Hello, everyone! Dr. Khubaib here and I will be discussing one of the most common conditions that patients come to visit us here at Montgomery Sports Medicine Center: Knee Osteoarthritis.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and although it can occur in any joint, the disorder most commonly affects the joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative, wear-and-tear type of arthritis that involves joint cartilage thinning and consequently more stresses on the joint surfaces. It typically occurs in people 50 years of age and older. 1 in 5 of all US adults will have arthritis.
What are the symptoms of Osteoarthritis in the knee?
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis develop slowly, with pain worsening over time. Common symptoms include:
- Pain during or after movement
- Your knee feeling stiff, particularly after you first wake up or after sitting for a long time
- Loss of range of motion and flexibility
- A cracking or grinding noise when moving your knee
- Swelling and tenderness around your knee
Symptoms of this condition can usually be managed, but unfortunately Osteoarthritis can not be cured. Having an active lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight and receiving certain treatments can slow down the progression of the disease and help manage pain and joint function.
What causes Osteoarthritis of the knee?
Osteoarthritis in the knee occurs as the cartilage in the knee joint gradually wears away. Cartilage is a strong, flexible connective tissue that protects your joints and bones. As this breaks down, it becomes frayed and rough, causing the protective space between the bones to decrease. This can result in bone rubbing on bone, producing painful bone spurs.
How is Osteoarthritis of the knee diagnosed?
The diagnosis of Knee Osteoarthritis is a multistep process involving a thorough history and physical examination, followed usually by knee imaging w X-Rays, Ultrasound or both. MRI’s are usually not needed and not recommended to diagnose Osteoarthritis.
How do you treat Osteoarthritis of the knee?
The treatment of Osteoarthritis can be divided into short term (hours to days), intermediate term (days to months) and long term (months to years) therapies. These involve various oral pain medications and supplements, different types of intra-articular knee injections, weight loss, home exercises and physical therapy.
How can I manage my everyday life with osteoarthritis?
The two best things to be done for osteoarthritis (once an acute flare-up has resolved) are to lose weight and to be more active. Every 1 pound of weight lost reduces the stress on each knee by 4 pounds. Studies have found that people who run a moderate amount every week (15-20 miles weekly) have a reduced incidence of osteoarthritis as compared to people who do not run or people who run too much (around 90 miles weekly).