Causes of Arthritis Knee Pain
Do you have arthritis knee pain? Many people suffering from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis are dealing with the pain, deformity and loss of motion that arthritis can cause in the knees. Although many people end up requiring knee replacement surgery as a way of healing the damage, this can be a massive procedure that can take a long time to recover from.
The knee joint has three bones involved in its structure. They are the thigh bone (femur), the shin bone (tibia) and kneecap (patella). There is cartilage which shields the ends of the bone and a meniscus, which is a pad of cushioning tissue in the middle. Muscles and tendons keep everything in the proper alignment.
In osteoarthritis, knee pain is a result of the break down in cartilage. The ends of the bones become rough and jagged in later stages of the disease, and knee damage and pain can result. Osteoarthritis is normally a disease which affects older people but younger people who have injured their joints may also experience the symptoms of osteoarthritis. With rheumatoid arthritis, the body’s immune system attacks the joints and can destroy cartilage. There is inflammation, heat and swelling in addition to joint pain. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people of any age, which makes it different than osteoarthritis.
There are a few different ways that you can treat knee pain that comes from arthritis. There are anti-inflammatory medications, pain relievers and supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin that are designed to support and repair cartilage. If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, there are oral medications which are designed to modify the way the disease is affecting you. They include methotrexate. Gold therapy is also used although this is much less common now that safer drug alternatives have been discovered.
There are several surgical options to treat knee pain. They include scoping the knee to repair or remove damaged cartilage, repairing a torn meniscus, or a total knee replacement. Total knee replacements may take quite some time to recover from but artificial knee joints can help you return to a high quality of life.
You can also try some of the topical products that are on the market. There are a number of effective creams and lotions available. They have different active ingredients and some work by cooling the joint. Others work by heating the joint gently. Your doctor can tell you which products are better for your particular situation. It may be tempting to stop using the joint but you need to make sure that you don’t do this. It will only make the joint stiff and unusable. You may want to consider exercises such as swimming that use the joint but do not put weight on them. Physiotherapy is also a good alternative for you to explore.
Knee pain can be one of the most difficult aspects of arthritis to deal with. You use your knees for so much in your life that having pain can cause problems in your every day routines. Knowing what your treatment options are can help you get on with your life and stay as normal as possible.
Author’s Notes
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