Arthritis Knee Pain
Arthritis knee pain can be an annoyance for many people. If you have arthritis in the knee you may experience pain, swelling, morning stiffness and decrease in knee motion. Occasionally the joint will lock or click when the knee is bent and straightened. To confirm your diagnosis of arthritis of the knee your doctor may perform a physical exam and order x-rays. These x-rays of the knees may show loss of joint space. The most common type of knee arthritis is osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis is characterized by progressive wearing away of cartilage of the joint resulting in bare bones being exposed within the joint. However, rheumatoid arthritis can also affect the knees due to the joints becoming inflamed and cartilage being destroyed causing arthritis knee pain.
Many people however, may take this a little too far and just become sedentary, thinking this will slow down the arthritis. This in fact is not the case. You should try to remain as active as your pain will allow. Another treatment that might be helpful is the use of a walking aid such as a cane or crutch. The important thing to remember if choosing this treatment is to make sure the walking aide is the appropriate height. Too low or too high could cause more pain. Weight loss can also help alleviate arthritis knee pain. It only makes sense that lessening the amount of weight that the joint has to support can help the activities of you daily life to be less painful. Symptoms of mild to moderate degrees of arthritis may improve with injections of cortisone into the joint. This is usually done every two to three months in the office of your healthcare practitioner. For people experiencing rheumatoid arthritis, Gold injections and methotrexate may be a useful treatment to help decrease arthritis knee pain. If the arthritis gets worse and the different treatment options are no longer working surgery may be in order. Arthritis knee pain can put a halt to your active lifestyle. There are many different treatment options available to you. It is important to see your doctor to discuss your symptoms and get an accurate diagnosis based on your history and symptoms. After a complete examination by your physician they will help you to determine what treatment options would be best for you.
Arthritis knee pain… it’s not something that you have to live with… see your physician to see what options are available to you. See Also: | ||
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