Suffering from knee pain? It could be Osteoarthritis!

Let’s look at knee pain

Years of wear and tear can take a toll on your knees, but there are several strategies to help relieve knee pain.  One study spanning 12 years of women ages 50 and older,  published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, found that nearly two-thirds had some type of knee pain.  While there are numerous conditions that can cause knee pain, one of the the most common knee complaints we see in clinic is  knee osteoarthritis.

How osteoarthritis presents?

Stiffness, pain, and swelling in your joints that is worse in the morning or when you haven’t moved for a while is common complaints described by patients with knee osteoarthritis .

Previous knee injuries especially where the cartilage has been damaged increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis at a later date.  Studies have also shown that reduced quadricep strength is an early sign of knee osteoarthritis.

 

How we Diagnose Knee Osteoarthritis. 

After a detailed history and a thorough examination, imagining may be required to gain a definitive diagnosis.

X-rays usually help to confirm the diagnosis of osteoarthritis with a loss of joint space seen in the osteoarthritic joints.

 

How do we treat osteoarthritis?

As osteoarthritis progresses the joint continues to lose joint space until the space has completely diminished and the joint is bone on bone.  This is when surgical intervention tends to be indicated, however it can take years before the joint reaches this point and more conservative non invasive treatments tend to be the better option to help manage the pain and stiffness.

Although we cant stop osteoarthritis in the knee, we can help slow its progression.  Our physiotherapists, chiropractors and Osteopaths, work to ensure the joints above and below the knee are moving as well as they can as well as strengthen the muscles in the areas around the knee, the pelvis, and the core. The muscles in these areas of the body serve as scaffolding for the knee.  By strengthening these muscles we are able to take pressure and strain off the knee, helping to reduce pain and in the hope to hold of surgical intervention for as long as possible.

 

Even in advance stages of osteoarthritis while patients are waiting on having their knee replaced treatment can be beneficial to help strengthen the knee itself but also to ensure the muscles are strong to support the new knee joint ensuring a speedy recovery post surgery.

 

If you are struggling with knee pain we can help, contact us to make an appointment in our Cookstown or Dungannon clinic