Ashley Febo | 28 July 2024
Understanding Knee Arthritis
Knee osteoarthritis, often referred to simply as knee arthritis, results from the deterioration of cartilage in the knee joint. This condition typically progresses due to wear and tear and is more common as people age.
Recognising the Signs of Knee Arthritis
Knee arthritis symptoms often include pain, stiffness, and swelling, which tend to worsen over time. Initially, pain is usually more severe in the morning and improves as the knee is used throughout the day. However, excessive walking can exacerbate the pain. It can be challenging to balance enough movement to reduce stiffness without overdoing it and causing discomfort. Often, people with knee arthritis cannot pinpoint a specific event that triggered their knee pain.
The challenge with these symptoms is their similarity to other knee conditions. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a physiotherapist perform a thorough assessment to ensure you receive the appropriate treatment.
Do You Need an MRI or X-ray?
The necessity for scans depends largely on the findings from your physiotherapy assessment. Generally, you don’t need scans before your physiotherapist’s evaluation, as they can often increase anxiety over joint health. Scans might suggest permanent damage, which isn’t always the case.
To illustrate, a study showed that individuals without knee pain who underwent scans often displayed signs of knee arthritis. Specifically, 1 in 6 people under 40 and 4 in 10 over 40 showed arthritis signs despite being pain-free. This indicates that knee arthritis can exist without pain, leading to unnecessary knee replacement surgeries.
This research emphasises the importance of having a physiotherapist assess your knee before obtaining scans. Even if scans are performed first, a good physiotherapist will evaluate your condition independently of scan results to avoid bias. If the assessment aligns with scan findings, then the scans may indeed reflect the source of your pain. If not, the scan results might be incidental, and treatment should proceed based on the physiotherapist’s evaluation.
Reducing Your Risk of Knee Arthritis
Several strategies can help minimise the risk of developing knee arthritis:
1. Maintain a Healthy Weight: Keeping or reaching a healthy weight is crucial, as excess weight increases stress on the joints, accelerating wear and tear, and cartilage loss, thereby speeding up arthritis progression.
2. Exercise Regularly: Physical activity offers numerous benefits, including enhancing joint health. Both resistance and endurance exercises are effective for maintaining strong and healthy knee joints.
3. Protect Your Joints from Injury: Although joint injuries can be unpredictable, a good warm-up before activities can significantly reduce the risk of injury. For more tips, check our article on preventing sports injuries.
Treatment Approaches for Knee Arthritis
Knee arthritis treatment varies based on factors like pain triggers, swelling, and load tolerance. However, some consistent treatment strategies exist. Visual learners may benefit from our Knee Osteoarthritis information sheet—please contact our clinic for more information.
Early Treatment Focus
Often, people seek physiotherapy when pain is severe and persistent. Consequently, early treatment typically aims to reduce pain and swelling. Effective strategies include:
• Combination of manual therapy techniques performed by experienced physiotherapist
• Using a compression bandage on the knee
• Performing gentle knee movements like heel slides
• Engaging in stationary cycling for low-impact knee movement
Mid to Late Treatment Strategies
As pain decreases, your physiotherapist will guide you through exercises to strengthen muscles around the knee joint. Strengthening these muscles helps reduce joint stress and improve joint health. Gradually introducing load-bearing activities, such as walking programs, is essential to adapt your joint to increasing loads while minimising pain risk. Some recommended exercises could include:
• Glute Bridges: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor, and lift your hips.
• Single-Leg Glute Bridges: Perform glute bridges using one leg.
• Sit to Stand: Rise from a seated position without using your hands; start with a higher chair if needed.
• Crab Walks: Use an elastic band around your ankles, perform a mini squat, and take side steps.
Be sure to discuss these with your specialist physiotherapist to ensure they are appropriate for your specific knee pain symptoms. Your clinician can make some additional recommendations and design your personalised home exercise program catered to your needs.
Visit Us at GlidePhysio
At GlidePhysio, we specialise in managing knee arthritis. If you suspect knee arthritis or any other injury, contact us at admin@glidephysio.au, or book an appointment through our website at www.glidephysio.au.