The most common kind of arthritis is a kind of wear-and-tear process known as osteoarthritis. The smooth surfaces of the bones within joints are worn away until the bones are grinding together without enough lubrication. Being that it is the largest joint in your body, arthritis of the knee can have significant effects on your everyday life.
What Are the Symptoms of Arthritis of the Knee?
If you are suffering from osteoarthritis in your knee joint, you can expect to experience a number of rather generalized symptoms. As such, you would be well advised to consult your doctor and get a definitive diagnosis. Only then can you make your first steps on the road to managing your condition.
In particular, your knee joint may become stiff and swollen at times. This feeling tends to be worse in the morning and can be eased by gentle activity. You should be careful not to overdo it though as osteoarthritis can worsen as a result of over activity of the joint.
The damaged cartilage within an arthritic joint can sometimes get stuck in the moving parts of the joint and cause it to lock up. Your knee may also creak and make a number of different sounds as the various internal components rub past one another.
You may feel a weakness or tendency towards buckling of the knee when you suffer from one of the many forms of arthritis. This weakness can be supported by means of a knee brace that has been specially designed to help sufferers of arthritis. Your doctor will be able to advise you on what medications can help to slow the progression of osteoarthritis and help with the pain. They will also be able to assist you in choosing from the many top quality knee braces available to buy online.
How Can I Treat My Arthritis?
If you're suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee, then there are several things you can do to help yourself live your life to the full despite your condition. Some of these are medical and others comes down to specific lifestyle changes.
One of the most proactive measures you can take involves specialized therapy sessions with a qualified physiotherapist. They will prescribe you particular exercises which have been proven to assist in the relief of pain from arthritis. These exercises will also help you to increase your range of pain-free movement.
The best way to support all of these measures and get the most out of your treatment plan is to wear a knee brace. Modern support devices like knee braces are designed by experts in the fields of medical and material sciences. This means that you'll be getting a knee brace that provides the highest possible levels of stability and flexibility. There's no need to compromise one characteristic to achieve the other as is common in other tools and instruments.
Knee braces are particularly useful for sufferers of arthritis of the knee in cases where the arthritis affects one side of the joint more than the other. The exact type of brace you choose depends on your exact symptoms and problem areas. If you need help with reducing the weight you apply to your knee, then the best option would be an 'unloader" brace. In the contrary, if your knee just needs some help to support the load placed on the knee by various forces, then you should be looking for a "support" brace.
Whichever knee brace you need, you can treat your arthritis of the knee by choosing one of the many excellent knee braces available online.