Ask anyone who is suffering from chronic knee pain caused by arthritis and they will likely attest to how much this pain can interfere with everyday life. The following are some of the more common symptoms that the patients who come to a doctor for knee injections for knee arthritis are dealing with.
Knee Pain
Pain from arthritis can interfere with a person’s daily living. The pain often intensifies when a person tries to straighten or bend their knee or engage in activities where there is a lot of weight put on the knee. For example, a person doing a lot of going up and down stairs could aggravate the arthritis and trigger pain. The knee is often sore to the touch, as well. Many people describe the pain from knee arthritis as being similar to a toothache.
Stiffness in Knee
Many people with arthritis in the knee also deal with a lot of stiffness. This also limits how much they can bend and straighten out their knee. This stiffness shows up the first thing in the morning when they get up or if they have been inactive for a long period of time, i.e. sitting at the movies. Once the person gets up and moves around, the stiffness usually wears off.
Swelling of Knee
Swelling of the knee is also another issue that people with arthritis complain of. This swelling tends to come and go, but it does cause restricted movement and more pain. Ice can help alleviate the swelling.
Knee Instability and Weakness
Along with pain and stiffness, arthritis of the knee can also cause the area around the knee to become unstable and weak. This can cause the knee to just suddenly give out with no warning. A knee pain doctor will usually recommend exercises that will strengthen the area to help with this issue.
Other Symptoms
There are several other symptoms that some of our patients have to deal with. These symptoms fluctuate, where some days the patient feels fine and other days they are suffering from excruciating pain:
· Feelings of anxiety, stress, fatigue can trigger the release of chemicals that make the body feel pain more intensely.
· When a person does not feel well, inflammatory chemicals are released by the body, which causes an increase in pain.
· Bad weather can also have an effect on knee arthritis pain. This is because bad weather can cause a change in air pressure which can have an affect on the pressure in joints.
How is knee arthritis diagnosed?
In order to properly diagnose your condition, a knee pain doctor will look at the history of how the issues with your knee progressed, where the pain emanates from and if there are any activities that worsen the pain. The doctor will also examine the way your knee is shaped, how strong it is, and what type of movements you are able to do. If the doctor suspects you have knee arthritis, they will arrange for an X-ray to confirm the diagnosis.