Arthritis On The Knee Treatment

What Medications/treatments Are Used

Over-the-counter NSAIDs like aspirin or ibuprofen can lead to bleeding and other complications after surgery. Your surgeon will talk to you about the medications you can take to reduce pain after your surgery.

Complications/side effects of the treatment

Side effects of NSAIDs include:

• Bleeding.
• Bowel complications.

Why Do Providers Use Knee Arthroscopy

Your healthcare provider uses knee arthroscopy to:

• Diagnose injuries: During knee arthroscopy, your healthcare provider takes a close look at any painful or swollen areas. The camera shows images of damaged soft tissues and bones. The images help your healthcare provider diagnose injuries and plan treatment.
• Repair injured soft tissues and bones: If you need surgery to repair tendons, ligaments or cartilage, your healthcare provider uses specially designed tools. The camera shows real-time images that guide your healthcare provider during the procedure. Your healthcare provider uses tiny tools to repair and reconstruct soft tissues by stitching them together. They can also suture bones together.
• Remove damaged or inflamed tissue: Some tiny tools help your healthcare provider shave off damaged bone and cartilage or inflamed tissue . They use tools to remove these tissues from your knee.

How Do I Take Care Of Myself With Knee Osteoarthritis

It can be frustrating to cope with osteoarthritis of the knee symptoms that keep you from working or enjoying daily activities. Fortunately, there are several things you can do for your symptoms:

• Applying ice or heat reduces your knee pain, stiffness and swelling.
• Losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight takes stress off your knees.
• Enjoying activities such as swimming, biking or walking keeps your knee joint flexible.
• Using a knee brace or adding shock-absorbing inserts in your shoes can reduce pressure on your knees.
• Participating in self-management programs can help you feel more in control of your health.

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What About Glucosamine And Chondroitin

Glucosamine and chondroitin are components of healthy cartilage. Both are produced naturally in the body. They are also available in supplement form.

Researchers have long studied the effects of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements on arthritis. Many studies have found mixed resultssome have shown pain relief and function improvements compared to a placebo, while others showed no benefit from using these supplements.

Because of the lack of confirmatory evidence on the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, the 2019 ACR/Arthritis guidelines recommend that people with knee OA not use these supplements.

There has been little or no research on the effects of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements in people with knee arthritis related to RA.

Most supplements are generally safe to use. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether it is safe for you to start a supplement with your current knee arthritis treatment plan.

While supplements have few severe side effects attached to them, it is still possible to experience these. Supplements can also interact with prescription drugs, can make other treatments less effective, and affect other health conditions you may have.

What Can I Expect If I Have Post

You should expect to feel some discomfort, but treatment should reduce your pain, stiffness and other symptoms. How long it takes to feel better depends on the original trauma that caused your arthritis. More serious injuries have longer recovery timelines and are more likely to experience complications. Talk to your provider about your specific injury and post-traumatic arthritis.

How long does post-traumatic arthritis last?

Most people have post-traumatic arthritis short-term, usually around a few months. Your symptoms might go away as your body recovers from your trauma. If you experience post-traumatic arthritis symptoms for longer than six months you could have chronic post-traumatic arthritis, which can last for the rest of your life.

Will I need to miss work or school?

If you can do your job or schoolwork without aggravating your arthritis symptoms, you shouldnt need to miss work or school.

Talk to your healthcare provider or surgeon before resuming any physical activities while youre recovering.

What is the outlook for post-traumatic arthritis?

Post-traumatic arthritis is something you might only have for a few months. But, if you have chronic post-traumatic arthritis, youll have to manage it as a long-term condition. Your provider will help you find the best ways to manage your specific symptoms while you heal.

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What Is Knee Arthritis

Knee arthritis is inflammation and deterioration of knee joint cartilage. Cartilage is the slippery coating on the ends of bones that serves as a cushion and allows the knee to smoothly bend and straighten. Knee cartilage coats the end of the thighbone , top of the shinbone and the backside of the kneecap . When cartilage wears away, the space between the bones narrows. In advanced arthritis, bone rubs on bone and bone spurs may form.

Damage to the joint cartilage over time may result in the development or worsening of deformities of the knee, including knock knees and bowleg.

Complementary And Alternative Therapies

Some people with osteoarthritis try complementary or alternative therapies such as acupuncture and aromatherapy and find them helpful.

However, there’s a lack of medical evidence to suggest they’re effective and they generally are not recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence .

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Find Out What Type Of Arthritis You Have

Learn about the type of arthritis you have and your treatment options. Ask your doctor about creating a tailored management plan and team care arrangement for you. This includes subsidised care from a team of healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists, dietitians, and others. Your local Arthritis office may also run self management courses to help you develop skills to manage your symptoms, communicate with your healthcare team and lessen the impact of arthritis on your life.

Supplements For Those With Mild Pain

For people with milder pain, Dr. Day suggests trying supplements, such as the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin or the spice turmeric.

The evidence for glucosamine and chondroitin is mixed, but they are safe. So it might be worth trying. However, people with a shellfish allergy may not be able to tolerate them. Any effect wont kick in right away. Dr. Day recommends trying it for six to eight weeks. If you notice improvement, great if not, then stop it, she says.

Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, and there is some evidence for its usefulness for painful knee arthritis. You can add turmeric to your food or take it as a supplement. It can thin blood, so people who take a blood thinning medication should not use turmeric.

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Take Pain Relief Medications To Ease Joint Pain

Sometimes, osteoarthritis symptoms may include severe pain. In these moments, medications are your best bet for reducing symptoms quickly.

That way, you can get back to your rehabilitation program and continue your recovery.

Now, your doctor will probably recommend traditional medications, like over-the-counter NSAIDs. These are very effective at reducing pain and swelling from osteoarthritis.

But, if you have a previous health condition or are on prescription medications, your doctor may prescribe acetaminophen instead of NSAIDs.

Pro tip: If you have a pain flare-up, try to identify what caused it. Too much movement? Too little? Stress? Bad sleep? This is a learning opportunity you can use to prevent it from happening again.

Home Remedies And Medical Options

Options include:

Experts say that people who play an active role in managing their OA, for example, are likely to see a more positive outcome. You can do so by learning about arthritis, becoming aware of what makes symptoms better or worse, and making decisions with your doctor.

Discover exercises to strengthen the knee muscles.

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How Is Osteoarthritis Of The Knee Diagnosed

The diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis will begin with a physical exam by your doctor. Your doctor will also take your medical history and note any symptoms. Make sure to note what makes the pain worse or better to help your doctor determine if osteoarthritis, or something else, may be causing your pain. Also find out if anyone else in your family has arthritis. Your doctor may order additional testing, including:

• X-rays, which can show bone and cartilage damage as well as the presence of bone spurs
• magnetic resonance imaging scans

MRI scans may be ordered when X-rays do not give a clear reason for joint pain or when the X-rays suggest that other types of joint tissue could be damaged. Doctors may use blood tests to rule out other conditions that could be causing the pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, a different type of arthritis caused by a disorder in the immune system.

What Happens After Knee Arthroscopy

Most knee arthroscopies are outpatient procedures, meaning you go home the same day. They usually take about an hour. Sometimes, knee arthroscopy requires a hospital stay .

When youre ready to go home, youll need someone to drive you. After surgery, youll feel some pain. While recovering the first few days after your procedure, you should:

• Stay off of your feet: Avoid putting weight on your knee for a few days. You may need crutches or a walker to help you get around.
• Elevate your knee: To reduce swelling and relieve pain, rest with your leg elevated. Try to keep your knee above your heart.
• Take pain medication: Your healthcare provider may recommend over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or prescription pain medication. Be sure to follow your healthcare providers instructions when taking pain medication. You may also need drugs to reduce swelling or prevent blood clots.
• Keep your incisions covered. Make sure the bandage stays on your knee, and keep the area clean. Ask your healthcare provider when you can remove the dressing, take a shower or bathe after your procedure.

After youve had time to heal from the procedure, your healthcare provider may recommend physical therapy . A customized PT program can help you gain strength and mobility. Your physical therapist will show you special exercises to increase flexibility, strengthen the muscles that support your knee and avoid another injury.

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How Common Is Osteoarthritis

Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis than men. Australian studies show that about 1 in 10 women report having the condition, compared with about 1 in 16 men.

Osteoarthritis can develop at any age, but it is more common in people aged over 40 years or in those who have previously injured a joint. One in 5 Australians over the age of 45, and one in 3 over 75 years have osteoarthritis.

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Will I Always Need Medical Treatment For Osteoarthritis Of The Knee

You might always need pain medication to ease your symptoms. Many people find exercise and physical therapy helps their symptoms. People also benefit from self-management programs that provide information about living with osteoarthritis of the knee. Talk to your healthcare provider about ways you can use exercise and other self-care to manage your symptoms.

How Is Osteoarthritis Managed

There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but most people with osteoarthritis can manage their symptoms, continue with daily activities and live healthy and enjoyable lives. Be careful of any products or treatments that claim to cure osteoarthritis completely your doctor will help to find the right treatment for you.

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has developed a guide to help you discuss the main treatment options for osteoarthritis of the knee with your doctor.

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Causes Of Knee Osteoarthritis

Doctors dont know why some people develop osteoarthritis in their knee. But there are some things that can increase your risk. Youre more likely to develop osteoarthritis:

• as you get older
• if youre a woman
• if youre very overweight
• if you have worked in a manual job such as farming, or have always exercised if youre a runner, for example

Theres also thought to be a genetic risk, as knee osteoarthritis can run in families.

Osteoarthritis seems to develop after an injury, or a series of minor injuries to your knee joint. It may be that a number of the things above combine to make your knee more susceptible to injury, or to developing osteoarthritis afterwards.

You can access a range of treatments on a pay as you go basis, including physiotherapy. Find out more about physiotherapy >

Are There Any Complications

Osteoarthritis can develop over just a year or two, but more often its a slow process over many years that only causes fairly small changes in just part of the knee.

But in some cases, the cartilage can become so thin that it no longer covers the ends of the bones. This causes them to rub against each other and eventually wear away.

The loss of cartilage, the wearing of the bones, and the bony spurs can change the shape of the joint. This forces the bones out of their normal positions, making your knee feel unstable and painful.

Some people with osteoarthritis find a lump appears at the back of their knee. This is called a Bakers cyst or popliteal cyst.

A Bakers cyst is fluid-filled swelling at the back of the knee that happens when part of the joint lining bulges through a small tear in the joint capsule. This can then cause joint fluid to be trapped in the bulge.

It can happen on its own, but is more likely in a knee thats already affected by arthritis. A Bakers cyst doesnt always cause pain, but sometimes they can burst so the fluid leaks down into your calf, causing sharp pain, swelling and redness in the calf.

Osteoarthritis in the knee might change the way you walk or carry your weight, and this could cause you to develop the condition in other joints, such as your hips.

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What Are The Types Of Arthritis Of The Knee

There are around 100 types of arthritis. The most common types that might affect your knees include:

• Osteoarthritis is the most common of the types on this list. Osteoarthritis wears away your cartilage the cushioning between the three bones of your knee joint. Without that protection, your bones rub against each other. This can cause pain, stiffness and limited movement. It can also lead to the development of bone spurs. Osteoarthritis gets worse as time passes.
• Post-traumatic arthritis is a type of osteoarthritis. The cartilage starts thinning after trauma to your knee . Your bones rub together, and that causes the same symptoms as osteoarthritis: pain, stiffness and limited movement. Your knee arthritis symptoms might not start until years after the trauma.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. A healthy immune system causes inflammation when it’s trying to protect you from an infection, injury, toxin or another foreign invader. The inflammatory response is one way your body protects itself. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you have an unhealthy immune system that triggers inflammation in your joints even though theres no foreign invader. The inflammation causes pain, stiffness and swelling of the synovial membrane, which can also wear away your cartilage.

How To Treat Arthritis In The Knees

This article was medically reviewed by Troy A. Miles, MD. Dr. Miles is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Adult Joint Reconstruction in California. He received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2010, followed by a residency at the Oregon Health & Science University and fellowship at the University of California, Davis. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the North Pacific Orthopaedic Society.There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 71,932 times.

Research suggests that treatment may slow down arthritis and relieve your symptoms, though there’s no cure for it.XTrustworthy SourceNational Health Service Public healthcare system of the UKGo to source Arthritis occurs when your joint becomes inflamed, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling. Osteoarthritis happens when the cartilage in your joint wears away, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition where your body attacks your joints. Experts say arthritis in the knee is very common because it’s a weight-bearing joint, but you can get arthritis in any joint.XResearch source Although arthritis may interfere with your life, you may be able to manage your condition.

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