Help Manage Your Osteoarthritis Knee Pain with These Tips

Oh, my aching knees.

Knee osteoarthritis – the most common form of arthritis and leading cause of disability in our country – is the source of knee pain and declining mobility for many of us. Symptoms include pain (mild, moderate, or severe), stiffness, limited range of motion in the knee, and localized swelling.

Early diagnosis and treatment is super important. In fact, patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis that sought treatment for the disease, such as Hyalgan injections, in its early stages are able to effectively manage it.  

But arthritis affects more than our joints – it also diminishes our best quality of life. So while professional treatment is best, caring for your knees shouldn’t stop there. You can supplement your arthritis treatment with:

-      Exercise – while someone with arthritic knees may not be eager to exercise, it can help increase flexibility, range of motion, and muscle strength, and control weight. It can also help strengthen bones and ligaments. Try walking, swimming, cycling, or yoga.

-      Physical therapy - strengthening the muscles around the knee joint may help decrease the burden on the knee. Preventing muscle atrophy is important to maintain functional use of the knee.

-      Heat or Cold Therapy - this stimulates the body's healing power. Heat dilates the blood vessels, stimulates blood circulation, reduces muscle spasms, and alters the sensation of pain. Cold compresses reduce swelling by constricting blood vessels and can numb deep pain.

-      Healthy weight - your knees bear the brunt of your body weight, so when walking every extra pound puts up to three pounds of pressure on knee joints and up to ten pounds when running.

For more information, visit www.optionsrehab.com.

Options Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Center is a multi-specialty practice centered on surgical alternatives to treat pain and injury. Located in Nutley, NJ, in Essex County, and very near neighboring counties of Passaic, Bergen, and Hudson, the center offers patients effective minimally invasive and non-surgical treatment and rehabilitative options for knee pain, low back pain, neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sciatica, and injuries related to sports, work, and auto accidents.