Knee Osteoarthritis, What It Is And How To Live With It

Knee osteoarthritis is complicated by the fact that the knee takes all the load-bearing strain of the full body weight, which in turn makes the condition even more painful. This is a degenerative disease. It often feels worse in the mornings with stiffness that takes time to resolve.

Osteoarthritis, often located in the knee, is the most common form of arthritis to be found in the United States. It differs from rheumatoid arthritis in that, should there be any inflammation present, it is usually not severe.

It is not fully known what causes knee osteoarthritis in the first place. Certainly the cartilage and bone being subjected to mechanical stresses through everyday movements, coupled with the disease being present, make this a particularly difficult and painful form of arthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis can be difficult to treat. One of the characteristics of this condition is the loss of articular cartilage. This has a poor ability to self-heal, which merely exacerbates the problem. People who are overweight or obese naturally have a bigger problem as their increased body weight makes it considerably more difficult for the knee to cope.

Any treatment of the condition must primarily seek to relieve the pain. Sufferers describe the pain as being deep-seated with a prolonged aching that can stay constant for long periods of time, often with little respite. Certain weather conditions, such as increased humidity, can cause the symptoms to worsen.

There are a number of treatments available. These typically reduce the pain and inflammation, but often cause unpleasant side effects. For this reason, many sufferers of knee osteoarthritis prefer to use chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate in preference to other pain and inflammation relieving drugs.