Massage for arthrosis

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

Massage of the knee joint for arthrosis is one of the treatment procedures as part of complex therapy - it is included in treatment after the removal of an acute pain symptom at the stage of rehabilitation, to accelerate the restoration of the amplitude of motion in the joint and strengthen muscles and ligaments.

You can do the massage yourself, or contact a specialist in different fields.

But there is no need to pin too many hopes on this procedure - it helps to bring the disease to remission, but it cannot eliminate the cause of the disease or cure it.

Arthrosis - dystrophic-degenerative changes in the tissue of the joint: changes in the structure of the cartilage and joint capsule, violation of the integrity of the ligamentous apparatus and connective tissue.

Treatment of the disease is only complex.

Therapeutic measures include:

• the use of drugs - with conservative, and surgical intervention - with surgical treatment;
• special diet;
• physiotherapy;
• Exercise therapy;
• massage.

It can be combined with exercise therapy.

Massage for arthrosis

The treatment procedure for arthrosis should not be limited to the treatment of only the knee joint. This strategy can lead to an increase in the inflammatory process.

One should start with working out the spine in the lumbosacral region - this area is "responsible" for the functions of the lower extremities. It is very important that an experienced massage therapist works with the spine, the slightest mistake during spinal massage can cause negative consequences in the body.

Spine warm-up:

• stroking and rotating effects, palms and fist;
• consistent application of classic techniques.

Before massaging the knee joint, vigorously massage the thighs and knead the feet.

In case of arthrosis, the massage procedure is extremely important - the effect should be directed to the entire body as a whole, since the causes of the destruction of the knee joints are organic pathologies:

• violation of metabolic processes caused by the pathology of various organs;
• autoimmune, systemic and somatic diseases;
• after the transferred infections;
• against the background of tuberculosis, syphilis;
• after injuries.

Destructive processes in the absence of treatment proceed quickly enough, therefore, therapeutic effects should be directed to bone tissues and the cause that provoked the onset of the infectious process.

With periodic exacerbations of arthrosis, it is better to entrust massage to a specialist who can correctly choose the method of exposure.

Principles of massage for arthrosis.

1. The joints should be prepared prior to the procedure. To warm up, you can take a warm bath, if impacts on the knee joint are required, it is enough to make a warming complex or rub with a special tool. It is very simple to make a compress - a cloth folded in several layers is immersed in hot water, applied to the knee for 15 minutes. If the fabric dries out, it is re-wetted.
2. The impact should be directed to both limbs - to the sick and healthy. You should start with a healthy limb.
3. Knee massage technique: stroking, kneading with fingers and a hand clenched into a fist, rubbing, vibration effects.
4. The patient should not be in pain.
5. After the session, the diseased joint should be relieved for at least 30 minutes. If you massaged your knee, you need to lie down. It is better to raise the leg, as with varicose veins.
6. After the procedure, it is advisable to repeat the warming effects - this increases the blood supply to the tissues surrounding the problem area.

The duration of the procedure is no more than 20 minutes. You should start with 10 minutes of exposure, then the session time is gradually lengthened. Self-massage can be carried out several times a day, it is enough to visit a specialist once - a course of treatment up to 10 procedures.

It is recommended to combine massage sessions with physiotherapy exercises. The main exercises in the classroom are twisting, bending-extension of the knee. The starting position is sitting or lying down to reduce the load on the sore joint.

If there is an opportunity to practice in the pool, this is ideal for arthrosis. Alternatively, sliding steps (simulators imitating ski or skating steps, bicycle).

How to self-massage the knee joint

This technique helps not only for prevention purposes, but can also relieve acute pain.

You need to sit on a chair, bend your knees at right angles. If possible, you should substitute a support under your feet so that you do not have to bend over. Since both legs are massaged, you should start with a healthy one. The hands are on opposite sides of the thigh.

First, knead the thighs in turn.

For this:

• perform stroking movements with the palm;
• knead with a fist and the edge of the palm.

The stroking movements alternate - straight and zigzag, alternately process the front and back of the thigh. Repeat 4 times.

Rubbing is carried out very vigorously, this allows you to activate the blood supply in the vessels, stimulates the recovery processes, and reduces the deposition of uric acid. This effect ensures the flow of oxygen to hard-to-reach areas. Rubbing is carried out in the direction of the lymph flow - from the bottom up.

After rubbing, a longitudinal gable-like compression, pinching with fingers, circular actions with the phalanges of the index and middle fingers are performed.

When warming up, there should be no discomfort or severe pain. All sensations need to be analyzed, slight soreness may be noted.

There are techniques that advise to carry out the procedure under the shower or in the bath. To use them, you need to know exactly the strength of the impact, since water conceals the fullness of sensations and you can injure yourself.

First, the thigh is kneaded, and then the same effects are carried out on the lower legs, and only then go directly to the knees. They are kneaded, stroking the front and back of the leg in a circular motion, gradually increasing the impact.

During the treatment of the knee, independent movements should also be performed - bend and extension. A healthy limb is extended about 10-15 times, a patient - 5-8.

The knee joint massage session ends with vibration effects. Vibrations eliminate tension, have a relaxing effect, and accelerate blood flow. Vibration is the impact of the edges of the palms.

A day with arthrosis, it is enough to carry out 3-5 procedures, the time of each is 10-15 minutes. With a high-quality massage, a feeling of warmth appears, the skin turns pink. No bruising should remain - hemorrhages indicate an incorrectly performed procedure.

Contraindications to knee massage for arthrosis

Therapeutic massage is included in the therapeutic scheme only after the pain syndrome has been eliminated.

The procedure is contraindicated in diabetes mellitus, varicose veins, dermatological diseases at the stage of exacerbation, in acute infectious processes that cause fever, in cardiovascular insufficiency and thrombophlebitis.

It is not recommended to conduct sessions with emotional depression and taking psychotropic drugs.

Combining massage effects on the knee joints with diet and exercise therapy is the best way to stop the destruction of cartilage tissue in arthrosis.