Early Signs Of Arthritis In The Knee
Arthritis refers to the redness and swelling of the joints. It usually develops slowly over 10 to 15 years, interfering with daily life activities. Knowing the early signs of arthritis can help you take appropriate treatment and incorporate modifications in your diet and lifestyle.
The knee joint is the largest and the most complex joint in the body. Depending on the cause, the early signs and symptoms of arthritis in the knee joint may vary amongst individuals. Typically, these include:
- Pain while climbing stairs or walking
- Joint stiffness after sitting for prolonged periods with bended knees
- Difficulty in straightening the knee after getting up in the morning
- Swelling over the knees that gets worse on walking
- Bones in the knee joint rub against each other giving rise to the sound of creaking, clicking or snapping, or grinding
- Many people with arthritis experience increased joint pain during rainy weather
How Is Knee Arthritis Diagnosed
Your doctor may use some of the following diagnostic tests and procedures to determine if you have knee arthritis:
- Medical history and physical examination
- Blood tests for genetic markers or RA antibodies
- X-rays to determine cartilage loss in the knee
- Joint aspiration: drawing out and testing the synovial fluid inside the knee joint
Cartilage cannot be seen on X-ray, but narrowing of the joint space between the bones indicates lost cartilage. X-rays show bone spurs and cysts, which can be caused by osteoarthritis. Other tests such as MRI or CT scans are rarely needed for diagnosis.
What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider About Arthritis Of The Knee
It might be helpful to arrive at your healthcare providers office with a list of questions you want or need to be answered. Consider:
- Do I have arthritis in one knee or both?
- What type of arthritis do I have?
- Whats a possible cause of my arthritis?
- What treatments do you recommend?
- What medications should I take?
- Do I need physical therapy?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Knee arthritis can affect people of all ages. Its painful, impairs movement and causes swelling of the joint. Some people are so disabled by it that they cant work anymore. Others can only work after surgery. Meanwhile, for others, the pain isnt necessarily as bad, but it still prevents them from regular activities like cleaning, gardening and running after their kids.
Arthritis of the knee can decrease your quality of life. The good news is that treatments can lessen the severity of your symptoms. The pain and swelling might not be as bad. See your healthcare provider for evaluation and treatment if you have symptoms.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 10/18/2021.
References
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Osteoarthritis Of The Spine
If you have back pain, it may indicate that you have spinal OA. This condition affects the facet joints located throughout the spine.
Age and trauma to the spine are both potential risk factors for spinal OA. A person who is overweight, or whose job requires squatting and sitting, may also be at increased risk.
Spinal OAs symptoms can vary in severity. They include:
- stiffness or tenderness in the joints in your back
- weakness, numbness, or tingling in your arms or legs
- reduced range of motion
Its important to pay attention to these symptoms. Without treatment, spinal OA can worsen, causing more severe symptoms and disability. Get the facts on OA of the spine.
You may have risk factors for OA that you cant change, such as heredity and age. However, other risk factors can be controlled. Managing them can help reduce your risk of OA.
The following tips can help you manage the risk factors under your control:
- Support your body. If youre an athlete or an avid exerciser, make sure you care for your body. Wear athletic supports and shoes that reduce impact on your knees. Also make sure to vary your sports, so that all of your muscles get a workout, not just the same muscles every time.
- Maintain a moderate weight. Keep your body mass index in the appropriate range for your height and sex.
- Eat a nutritious diet. Reach for a range of healthy foods, with a focus on fruits and vegetables.
- Get enough rest. Give your body ample opportunities to rest and sleep.
Causes Of Inside Knee Pain
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What Causes Knee Arthritis
The following are a few common causes that can lead to arthritis-
- Boneanomalies If you have bones and joints that are crooked, the risk of getting osteoarthritis becomes higher.
- Gout This is a type of arthritis caused due to inflammation in the knee joint and may lead to osteoarthritis.
- Injuries At times, a trauma caused by a sudden awkward fall or sports injury can result in knee arthritis.
- Stress Putting excessive pressure on your knee joints because of heavy weight-lifting, running, cycling, jogging, and other similar activities can also lead to knee arthritis.
- Age People of older age are more likely to get affected by arthritis compared to people of younger age.
- Obesity-People who are obese are more prone to getting arthritis because the over body weight puts excessive pressure on the knee joint resulting in arthritis.
The Symptoms Of Knee Arthritis
Here are a few of the symptoms of arthritis of the knee:
#1 Increase of Pain
Pain that is associated with arthritis usually starts slowly. Conversely, it can also sometimes appear suddenly. To begin with, you may first notice pain when you wake first thing in the morning. You may even experience pain after a period of sitting down.
Individuals with arthritis may also experience pain when they climb the stairs, kneel, or even stand up from a sitting position. It is also not unheard of to feel pain while you are in a sitting position. To help ease your pain, you may find that resting reduces it a little.
#2 Swelling
Patients with arthritis of the knee can sometimes experience inflammation around the knee area. There are two different types of swelling:
Hard swelling This is a cause of the formation of bone spurs.
Soft swelling This develops through the extra fluid that is collecting around the joint.
If you have noticeable swelling, you may notice that it is worse after a prolonged period of inactivity. For example, when you wake up in the morning.
#3 Locking of the Knee
Over time, individuals with arthritis of the knee can cause damage to the knee joint. This damage can often cause the structure of the knee to become weak. Because of this, your knee may from time to time either lock or buckle.
#4 Crackly Sounds
#5 Reduced Mobility
#6 Knee Stiffness
#7 Loss of Joint Space
#8 Knee Deformities
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What Questions Might A Healthcare Provider Ask To Diagnose Arthritis Of The Knee
Your healthcare provider will interview you when you report your symptoms. Some questions might include:
- Does anyone in your family have arthritis of the knee?
- Does your knee swell up?
- Is your skin often red?
- Is your skin often warm?
- Do you have symptoms in one knee or both?
- How long have you had these symptoms?
- What medications do you take?
- How severe is your pain?
- Do you struggle to walk?
- Do the symptoms interfere with your daily activities?
Is The Pain Continuous
Gout, OA, post-traumatic, reactive, and infectious arthritis can cause continual discomfort during the acute phase of the flare or attack. However, symptoms may be worse on some days than others.
Other forms of arthritis may have symptoms alternating between flare-ups and periods of remission where symptoms improve, such as:
- rheumatoid arthritis
- arthritis due to lupus
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Top 8 Symptoms You Have Arthritis Of The Knee
Commonly, age is a big risk factor for arthritis of the knee. However, that does not mean younger people cannot get arthritis too. While some people develop arthritis after an injury, others can develop it after an infection. You may also be at risk of developing arthritis of the knee if you are overweight. This is due to the extra weight that the knee has to bear.
Whatever your risk factor or reason for developing arthritis of the knee, the symptoms remain the same. If you are concerned that you may be showing some signs of arthritis, this article will highlight some of the common symptoms. We will also discuss some of the different types of arthritis that can affect the knee joint.
Read on to learn about the arthritis of the knee symptoms and available treatment options.
Do I Have Arthritis In My Knee
Dr. Ekaterina Urch, orthopedic surgeon and knee specialist, covers the symptoms, causes, and best treatment options for knee arthritis.
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is the result of inflammation in one or more of your joints. This inflammation can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in various joints within the body and can even lead people to replacing their joints because the arthritis has interfered with their every-day activity level. This can be particularly true with arthritis felt in the knee, one of the more common areas where arthritis can occur. Depending on how bad the pain is, it can interfere with the activities people enjoy and can keep them from pursuing an active life.
What are the different types of arthritis?
Not all types of arthritis are created equal. In fact, there are more than 100 different forms of arthritis. However, the two more common types of arthritis include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, which is known as a degenerative wear-and-tear type of arthritis, is commonly found in the knee. It is rare for osteoarthritis to be found in younger people. It is more commonly found in people 50 years of age and older.
Why is osteoarthritis causing you so much pain?
Rheumatoid arthritis
Posttraumatic arthritis
Symptoms of knee arthritis:
Other symptoms of knee arthritis:
Nonsurgical treatment for knee arthritis:
Other nonsurgical options to help ease arthritis pain:
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What Causes Knee Osteoarthritis
It is usually the result of repetitive actions over a period of time but can be the result of a traumatic injury. Common causes include a wrenching action, which may tear the articular cartilage, the meniscus or other supporting structures in your knee, such as the anterior cruciate ligament or one of the tendons .
It can also be caused by wear and tear or repetitive activities such as jumping or deep knee bends.The risk of getting osteoarthritis is increased by being overweight, bone deformities, ageing and genetics.
What Are The Symptoms Of Knee Arthritis
Symptoms include knee joint aching, soreness and pain, and swelling and stiffness. Sometimes this leads to reduced activity and muscle weakness. Weakened muscles can lead to instability and decreased ability to control the knee, further limiting the ability to participate in enjoyable activities.
The knee joint may develop cysts, bone spurs, or loss of cartilage. The absence of cartilage will cause friction and narrowing of the joint space.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Knee Arthritis
The following are some signs that may indicate knee arthritis-
- A frequent snapping sound from the knee joint
- Redness around the knee joint
- Swelling around the knee joint
- Warmth around the knee joint, when touched, compared to other areas of the body.
- Difficulty in walking, standing, and standing.
- Extreme pain while climbing stairs.
How Is Osteoarthritis Diagnosed
There is no specific test for osteoarthritis. To find out if you have osteoarthritis, your provider:
- Will ask about your symptoms and medical history
- Will do a physical exam
- May use x-rays or other imaging tests to look at your joints
- May order lab tests to make sure that a different problem isn’t causing your symptoms
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There Are Many Different Types Of Arthritis Including Osteoarthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis And Post
Arthritis is one of those conditions that we all begin to dread as we get older. Our knees take a hammering throughout our lives, whether we are active sportspeople, those who have spent a career on their feet, or just going about our daily business.
The most important questions in anyones minds are: how do I protect against arthritis, and how do I treat it?
First, you need to understand a bit about arthritis. Did you know that there are many different types of arthritis of the knee, each with its own risk factors and treatment possibilities?
Arthritis is a degenerative condition of the bones caused by joint inflammation.
The bones in your knee joint are coated in a layer of slippery cartilage that prevents the rough bony surfaces from rubbing together and provides some shock absorption as you walk, run, jump and bend your knees. If this cartilage gets torn or worn away, it exposes the rough bone surfaces.
When bone impacts on bone, it sets in motion a process. First, the bone begins to wear away, sometimes causing misalignment on the joint and leading to problems with mobility.
Your body will try to heal the damaged bone, often leading to bony outgrowths called bone spurs. These can catch and rub in the joint, causing discomfort, swelling, and pinching and affecting smooth movement of the joint.
What Is Arthritis Of The Knee
Arthritis is a disease that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in your joints. It can affect the largest and strongest joints in your body. Its common in knees. Arthritis of the knee can be a serious, debilitating disease.
Although there is no cure for knee arthritis, there are steps you can take that might ease your symptoms and potentially slow the progression of your disease.
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Important Considerations For People With Arthritis Of The Hip
There is no cure for arthritis. Typically, it starts gradually and worsens over time. Eventually, all forms of arthritis of the hip may permanently damage the hip joint. While osteoarthritis is more common in older people, there are forms of arthritis that affect younger people.
Fortunately, there are things that can be done to help minimize the effect of arthritis, and we are glad to discuss these option.
Arthritis Statistics*:
- 22% of the U.S. population in 2010 reported some form of arthritis
- Among adults over 65, 50% have some form of arthritis
- The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis
- Weight loss of just 11 pounds can reduce a womans risk of developing knee arthritis by 50%
- Of working age people , one-third of those who had arthritis reported it limited their ability to work
*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
How Can Knee Arthritis Be Diagnosed
An orthopedist conducts a thorough physical examination to diagnose knee arthritis. During the physical examination, the orthopedic doctor checks the tenderness and swelling around the affected knee joint by putting slight pressure with the fingertips. S/he will ask you to bend the knee joint a little to assess the intensity of the pain. Once the physical examination is done, the orthopedic doctor will recommend a few diagnostic tests to detect any underlying disease. Some of the imaging tests recommended by the orthopedic doctor are-
- X Rays- To get a clear image of the bones around the affected knee joint.
- MRI- This test is commonly recommended to diagnose the condition of the nearby tissues, ligaments, and tendons attached to the affected knee joint.
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Osteoarthritis Of The Hips
OA can occur in one or both hips. In this way, it differs from RA, which usually occurs in both hips at the same time.
Hip OA is a slowly degenerative condition. Many people find that theyre able to manage their symptoms for many years by using medications, exercise, and physical therapy. Supports, such as canes, can also help.
How Is Posttraumatic Arthritis Treated
Diagnosis is really important for posttraumatic arthritis. Your specialist will take into account your history if you have had a major impact or wrenching injury to your knee, you are more likely to develop osteoarthritis.
Treatment may involve resolving other issues that might have developed as a result of the injury , as well as treating the resulting osteoarthritis with physiotherapy, anti-inflammatories, cellular therapy or surgery.
If you have any knee pain for more than a few weeks, it is important to get a careful diagnosis from a specialist. At Capital Orthopaedics, we offer a one-stop-shop consultation, scanning and diagnosis service at one of three central London locations.
Our expert team of consultant orthopaedic surgeons, radiologists and physiotherapists will ensure you get the most effective treatment for knee arthritis, with the best chance for long-term resilience. Contact us here to make an appointment.
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