Knee arthritis can affect people of all ages. It's painful, impairs movement and causes swelling of the joint. Some people are so disabled by it that they can't work anymore. Others can only work after surgery.
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a prevalent health issue. Despite a diagnosis of arthritis of the knee, the majority of you can live an active, happy life. But you've heard awful phrases used to describe your Xrays– phrases like Bone on Bone, bone spurs, degeneration, wearing away, etc. Those phrases scare you.
Osteoarthritis of the knee happens when the cartilage in your knee joint breaks down, enabling the bones to rub together. The friction makes your knees hurt, become stiff and sometimes swell. While osteoarthritis in the knee can't be cured, there are many treatments to slow its progress and ease your symptoms.
If you have arthritis in your knee, walking can be a great way to relieve pain, stiffness and swelling. Moving your legs at even a gentle pace allows the muscles to stretch, which can help reduce arthritic knee pain.
Knee Osteoarthritis Stage 4
This is the most severe stage of knee osteoarthritis, at this point, the space between the bones is severely reducing. The cartilage in our knee is getting to the point where it is barely there, and you are experiencing pain consistently.
43% of people with OA are 65 or older and 88% of people with OA are 45 or older. Annual incidence of knee OA is highest between 55 and 64 years old. More than half of individuals with symptomatic knee OA are younger than 65.
The cartilage starts thinning after trauma to your knee (like an injury from a car crash or contact sport). Your bones rub together, and that causes the same symptoms as osteoarthritis: pain, stiffness and limited movement. Your knee arthritis symptoms might not start until years after the trauma.
The decision you and your doctor make depends on your age, health, and activity level, and on how much pain and disability you have. Most people have knee replacement only when they can no longer control arthritis pain with medicine and other treatments and when the pain really interferes with their lives.
Osteoarthritis is typically treated with painkillers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These medications have an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effect. Examples of NSAIDs include diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen.
Walking is recommended for people with arthritis as it's low impact, helps to keep the joints flexible, helps bone health and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. If you do experience pain or you're very stiff afterwards try doing a bit less, factor in more rest and check in with your GP, if you need to.
For OA in general, the most helpful advice is to maintain an ideal weight, avoid overusing joints that are damaged and follow a plan of exercise that strengthens the muscles supporting the joint. Your doctor or physical therapist should be able to help you with any of these.
Many people who have arthritis or a related disease may be living with chronic pain. Pain is chronic when it lasts three to six months or longer, but arthritis pain can last a lifetime. It may be constant, or it may come and go.
Friction would come from activities like deep knee bending or knee lunges that require you to bend and hold a knee position for an extended period. Those activities can make your knee arthritis symptoms worse, and you'll want to avoid that so the joint can calm down.
While braces don't keep knee arthritis from worsening, they can help reduce osteoarthritis knee pain. “You may find that braces are very comfortable for you,” says Dr. Thut, “or you may find that they don't help a whole lot.”
Another study suggests that people with osteoarthritis knee pain benefit most when they walk 6,000 or more steps per day.
Walking tips
If pain levels are low, they can increase their walking time or distance the following week. Build up to 150 minutes per week: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people with knee arthritis to aim to do 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week.
Stage 1: Minor
At this stage, a person is unlikely to experience discomfort or pain. The joint will appear healthy on an X-ray. Gait changes are also unlikely . Learn more about the early stages of OA of the knee here.
Untreated arthritis will add to the degradation of the structures in and around the joint leading to more and more pain and a loss of function. The progression of arthritis may lead to requiring a total joint replacement.
You might have some stiffness in the morning, but this won't usually last more than half an hour. The pain can be felt all around your knee, or just in a certain place such as the front and sides.
Gout is an extremely painful type of arthritis caused by a buildup, overflow and/or inability to process uric acid.