Knee arthritis is a common joint disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Especially older people are the typical victim of arthritis. Knee arthritis can damage the ability to walk, stand or sit properly due to the inflexibility of the joints.
This article will show the common causes, symptoms, and treatments of knee arthritis. You can also learn to prevent the disease from an early stage.
What Is Osteoarthritis Or Knee Arthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a common joint condition. The constant wear and tear over the years breaks down the cartilage – a protective tissue – that covers the end of the bones. This leads to the friction of the joints that causes stiffness, pain, inflammation and more.
Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative arthritis. It commonly occurs in the joints of the hands, knees, shoulder and spine. Learn more about it here, https://kdmshospital.com/article/knee-arthritis/.
What Are The Causes Of Knee Arthritis?
The most common reason for knee arthritis is older age for the constant wear and tear and its cumulative effect on the joints. However, some other causes can make your joints weaker. Those are:
-
Genetics
Having someone in your immediate family with a condition can affect your genes.
-
Obesity And Poor Posture
Obesity is another common reason that puts your body at greater risk of osteoarthritis. Increased weight puts added pressure on your knees and hips.
-
Past Joint Injuries
Past injuries in your joints from an accident or playing a sport can increase the risk of knee arthritis.
-
Bone Deformities:
People born with malformed joints suffer from osteoarthritis.
What Are The Symptoms?
The symptoms of knee arthritis develop slowly and without proper treatment it can worsen over time. The symptoms include
- Pain and stiffness in the affected joints
- Loss of flexibility and feeling pain while movement
- Bone spurs or extra bit of bones like a hard lump in the affected area
- Swelling and tenderness
What Are The Treatments For Knee Arthritis?
There are different treatments for osteoarthritis, and it depends on the severity of the symptoms. The treatments of knee arthritis are:
- Medications such as oral pain relievers, topical pain relievers, ibuprofen and more.
- Physical therapy such as ultrasound and high power laser therapy is highly beneficial.
- Surgical treatment methods include laparoscopy.