Constant knee pain and inflammation can be symptoms of osteoarthritis. Although it is common in people over 50, it also affects young people.
Sometimes, when we walk a lot or overexert ourselves, our knee hurts. Although this is normal, when the pain becomes constant or there is inflammation in the area, it is important to consult a doctor because it could be osteoarthritis, also called “arthrosis.”
“Osteoarthritis is known as arthrosis because it causes wear and tear in the area, in this case, in the knee. Although it is common in middle-aged people, there is no cure for it, but there are treatments that help relieve the symptoms, especially the pain,” says Gonzalo Rivera, traumatologist and orthopedist.
The ends of the bones are covered by cartilage, which is a smooth, slippery tissue that helps them slide easily when you move the joint. With this disease, the cartilage breaks down and becomes rough, in some cases it wears away and the bones rub against each other. This causes extra bone protrusions in the joint area called bone spurs, MedlinePlus reports.
The knee is one of the joints in the human skeleton where osteoarthritis most frequently develops because it is a load-bearing joint. That is, it supports the weight of the body and the objects we carry.
Symptoms of knee osteoarthritis
Eduardo López, an internist, indicates that the most frequent symptom of osteoarthritis is joint pain, associated with movement or effort. The pain can be progressive and affect daily activities, preventing the person from moving, in this case, the leg.
At first, the pain is mild and is only felt when doing some activity that requires a lot of strength and is relieved by rest. When the disease has advanced, the pain begins when you start walking and subsides when you have been walking for a while.
Along with the pain, the person feels stiffness and has difficulty bending or extending the leg. This can be intensified by spending a long time at rest. In addition, a clicking sound is heard when bending the knee.
According to Rivera, the pain becomes more intense when climbing stairs, bending over, or walking on uneven ground. Swelling and pain occur when exercising more than usual or overexerting the leg.
Causes and why it affects young people
Osteoarthritis is a common disease in people over 50 years of age, although it can also affect young people who have suffered some injury to the knees, such as a fracture or meniscal injury that causes joint wear and tear.
This disease does not have a specific cause, however, there are risk factors that could affect it. For example, obesity, since the knees are the ones that bear the excess weight of the person and the joints tend to wear out.
Although it is not a hereditary disease, as there is no fixed inheritance pattern, there are risk factors that can make it more likely to appear. “For example, if your grandparents suffered from osteoarthritis, likely, you will also develop it,” says the internist.
Athletes and people with sedentary lifestyles also tend to suffer from osteoarthritis.
What should you not do if you have knee osteoarthritis?
If you have already been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, or you have frequent knee pain but are waiting for a doctor’s check-up, it is recommended not to walk up or down stairs unnecessarily, or on steep streets.
Also avoid walking excessively, kneeling or squatting carrying weights, or spending a lot of time with your knees bent.
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