A common reason for long-term knee pain in older people is osteoarthritis. It is thought to be caused by wear and tear in the joint.
In a healthy joint, the knee bends and straightens smoothly because of the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones. Over time, damage to this cartilage can lead to osteoarthritis. Movement becomes restricted and pain gradually increases.
The common symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain and stiffness in your affected joints during or after movement, as are tenderness and swelling.
You will experience a loss of flexibility in your affected joints and a grating sensation that is accompanied by clicking or cracking sounds.
The heavier you are, the greater the wear rate of your joint cartilage and hence the onset and progression of osteoarthritis. Maintaining an appropriate body mass index is a good way to prevent osteoarthritis, as well as other health problems.
Women are more prone to knee pain starting around and after menopause. Menopause may cause joint pain that can affect the knees, shoulders, neck, elbows, or hands. Old joint injuries may begin to ache. As time goes on, you may start to notice that you feel more aches and pains in those areas than you used to. That’s because estrogen helps to reduce inflammation. As its levels decline, inflammation may increase, causing discomfort and menopause-related arthritis.
Not seeking treatment as soon as possible can worsen your condition as your cartilage degenerates further. Moreover, your body works as a system and other joints will have to compensate. This may result in injury to your other joints, which in turn, complicates matters and exacerbates your pain.
There is currently no cure for osteoarthritis. The first-line treatment for all patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis includes patient education and physiotherapy. A combination of supervised exercises and a home exercise program have been shown to have the best results. However, timely treatment and a holistic pain management approach can minimize the impact of this debilitating disease on your quality of life.
We at IMC Rehab Services provide primary care for your concerns with expert opinions and trained physical therapists.
