Knee Osteoarthritis - Information about your Arthritic Knee

A technical definition might sound like ' a degenerative joint disease characterized by the loss of articular cartilage, hypertrophy of bone at the joint margins, and changes in the synovial membrane'.

What does this mean to normal people?

Put simply, this is the 'wear and tear' type of arthritis.

Our joints are covered by a smooth layer of cartilage that allows free, painless movement.
This cartilage can be gradually worn away.
Without this protective layer, bone rubs against bone, and pain, swelling and deformity can result.

There are many factors that influence the rate of wear......the risk factors for Osteoarthritis:

(in no particular order)

Nutrition
Previous physical activity
Muscle strength
Previous trauma
Weight
Family history
Age

All of the above, some of the above.

It is likely you will never know for sure.

Apart from those who have suffered major fractures through joints, known as intra-articular fractures, it is usually a subtle combination of all the risk factors that leads you to arthritis.

Apart from the help medicals professionals can offer, there is plenty you can do yourself.
Two simple things have been shown to help decrease pain and slow the progression of the disease process:

Lose weight

Strengthen the quadriceps

With the right guidance, both can be achieved by exercise. The best way is to seek the advice of a qualified Physical Therapist.
If you have arthritis in only half of your knee, they can also advise you on the latest offloading knee braces. A study by the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found the best two braces to be the Donjoy "OAdjuster" and the Bledsoe "Thruster".
Physical Therapists should be your first stop for information but this can prove too expensive for some.
If you are more of a do-it-yourself kind of person, you will need to educate yourself.

For years I have been telling people to avoid anyone claiming to offer a 'miracle cure' for osteoarthritis. As much as we may wish it, there is no such thing. There is no herb, gel or tablet that can make your knee 'unworn'.

The best advice is to save your money and spend it on gathering up to date information from reputable sources. Find out what has been proven to work.
None of these solutions are quick and some are hard work, but it is wise to spend the time and effort on something you know is going to help your knees.

I recommend different information sources for different people. It depends on what you are looking for and how much you want to know.

One of the easiest ways to educate yourself is visit Amazon.com where there is a wide variety of books on sale for around $10. Hardly a large outlay for information on a condition that is affecting your life and will continue to in the future.

There are a couple of suggestions listed below. When it comes to osteoarthritis, knowledge is a powerful weapon in the fight against this disease.