Knee Arthritis
Knee arthritis is a serious, painful condition that gets worse with age. Osteoarthritis is the most common type and can occur in one or both knees. The most common symptoms are knee pain, swelling, and stiffness. There are a number of treatments that may help relieve your symptoms.
The most common types of knee arthritis include:
▸ Osteoarthritis of the knee.
▸ Spondyloarthritis
▸ Gout
▸ Post-traumatic arthritis
▸ Infectious arthritis
▸ Reactive arthritis
What causes knee arthritis?
The different types of knee arthritis have different underlying causes, but they all lead to the same results. Inflammation of the joint tissue causes pain and swelling. Damage to the joint cartilage makes the condition worse. Cartilage cushions the bones in the joint, allowing them to move smoothly against each other. When the cartilage wears away, all that's left is bone rubbing against bone.
Knee arthritis can be either degenerative or inflammatory. Osteoarthritis is degenerative. This means that regular use of the knee has begun to wear down the cartilage over time. The loss of cartilage causes inflammation. On the other hand, inflammatory arthritis (like RA) starts with inflammation of the joint. Inflammation causes cartilage to break down. Your immune system can cause inflammation.
What are the risk factors for knee arthritis?
You are more likely to develop knee arthritis if you:
▸Age over 50
▸Obese or walk with excess weight
▸Work that puts stress on your knees
▸Severe knee injuries or more than one injury
▸Anatomic differences in the knee joint
▸A family history of autoimmune disease
Recommended lifestyle changes for knee arthritis include:
▸Low-impact exercise. If your job, sport, or habits put too much stress on your knees, you need to make changes. But don't stop exercising completely: swap high-impact exercises for low-impact activities.
▸Physical therapy. A physical therapist can prescribe specific exercises to strengthen the muscles that support the knee. This can take pressure off the joint, stabilize it, and help you maintain balance.
▸Weight loss. The knee bears a large portion of the body's weight, so gaining and losing weight is important for the knee. Even losing a little weight can have a big impact on knee arthritis.
▸Orthotics and braces. Wearable devices like insoles or knee braces can help support your joints as you walk. Specific types of knee braces can help treat different areas of arthritis.
▸ Use a cane. Assistive walking devices can take pressure off your knees and provide extra balance, especially if you have muscle atrophy around your joints. Your healthcare provider can help you choose one.
▸ Acupuncture. Some people think acupuncture helps relieve arthritic knee pain. While there's no evidence that acupuncture helps, complementary therapies like acupuncture have low risks and are worth a try.
Medications for arthritis of the knee include:
▸ Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Over-the-counter NSAIDs are an important part of pain medication. But you can't rely too much on them or they can cause side effects.
▸ COX-2 inhibitors. These are a subtype of NSAIDs (selective NSAIDs) that you can use as an alternative. They appear to cause fewer gastrointestinal side effects than the nonselective types.
▸Topical pain relievers. Topical treatments may include heat/cold therapy, herbal treatments (such as arnica), or topical NSAID lotions, which may be safer than pills for treating arthritis.
Acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is an alternative over-the-counter pain reliever that is not an NSAID. You may want to rotate it with the other over-the-counter pain relievers on this list.
▸Cortisone injections (steroid injections). While oral steroid medications (corticosteroids) don't help much with knee arthritis, regular injections into the joint can provide temporary relief.
Therapeutic injections. Other injections for knee arthritis include platelet-rich plasma and viscosupplements (knee gel injections). These may be useful alternatives to cortisone injections.
▸Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. These dietary supplements are some of the building blocks of cartilage. While they haven't been proven to help treat arthritis, some people find they do help.
▸Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). This class of drugs treats inflammatory types of knee arthritis. They work in different ways to suppress autoimmune inflammation.
How can I take care of myself with knee arthritis?
Healthcare providers agree that regular, low-impact exercise is the most important thing you can do to take care of your knees when you have knee arthritis. Walking, biking, yoga, and swimming are all good options. Exercise keeps blood flowing and promotes fluid flow in tissues, helping to prevent stiffness. Specific exercises can help strengthen supporting muscles, stabilize the knee, and take pressure off it.
