Arthritis simply means joint inflammation. The joint referred to is that part of the body where two bones meet. Arthritis is experienced through swelling or extreme discomfort in these joints. Arthritis can be felt by a person as long as he has joints in his body. The most common joint that is attacked by arthritis is the knee.
Knee arthritis, as the term connotes, is the inflammation in knee joints that causes unbearable discomfort and sometimes, has the effect of making it hard to walk or even stand up. Knee arthritis is typical when a person reaches the age of 50 years old, or if a person is overweight.
The most common type of knee arthritis is called Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is commonly called the degenerative joint disease or wear and tear arthritis. This is characterized by the continuing deterioration of the cartilage of the knee joint. When the knee joint's protective cartilage deteriorates, the bare bone is now exposed, as such; said area will be vulnerable to arthritis attack.
Knee arthritis does not just pop out of nowhere, as stated a while ago, it is frequently seen on old people or fat people. Sometimes, arthritis is hereditary, which means that even if one is not old or overweight, a person may have this if it runs in the family. In case of persons over 50 years of age or that considered old, knee arthritis is common among them because of the failure of knee cartilage to absorb nutrients in the body. When this happens, the knee cartilage will become weak and brittle, and may expose the joint it protects. With respect to overweight individuals, the cause of knee arthritis is the knee's failure to carry the weight of the whole upper body. There are other factors that contribute to this complication, it includes knee trauma, fractures to the bone near the joint, damage on the ligament and meniscus tears.
Knee arthritis is not a one time ordeal; the condition of the knee worsens progressively. When the first signs of knee arthritis are already seen but the person suffering from it just ignores these signs, it will become worse and may lead to problems in standing or walking. As such, one must understand the most common symptoms.
The most common symptoms of knee arthritis includes limited range of motion, stiffness of the knee, pain when doing activities, swelling of the joint, deformity of the joint and tenderness along the joint. When all or some of these symptoms appear, one must already consult a doctor for observations, physical examination, x-rays and early treatment. As stated earlier, knee arthritis is progressive; hence, one should be wary and cautious even if the knee problem is slight or insignificant.
There are many available treatment for knee arthritis, it includes, but is not limited to weight loss for overweight individuals, activity modification or lessening strenuous activities, walking aids and wheel chairs for old people, medications, physical therapy, and knee surgery which may either be a total or partial knee replacement surgery.
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