How to spot knee osteoarthritis? How do we manage it? How can we help?

What really is OA of the Knee joint?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition that affects the whole joint including bone, cartilage, ligaments and muscles. It causes inflammation in the joints and gradual loss of joint cartridge. This eventually leads to a decrease range of motion at the knee and inability to weight bear without pain.

Symptoms

• Decreased range of motion in the knee
• Pain/stiffness in the knee
• Decrease/inability to put weight through the knee
• Symptoms usually worsen with activity – can be constant in late stages

Risk Factors

• Age > 70
• Being overweight – BMI > 30
• Jobs with repetitive kneeling, climbing and squatting
• Gender – Male more likely than female
• Heredity
• Previous motor vehicle injuries or sporting injuries
• Lifestyle factors – Alcohol and Tobacco

What can we do at FUNCTION PCP?

Manual therapy to help decrease pain and improve function to help start your rehab journey. Introduce lifestyle changes early on to change the way stress is applied to your joint. Correct potential biomechanical compensations to decrease extra weight-bearing through one side of the knee with our unique clinical Pilates / functional playground. Evidence-based tailored exercise program to help promote quadricep strengthening.

Fun Facts!

Did you know that your body takes 3-6x its body weight in force each step? So losing 10kg could decrease the force by 50-60kg through your knee?

It is shown in studies that 33% of the population greater age 65 have radiological symptoms signs of OA, however, the diagnosis is based on clinical signs and symptoms alone, the prevalence is found to be lower at 10% and only 15% of patients with imaging complained of knee pain?

Take home message!

If you have knee pain that matches these descriptions, been told you need surgery and want to consider other options or just want to know a little bit more, come in to speak to one of our expert physiotherapists. We can assist you with a functional movement assessment to understand the way your body moves, give you a second opinion and maybe save you from an unwanted surgery.

Written by Neeraj Sampelly
Function PCP Physiotherapist

Some of the information on this website was obtained from the below references for the latest research and evidence regarding the current condition – if you want to learn more, feel free to read these articles to gain a more detailed understanding.

References

1. https://arthritisaustralia.com.au/types-of-arthritis/osteoarthritis/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841860/