Arthritis Knee Pain – Part 2 - Health Plus Digest

Arthritis in the knee will typically affect people over the age of 50 and is more common in those who are overweight or who have suffered significant knee injuries in their earlier years. Researchers have also found a genetic predisposition, which means that it tends to run in families. (2)

The pain of knee arthritis will progress as the condition worsens. Interesting, the arthritis does not always progress steadily over time. Individuals may report that symptoms fluctuate with the weather and that they have good months and bad months.

The most common symptoms that individuals report is pain increases with activity, they have limited range of motion, they experienced swelling in the joints, it feels as if the knee “gives out”, they have stiffness in the joints, there is tenderness when they press on the knee and the knee may become deformed. (3,4)

According to a study done at the University of Iowa researchers found that women who had strong thigh muscles, quadriceps, were 50% less likely to develop knee pain compared to those who had the weakest muscles. This supports previous research that found strong quadriceps muscles protect against cartilage loss. However, the increased muscle strength did not prevent osteoarthritis but actually decreased the pain and symptoms that the woman experienced. X-ray evidence showed that 10% of those individuals with strong muscles who had no pain did have evidence of arthritis on x-ray. (5)

References:

(1) Medline Plus: Knee Pain

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003187.htm

(2)Trends in Molecular Medicine: Recent Advances in the Genetic Investigation of Osteoarthritis

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15823757

(3) NHS Choices: Osteoarthritis – Symptoms

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Osteoarthritis/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

(4) Johns Hopkins Medicine health Library: Osteoarthritis

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/adult/arthritis_and_other_rheumatic_diseases/osteoarthritis_85,P00061/

(5) American College of Rheumatology: Women with Strong Thigh Muscles Protected from Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis

http://www.rheumatology.org/about/newsroom/2009/2009_08_06.asp

(6) Annal of Rheumatic Diseases: Aerobic Walking or Strengthening Exercise for Osteoarthritis of the Knee