Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint

Salt deposition is what people often call arthrosis of the knee joint, or gonarthrosis. In fact, the cause of knee pain is not calcium salts at all, but changes in the structure of the cartilage. One way or another, you shouldn’t put it off until later, otherwise a slight stiffness in movements will develop into severe pain and complete immobility.

The knee joint is subjected to enormous physical stress in everyday life.

Reasons for the development of gonarthrosis

When walking, the knee joint suffers the most. With age, cartilage tissue wears out and destructive changes occur in its structure. However, not everyone develops arthrosis of this joint. Those most susceptible to the disease are:

overweight people (due to increased stress on joints);
athletes and simply lovers of an active lifestyle;
those who have suffered a knee injury or fracture in the past, damaged the knee meniscus;
patients over 40 years of age, especially women during menopause;
people diagnosed with varicose veins;
those who have a history of relatives who have already been diagnosed with arthrosis (the hereditary factor also plays a role).

Injured your knee during a scheduled workout? You are automatically at risk for developing arthrosis

General characteristics of the complex

All exercises in the Evdokimenko method are aimed at:

Increased muscle tone of the anterior and posterior thighs. Gymnastics of joints Evdokimenko
Development of the muscles of the anterior and posterior surface of the lower leg.
Improving blood circulation and nutrition of the tendons that are located near the knee joint.
Reducing pain by influencing the movement of supporting force from bone structures to muscle structures.
With constant performance of the complex, the abdominal and back muscles are developed.

Before starting the complex you must:

Prepare a spacious room for performing the complex, ventilate the room, remove dust, wash the floors.
Prepare a hard mat on which to lie comfortably and perform exercises.
Prepare sportswear that will not restrict movement.
Prepare clean still water that you can drink during the workout.
If necessary, you need to take with you a small soft towel made of natural fabrics that absorb moisture (sweat) well.

Indications for performing the complex according to Evdokimenko’s method:

chronic inflammatory processes in the knee joint (gonarthrosis);
restoration of the knee joint after injury (fracture, sprained ligaments and muscles, bruise and hematoma of the knee joint);
prevention of hereditary diseases that are accompanied by damage to the knee joint (rheumatoid arthritis, polyarthritis, etc.).

Dynamics of development of arthrosis of the knee joint

Gonarthrosis in the last stage never becomes a “bolt from the blue”: it is preceded by alarming symptoms that increase gradually. Depending on their intensity, the following degrees of the disease are distinguished:

First degree. The legs get tired, while moving the person notices limited mobility of the knee joint and hears a crunching sound. At rest there is virtually no pain. And they appear either after prolonged sitting or sleep (“starting pain”), or after physical activity.

With arthrosis of the 1st degree, a slight narrowing of the joint space is noticeable on the x-ray

Second degree. Pain limits movement. To cover a long distance, a person is forced to stop and rest. The joint begins to deform, a characteristic crunch is heard, and lameness may appear. The joint space in the image narrows even more, the bone grows, forming osteophytes. The lining of the joint can become inflamed and fluid accumulates inside.

Osteophytes (bone growths) appear in the second stage of arthrosis of the knee joint

Last stage. The joint is practically motionless and hurts both under load and at complete rest. The bones of the knee are severely deformed, and the joint space is absent or very close to it.

Patients with third degree gonarthrosis have to live with unbearable pain

Doctor Evdokimenko – official website

Pavel Valerievich’s work is widely presented in the public domain on the Internet. The doctor’s official website (https://www.evdokimenko.ru/) is dedicated not only to joint problems and therapeutic exercises. It examines broader issues of nutritional characteristics in various diseases, with attention paid to cardiovascular pathology. On the Internet portal of Dr. Evdokimenko you can find the following information:

doctor's biography;
address and visiting hours of the clinic where he works;
excerpts from books;
main types of therapeutic exercises for various joint lesions;
many interesting videos on medical topics;
doctor's opinion about cholesterol;
ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Each issue is covered quite widely, examples from the practice of Pavel Valerievich are given. The site contains links to the Smart Medicine channel, hosted by Dr. Evdokimenko. He has his permanent address on YouTube. The doctor talks about new work in the field of therapeutic gymnastics and raises issues of longevity.

The specialist’s opinion on high cholesterol is quite controversial, as he suggests refusing to take statins recommended by WHO. These are drugs that lower cholesterol and help remodel the heart affected by atherosclerosis. At a minimum, you should carefully read the opinion of a respected academician who proposes to combat hyperlipidemia with lifestyle changes and nutrition. A separate page of the site - diet for arthrosis, talks about the peculiarities of food consumption when the musculoskeletal system is damaged.

Conservative treatment of gonarthrosis

Traditional medicine does not undertake to treat arthrosis in an advanced state using conservative methods. They are used in the first and less often in the second stages. Treatment is aimed at:

relieve a person from pain;
eliminate inflammation;
improve the trophism of cartilage tissue;
activate blood circulation;
strengthen the muscles around the joint.

For this purpose, they resort to the following methods of treating arthrosis:

medications;
manual therapy;
physiotherapy;
massage;
cryotherapy - cold treatment;
laser and magnetic therapy;
thermal procedures using ozokerite, paraffin, therapeutic mud;
acupuncture and other methods.

Physiotherapy is ideal until arthrosis reaches the second and third stages

Therapeutic exercises are indicated at the initial stage of gonarthrosis, and will also be an excellent preventative measure if you are at risk. Try this simple set of exercises – it will take about 10 minutes to complete:

Complex exercise therapy for coxarthrosis

The person lies down with his stomach down, straightens his legs. Arms extended forward. The patient lifts his limbs up one by one. Lifting height – 15-20 degrees. The raised limb is fixed at the maximum point for 5-10 seconds. The correct pace for performing the exercise is moderate. Returning to the starting position, the patient relaxes the muscles and rests.
The patient lies on his back. Hands extended along the body. He bends one leg at a right angle, fixes it for 30-40 seconds, then smoothly lowers it. Repeats the exercise 10-15 times. The same goes for the second limb.
The person lies stomach down, arms extended along the body. At the same time, lifts both limbs off the floor and lifts them up 15-20 degrees. Without bending your knees, spreads both legs to the sides, fixes them for 5-10 seconds, and lowers them. Repeat up to 20 times.
Lying with his stomach up, a person bends one limb and straightens the other. Feet are tense. The patient changes their position alternately 20 times.

Lifting the limbs from a lying position is performed using the force of the hips and buttocks, the pelvis is pressed to the floor. It cannot be deployed following the raised leg. All movements of the complex are smooth; sharp or high lifts should be avoided.

The man lies down on his side. Slowly raises the limb to an angle of 45 degrees. At the maximum point, hold it for 10-20 seconds and lower it. The number of repetitions is 20 times. The patient turns over to the other side and repeats the exercise for the second leg.
Starting position – lying on your back. The patient lifts his limbs off the floor and lifts them at 45 degrees. Slowly brings them together and apart to a shoulder-width distance. The number of repetitions is 10-15 times.
The man sits down with his back straight. Bends forward with springy movements. The legs do not bend at the knees. The number of repetitions is 10 times.
Sitting on the floor, the patient straightens his limbs. Alternately raises the limbs up to the maximum possible height. Fixes for 20-30 seconds, slowly lowers. You need to repeat the exercise 10-15 times.
The man sits with his back to the wall. Straight legs spread wide apart. The patient bends his body towards one foot, turns it to the floor, and performs 20 bends towards it. You need to bend down until you feel pain in the hip joint. Repeat the exercise on the other side.
The patient lies on his side. The upper leg is bent at the knee, the lower leg swings under the leg 10 times. Repeat everything for the other limb.

After class, massage your thighs. Exercise therapy in the treatment of coxarthrosis should not cause pain. Both limbs should be given the same load.

By observing the requirements for exercise therapy prescribed by the doctor and correctly performing the complex, the patient alleviates the course of the disease, gradually restores the mobility of the joints, and prevents the development of complications of arthrosis. Dr. Evdokimenko insists on regular training for his patients. He claims that the patient’s consent to engage in healing exercises ensures the success of the treatment of the disease.

Drug treatment of arthrosis

The main role in the fight against the manifestations of gonarthrosis is played by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors.

Non-steroidal – relieve inflammation and eliminate pain. However, if you take them for a very long time, the symptoms of the disease are “masked” and it becomes impossible to prescribe adequate treatment. In addition, according to recent studies, drugs of this particular group negatively affect the synthesis of proteoglycans, which is why the affected cartilage is destroyed even faster.
Chondroprotectors – nourish and restore the functioning of cartilage tissue. At the third stage, these medications can no longer help - they are not able to restore completely destroyed cartilage or return the knees to their original shape.

The positive effect of treatment with chondroprotectors occurs only after 6-18 months

Medicinal ointments and creams only alleviate the patient’s condition.
Compresses have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, but, like ointments, they are only an adjuvant in the treatment of osteoarthritis and arthrosis.

Exercises

For pain in the knee joint, patients are recommended to perform static or slowly dynamic exercises. Not only will they not cause harm, but they will be beneficial for sore knees. At the same time, static exercises do not imply sluggish movements at all. When exercises are performed correctly, patients will feel that every muscle in the body is coming to life.

All movements should be as comfortable as possible, because gymnastics should bring relief, not pain.

Dr. Evdokimenko’s exercises must be performed efficiently to avoid muscle atrophy. The total execution time is 40–45 minutes; gymnastics must be performed every day. The maximum possible rest is one day a week. When performing gymnastics, you need to be patient, since the first positive results will not be noticeable immediately, and after two weeks the pain may intensify and disappear by the end of the first month.

Are injections effective: injection injections are different

Intra-joint injections today aim not only to reduce inflammation and alleviate the patient’s condition. Modern drugs are many times more effective than chondroprotectors in restoring articular cartilage by renewing synovial fluid. Today intra-articular injections of the following drugs are practiced:

Glucocorticoids.

They allow you to quickly eliminate pain and relieve inflammation, but do not improve the condition of the cartilage. They can be used only in the acute period, with synovitis, when other methods are contraindicated. The drugs are hormones, so their frequent administration stops the regeneration of cartilage, and with excess weight, hypertension, peptic ulcers and other diseases, side effects often occur.

Hyaluronic acid.

Such preparations are also called “liquid prostheses”. Once inside the joint, they act as natural synovial fluid, lubricate the surfaces, and stimulate the restoration of cartilage. Products based on hyaluronic acid can cause allergies. Their validity period is only a few months, since immune cells in the human body contribute to the rapid breakdown and elimination of the drug.

Synthetic synovial fluid substitutes, such as Noltrex

Noltrex is an artificial endoprosthesis that also replaces synovial fluid and restores its normal viscosity. Unlike natural-based drugs, it contains no components that would be broken down by phagocytes. That is why the medicine remains at the injection site for a long time and provides a long-lasting effect - up to one and a half to two years.

Synthetic Noltrex is absolutely safe and hypoallergenic

Noltrex injections:

effective at any stage of knee arthrosis;
give a long-lasting effect - from nine months to two years;
do not cause allergies due to their synthetic origin;
absolutely safe due to biocompatibility with body tissues;
do not give adverse reactions;
indicated, including for diabetes mellitus - under the supervision of an endocrinologist.

Even the last stage of gonarthrosis is not a death sentence. Medicine does not stand still, so it’s too early to despair! Consult a specialist you trust and choose the most suitable treatment for you. And most importantly, maintain a positive attitude and faith in recovery!

Doctor Evdokimenko – get an appointment

Where does Pavel Valerievich meet? This question worries many patients suffering from various pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. However, the specialist does not hide his activities, as he is a practicing doctor. The official website contains a list of pathologies for which you should contact Dr. Evdokimenko.

The clinic where the doctor sees is called “Z.O.V.” (an abbreviation for “health is the basis of everything”), is located in Moscow on Leninsky Prospekt. You can make an appointment during business hours by calling the phone number listed on the website. Dr. Evdokimenko works only on a paid basis. The price of the initial visit is 5,000 rubles, the second visit is 20% cheaper. It is advisable to come to your appointment with the available examination results. Dr. Evdokimenko, as a rheumatologist, is interested in photographs of the affected joints, blood tests including acute phase indicators and uric acid. Getting an appointment by appointment is quite simple, and Pavel Valerievich himself will explain in detail how to get rid of the pathology.