A knee joint affected by arthritis may be painful and inflamed. Generally, the pain develops gradually over time, although sudden onset is also possible. There are other symptoms, as well: The joint may become stiff and swollen, making it difficult to bend and straighten the knee.
The pain can be felt all around your knee, or just in a certain place such as the front and sides. It might feel worse after moving your knee in a particular way, such as going up or down stairs. Sometimes, people have pain that wakes them up in the night.
The timing of pain can help determine what causes knee pain. Pain from a knee injury is usually obvious, but as a general rule, pain from a strain appears after injury, while a tear hurts immediately. Arthritis pain may appear suddenly but usually is more gradual in onset than other kinds of knee pain.
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.
The knee may lock or stick during movement. It may creak, click, snap, or make a grinding noise (crepitus). Pain may cause a feeling of weakness or buckling in the knee. Many people with arthritis note increased joint pain with changes in the weather.
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.
Walking may be a great option for people with knee arthritis as it is a low impact activity that is easy on their joints. This may help reduce the inflammation, pain, and stiffness this condition typically causes.
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.
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.
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.
2. How is arthritis diagnosed? Doctors usually diagnose arthritis using the patient's medical history, physical examination, X-rays, and blood tests.
Findings of knee osteoarthritis from X-rays
The standing X-rays may show narrowing of the involved joint space of the knee. Altered alignment of the knee joint is very common as either the cause or as a result of osteoarthritis.
Imaging Tests
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound may help diagnose rheumatoid arthritis in the early stages of the disease. In addition, these imaging tests can help evaluate the amount of damage in the joints and the severity of the disease.
The worst exercises for people with bad knees are full-arc knee extension (using the machine at the gym), full-deep lunges, deep squats, and Hurdler's stretches. HIIT exercising (high intensity interval training) is an effective way of getting fit, fast but there are potential risks that go hand in hand with it.
Pain in the knee that can be worsened by certain movements and exercises, including prolonged walking or standing. Stiffness of the knee joint, which makes it difficult to bend and straighten the knee. Catching and locking of the knee, which occurs when damaged and rough cartilage makes smooth movement difficult.
Never force a movement if you're experiencing sharp pain or more discomfort than usual in a joint. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, balance rest and exercise carefully: rest more to reduce inflammation, pain, and fatigue when your condition flares up, and exercise more when it calms down.
Most forms of arthritis are thought to be caused by a fault in the immune system that causes the body to attack its own tissues in the joints. This may be inherited genetically. Other forms of arthritis can be caused by problems with the immune system or by a metabolic condition, such as gout.
Stay active, when you can
People with arthritis should aim for 30 minutes of low-impact aerobic activity on most days, strength training activity twice a week, and balance exercises 3 times a week, if your arthritis puts you at higher risk of falling.
People of all ages can get arthritis, including arthritis of the knee. If you're age 50 or older, you have a higher risk of getting knee arthritis. Women get knee arthritis more often than men.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
Stiffness when you wake up or after you've been sitting for a while. Tenderness -- the area is sore when you touch it. Lack of movement -- the joint won't complete its full range of motion. Grating -- you might feel things rubbing together inside the joint.
Here is a look at the stages of osteoarthritis of the knee ranging from normal, minor, mild, moderate and severe stages, with appropriate treatment plans.