As winter approaches and the weather turns cold, many middle-aged and elderly people start to worry about knee pain again. Most of these middle-aged and elderly people have similar symptoms: sore knee joints, inflexibility, and heavy pain when walking up and down steps. They feel stiff and painful when they wake up in the morning or after sitting for a long time, and can only walk after a little activity. After standing or walking for a long time, you feel pain in the joint again and need to sit down to rest. Difficulty in squatting, needing support to stand up after squatting or sitting down. A “click, click, click” sound is heard when the knee joint is extended and flexed. Swelling and pain in the knee joint may increase with excessive activity. These are the typical signs of osteoarthrosis of the knee. Osteoarthrosis, also known as osteoarthritis. In China, nearly 100 million people have bone and joint problems, and osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases among middle-aged and elderly people, but the medical consultation rate is only 15%, and 5% of them go to the doctor only because of severe pain. The consequences of neglecting osteoarthritis can be chronic and disabling, seriously affecting the quality of life of older adults. Osteoarthritis can occur in joints throughout the body, but is more likely to occur in joints that carry a lot of weight and activity, such as the knee, spine (cervical and lumbar spine), hip, ankle, and hand. The incidence of this disease is high, with a prevalence of up to 50% in people over the age of 60 and over 80% in people over the age of 75. Why are middle-aged and elderly people prone to osteoarthritis? This is because for middle-aged and elderly people, the joints are subjected to years of weight bearing, impact and friction, causing damage and degenerative changes to the joint cartilage. The human body has the ability to move freely, and the joints are the “bearings” that keep the body moving flexibly. The knee joint, for example, has to bear the weight of the whole body, but also has to withstand the impact caused by running and jumping in sports, in which the two ends of the joint will collide and slide with each other. The joint surface is covered with a thin layer of cartilage, which is extremely smooth and flexible, and is both a highly elastic cushion and the best performing protective cushion in the joint. As we age, and the joints are used over time, the articular cartilage becomes more and more severely worn through years of friction and impact with high loads; on the other hand, the ability of the articular cartilage to repair and rebuild itself decreases with age, so the joint surface gradually becomes uneven, and bony growths, or bone spurs, appear at the edges. Due to the lack of cartilage protection, the friction between the bone surfaces increases, and pain, swelling, limited joint movement, and stiffness with a sense of friction (i.e., a rattling sound when moving) may occur when the joint is active or at rest, which is called osteoarthritis. In fact, patients with osteoarthritis can prevent and slow down the process of osteoarthritis by adjusting their lifestyle and exercising properly. Therefore, it is important for middle-aged and elderly people to acquire relevant health knowledge and actively prevent osteoarthritis in their daily lives. First, you should maintain a normal weight. Obesity can lead to degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee, and obese women are four times more likely to develop degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee than those of normal weight. Therefore, overweight people should develop a weight loss plan to reduce the load on the knee joint. Secondly, reasonable exercise should be performed, mainly to enhance the strength and endurance of the muscles around the joint, which helps to stabilize the joint and maintain the range of motion of the joint. Many middle-aged and elderly people like to climb mountains two or three times a week or climb stairs or jog every day, but these activities can be very damaging to the knee joint if they are excessive. In recent years, it is common to see middle-aged and older adults who are retired and keen on physical activity come to the clinic with osteoarthritis, which may be related to excessive knee activity. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people should avoid activities such as weight-bearing, climbing, hiking, squatting, jumping, etc., and instead choose exercises such as walking, biking, swimming, and tai chi as appropriate. If the above methods do not eliminate the symptoms, medication is needed as appropriate. Medications for osteoarthritis include drugs for rapid symptom relief and drugs to improve the condition. There are also different methods of using medications, such as topical and systemic medications. However, when the disease has progressed to this stage, it is advisable to seek help from an orthopedic surgeon, as many medications require a risk assessment before use. Finally, for patients whose symptoms are not controlled by these methods and who have severe joint deformity and dysfunction, artificial joint replacement surgery may be considered. Joint replacement is not as scary as it sounds. In fact, artificial joints are very similar to the familiar dental implant surgery. It is similar to putting a crown on a bad tooth. It is simply a matter of removing a thin layer of the damaged joint surface and replacing it with a layer made of a special wear-resistant material that prevents the bone surface from rubbing against it, thus eliminating symptoms, correcting deformities, and restoring joint mobility. In recent years, with the continuous improvement of surgical techniques and biomaterials, artificial joint replacement has become an effective treatment for advanced bone and joint lesions recognized worldwide. ”The most beautiful thing is the red sunset, warm and calm.” We hope that the middle-aged and elderly people can learn more about the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis, stay away from joint pain and immobility, and enjoy a comfortable and happy life in their old age.