Arthritis in Knee - How to Identify and Diagnose the Symptoms of Knee Arthritis

Arthritis in knee is the most common osteoarthritis. This happens when the cartilage at the end of the knee bones undergo a degenerative process. When the cartilage wears thin, both end of the bones contact and cause friction. This leads to inflammation of the joint and pain.

When you have arthritis in knee, you will feel the pain and swelling. You also experience the pain in the front, the back, or the sides of the knee. You can also encounter limited motion at the knee. Especially in the morning, your joints become stiff. As you try to bend and straighten the knee, you will hear some cracking sounds.

Unfortunately, the condition can get worse if it is not treated. A funny thing about arthritis in knee is that you don't experience the pain all the times. Some months you can be free of pain depending on the weather.

Here is the list of the most common symptoms for knee arthritis:

• Pain when trying to move the knee.


• Feeling of the joint collapsing.


• Deformity of the joint such as bowleg and knock-knee.


• Restricted range of movement.


• Swelling of the joint.


• Stiffness of the knee.

Only a proper diagnosis can eliminate other knee disorders. Your doctor can arrange a physical checkup and x-rays. X-rays help your doctor to determine the damage to the joint. These two examinations will determine whether you need comprehensive tests later on.

You may need to do an erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which is a blood test to confirm if you have rheumatoid arthritis. It show how fast the red blood cells hold together and fall to the bottom of a test tube. If they sink faster, it shows that you have inflammation in the body.

Sometimes, your doctor extracts some fluid from the knee joint to determine the presence of other types of arthritis such as gout. An arthroscopy is only required if a surgery is to be performed. It can provide a better picture of the damage of the cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.

Not all knee pain is due to arthritis. If you experience any symptoms above, the best thing for you to do is to receive a proper diagnosis. Some of the symptoms may show other knee disorders besides arthritis in knee.