Do your knees hurt?
Have you been told that you have arthritis of the knees?
Arthritis is one of the most common diseases affecting more than 51 million people in 2012. There are many different types of arthritis, but the most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis is defined as an inflammation of one or more of your joints. Osteoarthritis is more common and occurs due to wear and tear of the articular cartilage. When the cartilage starts to break down, pain and stiffness in the joints may occur. This can lead to difficulty walking and climbing stairs.
Signs and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis include pain during activity that gets better with rest, swelling in the knee joint, warmth of the joint, stiffness in the morning or after sitting for awhile, decreased mobility of the knee, and cracking sounds in the knee. Knee osteoarthritis is a slow developing process that occurs from increased stress due to repetitive joint compression and loading of the knee joint.
Interventions consist of exercise, medications, injections, physical therapy, braces, and surgical options including total knee replacement. Weight loss is a large predictor of improvement in knee pain. Here at John Goetze Physical Therapy, we take a hands on approach to address the knee mobility deficits and to ensure improvements in lower strength and motor coordination. Our goal is to improve function to help you walk farther, climb more stairs, and achieve your goals. We accomplish this by addressing not only the knee, but the hip, ankle, and pelvis as well to ensure optimal and efficient walking patterns. We will give you the tools required to get you back to doing the things you love. If you have any questions or concerns, contact us or schedule an appointment today!
