Knee Arthritis Treatment And Pain Relief

Knee arthritis can also be called osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is essentially the wearing down of the cartilage surrounding the knee which occurs simply as people age. Another common form of knee arthritis is Rheumatoid Arthritis, which results in swelling within the joint and damage to the cartilage. Not only do these forms of knee arthritis affect the joints and cartilage, they can also have a serious impact on the surrounding ligaments, muscles and tendons.

Osteoarthritis is often the result of increased strain on the joint due to weight, or repeated injury or damage. Knee arthritis is definitely more common in middle aged to elderly persons. A younger sufferer of knee arthritis has usually inherited the condition- it does have a genetic disposition, or it can be the after affect of a serious knee injury- more common in sports men- specifically footballers. Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in younger people for this reason.

There are various warning signs for potential sufferers of knee arthritis- these could be restricted knee movement, localized swelling or inflammation and discomfort and pain. The most key indicator however is stiffness- when the knee has not been moved for a period of time, and then movement is not fluid- this is a possible indicator of knee arthritis. Another warning sign is a clicking sound coming from the joint when it is extended- this can be cause by other knee conditions other than knee arthritis however. Whatever the potential symptom, the patient will always need to have an X-Ray before any sense of a diagnosis can be performed by the recommending physician or doctor.

There are less related methods of testing for knee arthritis as well. The main one is simply a blood test- doctor's will be able to see deficiency in the blood results. An arthroscopy will also most certainly confirm the diagnosis of knee arthritis, however this will only be recommended if there is an intention to fix the knee arthritis.

Here are the 4 main treatments for knee arthritis:

Exercise - It has been proven that one of the most significant factors in causing knee arthritis is being overweight. If the sufferer can begin a gentle exercise regime in combination with a healthy diet, there is every chance that the knee arthritis symptoms will ease.

Physical therapy - There are sets of exercises which a physician or doctor can recommend. These exercises benefit the knee arthritis by focusing mobility in certain parts of the knee where the stiffness is occurring, thus easing the symptoms of the knee arthritis.

Medication - Often sufferers of knee arthritis will be administered basic pain killers such as Aspirin, but also Acetaminophen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications.

Surgery - Surgery on knee arthritis needs to be carefully considered and evaluated by your doctor before being pursued as a treatment option for knee arthritis. Certain factors such as health, weight age all need to be considered before deciding it is the best method to take. Usually all other methods of knee arthritis treatments will be exhausted before surgery will be considered.

Knee arthritis like most forms of arthritis can be easily managed and the symptoms controlled. It is crucial to diagnose as early as possible, as this will lead to a greater chance of curing the knee arthritis.