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ARTHROSIS AND KNEE PAIN

Causes, symptoms and  user experience of spruce products having  osteoarthritis or knee pain

Author: Matic Konc

resources used

published: 07/08/2019

updated: 5/20/2024

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Osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, or joint wear  is a very common degenerative joint disease that can affect any joint in the body, and is most common in the joints that carry most of our weight, i.e. osteoarthritis of the knee, hip and spine or are most used in daily work, i.e. osteoarthritis of the palms and fingers. Osteoarthritis can also cause inflammation and pain in the affected joints, which is called osteoarthritis. People most often suffer from knee pain due to osteoarthritis. In most countries, the two terms (osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis) are clearly separated, and there is some confusion in this area in English-speaking countries, where the term osteoarthritis is mistaken for osteoarthritis even in cases where inflammation is not present.

SIGNS OF ARTHROSIS

Osteoarthritis oz. joint wear is, as mentioned, often asymptomatic in, but if signs appear, then they develop gradually and worsen over time. Signs that osteoarthritis may be present may include the following:

Bolečine v kolenu

KNEE PAIN AND  SENSITIVITY AND RIGIDITY OF JOINTS

Affected joints can hurt mainly during the movement of the limbs, there may also be sensitivity to the touch of the joint or the surroundings of the joint. Knee pain usually worsens while walking , and osteoarthritis of the joints of the fingers can cause pain while using the hands . The pain is usually worst in the evening when the joints are tired. In osteoarthritis, the joints may be less mobile and stiff, especially in the morning or after prolonged inactivity.

Osteoarthritis can cause swelling

SWELLING

Soft swelling to the touch

is the body's natural response to inflammation. Osteoarthritis can also eventually cause inflammation of the soft tissues around the joint, especially the inner joint envelope, which produces more joint fluid. This is called osteoarthritis. When the inflammation is treated, the swelling also disappears.

Hard bumps or. nodules at the joint

  sometimes as a result of arthrosis, bone growths or osteophytes form at the joint, which can sometimes be felt as nodules or lumps in the joint area. Cramped toes are especially common in older people.

A joint with arthrosis acts like a rotting joint

REDUCED MOBILITY AND FEELING OF STOCKING IN THE JOINT

 due to swelling, as well as due to bone growths that occur in response to osteoarthritis, there may be reduced joint mobility and therefore reduced limb utility. Sometimes a feeling of cracking, creaking, creaking, or a feeling of the joint getting stuck when moving can be detected in the joint. This feeling can also be accompanied by knee pain.

WHY DO ARTHROSIS AND KNEE PAIN OCCUR?

Osteoarthritis occurs when the articular cartilage or part of the articular cartilage thins and the surface becomes rough. This happens due to the constant strain on the joints and is a practically normal phenomenon in old age . Of course, aggravating circumstances can contribute to this, especially gender, overweight, and genetic predispositions.  In a healthy joint, the cartilage that covers the surface of the bone is smooth and slippery , allowing the bones in the joint to move smoothly and with as little friction as possible. If arthrosis is present or. wear of this cartilage, however, the friction is greater , which can eventually cause problems as well. As the cartilage is worn and damaged, physiological processes begin to take place in the joint, trying to repair the damage done. These processes can change the structure of the joint and often allow the joint to function normally again without pain . As we age, most of us will sooner or later have osteoarthritis in our joints, but due to these mechanisms, we will not even be aware of it. Osteoarthritis is present in more than 10% of people under the age of 40, in more than 40% of people over the age of 40 and in 60% of people over the age of 65, but only in less than half of people with osteoarthritis. , knee pain is also present.

Percentage of people with arthrosis according to age

However, these repair processes do not always go so smoothly and changes in the joint can sometimes cause inflammation, knee pain, swelling and difficulty moving . This can happen due to the following processes:

  • The formation of bone spurs: on the outskirts of the decision may be taken as an attempt to repair the damage caused by arthrosis, forming bone spurs or osteophytes, which at times can reduce the flexibility of the decision or the rubbing of the surrounding tissue. In the joints of the hands, this manifests as visible convulsive swelling.

  • Inflammation of the inner joint envelope causes pain in the knee  and increased production of joint fluid, so the joint swells and hurts and its mobility is reduced

  • The ligaments and muscles surrounding the joint stretch and the joint becomes less stable over time.

HOW DOES ARTHROSIS WORK?

Osteoarthritis takes several years to develop and often does not cause any problems. It is good to recognize osteoarthritis at an early stage and take knee pain seriously, as by preventing inflammation, we can prevent the additional damage that inflammation could cause.

The first stage of arthrosis

FIRST STAGE: INITIAL  ARTHROSIS

Small bone growths or osteophytes form in the joint area. This is the body’s response to the initial wear and tear of the cartilage and an attempt to protect the joint in a different way. Often also successful. At this stage, there is no major narrowing of the joint space. 10% of the cartilage is worn.  Knee pain and other signs are not yet present.

The second stage of arthrosis

SECOND STAGE: TREASURE  ARTHROSIS

At this stage, the individual may notice the first signs. There may be stiffness of the joints, knee pain  and sensitivity to touch, especially when getting up after prolonged sitting. At this stage, the joint fluid is still present, so there is no rubbing of the bones against each other and the joint gap is only slightly narrowed.

The third stage of arthrosis

THIRD STAGE: MODERATE  ARTHROSIS

The cartilage damage progresses, the joint space narrows and the cartilage layer becomes even thinner. Knee pain  and discomfort may be present while running, walking, kneeling, or flexing the joint. Bones respond by thickening and forming osteophytes - bone growths. The surrounding tissue, especially the inner joint envelope, is inflamed and produces more joint fluid, so the joint is swollen. People call it “knee water” in layman's terms, but it's actually osteoarthritis.

The fourth stage of arthrosis

FOURTH STAGE:

SEVERE ARTHROSIS

This is the most advanced stage of osteoarthritis. The joint cleft is very small, the cartilage is worn more than 60% and deteriorates even more. The signs are very perceptible and manifest as constant inflammation, knee pain and stiffness. There is less joint fluid, more friction and considerable discomfort while moving.

WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO DEVELOPING  ARTHROSIS  AND KNEE PAIN?

Some factors increase the chance of developing osteoarthritis throughout our lives. Some of these cannot be influenced, while others, such as overload, overweight, and posture, can.

FAMILY INFLUENCE

If you have relatives who have osteoarthritis , then you are more likely to have it too. So far, we have not been able to find the gene that is responsible for the appearance of osteoarthritis,  however, studies of twins have shown that as much as 50% of the influence on an individual's onset of osteoarthritis is contributed by a genetic predisposition.

PREVIOUS INJURIES

People who have had joint damage and previous knee pain are more at risk of developing osteoarthritis later.

AGE

osteoarthritis is directly related to joint wear, so it is understandable that it is much more common in older people. More than 60% of people over the age of 65 have osteoarthritis in at least one joint, but not necessarily knee pain.

SEX

Osteoarthritis, of course, can affect both women and men, but up to the age of 45, it is more common in men and later in women .

OVERWEIGHT

causes increased strain on the joints, which greatly increases the risk of osteoarthritis, especially in the knee, hip and spine, but the risk in overweight people is also higher for osteoarthritis in other joints, although this is not associated with increased strain.

INCREASED LOAD

Workplaces where the load on the joints is higher can contribute to the development of osteoarthritis, especially work that involves kneeling and lifting weights. Top athletes are also more prone to the disease.

WRONG POSITION

Improper posture while standing or sitting can increase the strain on the joints and thus the possibility that osteoarthritis will develop over the years.

ARTHRITIS

Pre-existing arthritis of a different origin increases the chance of osteoarthritis. These are:

  • Gout or gout

  • Rheumatoid arthritis

  • Septic arthritis

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

The questions you often ask us and we are always happy to answer. 😊

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis resulting in osteoarthritis occurs because the articular cartilage thins due to constant and prolonged stress and the surface becomes rough. V  age, osteoarthritis is a very common occurrence . The cartilage that covers the bone surface of a healthy joint is  smooth and slippery , allowing the bones in the joint to move smoothly and with as little friction as possible. When this cartilage wears out, inflammatory processes begin to take place in the joint, which try to repair the damage, and on the other hand, it causes pain.

What helps if osteoarthritis and joint pain occur?

We recommend the use of Smrekovit 365 in combination with Smrekovit coating. Spread the cream on the coating and apply it to the desired place with the greased side. Usually a concrete result occurs within 7 to 14 days.

Why do you recommend Spruce Wrapping?

First of all, it should be noted that Spruce coating is not recommended in combination with Spruce Extra products. The use of Spruce coating is strongly recommended when using Smrekovit 365 spruce cream and Smrekovit Klasik spruce ointment. The price of spruce linings is intentionally low because it only serves as an aid to spruce products. The use of spruce wraps greatly increases the performance of the products because it acts as a reservoir for the cream or ointment so that the active ingredients from the spruce resin can be continuously absorbed into the tissue as much as it can absorb. In places where the Spruce dressing can be easily attached and stays in place, we recommend using the wrap all the time and homework once a day (lubricate the wrap). On more flexible joints, where the lining likes to curl and move, use it at least overnight, and lubricate this part several times during the day.

Example of using spruce dressings overnight on the fingers:

Why do you discourage the use of ice or some other method of cooling?

First, let’s ask ourselves what does ice cause? Cooling slows down the physiological process caused by tissue damage or inflammation. At the site of inflammation or injury, the permeability of the vascular walls increases in order for the body to allow inflammatory cells (leukocytes and lymphocytes) and inflammatory proteins to pass to the site of inflammation. The purpose of this process is to confront the defense mechanism with inflammation in order for the organism to eliminate it on its own. The visible consequence of this process is swelling, which is a completely normal phenomenon, as every cell and protein that passes to the site of inflammation is surrounded by a mantle of water and because inflammatory proteins penetrate the site of inflammation and cells pass water with them.

By cooling, the patency of the vascular walls is reduced again, so the swelling is also reduced, but consequently the treatment time is significantly extended.

Spruce resin causes the opposite and stimulates the body's defense mechanism and consequently significantly reduces the treatment time. It is clear, then, that refrigeration and the use of spruce resin products are contradictory.

You can also read more about this topic in an article on our blog: Led Vs. resin or even a donkey should not go on the ice even once

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