What is Knee Arthritis?

There are 3 types of Knee Arthritis;

Osteoarthritis (gradually wear and tear)
Rheumatoid Arthritis (caused by an inflammatory condition and can be present at any age)
Post-Traumatic Arthritis (this can occur after injury such as a meniscal tear)

What is Knee Arthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the knee and is generally associated with “wear and tear” of the cartilage of your knee. The cartilage is the substance that helps protect and cushion our bones when we bend and straighten the knee joint.

When the cartilage “wears away” the space between the bones can become narrowed and this results in pain, stiffness and often swelling of the joint.
The stiffness and pain experienced can make daily activities such as walking and climbing stairs difficult.
You may also experience symptoms such as heat, clicking or locking of your knee, redness or pain that is worse after long periods of rest such as sitting or first thing in the morning after sleep.

Knee arthritis does progress over time which is why it is more common in older adults and the pain experienced can often be intensified as we age. The good thing we know that especially in the early stages keeping active and doing the correct exercises can help manage the pain it causes.