Osteopathy for Knee Osteoarthritis

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint condition that affects not only the bone but cartilage, ligaments and muscles. It is often described as wear and tear, however it is now thought that OA is the result of a joint working very hard to repair itself in a situation of being place under biomechanics strain OA is most commonly found in the joints of the spine, knees, hips, fingers and the big toe. The changes in OA happen slowly so symptoms will come on gradually, usually over months or even years.

Signs and symptoms of OA generally include:

Pain
Joint stiffness and loss of range of movement
Crepitus (a grating sensation inside the joint) with movement
Inflammation of the tissues surrounding the joint
Damage to joint cartilage, this protects the end of each bone in joints.
Bony spurs grow around the edge of a joint
Deterioration of ligaments and tendons

Knee Osteoarthritis

You may notice pain and stiffness in your knee, particularly first thing in the morning, after long periods of sitting, climbing stairs or kneeling. You knee may feel weak or feel like it will give way. Remember it is a slow process, so symptoms will develop over a long time.

Who and Why?

40 years +
Genetics
being overweight
having a previous knee injury
jobs involving excessive kneeling, climbing and squatting

Exercise and Knee Osteoarthritis

Regular exercise is the most important aspects of the treatment and management for knee OA. It has been shown to help reduce pain and control weight. Interestingly, even an 8% reduction in weight can noticeably reduce pain.

Below are some great activities to help manage OA pain and symptoms:

Swimming/Water based exercises
Cycling
Walking
Tai chi: Studies show that tai chi can help reduce pain and stiffness Â
Strengthening the muscles around the knee and also the hip is very important also.

Osteopathy and OA

There is no cure for OA however it can be well managed:

Your osteopath will perform a complete assessment and determine a diagnosis of your pain
Develop a treatment and management plan going forward, including any take home advise and stretches/strength exercises.
Osteopathy may help reduce muscle tension around the knee joints and help improve range of movement
May help promote blood and lymphatic flow, helping reduce pain and inflammation.
Our osteopaths will treat/release the structures around the hip and ankle joints to help overall lower limb biomechanics

Book an appointment to chat with one of our osteopaths about your knee pain HERE

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