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Monday, July 23, 2012

Knee Arthritis can be a real PAIN!

How do we know we have it OsteoArthrtis of the knee?

Stiffness- Getting out of bed in the morning is often the most difficult period of the day for man who suffer from knee arthritis. After giving the knees a nice long rest, taking that first step in the morning can be a chore. Stiffness is common complaint. The knee feels like it just doesn't want to bend.

Cracking/Clicking- In the medical world, terms that we often hear when talking about knee arthritis are "bone on bone". This is a catch phrase for grades 3 and 4 arthritis. Why? Well, it's because the joint is literally bone on bone. The upper and lower parts of the knee have come together because you know longer have that buffer of synovial fluid to hold them apart. Hearing the bones rub together is common.

Thunderstorm Blues- Have you ever felt a bit more pain in the joint when a storm is on the way? This is very common. When a thunderstorm is immanent, the atmospheric barometer drops. We naturally have joint pressure. In an unhealthy knee, the joint pressure cannot match and drop in the atmospheric pressure, out side of the knee. Therefore, the knee literally feels like it's going to explode. This obviously generates enhanced pain for many people who struggle with arthritis.

Trouble with stairs- One of the major complains of those who struggle with knee arthritis is going up and down stairs. When we go down stairs, we are shooting all of our weight onto the joint. We we go up stairs, we are using more strength. Either way, taking stairs can be a real challenge.



What causes knee arthritis?
Because we don't yet fully understand why we get arthritis, we do have some interesting theories as to why we get it.


Age- In today's society, when health issues arise, we have a tendency to to the easy road at times and just blame it on old age. The only thing age means is, we have had enough years go by for things to go wrong. If you hurt your knee when you are a teenager, the odds of you getting arthritis in that joint as you get older are very good. However, we have had knee arthritis patients in their mid 20's. So, is it really old age?

Trauma- This pertains to any joint. If you have a bad twist, sprain or even a ligament tear. The likelihood of getting arthritis in that joint as time goes on is great.

Weight- We do know that weight plays a roll. The weight that you carry from the head down, all shoots straight down, though your knees. The heavier you are, the more weight is put on the joint. After time, the joint simply wears out.

Heredity- Of the theories that we have, this one may be the most difficult to understand. We often times see arthritis run through families. Are they families full of athletes that are extra hard on their joints? Are the families who carry a little extra weight or are they families that are just accident prone? It really does make for interesting debate. We can simply state that we do believe that heredity does in fact play a roll in arthritis.


What can we do to treat knee arthritis?


In today's age, there are 2 words that we frequently hear.....Knee Replacement. Although having a replacement is inevitable for many patients, surgery is always the last option. Once you go down that road, there is no turning back
When a knee goes arthritic, it stops producing synovial fluid. This fluid is what gives us that cushion between the upper and lower parts of the knee. Getting some of that fluid back is key.
Through medical preparations, ultrasound and therapy, we have been able to achieve that with thousands of patients, giving them back the range of motion they have been lacking and freeing them from that excruciating pain.
If you have been diagnosed with OsteoArthritis of the knee, remember that you want to exhaust all alternatives before you go down the path of knee replacement.

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