Arthritis disease has many types.For example, hip joint disease is called coxarthrosis, and knee disease is called gonarthrosis.
Treatment methods for all subtypes are usually the same.But, many people do not know the difference between arthrosis and gonarthrosis of the knee joint.
On this basis, many incorrect uses of this term have appeared among patients with this problem.
Cause
Gonarthrosis is a disease of the knee joint with damage to the cartilage tissue.Many people mistakenly believe that this disease is only typical for the elderly, because it is degenerative.But, as practice shows, gonarthrosis appears more often in young people.
This is confirmed by the causes of the disease:
- knee injury (fracture, dislocation, crack);
- heavy lifting, vigorous physical activity without appropriate training;
- Joint inflammation is caused by exposure to various factors, including hypothermia;
- Excess weight, because it leads to a large load on the joints and subsequent degeneration;
- Genetic predisposition.
As you can see, all factors for the appearance of gonarthrosis are more typical for young people, because they lead an active lifestyle.
Although, due to excess weight, this disease can also appear in retirees.According to statistics, after 50 years, gonarthrosis occurs more often in women.This is due to restructuring of the body, changes in metabolic processes.
Principles and types of treatment
Arthritis in general is a chronic disease, so it takes a long time to treat it.Therapy can be surgical or conservative.
With both the first and second methods, doctors try to influence the cause of the disease, as well as eliminate the pathological symptoms.
It should be noted that surgical intervention is more typical for stage 3-4 arthrosis.In the fourth, it is inevitable, and in the third, you can still try to overcome the disease using conservative methods.
In addition, it is recommended to use a special set of gymnastic exercises, for example, the Bubnovsky technique.
In addition to the destruction of cartilage by gonarthrosis, muscle fibers and ligaments are prone to destruction.The goals of treatment are:
- relief from pain;
- elimination of inflammation;
- removal of edema of the periarticular area;
- stopping the destruction of cartilage, complete or partial recovery;
- Return to full life and freedom of movement.
Even in cases where a person cannot cure arthrosis of the knee joint, he can return to a normal lifestyle thanks to therapy and prevention.This situation continues until the next relapse.
Conservative method
This method of therapy is used in most cases and is the main one.As a rule, patients are treated in this way in the early and middle stages of gonarthrosis.All actions involve the use of drugs (tablets, capsules, injections) with chemically active substances.
The following may be prescribed for treatment:
- analgin;
- Chondroprotectors;
- non-steroidal drugs;
- synovial prosthesis;
- Glucocorticosteroids.
Other conservative methods include treatment with various ointments, mud baths, etc.
Recently, gymnastics and light physical exercises have become very popular to stop the course of the disease or the possible recovery of the patient.
The body responds to non-steroidal drugs.However, they are widely used in the treatment of arthrosis due to their multifunctional action:
- elimination of swelling in the joints;
- relief from pain;
- Treatment of inflammatory processes.
Because of these properties, doctors are increasingly choosing these drugs over traditional analgesics.
Glucocorticosteroids are synthetic drugs that can replace natural hormones produced by the adrenal glands.If we compare it with non-steroidal drugs, glucocorticosteroids are much stronger.In addition, they have an antiallergic effect.
Chondroprotectors act directly on the cartilage and are a safe treatment for knee arthrosis (gonarthrosis).They are derived from animal bone structures, fish cartilage, and crustacean shells.These drugs are building materials for cartilage, they improve metabolic processes and proper nutrition together.
In addition to the use of drugs, during treatment, recovery and prevention, the following are prescribed:
- physical therapy;
- physiotherapy;
- various massages;
- Visiting sanatoriums and resorts.
All this allows the patient to return to a normal life and correct the results obtained with conservative treatment.
Other than that, the class is easy.A very useful exercise for knee joints with gonarthrosis is to roll a ball placed on the floor or another cylindrical object, for example, a rolling pin, with your feet.
Surgical intervention
If it is not possible to cure this disease with the help of drugs or therapeutic exercises, then it is necessary to undergo surgery.It can be done on both open and closed joints.At the same time, surgical methods are being improved every day, and new methods are added to the previous ones, carried out using modern equipment.
New methods of conducting operations include:
- microsurgical intervention to restore damaged cartilage tissue;
- treatment with a laser beam with the required characteristics - thickness, power, etc.;
- the creation of an electrolytic plasma field 1 mm thick;
- arthroscopy;
- Endoprosthetics - Replacement of joint parts with an artificial prosthesis.
Modern surgical methods are low trauma and allow a large number of different manipulations with the joint.
Traditional Medicine Recipes
Conservative treatment methods cannot always provide maximum results in the treatment of gonarthrosis.Traditional medicine recipes can be used as additional medicine.
To get rid of knee pain and crunching, you can use the following recipe:
- 150 g of garlic;
- 4 lemons with peel;
- 250 g celery root.
Grind all the components in a meat grinder, mix and pour boiling water.Then put it in a pot, cover tightly and cool.Take 60-70 g 3 times a day for a month.If pain appears, you can repeat the course or run it every six months for prevention.
You can also use this recipe:
- Beat two eggs and mix with 4 tablespoons of salt;
- Apply the mixture to a bandage and apply to the sore spot.
This procedure must be repeated twice in a row.Do not remove the bandage until the mixture is dry.
To make medicinal ointment, you need the following ingredients:
- 200 g of alcohol;
- 4 egg whites;
- 50 g Camphor;
- 50 g mustard powder.
Add mustard and camphor alternately to the alcohol.Beat the egg whites in another container and then mix them together.The ointment is applied to the sore spot.
Of course, heavy physical activity in athletes is a cause of gonarthrosis as the joints age over time.
But recently, cases of diseases that appear without underlying reasons have become more frequent.People, on the other hand, lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is why they gain extra pounds.
The load on the joints increases and prevents them from staying healthy for a long time.
Difference between arthrosis and gonarthrosis
Not everyone understands the difference between gonarthrosis and arthrosis of the knee joint.Gonarthrosis is characterized only by damage to the knee, while arthrosis itself is the name of a group of joint diseases that can affect any joint.
In medical theory, there are many diseases whose names contain the part "arthrosis" - osteoarthrosis, polyarthrosis, coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis.In this regard, ignorant people do not always understand the meaning of each, thinking that they are all synonyms.
Gonarthrosis can be easily confused with the following diseases:
- arthritis;
- vascular pain in the knee;
- periarthritis - inflammation of the knee tendons;
- meniscal damage.
But it is still possible to distinguish gonarthrosis from these diseases.For example, damage to the meniscus (meniscopathy) is a disease that begins with a sharp and unexpected pain in the knee after an unsuccessful movement, and gonarthrosis develops and develops over the years.If meniscopathy is not treated, pain will appear from time to time, but bone deformation will not occur.
With coxarthrosis (disease of the hip joint), reflective pain in the knee is often felt, but the two diseases can be distinguished from each other in the following ways:
- With gonarthrosis, a person can calmly move his leg in the hip joint, spreading it;
- With coxarthrosis, on the other hand, the patient can bend and straighten the knee;
- If the pain is felt in both joints, then we can assume that this is polyarthrosis.
Arthritis is characterized by joint inflammation and sudden onset, but pain does not affect joint mobility (like periarthritis) and is eliminated thanks to warming ointment.With this disease, swelling, high temperature, and increased pain at night appear.
Vascular pain occurs due to circulatory disorders - this often affects young people under the age of 20.This is due to the rapid growth of the whole organism.
Therefore, arthrosis is the general name of this disease, and gonarthrosis is the name indicating the location (knee).That is why it is correct to say either "arthrosis of the knee joint" or "gonarthrosis", but not "gonarthrosis of the knee joint".And it is quite possible to determine the correct diagnosis through careful research and personal observation.
Arthrosis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis): diagnosis and treatment
The knee joint is a wonderful extension mechanism of flexion that nature has given us.At rest, it only occurs in disabled people and obese people who lose the ability to move.
Count how many times a day he makes movements, and you will come to the conclusion that the knee is the most mobile part of the joint.It is no wonder that diseases often choose it as their target.
One of them is gonarthrosis or arthrosis of the knee joint.
Causes of arthrosis of the knee joint
It is difficult to say what causes early cartilage deficiency in some people.It is generally believed that metabolic disorders, in which the metabolism of amino acids and essential trace elements occurs slowly or incorrectly, are to blame.
Here, on the other hand, the following reasons are to blame:
- Some immune-related diseases (for example, rheumatoid arthritis)
- Self-indulgence: sports and movement, a nutritious diet containing various vitamins, amino acids and minerals are often put aside by people in distant places for "later" ("I'll start on Monday, of course")
- Even from birth, the natural balance is disturbed - what are called hereditary causes.It's easy to confirm your genetic predisposition: Look at what your grandmother was sick with and ask them what their ancestors were sick with
- Disturbed hormonal balance: Such disorders especially affect the female body during periods of estrogen deficiency, an important hormone required for osteosynthesis.It is not for nothing that most victims of arthrosis are women of mature age, when they are not old, but already wise, that is, "over 50" mark.
- Vascular Disease: Arthrosis is often combined with venous insufficiency, vein thrombosis and other diseases
- State of mind: If you think that stress only ruins your mood, you're wrong - stress can slow your metabolism to a state of suspended animation
- Risk factors for arthrosis are too heavy
What symptoms allow a person to suspect this bad pathology?
Symptoms of gonarthrosis according to stage
Each stage has its own characteristics, but they are united by the gradual development of the disease:
You should not suddenly stop walking because of pain: symptoms of sharp and sudden pain in the knee most likely indicate an injury.
First stage.In the first stage, the following symptoms occur:
- Mild pain after walking, climbing stairs, etc.
- Stiffness after resting
- There is no deformity in the knee, but there may be some swelling due to accumulated fluid: this phenomenon is called synovitis.Fluid can also collect in the back - the popliteal fossa, forming a cyst, which is often mistaken for a cancerous tumor by frightened patients.The cyst usually resolves easily after treatment with injections of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or glucocorticosteroids
Second stage
In the second stage, the following signs are observed:
- Increased pain after exercise and movement and the appearance of characteristic gross problems
- Improves morning stiffness
- Movement all the way or even 90 degrees is accompanied by symptoms of pain, sometimes so strong that it becomes impossible to complete it
- Due to the onset of deformation, the bone thickens and becomes rough - this can be determined by palpation
- Synovitis may worsen
Third Stage
In the third stage, which has been defined as late knee arthrosis, symptoms appear:
- Constant pain that does not go away even at night: knee pain and stiffness, especially in cold damp weather
- Abrupt reduction in range of motion: no more than 90 degrees, or less
- Changes in Gait: The patient begins to limp, walks slowly on half-stilts, waddles, walks very hard
- Severe deformity that appears with mixing of the axis of the joint - because of this, the foot takes the shape of the letter "X" or "O" (these signs are called Hallux Valgus).
- At this stage, the cartilage, as a rule, is completely destroyed, and ossification (ossification) occurs in the ligaments.
- Next, the surface of the joint becomes overgrown with calcium deposits, which is why the knee takes on a lumpy and uneven appearance.
- Because of the severe deformation and lack of synovial fluid, movement in the knee becomes very painful
- Gradually, the almost complete immobility of the knee set in - slow smooth arthrosis of the knee joint
Treatment of gonarthrosis
The treatment of this disease is complex and long, effective only in the first stage.In it, conservative treatment only plays a role in reducing the patient's condition.
Diagnostics.An important initial step is diagnosis.
- The best way to diagnose and determine whether the pain is due to injury or arthrosis is to use an X-ray or MRI of the knee joint.
- Arthrosis is diagnosed if it is observed: degeneration or absence of cartilage tissue and a small gap between the joint and the capsule
Conservative treatment
During an exacerbation, the most important conditions for treatment are:
- Maintain rest and light exercise
- Taking painkillers (for severe pain - in the form of intra-articular injections)
- In the third and fourth stages of arthrosis, injections with fluid to lubricate the joints are also prescribed
For gonarthrosis, the following types of physiotherapy are effective:
- SWT (Shock Wave Therapy)
- Electromyostimulation
- acupuncture
- Magnetotherapy
- Radiofrequency therapy, etc.
Rehabilitation treatment
To avoid contractions and more immobility, exercises for the knee should be started immediately after acute pain - for this, exercise therapy is prescribed under the supervision of a rehabilitation specialist.Long-term cycle administration of substitutes for the natural components of cartilage - chondroprotective drugs - is also carried out.
Attention: In the third stage, arthrosis of the knee joint cannot be cured with the help of chondroprotectors.
Surgical treatment
The only effective treatment of late arthrosis is surgery - replacing the joint that has lost its function with an endoprosthesis.
However, we must remember:
- In old age, the healing of the prosthesis is slower
- After surgery there may be pain for a year
- Long-term rehabilitation with mechanotherapy and comprehensive exercise therapy is required
If the patient refuses surgery, then conservative supportive treatment is prescribed, the purpose of which is to combat pain and maintain the motor function of the knee
Is arthrosis of the knee joint often confused with - gonarthrosis?
- When diagnosing gonarthrosisMistakes happen as often, if not more often, than diagnosing hip disease.
- Here is a list of diseases that are most often mistaken for arthrosis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis).
- From the practice of Dr.Evdokimenko,Often, arthrosis of the knee joint is confused with the following diseases:
Damage to the menisci (meniscopathy) and restriction of the knee joint
Meniscal injuries and knee blockages occur in people of all ages, young and old.Men and women often get sick.Usually one knee joint is damaged.
Unlike gonarthrosis, this disease develops quickly.As a rule, after an unsuccessful movement when walking, running or jumping, a person hears problems in the knees and feels acute pain in the joints.After 10-15 minutes, the acute pain subsides a little and the person can move.But the next day or the day after, the knee swells, and the pain increases.
Without proper treatment, the disease continues for years - the pain either subsides or reappears.But compared to gonarthrosis, meniscopathy rarely causes deformation of the bones of the knee joint - unless damage to the meniscus triggers the development of knee arthrosis.And this, it should be noted, also happens quite often.
Arthrosis of the hip joint (coxarthrosis)
The diagnosis of "gonarthrosis" is often mistakenly made with "referred" pain, which often occurs with arthrosis of the hip joint and extends from the hip joint to the knee.
But this condition is very easy to distinguish - with arthrosis of the hip joint, the movement of the knee is not reduced at all, the knee bends and straightens easily and without pain.
But the ability of a person suffering from arthrosis of the hip joint to rotate the leg "from the hip" and spread the leg to the side is significantly reduced.
A person suffering from gonarthrosis, on the other hand, easily rotates his leg from the hip and easily spreads his leg to the side.But he bent his knees with difficulty and screamed in pain.
Arthritis
The knee joint is the weakest joint in the human body.In addition to arthrosis and meniscopathy, the knee joint can be affected by any of the arthritis described in the second part of the book - reactive, rheumatoid, psoriatic, gout, ankylosing spondylitis and articular rheumatism.
Arthritis affects people of any age, but most often the onset of the disease occurs in young people.
With arthritis, either one or both knees can become inflamed.
The characteristic feature of inflammatory arthritis of the knee joint is a rapid onset (within 1-3 days), with obvious swelling and swelling of the knee, as well as increased pain in the affected joint at night (about 3-4 in the morning).That is, the pain at night, resting, may be stronger than when walking.With arthrosis, as you remember, the pain decreases at night.
In addition, almost any arthritis leads to inflammation of not one, but several joints at once: in addition to knees, finger and toe joints, elbow joints, ankle joints and heel tendons become inflamed and swollen in any combination.
Vascular pain in the knee
This pain, which arises due to poor blood circulation in the knee joint, is familiar to many people.They usually begin during adolescence, a period of active growth - because vascular development in the rapidly growing adolescent often does not compete with accelerated bone growth.
Once it occurs, vascular pain in the knee can accompany a person almost all his life.But their intensity usually decreases after 18-20 years (and does not increase with age, as happens with arthrosis).And unlike arthrosis pain, vascular pain in the knee is not accompanied by a decrease in the movement of the knee joint.
Pain sensations are usually symmetrical, that is, they are equally pronounced on the right and left side of the knee;occurs when the weather changes, in cold conditions, during flu and after physical activity.At such moments, suffering people complain that their knees "turn."
In most cases, vascular pain in the knee is easily eliminated by rubbing warm ointment, massage and self-massage (rubbing the knee), or taking vasodilating drugs.No special therapy is needed for this condition.
Inflammation of the knee tendons (Periarthritis of Bursa Anserina)
Most women are affected, usually in their 40s.Pain usually occurs when walking down stairs or when carrying heavy objects or heavy bags.When walking calmly on a level surface, pain is very rare.
The pain caused by periarthritis does not extend to the entire knee.It focuses exclusively on the inside of the knee, about 3- below the point where the knee will touch when you bring your feet together.And unlike arthrosis, with periarthritis there is no restriction of knee mobility;Straighten the legs and widen at the knees as expected, fully.