Offering A Good Knee Support To Alleviate Knee Arthritis Symptoms
Arthritis is the swelling of the joints between the bones. It commonly occurs in the joints of the hands and feet. The Rheumatoid and the Osteoarthritis are the two types of arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by persistent irritation of the tissue around the joints. It is known to be caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the tissues in the body. The Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of the cartilage in the joint between the bones which worsen by age.
The symptoms for both types of arthritis may be similar however the causes and treatments are different. Knee support is recommended for both types of arthritis to relieve the knee arthritis pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs in people of all ages and races. It is an autoimmune disease which is mostly seen in women than in men. This occurs when the body's immune system harm its own body tissues. This immune system produces antibodies or chemicals which are released into the bloodstream that attack the tissues in the body. This disease can trigger unexpectedly and instantly. A person who has rheumatoid arthritis can be perfectly healthy today but the next can suffer from the symptoms. The joint's inflammation can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling. This type of arthritis can affect the other organs of the body such as the eyes, lungs, and the heart. If the condition is not slowed or cured, it can permanently damage the affected body parts. People who have rheumatoid arthritis have difficulty in carrying out their daily activities such as walking, standing, and or climbing the stairs.
Osteoarthritis arthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is a degenerative joint disease which is characterized by breaking down of the cartilage in the joints. This cartilage serves as the "cushion" between the bones. If the cartilage is not sufficient or the lack of it can create severe friction to the bones that causes pain and swelling of the joints. This disease is primarily observed in older people but can also occur as a secondary illness in younger people. Several factors may result for the cartilage to wear away. These can be due to an injury, occupation, sports, excess weight or genetics. Next to aging, obesity is the next risk factor that could cause this type of arthritis. This condition develops gradually in which soreness and stiffness can be felt on the affected area. The pain is felt less in the morning and stronger at the end of the day. There is pain when you move the knee or after resting such as standing up from the chair or climbing up and going down the stairs. The symptoms may not always be constantly present.
Treatment of Knee Arthritis
There is really no specific treatment in stopping the cartilage degeneration or in repairing the damage joint. A certain surgery may be recommended however this is not the primary option to ease the condition. Drugs can also be prescribed to reduce pain and inflammation. Avoiding activities that exert excessive stress on the joint as soon as possible is highly recommended. Rest, exercise, proper diet and physical therapy are important in reducing pain and inflammation. Support devices like a good quality knee support can improve and maintain joint function. Knee support allows patient to move their knee with minimal impact stress to the joints. Straps or tapes should be fastened around the leg properly. A poorly positioned knee support can cause more hurt rather than helping to ease the pain. Ask your doctor for the best knee support that best suits your knee arthritis condition.
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by persistent irritation of the tissue around the joints. It is known to be caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the tissues in the body. The Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of the cartilage in the joint between the bones which worsen by age.
The symptoms for both types of arthritis may be similar however the causes and treatments are different. Knee support is recommended for both types of arthritis to relieve the knee arthritis pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs in people of all ages and races. It is an autoimmune disease which is mostly seen in women than in men. This occurs when the body's immune system harm its own body tissues. This immune system produces antibodies or chemicals which are released into the bloodstream that attack the tissues in the body. This disease can trigger unexpectedly and instantly. A person who has rheumatoid arthritis can be perfectly healthy today but the next can suffer from the symptoms. The joint's inflammation can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling. This type of arthritis can affect the other organs of the body such as the eyes, lungs, and the heart. If the condition is not slowed or cured, it can permanently damage the affected body parts. People who have rheumatoid arthritis have difficulty in carrying out their daily activities such as walking, standing, and or climbing the stairs.
Osteoarthritis arthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is a degenerative joint disease which is characterized by breaking down of the cartilage in the joints. This cartilage serves as the "cushion" between the bones. If the cartilage is not sufficient or the lack of it can create severe friction to the bones that causes pain and swelling of the joints. This disease is primarily observed in older people but can also occur as a secondary illness in younger people. Several factors may result for the cartilage to wear away. These can be due to an injury, occupation, sports, excess weight or genetics. Next to aging, obesity is the next risk factor that could cause this type of arthritis. This condition develops gradually in which soreness and stiffness can be felt on the affected area. The pain is felt less in the morning and stronger at the end of the day. There is pain when you move the knee or after resting such as standing up from the chair or climbing up and going down the stairs. The symptoms may not always be constantly present.
Treatment of Knee Arthritis
There is really no specific treatment in stopping the cartilage degeneration or in repairing the damage joint. A certain surgery may be recommended however this is not the primary option to ease the condition. Drugs can also be prescribed to reduce pain and inflammation. Avoiding activities that exert excessive stress on the joint as soon as possible is highly recommended. Rest, exercise, proper diet and physical therapy are important in reducing pain and inflammation. Support devices like a good quality knee support can improve and maintain joint function. Knee support allows patient to move their knee with minimal impact stress to the joints. Straps or tapes should be fastened around the leg properly. A poorly positioned knee support can cause more hurt rather than helping to ease the pain. Ask your doctor for the best knee support that best suits your knee arthritis condition.
About the Author:
Jeanine Jones was then promoted to a senior physiotherapist in a teaching hospital. She use knee support ("Kniestuetze" as they call it in German) for some patients. She finds her career to be interesting and enjoyable because she gets to educate and advise patients on how to self-manage and take responsibility for their own condition.