Deformities Of The Knee
The appearance of the knee can change during a flare and as damage progresses.
In RA, swelling and redness are common during a flare. In the long term, persistent inflammation can result in permanent damage to the cartilage and the tendons. This can affect the shape and appearance of the knee.
With OA, the muscles around the knee can weaken, resulting in a sunken appearance. The knees can start to point toward each other or bend outward.
Knee deformities range from barely noticeable to severe and debilitating.
Treatment will depend on the type of arthritis a person has.
The Best Supplements For Knee Pain
Whether your knee pain is due to a sports injury or knee arthritis, the following supplements can reduce knee pain, knee stiffness and improve how your knees function in other words how well you can carry out every day activities like going up-and-down stairs, walking, getting in and out of the bath and even putting on your socks.
My knee joint
- Boswellia
- Cherry
I know these supplements can reduce knee pain from personal experience, from reviewing the published research, and from seeing an X-ray of my right knee taken after a ski fall. Apart from some laxity from damaged ligaments my joint space looks great with no obvious signs of osteoarthritis, which I attribute to long-term use of glucosamine and chondroitin, krill oil, and vitamin C.
For treating the knee pain due to damaged ligaments, I added in turmeric, collagen and ginger with excellent results.
Different supplements work for different people, however, depending on the genes you have inherited. Some respond to glucosamine alone, but in my clinical experience most people benefit from taking both glucosamine plus chondroitin.
Combination supplements that blend ingredients for a synergistic effect can tackle knee pain through different mechanisms.
If you are not getting the degree of pain relief you hoped for after 6 weeks, you can either swap to a different treatment or add in another supplement.
What Are Knee Injections
Knee injection is a procedure in which medications are injected into the knee joint to treat the pain due to various causes.;
There are different types of knee injections. The most common type of intra-articular knee injection is corticosteroids. Other agents used are hyaluronic acid, infliximab, Botox , and platelet-rich plasma .
Knee pain and stiffness can be debilitating and difficult to treat. Knee conditions may negatively affect the quality of life and emotional wellbeing.
Weight management, exercise, physiotherapy, medications, knee injections, and surgery are some of the approaches used to treat knee pain.;
Knee pain can result from ligament or tendon injury, fracture, cartilage loss in osteoarthritis, and inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory arthritis or;. Knee pain can also be due to joint malalignment or dysfunction and referred pain from other areas.;
Diseases of the knee can be diagnosed based on;
- clinical presentation,;
- joint aspiration .;
Read Also: How Do They Do Knee Replacement Surgery
What Procedures And Tests Diagnose Knee Pain
A health care professional will begin by asking questions related to the person’s general health and then specifically to the nature of the knee pain .
Next, an examination of the knee will be performed. This will include bending the knee through the full range of motion, checking for stability of the ligaments, and evaluating for any tenderness and swelling. It is often helpful to compare the results of the examination of the painful knee with the other knee. Frequently, this is all that is required to make a diagnosis and start treatment. In several research studies, it has been found that an experienced examiner is as reliable as X-ray examination.
Sometimes the doctor might want to do further studies such as the following tests.
Radiologic tests
Plain X-ray can establish fractures and degenerative changes of the knee.
MRI is used to evaluate the soft tissues of the knee for ligament tears or cartilage and muscle injuries.
Blood tests
If gout, arthritis, or other medical conditions are suspected, a health care professional might order blood tests.
Removal of joint fluid
Will Surgery Treat And Cure Knee Pain
Surgery
Knee operations range from arthroscopic knee surgery to total knee replacement. Arthroscopic knee surgery is a very common surgical procedure that allows the physician look inside your knee through a few small holes and a fiberoptic camera. The surgeon can repair many of the injuries and remove small pieces of loose bones or cartilage. This is a common outpatient procedure.
Partial knee replacement: The surgeon replaces the damaged portions of the knee with plastic and metal parts. Because only part of the knee joint is replaced, this procedure has a shorter recovery then a total knee replacement.
Total knee replacement: In this procedure, the knee is replaced with an artificial joint.
Other therapies
Acupuncture has shown some relieve of knee pain, especially in patients with osteoarthritis. Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements have shown mixed results in research studies.
You May Like: What Do You Do For Fluid On The Knee
Be Gentler When You Exercise
Running on roads can jar your knees, while a jog through a wooded trail carries the risk of falls and twists to knees and ankles. A better way to run is on a treadmill or track, or alternate jogging with walking, Dr. White suggests. Biking doesnt put as much strain on your knees, but it can cause pain if you ratchet up the resistance too high on a stationary bike or the saddle is pushed back too far or is too low. If you bike a lot outdoors, you might want to spring for a professional bike fitting, which can help you with seat and handlebar height and pedal strokes. Whatever exercise you do, just remember to warm up.; You lose muscle strength as you get olderespecially if you sit at a desk most daysand that just increases your chances of injury when you head out to exercise.
Home Care For Knee Pain
Inflammation is the body’s physiologic response to an injury. In treating many types of knee pain, a common goal is to break the inflammatory cycle. The inflammatory cycle starts with an injury. After an injury, substances that cause inflammation invade the knee to assist in healing. However, if the injury and subsequent inflammation is not resolved, inflammation can become a chronic issue, leading to further inflammation and additional injury. This cycle of inflammation leads to continued or progressive knee pain. The cycle can be broken by controlling the substances that cause inflammation, and by limiting further injury to tissue.
Some common home care techniques for knee pain that control inflammation and help to break the inflammatory cycle are protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation. This regimen is summarized by the memory device PRICE.
PROTECT the knee from further trauma.
- This can be done with knee padding or splinting.
- A pad over the kneecap, for example, helps to control the symptoms of some knee injuries by preventing further repetitive injury to the prepatellar bursae.
REST the knee.
- Rest reduces the repetitive strain placed on the knee by activity.
- Rest both gives the knee time to heal and helps to prevent further injury.
ICE the knee.
COMPRESS the knee with a knee brace or wrap.
- Compression reduces swelling.
- In some knee injuries, compression can be used to keep the patella aligned and to keep joint mechanics intact.
ELEVATE the knee.
Also Check: How Do You Stretch Your Knee
What Medical Conditions Cause Knee Pain
Medical conditions
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that can affect any joint in the body. It can cause severe pain and disability, as well as swelling.
Gout is a form of arthritis that is most commonly found in the big toe, though it can also affect the knee. Gout tends to flare up and is extremely painful during the acute episodes. When there is no flare-up, the knee can be pain free.
With , the knee joint can become infected; this leads to pain, swelling, and fever. This condition requires antibiotics and drainage treatments as soon as possible.
Chronic use/overuse conditions
Patellar tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendons connecting the kneecap to the shinbone . Patellar tendinitis is a chronic condition often found in individuals repeating the same motion during exercise .
Patellofemoral pain syndrome is caused by degeneration or stress under the kneecap where it meets the thighbone . Patellofemoral pain syndrome occurs in runners and cyclists.
Osteoarthritis: a wearing down of cartilage of the joint due to use and age
Prepatellar bursitis: Inflammation to the bursa in front of the kneecap may cause anterior knee pain.
Other causes
Joint Or Bursal Aspiration
When a patient has a swollen knee, a doctor may want to verify or rule out certain diagnoses by analyzing the accumulated fluid. To do this, the doctor will remove fluid from the affected knee joint capsule or bursa using a needle and syringe. When performed on a joint capsule, this process is called joint aspiration or arthrocentesis. When performed on a bursa, this process is called bursal aspiration.
The doctor will take note of the aspirated fluid’s color and viscosity and may send it to a lab for further analysis. Determining the contents of the fluid can lead to an accurate diagnosis. For example, uric acid crystals in the joint fluid indicate gout, and bacteria in the fluid indicate infection.
See The Joint Aspiration Procedure
Aspiration and examination of the fluid are important diagnostic steps because the underlying cause of knee swelling will determine the appropriate medical treatment.
Aspirated fluids are not always sent to a lab for analysis. If a diagnosis is already known, a physician may perform an aspiration to improve joint function and patient comfort.
See Diagnosis through Synovial Fluid Analysis
Recommended Reading: When To Go To Er For Knee Pain
Home Remedies And Medical Options
Options
- physical activity, including tai chi, walking, cycling, and water exercise
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen or aspirin, to reduce pain and inflammation
- tramadol, available on prescription for more severe pain
- corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation
- other medications, such as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs for RA but not OA
- applying heat and cold pads to relieve pain and swelling
- topical creams, such as capsaicin
- using a cane or walker to help you balance
- acupuncture
- attending cognitive behavioral therapy
Experts say that people who play an active role in managing OA, for example, are likely to see a more positive outcome. Learning about arthritis, becoming aware of what makes symptoms better or worse, and making decisions with your doctor are ways of doing this.
Discover exercises to strengthen the knee muscles.
Foods For Fighting Inflammation Arthritis And Joint Pain
In the United States, 54 million people are living with arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For those with arthritis, one in four will experience severe joint pain. That joint pain and stiffness often affects quality of life by limiting your ability to do the things you love.
When you suffer from arthritis, your body is in what is known as an inflammatory state. In this state, the old adage you are what you eat is quite true: some foods may trigger more inflammation while others can help reduce it.
If youre suffering from aching joints due to inflammation, changes to your diet can help.
Recommended Reading: How Dangerous Is Knee Surgery
Severe Pain With Obvious Deformity
If severe knee pain is accompanied by an obvious deformity there is most likely a fracture or dislocation on one of the knee bones. If this is the case, you will usually be able to pinpoint the time it happened there will have been a fairly major trauma such as a fall, hard tackle or RTA, and you will have excruciating knee pain. Bones dont just break or dislocate without you knowing it.
How Supplements Reduce Knee Pain
Nutritional supplements can improve painful knees in a number of ways, by:
- Providing building blocks for the repair of cartilage, ligaments and tendons
- Stimulating the repair of damaged tissues and the production of cushioning synovial fluid
- Regulating the enzymes involved in breaking down or building new cartilage
- Reducing inflammation
- Reducing pain through analgesic effects.
Some supplements, especially plant extracts, contain a wide variety of compounds that each work in different ways to provide more benefits than any single prescribed painkiller ever could.
In fact, supplements are set to play an increasing role in treating painful knees as the long-term use of paracetamol is no longer recommended. Paracetamol is not as safe as previously thought and is linked with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. This follows similar findings that long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can also increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Recommended Reading: How To Build Leg Muscle With Bad Knees
How To Treat A Swollen Knee At Home
In many cases, a mild to moderately swollen knee may be treated at home. Home care typically involves Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation and medication. Read the descriptions of these treatments below to help maximize their benefit and avoid mistakes.
The 4-step R.I.C.E. Formula
1.Rest will give the joint time to repair and recover. Take a break from sports and other activities for 24 hours or longer. The joint should not necessarily be immobile; people with knee swelling should try to gently flex and straighten the knee several times a day to maintain range of motion.
2.Icing is an easy, effective treatment for excess knee swelling. Cold therapy can ease symptoms by:
- Causing nearby blood vessels to constrict, decreasing blood flow and inflammation
- Slowing down the production of joint fluid in the knee
- Distracting the brain from pain signals to the brain
Apply a cold compress to the knee for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. This can be done several times a day.
Ice should not be applied directly to the skin. Prevent skin damage by placing a towel or another material in between the icepack and skin. Cold therapy may not be appropriate for people who have Raynauds Syndrome or nerve damage.
See When and Why to Apply Cold to an Arthritic Joint
3.Compression involves wrapping the affected joint in an elastic bandage . Compression may help limit or reduce swelling.
Keep in mind that a compression bandage will not support the knee or protect it from further injury.
Understanding That Getting Rid Of Chronic Knee Swelling Is A Matter Of Addressing The Problem Of Degenerative Knee Disease
Did the inflammation cause the swelling or did the swelling cause the inflammation? This is not a trick on words or some cute word play.;Medical researchers in China teamed with doctors at; Rush University Medical Center and Drexel University to publish a January 2020 study ; in which they suggest that synovitis, or inflammation of the knees synovial membrane, precedes and is associated with osteoarthritis.; What the researchers suggest is that when you have a chronic or acute knee injury, enough to cause chronic or acute inflammation, osteoarthritis progression begins spontaneously. What does that mean? You twist your knee. Your knee swells. Osteoarthritis is occurring right before your eyes. The swelling needs to be addressed.
Also Check: How To Relieve Knee Cap Pain
Articles On Knee Pain
You can do many things to help knee pain, whether it’s due to a recent injury or arthritis you’ve had for years.
Follow these 11 dos and donâts to help your knees feel their best.
Donât rest too much. Too much rest can weaken your muscles, which can worsen joint pain. Find an exercise program that is safe for your knees and stick with it. If you’re not sure which motions are safe or how much you can do, talk with your doctor or a physical therapist.
Do exercise. Cardio exercises strengthen the muscles that support your knee and increase flexibility. Weight training and stretching do, too. For cardio, some good choices include walking, swimming, water aerobics, stationary cycling, and elliptical machines. Tai chi may also help ease stiffness and improve balance.
Donât risk a fall. A painful or unstable knee can make a fall more likely, which can cause more knee damage. Curb your risk of falling by making sure your home is well lit, using handrails on staircases, and using a sturdy ladder or foot stool if you need to reach something from a high shelf.
Do use “RICE.” Rest, ice, compression, and elevation is good for knee pain caused by a minor injury or an arthritis flare. Give your knee some rest, apply ice to reduce swelling, wear a compressive bandage, and keep your knee elevated.
Don’t overlook your weight. If you’re overweight, losing weight reduces the stress on your knee. You donât even need to get to your “ideal” weight. Smaller changes still make a difference.
How Effective Are Cherry Supplements For Knee Pain
A group of 58 people with osteoarthritis of the knee were asked to drink either tart cherry juice or placebo juice for 6 weeks. Then, after a week of no treatment, they swapped over to take the other juice for another 6 weeks so acted as their own controls.
Their knee pain, knee stiffness and knee joint function were assessed before and after each treatment, and scores decreased significantly after the cherry juice treatment but not after the placebo treatment.
You May Like: How To Cure Tendonitis In Knee
Will Fish Oil Help Knee Pain
Fish oil is a supplement that is packed full of omega-3 fatty acids as well and comes with its own set of benefits. Along with providing benefits to your cognitive function, it has also been found to provide benefits for your knee joints. However, to avoid the side effects that come along with it, you want to consume no more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day.