Osteoarthritis of the knee

The most common condition affecting the knee is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the “wear and tear” type of arthritis. It is when the cartilage in your joints breaks down causing pain, swelling, and reduced motion in the joints that makes walking difficult. X-rays typically show a loss of joint space in the affected knee.

Lifestyle modification (losing weight if overweight or minimizing high impact activities that aggravate the condition), exercise (water exercises are excellent in reducing stress to the affected joints while increasing muscle strength to take the load off of the joint), and supportive devices (cane, knee brace) are recommended to treat early stages of osteoarthritis of the knee. Alternative therapies to relieve pain and improve function include chiropractic, physical therapy, and acupuncture.