Osteoarthritis of the Knee
What is Arthritis of the Knee?
The most common form of knee arthritis is osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease in which the cartilage within the knee joint slowly wears away. This usually occurs as a result of the natural aging process or due to excessive use. Athletes will frequently suffer from knee osteoarthritis because the regular, intense running, jumping, and pivoting of their sports cause the cartilage in the knee joints to wear down prematurely.
Knee arthritis symptoms include stiffness and pain throughout the knee. Pain usually begins gradually and worsens over time as the condition progresses. Knee pain is usually most severe after periods of inactivity, such as first thing in the morning or after vigorous exercise.
Treatment
There are a number of physical therapy approaches and medications that can be used to reduce the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. A knee doctor might recommend exercises to keep the knee joint from locking up or swelling. These nonsurgical options can be helpful, but if your knee pain persists, surgery may be recommended. See the links below for common surgeries related to arthritic knees:
See a Specialist
To learn more about treatments for knee arthritis, please request an appointment online, or call 888-660-2663.
Appointment Resources
Once you have scheduled your appointment with one of our knee doctors, please use the links below to obtain our new patient forms and browse through our tips and preparation suggestions for your appointment.
“I have three kinds of arthritis and my right knee had been a huge problem for years - probably close to 15 years. I took all kinds of drugs to help with the inflammation and participated in PT a couple of times. I also had steroids and some gel injected. That probably got me through the last year. But, my hips were hurting and my back was hurting and I had it. So, I spoke with my Rheumatologist and she said if I felt strongly, it was time for surgery. I checked around and found your group as being highly recommended and Dr. Reichard as being someone who loves to do surgery and does a lot of them, so I made the appointment and went forward, I wanted a surgeon who knew what he/she was doing and did it. I have been extremely pleased with my surgery, my recovery and everything to do with it. It is only 8 weeks out, and I am still in PT, but am doing so well and am very pleased with the "big picture" attitude of everyone involved about making certain that not only the knee is doing well, but that all of my parts are improving - which ultimately benefits the knee. I appreciate the professional and helpful attitude of the employees of Northwest Orthopaedic Specialists and have already recommended your business to numerous others.” — Pam A.