Knee arthritis symptoms can come in many different forms and it is easy to confuse arthritis for an injured knee or other causes of knee pain. There are distinguishing factors.
It is so important to understand everything you can about what arthritis is and what it does to the body so you can keep a good watch out for any symptoms you might be experiencing and know how to tell the difference between the many pains that may inflict your knees and if it’s just a temporary issue or a true case of arthritis, and if so, what solutions there are to solve this major condition. We have 6 specific symptoms to share with you in a moment, but first…
Let’s start by examining what arthritis of the knee really is…
There are three main kinds of arthritis that can affect the knees.
The first one is osteoarthritis, and it is most common in people 50 years of age or above but it can happen to younger people too. It can be hereditary, caused by injury or even because of being overweight.
What happens is the knee joint cartilage starts to wear out and tear apart, causing little or no cushion between the bones thus causing soreness, swelling and can even cause bone spurs. I
The second kind is a bit less forgiving and that is rheumatoid arthritis. This can happen to people of any age and is quite degenerative and painful. It is an inflammatory type and can be affected by the weather and especially humidity.
The third type is called post traumatic
Note: For all 3 of these conditions, we recommend this powerful omega 3 supplement which helps fight the causes of these.
The 6 Major Symptoms:
Now let’s take a look at the warning signs or symptoms to keep an eye out for! There are 6 to watch out for that are associated with arthritis of the knee.
- Increase in pain.
- Inflammation.
- Loss of motion.
- Locking of the knee.
- Popping sounds.
- Loss of cartledge.
It is broad yes, but let’s take a closer look at each one…
1) Increase in pain within the knee itself.
A gradual increase of pain doing day to day activities is the first warning sign to watch out for.
Simple tasks like walking and having soreness after exercise you normally do not have is a good sign there is something going on but do keep in mind not confusing overdoing it with actual symptoms of this disease.
Increased discomfort from damp or cold weather and even changes in the weather can all be signs of something is going on.
2) Inflammation.
Swelling of the knee without injury or soreness without motion and tenderness to the touch are all signs of a problem going on inside your knee.
If you notice these symptoms without doing any walking or exercising there is a good chance you may have the start of arthritis in the knee. Either that or another thing to consider is the likelihood of lyme disease which would occur if you live in the woods or recently went into them. Here’s more info.
The buildup of fluid on the knee after a nights sleep or a period of inactivity is a common symptom. The knee may seem larger and red and sore to the touch.
3) Loss of motion/mobility.
Loss of motion & mobility is a very frustrating part of having affected knees. A simple treck upstairs or a trip to the basement brings immense pain and discomfort. This is due to loss of motion in the affected joint.
Another sign would be after standing and stretching the leg the knee pain persists or becomes sharp.
4) Locking of the knee.
This is a symptom that can be downright scary as the knee can actually lock up to the point where it will be stuck.’
Most of the time this will pass after a few minutes of no motion. The amount of activity can play a part in how often this happens and some rest time will help.
Buckling of the knee can also happen due to loss of muscle strength. You will be walking along and all of a sudden your knee buckles or losses all strength.
5) Popping sounds.
There is no worse feeling than hearing a pop or cracking when you are walking or moving your leg.
Loss of the smooth cartilage in the knee creates friction in the joint and many times it feels like it is scaping or even binding and can even feel like bone on bone.
6) Loss of Cartridge.
When a person gets arthritis in the knee eventually the cartledge will all but disappear and the space between the bones will actually grow smaller. Bone spurs can develop and surgery may be required to repair a joint of this nature.
Treatment Options. Yes there are solutions!
Despite what may seem to be a hopeless situation, there are solutions to help combat knee pain, whether it be from an injury or arthritis. There’s many different ways to treat this problem from simple lifestyle changes and diet changes to full-blown surgery.
Taking ibuprofen and other non steroidal drugs like aspirin can relieve pain associated with arthritis. For the more advanced cases, there are also injection treatments that can actually relieve swelling and inflammation.
In the even more severe cases, surgery options can include cleaning out the knee and remodeling the bones for less aggravation and increased mobility and in the most severe cases complete joint replacement if necessary.
In cases of early arthritis, it pays to try some of the more natural treatments like Rosehips, Hydrolyzed Collagen,
These supplements can relieve pain and swelling and actually increase movement of the joint and even help rebuild damaged Cartledge.
A mixture of natural treatments and diet changes can go a long way in slowing down and even putting in check the growth of arthritis so it is important to address any concerns as early as possible and get a treatment plan started!
Our recommendation:
While we just listed the most common, mainstream treatments for knee pain, we have found the following options work best and provide the most immediate pain relief as well as long term improvement.
Summary…
We have taken a look at what arthritis of the knee is and the 6 most common symptoms to be on the lookout for.
We also covered some of the treatment options for dealing with arthritis of the knee and the pain and swelling that goes along with the disease.
We hope this information helps answer your questions and if you have any additional questions we want to hear from you!
Please leave your question or any comments or experiences you have had with this topic below in the comments section and we will do our best to answer them!