Ozone Therapy for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee Osteoarthritis is a common chronic degenerative disease associated with wear and tear of the joints, causing pain and reduced functionality, with important consequences for daily activities.
One of the most common forms is gonarthrosis (osteoarthritis of the knee joint), which in later stages may require knee replacement. Treatment of patients at an early stage of the disease is usually conservative, for example using infiltrative therapy to reduce pain and improve functionality in daily life.
The injections include cortisone, hyaluronic acid, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and ozone mixed with oxygen.
The effectiveness of oxygen-ozone therapy
We propose to consider a review of all studies in the literature on the use of oxygen-ozone therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
Injections of ozone mixed with oxygen have a very interesting anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, since they have no side effects and are therefore suitable for all patients.
In studies analyzed in patients with gonarthrosis, oxygen-ozone infiltration was compared with those performed with placebo, hyaluronic acid, cortisone and PRP. Some studies have shown that the results in terms of pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects obtained with ozone, especially in the first months of treatment, are comparable to those of cortisone and significantly superior to placebo,” explains Dr. Sconza.
Indications and contraindications for ozone therapy for joints
Slowing down degenerative processes, pain relief and improving mobility are what ozone therapy for joints contributes to. Indications for use in common diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
- intervertebral hernia;
- arthritis and arthrosis;
- bone osteoporosis;
- diseases of the spine;
- gout and bursitis.
Ozone injections into the knee joint are not given to children under 14 years of age. The procedure is contraindicated for adults in the following cases:
- pregnancy and lactation;
- the presence of epilepsy and seizures;
- alcohol intoxication;
- thyroid diseases;
- allergies to ozone;
- chronic infections;
- problems with blood clotting;
- stroke or recent heart attack.
Alcohol compatibility
Intra-articular ozone therapy is incompatible with drinking alcoholic beverages. The day before the procedure, drinking alcohol is not recommended, nor is consuming it during the entire course of injections. Failure to comply with a sober regime will have a detrimental effect on the results of treatment - the effect is reduced to zero, and the money will be wasted.
How does oxygen-ozone therapy work?
Oxygen-ozone therapy for patients diagnosed with gonarthrosis, the administration protocol provides for four infiltrations once a week. Under sterile conditions, a needle is inserted into the knee and a mixture of oxygen and ozone is injected, which spreads very slowly into the joint. The patient does not feel pain or discomfort, but may experience a sensation of swelling. Once the infiltration is completed, a slight mobilization of the knee is performed. It is advisable to remain at rest for a day after each injection and avoid physical activity and overload on the lower limb; From the next day, normal activities can be resumed. After the first four weeks, the doctor assesses what to do next.
Ozone generally has a slow and progressive effect when in the joint it acts to reduce local inflammation by stimulating the activation of physiological anti-inflammatory processes, inhibition of inflammatory proteins and mechanisms associated with cartilage degeneration and the onset of pain.
Is it effective to treat joints with ozone?
Patients are interested in how effective ozone is. Treatment of joints is a long process, and many people want a quick solution to the problem.
It should be understood that physiotherapeutic methods are not able to heal a diseased organ alone. Joint injuries and chronic diseases require long-term conservative therapy and sometimes surgical intervention. The optimal combination of medications and medical practices with additional techniques accelerates the restoration of impaired body functions.
The ozone mixture is good because:
- normalizes metabolism;
- promotes tissue regeneration;
- relieves inflammation;
- improves blood circulation;
- has a bactericidal effect.
Of greatest interest is the opinion of real patients who underwent ozone therapy for the knee joint. Reviews are mostly positive. For example, annual course of injections relieves chronic pain after severe injury. For six months the patient does not experience any physical suffering.
In some cases, injections do not help. Advanced joint diseases are difficult to treat even with medication, not to mention alternative methods. It is impossible to predict in advance the individual reaction of the body to medical manipulations. In the process of performing procedures, positive results or their absence appear. When ozone therapy for joints does not bring the expected effect, then it is worth considering other options for additional help.
It is impossible to obtain a sustainable therapeutic effect in one session. The doctor determines the required number and frequency of injections. Most often, 8 to 12 procedures are required with breaks of 2-3 days.
What is ozone therapy
Ozone therapy for the treatment of knee joints
Accelerating metabolic processes promotes active cell division, so natural regeneration occurs. This aspect is considered important for the effective and guaranteed treatment of joint diseases, despite the slow recovery of tissues and the difficult supply of nutrients to cartilage and bones.
Ozone therapy promotes the rapid and successful restoration of previous knee functions.
- As you know, blood circulation plays an important role. Metabolic products are eliminated with the blood, and the flow of nutrients to the damaged components of the knees is accelerated. In large vessels, ozone breaks down blood clots, eliminating the risk of their further formation. The incoming gas improves blood flow and lymph circulation throughout the body, so the person feels better.
- Many knee joint diseases develop due to inflammation. Ozone molecules eliminate the inflammatory process, reducing the risk of further complications.
- Ozone negatively affects bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Pathogenic microorganisms are vulnerable to the influence of gas, so bacterial, viral or fungal inflammation that can lead to joint disease is eliminated.
- Ozone relieves pain, which usually occurs with inflammation and diseases of the knees.
Many people have learned from personal experience that ozone therapy for the knee joint is considered effective and contributes to the rapid restoration of previous functions. The technique under consideration is required for treatment and prevention. As you know, the unhealthy lifestyle of many people in the 21st century negatively affects the knee joints, so diseases appear at a young age.
Doctors are trying to prevent a boom in musculoskeletal system disorders and increase the chances of successfully restoring the functions of the affected knee joint, so it is recommended to attend ozone therapy sessions. The use of ozone is already becoming commonplace in modern medicine, as experts have appreciated the benefits of the healing gas.
Where to get ozone injections in Moscow?
Full treatment of the articular apparatus is carried out in the traumatology and orthopedics departments of public and private clinics. The optimal methods are selected by a doctor of appropriate qualifications.
Ozone therapy for knee joints is a physical therapy procedure that must be carried out in the sterile conditions of a legal medical facility.
Yuzhny MC has the necessary equipment and staff of specialists to safely and effectively perform a course of injections. For patients who are indicated for ozone therapy of joints, the price is offered at an affordable price.
The clinic has branches near metro stations, which are easy for the patient to reach. You can sign up on the website or by phone.
Symptoms and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
A characteristic feature of rheumatoid arthritis is the symmetry of the lesions
- the disease affects the same joints on the left and right sides of the body. Often the small joints of the foot and hand, wrist and ankle joints are the first to suffer; with early onset and other factors of the unfavorable course of the disease, large (elbow, shoulder, knee and other) joints of the body can be affected.
The symptoms and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are not constant. Pain and other signs of the disease may recede (sometimes for a very long time), and then return again under the influence of physical shock or psycho-emotional stress. Although the symptoms and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can vary significantly from case to case, doctors focus on the following signs:
- swelling of the soft tissues in the area of the affected joints (especially noticeable on the fingers);
- soreness of the joints (decreased when they are bent), redness and increased sensitivity of the skin over them, muscle pain;
- stiffness of movements in the joints, especially in the morning or after a long rest (lasts from half an hour to an hour, gradually goes away after warming up);
- a general increase in body temperature (from a feeling of mild fever to 38°C - often RA is “masked” as ARVI);
- chronic fatigue and loss of strength;
- loss of appetite and weight loss;
- changes in the condition of the skin and nails;
- anemia (noticeable by the pallor of the mucous membranes).
Extra-articular symptoms can manifest themselves in the area of the heart and blood vessels, persistent dryness of the mucous membranes, and the appearance of rheumatoid nodules under the skin around the joints. In the absence of drug treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, in approximately 15% of patients, serious joint deformities develop within the first 6-8 years after the first exacerbation
.
Because of this, the muscles, ligaments and tendons surrounding the joints, as well as the heads of the bones, suffer. The rate of progression of the disease varies from case to case, but on average, irreversible changes in the osteoarticular system (including contractures - persistent restrictions on mobility) are observed in the first 10 years of the disease
.
The symptoms and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in women differ slightly from the course of the disease in men:
- the disease occurs on average 3 times more often than in men, since women naturally have a stronger immune response;
- during pregnancy, when a woman’s immunity decreases so that the body does not reject the child, the condition of RA may improve (however, soon after childbirth it worsens again);
- symptoms and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in women are on average more severe than in men;
- In women, finger joints, jaw and knee joints are more often affected, and changes in the central nervous system caused by RA are more likely to appear.
Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Treatment for a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is aimed at solving several problems at once:
- reduction of pain syndrome;
- relieving inflammation;
- prevention of irreversible joint damage;
- transferring the acute phase of the disease into remission, slowing down the rate of its progression;
- preventing the disease from spreading to other joints and internal organs;
- preservation and restoration of mobility in the joints.
To do this, treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with drugs is combined with physiotherapeutic techniques, the use of supporting devices (orthoses), therapeutic exercises, diet and a healthy daily routine.
Causes and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs throughout the globe and ranks 2nd in prevalence in Russia
among all types of arthritis. Although the main cause and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has not been established, researchers have identified the following factors that influence the onset of RA:
- heredity
(in families where relatives already suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, the risk of its manifestation in descendants is higher); - previous infections, especially severe ones
(infectious diseases provoke a strong immune response, which increases the risk of failure); - hormonal disorders or changes in the body
(including those associated with stress, lack of sleep, pregnancy, menopause in women and men); - unbalanced diet, deficiency of vitamins and minerals
; - frequent moves to different climates
; - physical and nervous overload
; - bad habits
(alcoholism, smoking, use of psychoactive substances).
Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
In the initial stages, rheumatoid arthritis is difficult to differentiate from other connective tissue diseases, so your doctor may prescribe a comprehensive examination. Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis necessarily include:
- oral interview, history taking, incl. information about the disease in relatives;
- initial physical examination and joint mobility testing;
- X-ray examination;
- biochemical analysis of blood and urine (test for ESR and CRP);
- immunological blood test for rheumatic factor;
- MRI (not always).
Timely diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis helps to avoid joint deformation and involvement of internal organs in the inflammatory process
(lungs, heart, eyes)
X-ray examination is one of the ways to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis
