Top Treatment Options for Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee Osteoarthritis

With the pace of time and age, osteoarthritis becomes more severe, which mainly affects the knee portion. Apart from the old aged group, youngsters can too experience this pain, which sometimes occurs due to hereditary issues, or is the result of some infection or injury. Moreover, obese people are also suffering from this deadly condition, which is quite daunting and painful to tolerate. You might be wondering what exactly osteoarthritis is all about. Isn't it?

Definition of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common symptoms nowadays observing in their knees. However, osteoarthritis is also known as wear and tear arthritis, which is a natural pain occurring in the joint portions, cartilage, and bones. This physiological and biochemical disease provides pain when the bones break down in the body gradually and wear away. Later, the bones grind and rub with each other, and transfer the pain towards the joints.

The agony of osteoarthritis often causes due to the never-ending demands of the sport, ageing, and obesity too. If you are a dancer or athlete from a very young age, then you might have felt this pain in the knee portion, hips area as well as while climbing out of bed early in the morning. For your knowledge, the osteoarthritis pain doesn't come suddenly. Rather, it increases over years or months. In addition to this, you will only feel pain in the joint areas. Other than this, you will not feel sick or have the fatigue like other inflammatory arthritis generally do.

Causes of Osteoarthritis

There are certainly many factors, which increases the chances of knee pain. Some of the factors are quite familiar, which you are confronting on a regular basis. Have a look at the causes, which are still not known to you.

• In the late 40s, the muscles usually become weaker, and the body couldn't resist more pressure and exertion. With the passage of time, old people gradually feel the pain in the joint areas.
• For women, the osteoarthritis become more painful and pathetic when they involve themselves in continuous activities and workloads.
• Obese or overweight people are also more prone to this disease, which usually becomes worse with the rise in time.
• If you had an operation a few days back like meniscectomy or ligament repair, then there are certain chances of getting osteoarthritis pain.
• Due to the severe mining and farming work, osteoarthritis is obvious to come.
• Bad injuries and hereditary issues are also contributing for osteoarthritis.
• Athletics.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Sometimes, it becomes difficult to find out how exactly osteoarthritis occurs. Here are some points, which will clear all your doubts and instincts.

• Stiffness in the knee.
• The continuous flow of pain in the joint areas.
• Grinding, creaking, and crunching sensation in the joints.
• Soft swelling.
• Hard swelling.
• When your knee is not moving properly.
• Muscles around the joint become stiff.
• Knees becoming bowed or bent.
• Muscles weakness.

How will you treat osteoarthritis successfully before it gets severe?

Due to the change in the lifestyle and historic joint diseases, osteoarthritis becomes worse day-by-day and promotes severe pain and stiffness in the joint areas of the human body. Osteoarthritis develops over just a month or year, and cause damage in your joints, which later becomes agonizing and arduous to bear.

The discomfit level and cramps increases in the joint portion, which leads to strain and harsh pain. There are several ways to treat this disease, but before you delve deep into processes, analyze where exactly you are feeling the most trouble, think about the past incidents, and determine whether the pain is causing due to osteoarthritis.[1]

The main treatments that are included for the osteoarthritis are:

• Medication.
• Lifestyle measure.
• Supportive therapies.

Medication

It is of no surprise that osteoarthritis is a dangerous disease, which sometimes affects the mental stability of a person. Moreover, sufferers often desire to take painkillers to get instant relief as well as to control the bad radiation of the joint pain. But, before you take any type of medicine for the osteoarthritis pain, always consult a doctor or experts who are aware of such diseases and facts.

However, doctors will always suggest you the best medicine or painkiller, which will have no side effects in the body. In addition to this, experts will not only suggest medicines to cure the disease, rather, but they may also add some better suggestions in the list like exercises and stretching.

Painkillers or analgesic are nowadays becoming part and parcel of every individual's life. Most of the time, people are taking a certain type of painkillers like paracetamol, acetaminophen, naproxen, ibuprofen, and much more.  But, it is always suggested that taking an overdose of painkillers will enhance the chances of side effects in the body.

To avoid this danger, immediately reach to the doctor who will give you prescription regarding the anti-inflammatory drugs, which will help you in reducing the pain. Doctors are aware of the knee anatomy and know the correct treatment process for your painful joints. There are various types of steroids and surgeries, which are also helpful for releasing the pain from the joints.

Alternative therapies are like topical creams, which include acupuncture, glucosamine, SAMe, and capsaicin, which are effective and beneficial for osteoarthritis. In addition to this, doctors are also using the braces to the side of the knees, which are being affected by arthritis. The additions of braces have positive impacts on the pain and give relaxation by providing complete support to the knee portion.

Lifestyle Changes

Though, hereditary and athletics are some of the major reason for osteoarthritis, but, your lifestyle to plays a crucial role in initiating the pain in the joint areas of the human body. Change in diet, overweight, heavy workloads, lack of exercises, poor injuries, and medical history are also responsible for osteoarthritis pain. Thus, here are some tips for you, which are beneficial for future days, and you may get the desired results immediately. But, you will surely find some change in the pain and stiffness after a few days or month. All you need to have is patience and time.

Exercises and Stretching

Nothing seems more charming and relaxing than early morning exercises. People, who are suffering from osteoarthritis, are always advised to exercise. Though, exercises can be performed anytime for the osteoarthritis, the impact is more powerful and fruitful when you will do them during the time of sunrise.

Whatever your age may be and level of vigour, physical exercises and stretching are the best options to improve your health condition as well as to reduce the deadly pain from the joint areas. Often, the osteoarthritis causing pains are frightening and severe, and avoiding exercises will make the condition worse than ever before.

However, regular exercises and activities will help you in staying active, strengthen your body and build up better muscles, which will gradually decrease the joint agony. Moreover, you can easily work on the osteoarthritis's symptoms, which are tedious to find out. Stretching will help you in many ways, and will slowly eliminate the pain from the entire body.

If you are not getting the exact way which exercises are better for osteoarthritis, then consult a physiotherapist today. They will benefit you, and however, will offer the best plan, which is necessary to follow at your home. The physiotherapist will start from the ground level, and based on your tolerance power; they will slowly proceed towards critical steps.[2]

Losing Weight

Being obese is never considered a good option. Isn't it true? There are lots of risks associated with a person who is having poor eating habits, or in short, are called overweight. Starting from the joint pains to brain-related issues, obese people are suffering from various diseases today.

Amidst these scenarios, osteoarthritis is also causing harsh pain in human beings who are overweight. The pain will become more relentless and stern when obese people will deny losing their weight. So, before things move out of your hand, consult a dietitian today, and start losing weight. The pain of osteoarthritis will also decrease with the suitable exercise and weight losing therapies.

Supportive Therapies

Apart from the medications and lifestyle changes, supportive therapies will also reduce the soreness and stiffness from the body.

Transcutaneous Electrical Never Stimulation

This process is usually conducted for the osteoarthritis knee with the help of a machine. The machine further sends some electrical impulses to the body through the sticky patches, known as electrodes, which are mainly attached to the skin. By using this technique, people can get instant relief from the fatal pain, and moreover, the electrical impulses will reach to spinal cord and nerve endings to control the pain.

Cold and Hot Packs

Sometimes, hot or cold packs are also effective in decreasing the pain. You can apply a hot water bottle or ice packs to the affected regions.

Manual Therapy

Physiotherapists are well-known with the facts how osteoarthritis occurs. They can provide you with some manual therapies, such as stretching techniques, which will keep your joint muscles and bone flexible and supple.

References:

1..https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/osteoarthritis/treatment.php

2..https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis-of-the-knee/

3..https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoarthritis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351930

4..https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoarthritis/treatment/