Continued from last week…
There are many signs and symptoms of arthritis of the knee. These include creaking, clicking, grinding or snapping noises (crepitus). Other signs include: difficulty walking, joint pain that changes (gets better or worse) depending on the weather, joint stiffness, knee buckling, knee joint pain that progresses slowly or pain that happens suddenly, skin redness, swelling. The person may also experience a situation the knee locks or sticks when trying to move or the skin around the area is warm.
Pain and swelling are the most common symptoms of arthritis of the knee. Some treatments might reduce the severity of the symptoms or even stall the progression. It is always wise to go to a doctor if you experience symptoms of knee arthritis. As noted earlier, swelling is one of the symptoms of knee arthritis, which makes the knee look larger.
When you go to see the doctor:
Generally trying to diagnose the arthritis, the doctor will take your medical history, asking questions to know when you first noticed the symptoms and probably ask to know if you previously had a knee injury as was the case of Joseph Ibezim, whose case was mentioned last week.
The doctor may request that an x-ray of the knee be done. The x-ray would reveal the type of arthritis, show any changes in the bones of the knee, growth of bone spurs, determine how narrow the space between the femur and tibia. The less cartilage, the narrower the space; the narrower the space, the greater the pain.
In some instances and depending on availability of the requisite machine, a doctor may order for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test or a computerized tomography (CT) scan.
In the process of diagnosing arthritis of the knee, the doctor will want to know if somebody in your family has or had arthritis of the knee? He will ask for how long you have had the symptoms, the severity of the symptoms, whether you have difficulty walking or the symptoms interfere with your daily activities.
Coping with knee arthritis
Given the vital role of the knee in standing and walking, knee arthritis will certainly affect the person. But there are treatments which help reduce the severity of the symptoms and maybe keep the disease from getting worse. A fact to be noted is that arthritis cannot be cured, but some tips that might reduce the severity of the symptoms and possibly stop the condition from getting worse. These include ensuring that the person maintains a healthy weight; engage in exercise using low-impact activities such as swimming, cycling instead of high-impact activities (jogging, tennis). Aim for about 150 minutes of exercise per week. Wear shock-absorbing inserts in your shoes, apply heat or ice to the area, wear a knee sleeve or brace.
In treating and managing knee arthritis, physical therapy exercises do help in maintaining flexibility, strength and motion. Also, use of a cane or walking stick helps, treatment with platelet-rich plasma.
Work with your doctor who would know the best therapy options appropriate for the particular stage of the disease. Your doctor will prescribe appropriate medication for you.
In some instances the doctor may recommend over-the-counter dietary supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Ointments or creams that relieve pain may be used too,
In very serious situations, the doctor may determine that you need to have surgery. .
Very important fact to note: Full recovery from arthritis of the knee is not possible. However, it is possible to feel less pain, swelling and stiffness because of medications, physical therapy and other treatments.
Is arthritis preventable? The sad truth is that most known causes of arthritis of the knee are unpreventable. They include genes, bone anomalies, aging and injuries.
There is no cure for arthritis of the knee. It’s a lifelong condition. But the good news is that treatment can relieve some of the symptoms. Treatment might even slow down or stop the disease from getting worse. Arthritis of the knee can get worse with time and stress on the joint. Try treatments like medications and physical therapy to ease symptoms and possibly slow down the progress of the disease.
• Adapted from Mayo and Cleveland clinics