Arthritis is a disease which causes pain and damage to the body’s joints. Any joint can be affected, and all will cause different quality of life issues. One of the problems that affects many sufferers is arthritis knee pain. There are different causes for this pain depending on the type of arthritis that you have.
The knee is made up of three bones. It is located where the bottom of the femur and the top of the tibia meet. It is protected in the front by a bone known as the patella, or kneecap. There are a number of tendons and ligaments which hold the bones in the proper alignment and allow the bones to hinge properly. There is also cartilage which is located on the bones and under the kneecap that cushions the joint and prevents damage to the leg bones. A tissue pad called the meniscus also helps cushion the joint.
There are other ways to treat knee pain but it is important to know what kind of arthritis you have since the way they affect the joints is very different. Osteoarthritis affects the bones and cartilage because of overuse or injury. Rheumatoid arthritis is a result of the body’s immune system attacking the joints. It damages and inflames the meniscus. Osteoarthritis tends to be an ongoing process whereas rheumatoid arthritis can have periods where the disease flares up and gets worse, and other periods where it is in remission and symptoms improve.
One of the best ways to treat arthritic knee pain is through the use of anti-inflammatories. NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and they include naproxyn, aspirin and ibuprofen. They treat the pain and inflammation, but not the underlying cause. Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers may require DMARDs, disease modifying antirheumatic drugs to treat the disease and keep joint damage from getting worse. These include methotrexate, azathioprine and others. They are serious medications that may have significant side effects and should be used carefully.
There are several surgical options to treat knee pain. They include scoping the knee to repair or remove damaged cartilage, repairing a torn meniscus, or a total knee replacement. Total knee replacements may take quite some time to recover from but artificial knee joints can help you return to a high quality of life.
You can also try some of the topical products that are on the market. There are a number of effective creams and lotions available. They have different active ingredients and some work by cooling the joint. Others work by heating the joint gently. Your doctor can tell you which products are better for your particular situation. It may be tempting to stop using the joint but you need to make sure that you don’t do this. It will only make the joint stiff and unusable. You may want to consider exercises such as swimming that use the joint but do not put weight on them. Physiotherapy is also a good alternative for you to explore.
Treating arthritic knee pain does not have to be difficult but it may take trying several products before you find the ones which work best for you. Talking to a doctor or pharmacist can be a great first step to getting you on the road to recovery.
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