Osteoarthritis of The Knee Joint

Common symptoms of knee osteoarthritis include:

• Pain with increased activity (such as stair climbing, walking, or standing from a seated position)

• Tenderness or swelling in the knee joint

• Stiffness or reduced range of motion in the knee, particularly upon waking

• Cracking or crunching sounds in the knee joint with knee bending

According to WebMD, “more than 27 million people in the U.S. have osteoarthritis, with the knee being one of the most commonly affected areas” (Osteoarthritis of the knee, WebMD).

An article published in 2017 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America noted that “osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disease and a leading source of chronic pain and disability in the United States and other developed nations.

Knee OA accounts for more than 80% of the disease’s total burden and affects at least 19% of American adults aged 45 years and older” (Wallace et al. 2017).

A meta-analysis and systematic review article published on January 13, 2021, on the Rheumatology Advisor website reported that “based on study findings, the global prevalence of knee OA is 16% among individuals aged 15 years or over and 22.9% among those aged 40 years or over.

Further, approximately 654.1 million individuals worldwide had knee OA in 2020″ (Jacobs, 2021).

Diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis will involve several steps

1.- Initially, your physician will take a detailed medical history, noting any medical conditions you have, any medications you are taking, your lifestyle habits (such as diet, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise habits, and more), and details pertaining to your knee pain; these details include when the symptoms began, what type of activities provoke pain, what reduces the pain, and how your symptoms affect your day-to-day functioning.

2.- Following a medical history interview, your physician will perform a physical examination, assessing for tenderness, heat, or swelling in the knee joint, pain provocation with specific movements, or visible/palpable deformities in the joint.

3.- Your doctor may also recommend that you have additional testing is done, such as an X-ray, which can assess for narrowing of the joint space or the formation of bone spurs, or an MRI, which can show tissue damage.

4.- Blood tests may also be recommended in order to rule out other possible causes of pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

If you have been diagnosed with knee joint osteoarthritis, the approach best suited to your particular situation will depend on numerous factors, including your age, your activity level, the severity of pain, the degree of limitation you experience as a result of knee pain, and any other health conditions that you have.

Damage to the knee joint caused by osteoarthritis is, unfortunately, irreversible; however, there are multiple treatments and strategies for slowing or even halting further degeneration of the joint.

Some of these alternatives include:

• Acetaminophen to reduce pain

• NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce pain and inflammation

• Other oral medications specific to treating arthritis and inflammation

• Physiotherapy

• Aquatics or pool therapy program

• Acupuncture and Acupressure

• Massage therapy

• Occupational therapy (including improving the ergonomics of your workstation, if applicable)

• Exercise to improve posture and gait and to reduce weight

• Orthotics

• Dietary changes to improve weight and reduce inflammation

• Smoking cessation