 seconds, the exercise is repeated.Exercises for both painful legs are performed alternately.
- Sit on a chair and put your feet on the floor.Then, resting on your heel, relax and slowly tap your toes on the floor, lifting them no more than 12 cm.Rest for 3 seconds between exercises.
Knee joint massage
At home, you can independently work on the knee joint with arthrosis, using fingers, palms and blows.
Under the impact of the impact, the skin activates the nerve pathways and provokes blood flow.Impact of pinched fingers extends to muscles, ligaments, tendons and joint capsule.Thus, blood is more easily expelled from the capillaries without damage.
The treatment should be started by pressing the fingers on the painful areas.The knee cap is kicked from the side.A very painful joint should be tapped as carefully as possible, and they should be slightly strengthened as they recover.
The damaged tendons should be gently patted, then pressed with the palm of the hand on the right, left, front, straight leg, under the knee and bent leg.The session ends with a bang.
Number of required procedures:
- moderate arthrosis - once a week;
- mild stage of arthrosis - once every 23 days;
- Severe arthrosis with inflammation and swelling - once a month.
magnetotherapy
This procedure can easily be performed at home and will not cause further deformation of the knee.For many years, magnetic therapy has been tested in practice and has always shown excellent results.
A knee joint affected by arthrosis can be treated at home under the influence of a weak magnetic field.This treatment normalizes blood circulation and metabolism.Thus, the outflow of fluids from the tissues is accelerated.
To solve the problem with a magnet, you do not need to perform complex actions.Only a small magnet is needed for the procedure.Once a day for 20 minutes, massage the area of the injured knee in circular motions.The duration of such treatment is usually up to three months.There are many reviews about the treatment of arthrosis of the 2nd degree of the knee joint with a magnet, and all of them are positive.
Thermal treatment
The possibility of conducting thermal procedures at home is limited.Instead, you can use wet and dry heat - foot baths and compresses.
Add sea salt (a spoonful per liter) to water heated to 45°C and then pour into a tall tank so that the knees are completely immersed in it.Warm water helps expand blood vessels, and salt removes excess fluid from the periarticular tissue.
Sand with coarse salt or a mixture of dry herbs is heated in the microwave or in a pan, then wrapped in a thick material and cooled to room temperature to be applied to the knee.After such processing, the compress is not thrown away - it is used throughout the course.
At the end of the thermal procedure, the gel (ointment) prescribed by the doctor is applied to the knee joint.With enlarged pores, the drug penetrates better and has a stronger pain-relieving effect.
Treatment with drugs
At home, knee joint arthrosis of various complications can be treated with local drugs with anti-swelling, anti-inflammatory, warming and pain-relieving effects.The advantage of these funds is the possibility of long-term use.The active substance of the ointment does not reach the volume to cause side effects.Thus, the circle of people who can be treated expands if the course of injections or tablets with the active substance is prohibited.This applies to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are prohibited for people with chronic and acute gastrointestinal diseases and other diseases of internal organs.When used locally, they relieve pain and relieve inflammation in arthrosis.
Traditional recipes for knee arthrosis treatment
In nature, amazing medicinal plants are known, which are necessary for the production of collagen and the restoration of cartilage.
- Gelatin- a popular treatment for joints.To prepare the medicine, you need to take a spoonful of gelatin and pour a quarter cup of water in the evening, and in the morning, when you have swelling, eat it on an empty stomach.For a full therapeutic course, you will need 150 g of gelatin.The drug is contraindicated for those who have high blood clotting.
- Dandelion- Freshly picked flowers are washed well under water and then chewed to a pulp.You need to eat up to 5 flowers a day.It is worth preparing the leaves of the plant for treatment in winter.Despite the bitter taste, the leaves should be chewed daily.Dry grass is poured into a glass of boiling water and soaked.Dandelion tincture has an excellent effect.It should be applied to the knees for a month.The pain will disappear quickly, but the procedure must be continued.To prepare the remedy, collect many dandelion heads and fill the bottle, then fill with alcohol or triple cologne.The tincture will be ready in a month.
- Honey and bee products- a unique remedy for arthrosis of the knee joint.Honey is warmed with a heating pad and then applied to the affected area, massaged with light circular movements.The procedure is carried out once a day for half a month, and after a break, the session is repeated.
- Burdock– A common plant for the treatment of joints.You need to take 6-7 burdock leaves and fold them loose side down.Pour a pan of hot water over this stack until it cools.The knee is oiled with vegetable oil, leaves are placed on top and wrapped in polyethylene and a towel.
- Zincfola and zinc (tincture)- Ginseng and ginseng roots (2:1) are poured with vodka and left for 20 days.The finished product is taken orally, one spoonful before meals, for one month, and then take a break.The combination of herbs relieves swelling, increases joint mobility and eliminates cramping.
- Cabbage juice- This product should be soaked in wool material and applied to the painful area.The procedure is carried out before going to bed.Ready juice is stored for no more than three days in a dark place.You can make compresses from cabbage leaves.Apply honey from the inside of the leaf and apply it on the painful knee.After that, it is reinforced with polyethylene and woolen cloth at night.The compress is removed in the morning, and the remaining honey with warm water.The course of treatment lasts one month.
- Squeeze curd milk with chalk- Add the fermented milk product to the ground chalk, mix well and apply the mixture to the knee joint.After isolation with a film and cloth, the next morning the residue is removed with a napkin.A chalk compress relieves inflammation and relieves pain.
- Therapeutic bath with pine- Coniferous plants are always used to treat arthrosis of the joints and most often in the form of a bath.To prepare the healing mixture, take pine branches with needles, a few chopped Jerusalem artichokes, 1 tsp.turpentine, 1 kg of sea salt, 2 tbsp.L.You can stay in such a honey bath for no more than 20 minutes, and then wipe your skin with a towel.An iodine net is opened on the painful joint and moistened with honey.Pork fat steamed net is also used there.The course of arthrosis therapy is two weeks.
Knee osteoarthritis is a disease that most people have to deal with often.Therapy at home helps to stop the progression of the disease, as well as to fully restore the substance of the joints.Moreover, the effectiveness of the methods depends on the patient himself and his desire to recover.