Facts and Treatment For Arthritis Knee Pain

Do you have arthritis knee pain? Many people suffering from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis are dealing with the pain, deformity and loss of motion that arthritis can cause in the knees. Although many people end up requiring knee replacement surgery as a way of healing the damage, this can be a massive procedure that can take a long time to recover from.

Did you know that the knee is made up of many different parts? There are three bones: the femur, the tibia and the patella. There is cushioning in the form of cartilage and a meniscus. Cartilage covers the ends of the bone and the underside of the kneecap. The meniscus acts like a pillow between the femur and tibia and provides cushioning.

There are two main types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is more common in older people. This is because over time, repeated use of the joint can cause cartilage to wear away. The ends of the bones can become jagged and uneven, increasing pain and stiffness. Rheumatoid arthritis causes the meniscus and the cartilage to become inflamed and this leads to pain and stiffness.

Medication can be your first line of attack but these are different depending on your disease. All types of arthritis rely on anti-inflammatory medications and pain relievers to treat discomfort. With rheumatoid arthritis, you may also have DMARDs, which are disease modifying antirheumatic drugs. Two DMARDs include methotrexate and azathioprine, although there are a number of other effective DMARDs currently available. Osteoarthritis may use glucosamine and chondroitin supplementation in order to help improve the condition of cartilage in the knee joint.

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.

Creams and lotions are also good ways to treat knee pain. There are creams and wraps which can heat a joint and ease symptoms. There are also creams which ease knee pain without heating the joint and this can be a great choice if you have rheumatoid arthritis. Exercise can help you maintain joint function but you need to make sure you are on an exercise routine which does not stress or damage the joints further.

It can be hard to live with knee pain but if you treat it properly it can be manageable. If you want to avoid surgery there are a number of treatment options that can make your life better and much more comfortable over time.

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