Knee Arthritis

Knee Arthritis Can Lead to Replacement Surgery

Knee arthritis is usually brought about by osteoarthritis.  Osteoarthritis occurs by excessive stress on the joint from being overweight, having an old injury, or by participating in a high impact sport or exercise program.  Knee arthritis can also occur as a person ages.  

Knee arthritis can bring on swelling, pain and it can impair the mobility of the knee.  Most individuals report their knee is stiffer in the morning, and the stiffness lessens as they move around.  Someone with knee arthritis may also experience a clicking or locking of their knee joint.  They may also be unable to participate in activities due to pain.

A doctor will usually perform blood tests and X-rays to diagnose knee arthritis.  X-rays will show the doctor if there is a problem with the knee joint.  Knee fluid can also be evaluated to diagnose knee arthritis.  Knee arthritis can be treated with analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.  Exercise is also helpful to strengthen the knee and to restore knee function.  For severe cases of knee arthritis, some individuals have knee replacement surgery.

Individuals with knee arthritis who choose to have knee replacements find there is no real difference in how their replacement joints feel over their real knees.  Replacement joints do not bend as much as knee joints.  However, someone with limited mobility (due to knee arthritis) usually finds he or she has more flexibility with their replacement knee than their arthritic knee.  Knee replacements can last for many years.

The main reason individuals choose to have joint replacements is they can no longer tolerate the pain of their knee arthritis.  Once replacement is complete, individuals find they are able to return to low impact activities such as swimming, walking, and bicycling without pain.  Knee replacements are not for everyone and they are usually only performed in older individuals with knee arthritis.

If you are overweight and are experiencing problems with your knees, you should seriously consider losing weight.  When your knees are forced to carry excess weight, it puts your knee joints under a lot of stress.  Losing weight can greatly reduce the damage of cartilage in your knee joints.