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6 Best Strategies for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

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28th May 2021




Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis that affects millions of people around the world. In this condition, the cartilage that cushions your bones degenerates or wears out. Thus causing pain, swelling, and limiting the range of motion of the affected joint. Although osteoarthritis can affect any joint within your body, it usually occurs in the hands, hips, and knees. 

Osteoarthritis of the knee can decrease the quality of your life and interfere with normal walking. Your knee may become stiff and cause severe discomfort. There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but treatment can help you manage the symptoms. Fortunately, modern medicine can offer a wide variety of options for the treatment of osteoarthritis. 

Below are the 6 most effective ways to treat osteoarthritis of the knee and improve the quality of your life. 

1. Medications

Over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications can help you manage the symptoms of osteoarthritis. They help to keep inflammation under control and reduce the severity of pain. The medications can be steroidal, non-steroidal, and topical. Of course, oral medications are more effective compared to topical. Topical medications usually provide a good effect at the early stages of osteoarthritis. 

If OTC medications are ineffective, your healthcare specialist can prescribe stronger medications, like opioids. They are highly effective for pain relief but pose the risk of developing dependency. 

2. Physical therapy

Knee osteoarthritis often causes difficulty performing certain daily activities and prevents you from living a full life. Physical therapy can help you solve this issue. The therapist can teach you how to improve the strength and flexibility of your muscles. Muscle strength is crucial to relieve the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Having strong muscles helps relieve the load on your knee joint and slow down the progression of this condition.

Besides, regular physical activity prevents stiffness and improves the range of motion of the affected knee. Physical therapy can improve your sense of well-being significantly. 

3. Healthy weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is probably the most important part of knee osteoarthritis treatment. If you have excessive weight, losing even several pounds can help relieve the symptoms and improve the quality of life significantly. Moreover, this slows down the progression of this disease and prevents future severe complications. Besides, excessive weight can increase overall body inflammation, thereby worsening osteoarthritis symptoms. 

If you have difficulty losing excess weight, ask your doctor for help. A medical specialist can help you make a plan for weight loss and management. The plan usually includes exercises, a diet plan, and developing healthy habits. 

4. Knee injections 

If you experience severe pain and inflammation in the knee, your doctor may suggest a knee injection for osteoarthritis. This delivers the steroids and numbing agents directly into the affected joint. Knee injections provide a fast but short-term relief from osteoarthritis pain. Moreover, it isn’t recommended to use steroid injections often. When using them regularly, steroid injections can reduce the density of the bones and joints, thereby worsening knee osteoarthritis symptoms. 

5. Supplements

Many people with knee osteoarthritis can benefit from taking food supplements. For instance, supplements with antioxidants like curcumin and resveratrol can help your body deal with inflammation. Collagen is a protein that helps build healthy cartilage tissue. Taking them can slow down cartilage degeneration and relieve symptoms. Omega-3 fatty acids help control inflammation and improve symptoms.

Of course, before taking any food supplements you need to consult your doctor to prevent interactions with current medications. 

6. Surgery

Surgery is a last-line treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may need different procedures. Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure in which a doctor uses a small camera to receive and repair the affected knee joint. Osteotomy is a procedure in which the doctor cuts and reshapes the bone to reduce pressure on the injured part. 

If your knee is severely affected, the doctor may recommend a knee replacement surgery. A surgeon removes the affected tissue and replaces them with an artificial one.