Arthritis and osteoarthritis are the main causes of pain and inflammation in the knee joint (unless, of course, we're talking about injury).
Unfortunately, neither chondroprotectors, drugs based on NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), nor surgical interventions - pumping fluid, scratching, arthroscopy - give the necessary therapeutic effect.
All the traditional methods of treating arthritis and osteoarthritis are aimed at relieving pain, edema, but they do not eliminate the root cause of the disease, do not stop inflammation and deformity (destruction) articular cartilage.
How to really cure arthritis and osteoarthritis of the knee joint?
Physiotherapy for arthritis of the knee
Arthritis of the knee is an injury (inflammation) of the soft tissue surrounding the joint, which includes muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Due to the soft tissue swelling and knee pain, the range of motion of the joint is limited.
Inflammation of the knee joint is associated not only with arthritis, but also with diagnoses such as synovitis of the knee, bursitis, patellar chondromalacia, damage to the medial meniscus, horn of the meniscus, ligaments.
To relieve joint inflammation with all these diaznoses, doctors increasingly use drainage from the periarticular sac - pumping fluid out of the joint (using a syringe that enters the cavity of the joint). joint space and periarticular sacs), then injecting hormones and antibiotics.
As a result of such "treatment", dystrophic processes develop, which lead to pathological restructuring of the bone and cartilage of the joint, degenerative changes in the ligaments of the joint! Not to mention the fact that after the procedure a person constantly experiences a dull pain in the knee that interferes with movement.
And the most important ! Draining the joint only temporarily relieves the swelling, but does not eliminate the cause of the inflammation.
What causes inflammation of the joints?
The question is, where does the joint pain come from, the inflammation, if the joint, for example, is intact, there is no infection or injury (we will talk about injuries a little below), but the knee still hurts and swells?
Inflammation, as a physiological reaction, is a violation of trophism - nutrition of the tissues of the joint, blood circulation and microcirculation in the joint, as a result of which the joint space undergoes pathological reconstruction and narrows, there is swelling of the joint, leading to limitation of its mobility.
There is only one way to get rid of edema and the accompanying limitation of joint mobility - to restore microcirculation in the joint, that is, to remove congestion of the tissues. soft joints: muscles and ligaments.
And this can be done by activating the physiological knee 'pump', which powers the joint. In this case, it is the muscles of the thigh and lower leg. By forcing the large muscles of the thigh to work fully, we will be able to establish the outflow of inflammatory fluid from the synovial bag of the joint, restore the main sources of blood supply to the knee joint.
Thus, it is possible to relieve the inflammation and swelling of the joint without surgery.
Physical therapy for arthritis of the knee can be started even if there is swelling and severe flexion pain. The basis of treatment is decompression exercises on special medical and rehabilitation equipment in order to restore lymphatic drainage, blood circulation and microcirculation of the joint. At the same time, the principle of consistency and progressivity is respected. You have to be patient. Soon you will feel noticeable improvements - the pain, swelling will go away, the knee will begin to bend much better.
Questions and answers
Important questions that may arise in patients with arthritis and osteoarthritis who are accustomed to traditional treatment methods.
- How to move, perform exercises on pain, inflammation and joint stiffness simulators?
- Will the movement damage the already painful joints? It is not for nothing that official medicine recommends immobility for osteoarthritis and arthritis, the wearing of corsets, knee pads for gonarthrosis (deforming osteoarthritis) and arthritis of the knee joint.
- What if I have tachycardia, high blood pressure (diabetes, asthma, etc. ). . .
The motto of kinesiteraia is: "The good movement heals, the bad cripple". Treatment of the joints with the method of physiotherapy is carried out only in a specialized center with the help of special rehabilitation equipment - multifunctional decompression simulators with anti-gravity action, which make it possible to load the deep skeletal muscles without axial load onjoints and spine. This is a safe technique that has virtually no contraindications.
An individual program is developed for each, a set of motor exercises after consultation with the doctor of the Physiotherapy Center - examination, in-depth functional diagnosis of the state of the musculoskeletal system.
At first, 4-6 days, there may be increased knee pain and even increased swelling. But all of this is linked to the adaptation of the organism. You will soon feel a noticeable improvement. The repetitive cycle of muscle tension and relaxation strengthens the ligament apparatus and improves blood flow to the affected joint.
The physiotherapy method allows not only to stop the course of the disease, but also in a relatively short period of time to completely restore the working capacity of the diseased joint. And to facilitate the initial process, additional methods of physiotherapy are recommended - cryosauna and autoplasm therapy, which today are the most effective alternative to hormonal drugs and knee surgery.
Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis deformans) is a violation of the integrity of the joint, deformation of the joint surfaces, depletion and decrease in the thickness of the articular cartilage.
Osteoarthritis, like arthritis, can be accompanied by inflammation. Arthritis, in turn, in the absence of adequate treatment leads to osteoarthritis. Why? In inflammatory arthritis, the synovial membrane of the joint is initially affected - a thin film of connective tissue that lines the joint from the inside. Prolonged inflammation of this membrane can lead to destruction of the cartilage. And that's osteoarthritis.
The principles of osteoarthritis and arthritis treatment are very similar. The similarity is due to the common causes of the appearance of diseases - these are two stages in the development of a degenerative process with elements of tissue dystrophy.
Osteoarthritis occurs due to malnutrition of the joint, over time the joint begins to dry out and deform. Malnutrition of the joint (dystrophy), in turn, is due to a sharp decrease in microcirculation, that is, the number of capillaries supplying the joint, the number of which depends on the number of muscles throughwhich these capillaries pass.
All the nutrients necessary for the joint are delivered by the blood, which circulates in the vessels. Vessels are located in muscles and ligaments, so muscles, in addition to motor function, also act as blood pumps. They pump a huge amount of blood, nourishing the knee joint and a smooth metabolism. If the pump muscles provide adequate blood circulation, good microcirculation, the knee joint is healthy. If the microcirculation is disturbed as a result of deterioration in muscle work due to their atrophy, the joint is on a starvation diet and its slow aging begins.
Thus, the nutrition of the knee joint and articular cartilage, its blood supply and microcirculation directly depend on the work of the muscles, ligaments and tendons of this joint.
Thus, in the treatment of osteoarthritis (deforming knee osteoarthritis), the main task of physiotherapy is to operate the "pumps" or "pumps" of the knee: the large muscles of the thigh and lower leg, which aresources of blood supply. and nutrition to the knee joint. Muscle loads stimulate the formation of new capillaries in these muscles, increase the adaptive capacity of muscle tissue.
In the treatment of osteoarthritis, special attention is paid to the biceps of the thigh. This is the back of the thigh, which is used very little in everyday life. But the main neurovascular highways of the lower extremities pass through it - the sciatic nerve, arteries, veins, lymphatic vessels. This muscle group indeed plays a major role in the transport of blood and lymph to the upper body, and therefore to the joints.
An undeveloped muscle is short and stiff. It has a weak vascular network due to the small number of muscle fibers and is not able to pass a large amount of blood through itself. Strong, elastic and long muscles are essential for maintaining joints and the spine.
In an article, it is difficult to unveil all the principles of joint treatment by the method of physiotherapy, we have given only a few examples for clarity.
Knee injury. Damage to the meniscus and ligaments of the knee. Is it possible to do without surgery?
Knee injuries are common and are not limited to athletes. The knee joint is under heavy strain in everyday life, no matter what we do. In case of rupture (damage) of the meniscus or ligaments of the knee joint, an operation is usually prescribed - complex and expensive. But there are also alternatives. These are autoplasm therapy, active rehabilitation using special equipment, exercise therapy, joint gymnastics, physiotherapy and therapeutic massage.
Autoplasm therapy for the treatment of joints
Autoplasm therapy is most effective for inflammatory joint disease, pain, edema, arthritis and osteoarthritis of the knee joint, arthritis of the hands, fingers, joint swelling, rheumatoid arthritis. A modern and safe procedure allows you to initiate the natural mechanisms of restoration of the cartilage tissue of the joints, synovial fluid, ligaments, tendons, muscle and bone tissue. At the same time, there is an improvement in the nutrition of the articular cartilage and the strengthening of the joint. As a rule, after several sessions, significant changes occur: joint pain, inflammation and swelling disappear, and joint mobility is restored.