What Is Knee Pain (Osteoarthritis)?
Osteoarthritis in the knee is really about the cartilage in the joint being worn away over time or because of over-use and injuries. People call this “Wear And Tear” Arthritis, but it’s a lot more complex than that.
It can be a vicious circle where the pain in your knee causes you to stop moving the joint, and then the decrease in movement can cause stiffness. Add inflammation into the mix, and your knee can degenerate to the point where it causes you pain every day!
Pain, swelling, and stiffness are the primary symptoms of arthritis. Any joint in the body may be affected by the disease, but it is particularly common in the knee.
Nowadays, medical science is so good, knee-replacements are quite commonplace, but they certainly aren’t risk-free. So why not try to deal with your Knee Osteoarthritis before you get to this point?
Aging And Knee Pain
As we get older, our risk for Knee Osteoarthritis increases dramatically. We can make lifestyle changes at any age to help this condition, and maybe even prevent it happening in the first place! Watching your weight, and making sure you fix knee injuries as soon as possible are very important.
Consider a pro-active approach to your body, regularly partaking in therapies, movement and exercises that help keep you mobile, fit, strong and injury-free!
Knee Pain Symptoms
- Cracking noise from your knee as you move it
- Pain most of the time
- Increase in pain when moving, and a small decrease in pain after resting
- Difficulty in straining the knee, like when getting in and out of a car or climbing steps
- Warmth in the joint, and redness on the skin
- Stiffness you feel after you haven’t moved for a while
- Swelling
- Sometimes there is accompanied Hip Pain and other connected areas (Ankle Pain, Foot Pain, Back Pain etc)
Knee Pain Causes
Sports Injuries
Certain sports can put extra pressure on the knee, such as basketball. Jumping up and down on a hard surface can injure the knee so much that there’s even a syndrome called “Jumper’s Knee”. Prolonged sports injuries to the knee very often lead to Knee Osteoarthritis!
Weight
If you’re overweight this dramatically increases the strain on your knees, even doing every-day activities like walking.
Wear and Tear Over Time
As we age, our body takes longer to heal, and particularly it’s difficult to regenerate cartilage. This is another reason to protect and rehabilitate your knees as quickly as possible.
Other forms of Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis can contribute to Osteoarthritis – statistically you are more likely to develop it.
Smoking
Is there any disease that smoking doesn’t make worse?
Gender
Statistically, women over the age of 55 are more prone to Osteoarthritis, but I often wonder is this caused by a more sedentary lifestyle, and lack of exercise? Moving your joints is very good for your joints!
