Knee Osteoarthritis OA
Osteoarthritis or OA is a wear and tear disease that develops gradually over the years due to repetitive damages in the knee joint because of certain activities or events. Besides ageing, there are other reasons that may cause you to be at higher risk of developing OA, such as being overweight, family history of Osteoarthritis, and certain occupations.
OA usually develops slowly, and gradually worsens over time. The knee pain symptoms may range from mild to very very severe. In general, there are four stages of OA based on medical X-ray findings
Stage 1 - Narrowing of knee joint space is unlikely.
Stage 2 - Minimal change in knee joint space; identified small osteophytes (bone spurs formed around the joint)
Stage 3 - Moderate knee joint space narrowing; presence of multiple osteophytes
Stage 4 - Severe knee joint space narrowing with bone-on-bone contact; presence of multiple large osteophytes.
Healthy Knee VS Knee with OA
In a healthy knee there is a small amount of lubricating fluid, known as synovial fluid, in the knee joint. A substance known as hyaluronic acid is found predominately in synovial fluid. The primary function of hyaluronic acid is to provide lubrication and reduce fiction when the knee joint moves or bends. It also has shock absorbing ability to protect your knee joint when, for example, you jump.
When you have OA of the knee the cartilage that protects the ends of the bones gradually deteriorates. OA of the knee also causes the synovial fluid inside the knee joint to become damaged and lose its shock absorbing abilities. Therefore, t can no longer protect your knee joint effectively. Joint mat begin to scrub against each other, causing pain, stiffness and loss of movement in the knee joint. This is why you experience pain, swelling and loss of mobility.
Common symptoms of Osteoarthritis OA
1. Knee pain during movement and even at rest
2. A grating sensation in the joint during movement
3. Stiffness after periods of rest
4. Knee Joint swelling
5. Loss of range of movement
6. Loss of mobility
7. Weakened posture due to knee pain and stiffness
The symptoms of Osteoarthritis OA are treatable, especially in the early stages of disease. If OA is not treated appropriately, these knee pain symptoms can get worsen over time. Constant knee pain and limited movement probably make even simple tasks and pleasures increasingly difficult for you. If you have pain or stiffness in one or both knees, contact your doctor for knee pain diagnosis to find out if you have Osteoarthritis OA.
Treatments option for Osteoarthritis OA
1. Lifestyle changes, including moderate exercise, weight control and reducing stress on your knee joint.
2. Oral pain relievers such as paracetamol or NSAID is for temporary knee pain relief.
3. Dietary supplements, such as glucosamines, and also used to help manage knee pain However, taking these supplements does not stop your Osteoarthritis from getting worse.
4. Topical pain-relieving creams to apply to your skin
5. Physical and occupational therapy to strengthen muscles and improve mobility.
6. Steroid injections to temporary relieve knee pain and reduce swelling. However, repeated use of steroid injections may itself accelerate cartilage degradation.
7. Viscosupplementation - A knee joint injection, such as Synvisc-One, the replaces damaged joint fluid with a substance similar to healthy joint fluid, in order to reduce knee pain and often improve function as well.
8. Surgery, often recommended when knee pain is severe and other treatments have not provided relief.
