The most common type of knee arthritis is Osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease, caused by wear-and-tear on the knee joints. Osteoarthritis causes a progressive wearing away of the cartilage of the joint surrounding the knee. When this protective cartilage is worn away by knee arthritis, bare bone is exposed within the joint. It is extremely painful and can become so debilitating that the sufferer can barely stand or walk for any length of time.
What Causes Knee Arthritis?
Arthritis of the knee generally afflicts patients over the age of 50 who are overweight. Genetic predisposition may also be a cause of this chronic condition. Other risk factors that may contribute to developing knee arthritis include:
-Trauma to the knee.
-Meniscus tears or ligament damage.
-Fractures to the bone around the joint.
Symptoms of Knee Arthritis:
Knee arthritis symptoms tend to progress as the condition worsens and may be exacerbated by weather changes and stress to the knee joints. Pain may appear intermittedly, with pain free weeks or months, followed by very painful flare-ups.
Some of the most common symptoms of knee arthritis include:
-Pain with activities.
-Limited range of motion.
-Stiffness of the knee.
-Swelling of the joint.
-Tenderness along the joint.
-A feeling the joint may "give out".
-Deformity of the joint (knock-knees or bow-legs).
Evaluation of a patient with knee arthritis should begin with a physical examination and X-Rays. These can serve as a baseline to evaluate later examinations and determine progression of the condition.
Treating Knee Arthritis?
Treatment for knee arthritis ranges from simple life changes and medications to injections at the site and even surgery to completely replace the knee. Each patient is different and should determine their course of treatment with an orthopedist who specializes in knee arthritis.
Some basic treatments to begin with include:
Weight Loss:
Carrying excess weight can cause serious harm to weakened knee joints by placing undo stress on the knee. Pain can be excruciating for obese patients suffering with knee arthritis.
Activity Modification:
Limiting certain activities may be necessary, and learning new exercise methods may be helpful. Those who find it too painful to exercise, may find aquatic therapy helpful since the buoyancy of the water takes away any stress to the knees and joints while exercising.
Walking Aids:
Using a cane or crutch in the hand opposite the affected knee can help decrease the demand placed on the arthritic joint.
Physical Therapy:
Decreasing the burden on the knee by strengthening the muscles around the knee joint may help decrease both pain and swelling. Proper physical therapy can also help prevent muscle atrophy around the knee, which is an important part of maintaining functional use of the knee.
Occupational Therapy:
Some patients have found short stints of occupational therapy helpful in learning the proper ways to stand, sit, bend, and so forth once atrophy of the muscles surrounding the knee begins to affect range of motion,
Arthritis of the knee can be especially difficult to deal with for many patients since their mobility can be seriously limited once the disease progresses. Beginning treatment early, and learning the proper way to care for a damaged knee are all important in maintaining an active lifestyle despite the disease.
Symptoms Of Knee Arthritis
Also called wear-and-tear arthritis or degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive wearing away of the cartilage of the joint. As the protective cartilage is worn away by knee arthritis, bare bone is exposed within the joint.
Knee arthritis symptoms tend to progress as the condition worsens. What is interesting about knee arthritis is that symptoms do not always progress steadily with time. Often patients report good months and bad months or symptom changes with weather changes.
This is important to understand because comparing the symptoms of arthritis on one particular day may not accurately represent the overall progression of the condition.The most common symptoms of knee arthritis are:pain with activities, limited range of motion, stiffness of the knee, swelling of the joint, tenderness along the joint, a feeling the joint may "give out", deformity of the joint (knock-knees or bow-legs).
Rheumatologists, physicians who diagnose and treat arthritis and related conditions, use a variety of diagnostic techniques. The first step is a thorough history and physical examination, during which the doctor questions the patient about symptoms and medical history to learn about potential exposure to infectious agents or a family history of arthritis.
The patient is examined to determine the pattern of joints affected. With this information, rheumatologists are usually able to make a diagnosis. Laboratory tests are used to help diagnose inflammatory arthritis.
For example, a blood test called erythrocyte sedimentation rate measures how quickly red blood cells cling together and fall to the bottom of a test tube. When there is inflammation in the body, red blood cells sink faster.
This test lets physicians evaluate how severe the inflammation is. Rheumatologists also test a patient's blood or synovial fluid for the presence of specific antibodies?disease-fighting agents activated in the body by infections.
The presence of rheumatoid factor antibodies, for example, is an indication of rheumatoid arthritis, and antinuclear antibodies can be an indication of lupus. The presence of these antibodies along with clinical symptoms help establish the diagnosis. Physicians may also elect to test for the presence of specific genes, such as the HLA-B27 gene.
The primary goal of treatment is to reduce joint pain and inflammation and to maximize joint mobility. To this end, rheumatologists work closely with patients and their families to develop a treatment regimen incorporating exercise and rest as well as pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory drugs, and in some types of arthritis, drugs that slow the progress of the disease.
Low impact, regular exercise is very important in maintaining muscle strength and joint mobility. One of the best forms of exercise for people with arthritis is swimming, an activity that lets participants use muscles with minimal joint strain.
Arthritis sufferers benefit from physical therapy programs specially tailored to their age level and degree of mobility. Stretching and hot showers before exercise and applying ice packs to muscles and joints after exercise minimize discomfort related to exercise.
Rest is another crucial element of arthritis treatment. In addition to recommending at least eight hours of sleep a night, rheumatologists may also advise patients to use a cane, splint, sling, or special footwear to rest or stabilize affected joints periodically during the day.
Almost all drugs used to treat arthritis can have side effects and may not work for all patients with arthritis. Researchers are investigating alternatives to traditional drug therapy and other treatment approaches.
If joint damage is severe, patients with arthritis may need to have surgical treatment. Total hip and total knee replacements can significantly relieve pain and improve joint function. In some cases, surgeons replace damaged or deteriorating joints with artificial stainless steel or plastic components in a procedure called arthroplasty.
Both Matthew Hick & Scott Michaels are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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