Knee Arthritis Causes and Treatments
Knee arthritis, causes and treatments are topic we will discus in this article. Knee arthritis or Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the knee bone gets injured because of overworking under the …
Knee arthritis, causes and treatments are topic we will discus in this article.
Knee arthritis or Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the knee bone gets injured because of overworking under the heavy impacts. This causes pain, discomfort and impairs mobility and affects daily quality of life.
Although mostly the elderly suffer from knee arthritis. But the number of young people who developing this disease also has increased, due to lifestyle and living conditions. So, what is the cause of knee arthritis? How to diagnose and how to treat it ? The following article will help you to answer all of the above questions about knee arthritis, causes and treatments
What is knee arthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a disease that occurs when the cartilage or bone layer gradually wears away and loses lubrication. That leads to the ends of the bones rubbing against each other, causing inflammation. Some people can get knee arthritis on one leg but others can suffer on both sides. This phenomenon causes severe destruction of joint cartilage. And as a result, it makes swelling, knee pain, and difficulty in walking.
Types of knee arthritis
In medicine, knee arthritis has few different forms. But mostly they are: Knee arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Chronic traumatic arthritis ,Gout
1.Knee arthritis
This is the most common form of arthritis. It is a result of degeneration of cartilage. When the cartilage layers worn away and reduces the ability to protect the knee joints. That makes the knee joint no longer as flexible as the original. Patients who get this condition suffer from very uncomfortable pain. It affects their mobility ability and quality of life. This disease, without proper treatment, can develop with time. Knee pain can progress into the following 4 stages: Doubtful, mild, moderate and severe
Stages of arthritis
- Doubtful: at this early state, there is no specific symptom. The slightly injured cartilage only be seen through X- ray images
- Mild: At this stage, through X- ray images the bone spurs can be seen on the patient’s knee bones. The middle area when cartilage contacts with bone become thinner and also is eroded. Patients may feel the mild pain when walking but mostly they do not pay much attention. They only realize problem when the pain gets more frequent.
- Moderate: in this state, more pains and swellings show up. Patients can feel the stiffness on the knee when moving. On X- ray images, the head of bone is gradually narrows. And the cartilage of the joint is damaged
- Severe stage: this is final stage, the disease appears more severe and complications. On X- ray images, the ends of the bone are touching each other. The cartilage layer may be lost or has broken in many pieces. Leading to aching pain. And in some cases that can make deformity of knee.
Knee arthritis can occur with people over 50 years old with a history of hard working condition. But it can happen in young people or athletes with over workouts.
2.Rheumatoid arthritis
Knee arthritis usually affects only knee joints. But rheumatoid arthritis is a form of arthritis that affects many joints in the body at the same time. The knee bone can be only one of the areas that is affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Realistically, autoimmune disease is damage caused by a malfunctioning immune system that affect the body’s own tissues.
3.Chronic traumatic arthritis
This injury is caused by the tearing of cartilage or ligaments and bones around the joints. Although these injury conditions can be improved but it still leaves complications. Chronic arthritis can last even in a few years.
As a result of over workout . Chronic traumatic arthritis causes long term suffering for athletes. Once they got in problem, they will experience pains, swelling, inflammation in their knee with intense frequency over the time
4.Gout
Gout is a disease caused by a poor purine metabolism of kidneys, which makes the kidney unable to filter uric acid from blood. Uric acid remains inside the body, once the amount of uric acid builds up with high concentration. It forms small crystals. These crystals deposit in the knee point, causing knee arthritis with pain, swelling and inflammation symptoms
Causes of knee arthritis
Due to a variety of reasons that cause the pain in knee. Finding out what is the cause of disease will help to find the right treatment method.
- Sport accidents: Injuries caused as a result of an accident happened during performing sports. Athletes with knee joint injuries such as : torn meniscus, torn ligaments, fractured bones.. If not treated, these serious injuries can develop into knee arthritis
- Habit: Sitting habits that cause pressure on the knee. Lacking of activity, wearing high heels or wrong size shoes will put negative impacts on the knee. In the long term, it will cause knee arthritis.
- Nature of work: Athletes, footballers, weightlifters, construction workers, dancers…. are people with high risk of knee arthritis. Because their knee joints are constantly under high pressure. Small injuries without proper treatment can lead to the development of knee arthritis.
- Metabolic disorders: Uric acid can not fully be eliminated due to poor purine metabolism of the liver. It stores inside blood causing gout and affect to knee joints
- Ageing: The knee joints will age when you get older. The elasticity of the knee joints decreases leading to knee arthritis
- Overeating: Obesity, over weight will put more stress on the knee joint and makes the process of osteoarthritis happen faster
- Smoking: the toxicity in cigarette will cause a lot of damage blood vessels. It slows or obstruct blood circulation which bring nourish to the knee joins and make it become susceptible to disease.
Symptoms
Pain: Appears insidiously, knee pain can slowly or suddenly show up without warning, Person who has got this condition will experience pain from mild to severe uncomfortable pain. It causes difficulty in daily activities, going up and down stairs, standing up and down become a difficult job.
Red swelling: The knee joints will become red and swelling. People can experience a hot burning sensation in the early morning . With naked eye we can see these symptoms easily.
Stiffness: People describe the symptom of stiffness as a numb feeling on the leg when they wake up in the morning. The poor blood circulation with damaged blood tissues are the main causes of the knee pain.
Sound: Strange sounds like rattling or crackling on the knee are normal for people with knee arthritis. It happens when they are walking, standing up or down.
Cold feet: Cold feet, tiredness, and weakness are common symptoms of knee pain. The main cause of this is poor blood circulation. The blood can not reach down to the top of the toes, warm the legs up. Making it cold and getting weak.
Treatments
Treatments for knee arthritis will depend on the causes of knee paints. Some commonly prescribed medications are
- Pain killer: paracetamol, tramadol..
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Ibuprofen, naproxen, sodium, ketoprofen..
- Corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid
- Other slow-acting drugs such as methotrexate, cyclophosphamide
Please understand this is not medical advice. Consult with your doctor, do not make any self treatment and take any medication without proper diagnose, watch and care of your doctor
Changing life styles
Reducing and maintaining reasonable weight will help to relieve pressure that puts on joints. This method will help knee with inflammation recover quicker.
Do gentle exercise like swimming, walking or cycling.. And please avoiding vigorous sports like football, high jumping ..which put more pressure on the knee.
Eating healthy and balanced nutritious meals. Taking more fruit and vegetables. Be sure to stay away from fast foods, sweets, animal organs, and dried foods that can cause inflammation and make knee pain symptoms get worse.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a method that doctors will first suggest for people with knee pain. These methods are safe and can help to reduce pain. It can increase the function and flexibility of joints . Then slowly it improves the condition
Some of common methods are:
- Hot air compressed therapy: Applying hot air compressed therapy will support a better blood circulation in the injured knee. Then the swelling and pain will significantly improve. Usually, the time suggested for treatment will be around 20-30 minutes
- Applying the warm therapy
- Reflexology and massage : A method of using fingers pressing on the soles of feet to reduce pain . It helps to blood circulate better and improve the whole wellbeing which includes knee pain.
- Exercise: yoga is a recommended method for knee rehab exercise. Which brings a lot of benefits for pain release and strengthen the knee health.
- Cycling therapy : the old and well-known method for people with knee arthritis. It specializes in helping blood circulation, relax nerves, relieve pain. As a result, it will slowly help to strengthen the muscles and bones in the knee joint
Summary: Knee arthritis is a common disease, understand it’ causes will help the treatments become easier and more effective. It can totally be prevented and healed at the early state if you apply the right method.
Source: Mayor Clinics
Image: Pixel mob
