Identifying the Early Stages of Knee Arthritis
Arthritis of the knee is a symptom of the wear and tear of the cartilage surface between the joints, making the knee wear out and eventually collapse. Additionally, as an x-ray will clearly show, there is also a ‘sprouting’ of the bone taking effect. Some people believe that if a person is under the age of 60 then this should not be any cause for concern as there is no chance for further damage to occur. However, although this line of thinking may have been accurate in the past, it is not necessarily true in the today’s present climate where people carry out activities that exert more pressure and harsher work on the knee joints. It could also be argued that in the past people would exercise the muscles around the knee a lot more regularly.
Furthermore, incidents of knee arthritis are now being discovered in an increasing amount of patients of a much younger age although, naturally, incidents are more common as an individual gets older. Unfortunately, if we do not pay enough attention and recognise the signs of arthritis it is possible to develop the symptoms without being aware. The symptoms of knee arthritis can be divided into 6 steps, from the least to the most severe as follows:
Step 1
Although at this early stage, individuals should not be overly concerned, as the joint surface is smooth all over and still intact, it is often considered the most important stage of prevention because, if it is detected early enough, the symptoms can be identified and averted from advancing to a further, more serious condition. At this early stage, the patient will feel fatigued but will not feel any pain and will also still be able to walk normally. Negative aspects of this stage can be experienced at night, where an individual will often feel an uncomfortable tiredness and will find it increasingly difficult to go fall asleep. A patient will often find his pain can be relieved by asking a family member to give him/her a leg massage each night.
It should be mentioned that the fatigue of the knee is not directly related to the amount it is used. Individuals who spend the majority of the day sitting down, without walking a great deal, can also acquire symptoms. The signs at this early stage can be seen in people who do not regularly exercise or who don’t consistently play sports, however, these individuals may fashionably take exercise some of the time, e.g., aerobic exercise or yoga. In these cases, often the muscle above the knee is simply not strong enough to withstand the pressure exerted on it and, subsequently, after persistent daily use, it becomes increasingly weaker. This can be very uncomfortable and even regular activities such as walking around a shopping mall can be a painful and exhausting experience. Moreover, if the thigh, leg and calf muscles are repeatedly overused during the day, such as when sitting with a posture that bends the knee for a long time, the muscle will have a gradually accumulated inflammation.
In the evening, the muscle inflammation can develop to the extent that the patient will feel the fatigue; this is why most patients often only feel the pain at night, after continued use during the day. After rest and relaxation during the night, the muscle has had time to recuperate and the muscle fatigue will usually have subsided by the morning. Some patients find that a traditional Thai-style massage is very effective in relieving the muscle fatigue of the day, as it can relax the muscles and help relieve any discomfort, and they will often opt to have a massage after finishing work for the day.
Another symptom of the muscle being increasingly fatigued is in the form of a loud noise within the knee, when going up and down the stairs. This can often be so loud that others can hear it. This is caused by the need for the leg muscles to exert more force during the movement of the leg which, consequently, causes the connecting tendon to make noises when moving. If there is frequent movement of the joint, e.g., riding a bike, taking a long walk or doing aerobic exercises; then there will be increased friction on the cartilage surface. The joint will become worn out and inflamed, followed by the second step of the incident.
As they can also be affected by the symptoms in this first step, young people should be encouraged to take care of their knee muscles. It is essential not to underestimate the importance of taking care of the knee at this early stage to avoid further complications.
Wish you health and no knee pain.
Related Articles
Part 1 : Identifying the Early Stages of Knee Arthritis
Part 2 : The Development of Symptoms
Part 3 : The Effect on Living Standards
Part 4 : Pain Increases When Bending the Knee
Part 5 : When an Operation is Required
Part 6 : When a Patient is Unable to Walk