The knee joint is made up of cartilage, knee capsule, joint fluid, and ligaments, and is connected to the thigh bone (femur) and the lower leg bone (tibia). The cartilage and joint fluid are equivalent to a cushion that helps reduce friction in the knee joint when we walk around and has a cushioning effect.
After prolonged exposure to gravity or trauma, or certain diseases, the cartilage on the surface of our knee joint wears out and loses its elasticity, causing the bone beneath the cartilage to experience increased stress, which eventually makes the cartilage thinner, the joint narrower, and the joint deformed. This results in joint pain, swelling, stiffness, deformity and limited movement.
The majority of people who develop degenerative knee osteoarthritis are over the age of forty-five, and twice as many women as men. People who run and jump a lot, are overweight, or have joint injuries are also more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis.
How to prevent degenerative knee osteoarthritis
The principle is to reduce the load on the knee joint, such as proper weight control, avoiding prolonged fixation of the knee joint in the same position, choosing the right shoes to achieve shock absorption, reducing knee injuries, and avoiding carrying or carrying heavy objects.
Treatment of degenerative knee osteoarthritis
I. Physical therapy
Hot and cold compresses, deep heat therapy, such as ultrasound or short-wave irradiation, and electrotherapy can be used to reduce pain.
Exercise therapy
1. Muscle training
Plyometric training can increase muscle strength and endurance and reduce joint load. Basically, it can be done once every two days, but the degree of degeneration is different for each person. The exact frequency can be discussed with the physical therapist, and care should be taken not to cause pain after exercise. Exercises can be done twice a day as described below.
(1) Patellofemoral Exercise
Chair sitting position, or supine or bed sitting position (sitting position is preferred). Keep the knee straight and contract the quadriceps muscle so that the patella is pulled upward (but the knee joint remains immobile), hold for 5 seconds, then relax and return to the original position under the patella.
(2) knee extension exercise (sitting position)
Sit in chair or bedside sitting position with knee flexed (90°) and lower leg down. Take turns extending one knee to 180°. And hold in this position for 5~10 seconds, then recover (lower leg down) and rest for 5 seconds.
(3) Straight knee leg lift (standing or supine position)
The affected leg is lifted 30° in the straight knee position. Keep the knee straight, hold it for 5 seconds, then lower it and rest for 5 seconds. If you take the standing position, you can use your hand to support the table or bed (not to take the standing position when both legs are affected by the knee joint).
2.Stretching exercise
Stretching exercises can increase the flexibility of the knee joint activities and reduce the chance of injury.
III. Use of aids
According to the pain, joint mobility, muscle strength and other conditions, the use of appropriate assistive devices to reduce the burden on the joint, to avoid causing pain. For example, crutches and walking aids can help stabilize gait and avoid joint deformation caused by improper application of force.
IV. Drug treatment
Take painkillers, non-steroidal drugs or inject drugs directly into the joints to reduce pain and improve symptoms (under doctor’s instruction).
V. Surgery
If none of the above treatments are effective, an orthopedic surgeon will evaluate the possibility of surgery and decide on the surgical procedure.
What exercises are appropriate for patients with degenerative arthritis?
Patients with degenerative arthritis should reduce the load on the knees, so it is not suitable for too strenuous exercises; walking, brisk walking, cycling, swimming, tai chi, yoga and other exercises are more suitable; especially water exercises, which can reduce the load on the joints by buoyancy, are most suitable for patients with degenerative arthritis, and can achieve the purpose of increasing physical fitness without aggravating the damage to the joints.