Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Knee Pain

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints. It starts to show up as one gets older and also it may occur as a result of injury to the knees, for instance during sports or exercise.

The bones in your joints begin to degrade as the cartilage that usually separates them thins out leading to an increase in friction whenever you move. Also the fluid in the joint that normally keeps it lubricated starts to increase resulting in swelling and discomfort.

It can creep up on you as pain starts to escalate from year to year in the area of the knee. For a lot of people, this can end up being very restricting as they feel unable to use their legs in the way unaffected people do.

Prevalence of Osteoarthritis of the Knee

In the US, there are about twenty million sufferers above the age of 25. This equates to about 12% of the American people. In the UK, there are more than six million people that have osteoarthritis in one or both of their knees. This si a total of about 10% of the population. All in all, it affects a great number of people in these two countries without taking into consideration the rest of the world.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis in the Knee

1. Pain


2. Stiffness especially in the morning or after a rest break


3. Crepitus (grinding or grating of the knee joint whenever it is used)


4. Swelling around the knee joint - This can wither be a hard swelling or a soft swelling dependent on if the cause is outgrowth of your bone or increase in the lubricating (synovial) fluid.

Causes of Osteoarthritis

• Age - As osteoarthritis is a disease of wear and tear, the older we become, the more likely we are to actually develop the disease.


• Obesity - The more weight we are carrying around will further reinforce any wear and tear we are experiencing as our bodies place stress on the knee joint each time we walk or run. This also explains why so many more younger people are beginning to experience this condition earlier on in their life.


• Gender - Unfortunately, this ailment tends to affect females more than males. It tends to rear its ugly head after the menopause.


• Joint Injury -Have you ever had an operation on your knee or are you an avid runner or sports person? You are more likely to experience this ailment at some point in your life.


• Family history - Some forms of osteoarthritis are passed on down the family line. In some cases, some form of resistance can be passed along as well. So this is a mixed bag of results.

Overall, osteoarthritis of the knee is a disease that can cause a lot of discomfort. It can also be a nuisance to control.