According to the latest statistics, more than a quarter of older adults over the age of 55 in China suffer from knee pain year-round, the majority of which is due to osteoarthritis of the knee, an important reason for which is patients’ misconceptions about knee osteoarthritis. Myth 1: Knee pain is normal when you are older Osteoarthritis of the knee is also known as degenerative arthritis or age-related arthritis because it often occurs in the elderly. In fact, in addition to age being a major factor in the formation of knee osteoarthritis, it is also related to joint injury, weight, inflammatory damage, genetics, etc. It is not simply the traditional belief that aging or degeneration is the cause. Therefore, the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis in the elderly are not normal and should be seen by a doctor in a timely manner. Myth 2: Patients with knee osteoarthritis should exercise hard Because the disease is caused by the wear and tear of the joint cartilage, if you blindly squeeze and rub the so-called hard exercise, it will aggravate the wear and tear of the cartilage lesion, and even make it peel off. The normal knee joint surface has 3~5 mm thick white transparent cartilage, which is elastic, although the cartilage will gradually wear thin with age, but if excessive activity will accelerate the wear and tear of the cartilage. Therefore, exercise should pay attention to the protection of articular cartilage, should avoid or limit the following exercises, such as squatting with weight, rapid walking up and down stairs, high-intensity confrontation sports, climbing, weight lifting, sprinting and other strong abrasive sports. Myth 3: Knee pain is not good for patients because of knee pain often afraid to move, over time, will lead to knee stiffness, disuse atrophy of the muscles around the knee joint, and knee instability, prone to joint cartilage damage or aggravate. Therefore, even if the knee joint pain should be properly exercised, the right way is to walk, swim, etc. Exercising the quadriceps by lifting the leg can improve the disuse atrophy of the muscles around the knee joint; moving the knee joint gently without weight (such as sitting) can improve the mobility of the knee joint, the key is to exercise properly. Myth #4: Knee pain is caused by bone spurs Bone spurs are not the cause of knee pain, they are the result of the body’s compensatory proliferation when the edges of knee cartilage lack stability due to cartilage wear. In a sense, a certain degree of bone growth can increase the joint contact surface and improve the stability of the joint, so bone spurs have their positive side and there is no need to blindly remove them at all. In fact, one of the main causes of knee pain is the involvement of the sural nerve under the cartilage due to wear and tear of the cartilage. Protecting the articular cartilage is the main goal of pain relief. Myth #5: Oral medication can cure knee osteoarthritis Because knee osteoarthritis is caused by structural changes in the cartilage of the joints, it is also closely related to aging and degeneration of the human body, and the joints are like bearings in a machine that wears out over time. As no drugs have been found to regenerate the cartilage, there are no drugs that can turn a degenerated joint into a young one. Drugs are only one way to reduce symptoms and slow down degeneration. The course of osteoarthritis in the knee varies and so does the treatment. In the early stages, proper joint care and oral medication can slow the progression of the disease. This method is not a complete cure, but it is like cleaning a rusty bearing, cleaning out the debris and free bodies from the joint through two small holes, repairing the broken meniscus, and smoothing the worn cartilage surface. To achieve the purpose of slowing down the development of lesions and improving symptoms. Myth 7: Artificial joints are not as good as your own joints. If the pathological process of knee osteoarthritis reaches an advanced stage, with joint deformation and difficulty in movement, artificial joint replacement is needed. You should not wait indefinitely and delay the opportunity for treatment. This is because after a long period of bed rest, the autologous cardiopulmonary function decreases significantly and the body’s tolerance decreases, which will not only greatly increase the difficulty of surgery, but will also significantly affect post-operative rehabilitation. In addition, prolonged knee pain, weakness or deformity affects the walking gait of the lower extremities, which will gradually lead to strain on the lumbar spine and other joints of the lower extremities. Awareness of osteoarthritis of the knee will determine your attitude towards it, and the opportunity to grasp the treatment is in your hands!