subject: Discover Osteoarthritis of Knee before It's Too Late [print this page] Discover Osteoarthritis of Knee before It's Too Late
Osteoarthritis is a very common kind of arthritis that develops in the joints of the body. Osteoarthritis of knee occurs when the cartilage of the knee joint, undergoes gradual wear and tear. This results in stiffness and severe pain in the knee joint. In the latter stages of the disease, the pain gets too difficult to handle. Because of this, movements of the victim become very difficult. This happens due to the friction between the bones of the knee. A cartilage acts like a cushion between the two bones of the knee. When this degenerates, due to gradual wear and tear, over time, the bones will clash against each other causing friction.
The result is severe joint inflammation and joint pain. This could even lead to excess of fluids in the knee joint. Symptoms of osteoarthritis in the knee joint include:
Pain and stiffness
Movements become very difficult for the patient. The knee joint takes the body weight and is greatly responsible for the movements of the leg.
Due to degeneration of the cartilage, it gets very difficult for the knee joint to carry out its function.
The person finds too much of difficulty in climbing stairs, walking, moving about and day-to-day life activities get painful and tedious.
The causes of osteoarthritis are plenty:
If there has been a knee injury in the past, there are chances of developing osteoarthritis.
Obesity is also a factor that could cause osteoarthritis. In the case of obese people, there is too much pressure on the knees, causing wearing out.
The other reasons could include hereditary,
Old age and
Even gender related causes.
Medical experts and professionals have yet to develop a cure for osteoarthritis. Doctors do have remedies to reduce the effects and discomfort associated with osteoarthritis. In case anyone suffers from it, it is important to take proper medical care and guidance from a practitioner. This will help in proper examination of the extent of the problem and how to tackle it. Some of the prescriptions work by reducing pain. They include anti-inflammatory prescription drugs. Other essential supportive cures are:
Exercises,
Weight loss
Use of support or cane and
Physical cure
In severe cases, physicians prescribe surgery.
To deal with osteoarthritis of knee is easier these days. There are also braces available that provide support to the knee. For cases where it is possible to avoid surgery, doctors advice the patients to wear such braces on the knee to ease the pain. Then there are also other treatments available like using infrared heat to decrease the pain in the knee joint. Discovery and implementation of newer and better means of dealing with knee pain have come to be with advancement in Science and technology.
It is always better to deal with osteoarthritis of knee if detected in the early stages of it. This will ensure that the knee joint damaged further. Moreover, application of other methods besides surgery is always better. Hence, if you have knee problems, you must visit your doctor to ensure the causes and get it cured at the earliest.
