Osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear condition in which the rubbery, protective cartilage that cushions your joints degrades. About 365 million women and men around the world have osteoarthritis of the knee.
When your body tries to repair broken-down knee cartilage, it may end up creating new bone tissue, which manifests as bone spurs on the joints. Bone spurs are like a bony type of scar. But they can also cause further complications when your joints move.
Over time, as the cartilage disappears and is replaced by these bony scars, the two bones of your joints may grind against one another, causing pain, stiffness and immobility. Without treatment, you may find it more and more difficult to move.
Our rheumatologists and medical providers at the Rheumatology Center of New Jersey are experts at diagnosing and treating osteoarthritis. If your knee hurts due to wear-and-tear, we customize a knee arthritis treatment plan at our offices in Monroe, Flemington, and Somerville, New Jersey.
Is your knee pain caused by osteoarthritis? Following are five of the most common signs that it probably is.
The first sign of arthritis is simply stiffness. You may find that it’s hard to straighten your knee or even stand up fluidly after you’ve been asleep or at rest for a long time.
Eventually, you may find it difficult to flex or straighten your knee. This could cause a limp or just slow you down as you walk or run.
The worse your osteoarthritis becomes, the poorer your knee functions. In addition to feeling stiff, your knee may become painful to move. You may notice that your knee looks swollen and may be hot to the touch.
As your cartilage breaks down, loose fragments of the tissue may be caught in the joint. These fragments may cause a grinding or creaking sound in your knee called crepitus.
Your knee might also lock or get stuck due to the tissue fragments. Grinding, popping, and sticking are all signs that you may have knee osteoarthritis.
Many women and men with arthritis notice that their pain and stiffness worsen depending on the weather. For most, cold and dry weather makes their arthritis worse, but some have the same reaction to warmer weather.
If you notice that your knee pain worsens depending on the weather, take precautions. On cold days, wear enough layers to warm your joints. On hot days, consider cooling towels to stay comfortable.
Another sign that you have arthritis is that your knees aren’t strong or supple enough to support your weight. When you stand up, your knee buckles and collapses. That could even send you back to your chair.
If you’re a runner or other athlete, you may notice that your pain gets worse the more stress you put on your knee. Although movement and exercise is important in knee osteoarthritis — to keep the synovial fluid flowing and lubricate your joint — you may need to pull back on your routine until your knee improves.
Many other conditions that affect the knee have similar symptoms to knee osteoarthritis. The first step toward regaining strength and comfort in your knee is to get an accurate diagnosis.
When you come in with knee pain, we conduct a thorough physical examination, which may include manipulating your knee to determine range of motion, as well as a gait analysis. We also look inside your knee with imaging technologies, such as X-rays, to evaluate your cartilage, bones of your joints, and supporting tissues.
Osteoarthritis isn’t just a pain in your knee. It’s an inflammatory condition that affects more than your cartilage. It can also, over time, weaken the tendons, ligaments, and muscles that support your knee.
If you have osteoarthritis, simple lifestyle adjustments may be enough to stop the disease from progressing. You may also benefit from restorative therapies, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which nourishes and helps sustain your cartilage.
In addition, we can prescribe pain medications, including steroids, to keep you comfortable. Joint injections and infusions may also help your cartilage and supporting tissues stay as healthy as possible.
Is your knee pain due to knee osteoarthritis? Find out by calling our helpful team or booking an appointment online for a knee arthritis evaluation. We serve Monroe, Flemington, and Somerville, New Jersey, and surrounding areas.
