I advise you not to neglect this condition! Gonarthrosis is the most important arthritic type of pain, located at the level of the knee. It occurs with great incidence in groups over 50 years old, and appears in certain conditions as an associated pathology, that is, together with another disease.
The causes that lead to the appearance of the disease:
- Heredity – gonarthrosis occurs much more frequently in descendants of parents with gonarthrosis.
- It also appears much more often in people with varicose veins, or has a much more serious evolution in those with veno-lymphatic insufficiency.
- Trauma at the knee level – damage to the menisci or ligaments not recovered correctly lead to gonarthrosis in time. Also, after trauma of any kind, the knee becomes immobilized and a prolonged immobilization or in the absence of a correct recovery program causes atrophy of the quadriceps muscle, which in time leads to gonarthrosis.
- Certain diseases, such as for example flatfoot, neglected or not treated correctly or on time lead to frontal or sagittal dislocations of the knee and in time to gonarthrosis.
Symptoms of the disease:
- Pain – in the case of gonarthrosis, the pain is usually located in the inner part of the knee, in the popliteal space, i.e. behind the knee, or under the knee. This pain radiates to the thigh and or to the calf. It occurs when loading, i.e. when standing or walking, as well as at the initiation of movement, at least at the beginning of the evolution, the pain may disappear when the joint warms up, but reappears in case of prolonged effort.
- Swelling, inflammation (i.e. swelling) – occurs not only in gonarthrosis but in all knee diseases.
Treatment:
- Medications – analgesic (calming) medication is recommended to combat pain and anti-inflammatory to combat inflammation, and sometimes hyaluronic acid injections are administered to lubricate the articular cartilage.
- Physiotherapy – consists of electrotherapy procedures (currents), hydrotherapy (baths), thermotherapy (paraffin) and massage.
- Kinetotherapeutic – medical gymnastics, which can be done in the gym, in pools of water or at the patient’s bedside, to increase joint stability and mobility, increase muscle strength and correct vicious (wrong) foot positions.
- Orthopedic – depending on the severity of the disease, some patients are forced to wear a cane, or periodic corrective splints.
- Surgical – in serious developments of the disease, it is possible to resort to surgical intervention and sometimes even arthroplasties (knee prosthesis) or arthrodesis (fixation of the knee joint, meaning it can no longer be used).
Hygiene rules of the knee with gonarthrosis:
- Gonarthrosis patients are not allowed to wear high heels, the most recommended heel is the 5 cm heel;
- Avoid going up and down stairs;
- Weight loss is recommended;
- Carat weights are avoided;
- Standing in fixed positions is not allowed;
- Persons over 60-65 years old are advised to keep the cane support throughout their life.
Hannemaria Strete – physical therapist