Six Ways to Manage Osteoarthritis (OA) Related Knee Pain Summary - OA of the knee develops when the cartilage/cushion between the knee joints breaks down. The blog lists some simple ways to alleviate OA-related knee pain. If you experience pain, swelling or stiffness in the knees after normal physical activity, you could be suffering from osteoarthritis (OA). A common chronic disorder, OA primarily affects the knees. The condition develops when the cartilage (the natural cushioning between the knee joints) breaks down, causing severe pain, stiffness and swelling. Reports from the National Institutes of Health suggest that frequent knee pain affects approximately 25 percent of adults with osteoarthritis. Managing OA-inflicted knee pain can be a challenging task as the knees are one of the most commonly used joints in the body. Reliable multispecialty healthcare centers in Brooklyn, NYC offer effective pain management treatment to reduce joint pain and swelling, and improve mobility and quality of life. It is estimated that women are more likely to have osteoarthritis than men. The most common risk factor for osteoarthritis of the knee is age, and the chances of developing this disorder increases between the ages of 55 and 64 years. However, there are several other factors that increase the risk of developing significant arthritis at an earlier age such as body weight, repetitive stress injury, heredity, and certain illnesses. The condition develops slowly and the pain it causes worsens over time. Fortunately, there are many ways to ease OA symptoms. Here are six simple strategies to manage OArelated knee pain: • Get regular exercise - People with OA of the knees can greatly benefit from regular, moderate exercise. Exercising improves muscle strength, reduces joint pain and swelling, preserves range of motions in the joints and helps with weight loss, which can ease the strain on your joints. Physical therapy exercises like strengthening, stretching and aerobic exercises can reduce pain and stiffness associated with the condition. Strengthening exercises makes the muscles around the knee joint more stable and decreases pain. Stretching exercises help keep the knee joint mobile and flexible, while lowimpact aerobic exercises like swimming or bicycling improve overall fitness. People starting an exercise regime after being inactive for a long time need to start slowly and take regular breaks to build knee strength. Make it a habit to wear shoes with proper support to reduce weight on your knees. • Maintain a healthy body weight - For overweight people, losing a small amount of weight can reduce the strain on your joints significantly, and thereby alleviate symptoms related to knee OA. Regular exercise and healthy eating promote weight loss. A balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, protein, carbohydrates, and low-fat dairy food can strengthen the bones and reduce osteoarthritis pain by counteracting inflammation. • Knee braces - Wearing a knee brace reduces osteoarthritis pain, and helps prevent further injury. A brace helps to place more weight on the part of the knee that is not arthritic, or supports the entire www.hqbk.com
knee. There are two types of braces - "unloader" braces, which take the weight away from the side of the knee affected by arthritis and "support" braces, which provide support for the entire knee. • Heat and cold therapy - Using a heating pad (to rest your knee when reclining) can help alleviate pain and stiffness by increasing blood flow to the knees. Wrapping a gel-style cold pack or cool compress around the knees can reduce pain and keep the swelling down. Alternating between heat and cold packs can yield best results. • Over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications - People with knee OA take OTC and prescription medications to relieve pain and reduce their symptoms. OTC medications like Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like naproxen (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Motrin) help relieve mild pain. However, if your symptoms are severe, physicians may also prescribe COX-2 inhibitors and hyaluronic acid injections. • Injections - Steroids are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs. Injecting glucocorticoids or corticosteroids directly into the joint help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. In people with knee OA, the fluid inside the knee joint (that provides lubrication and cushioning for joints) becomes degraded. Injecting viscosupplements in to the knees help replace the diseased knee fluid with a gel-like substance similar to the fluid found in healthy joints. This will provide cushioning and lubrication for the joint, and relieve pain. If these simple strategies do not provide the relief, your physician may recommend knee surgery. The most common surgical options for treating OA of the knee include arthroscopic surgery, osteotomy, and joint replacement surgery.
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