Your treatment plan for knee osteoarthritis may include a combination of exercise, lifestyle changes, and possibly medications. Osteoarthritis of the knee is caused by the wearing a way of cartilage in the knee joint, which leads to pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving the knee. There is no cure for knee osteoarthritis, but treatment can help reduce pain, slow down joint damage, and improve your quality of life.

- How severe your symptoms are

- How osteoarthritis affects your daily life

- Your medical history

Keep reading to discover more about lifestyle changes, home remedies, and medical treatments that can help manage knee osteoarthritis.

Maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining weight control is one of the best things you can do to regulate knee osteoarthritis. ACR/AF experts indicate that individuals with overweight and obese body masses should shed at least 5% of their total weight. In turn, such a condition would ease the burden put on your knee joints. There has been research which indicates that for an obese person, shedding just 1 pound in body weight reduces up to 6 times the pressure on the knee. So, if you have obesity along with osteoarthritis of the knee, seek advice from a healthcare provider. Changes in your diet and exercise might be prescribed by them.

Get regular exercise

Exercise is important if you have knee osteoarthritis. It can help:

- Reduce knee stiffness and pain

- Improve knee flexibility, movement, and range of motion

- Strengthen muscles to support your knee joint

- Yoga

- Stretching, strengthening, and balancing exercises

It’s important to avoid high-impact exercises, as they can make the condition worse, cause inflammation, and increase your symptoms.

Medications for pain relief

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends over the counter (OTC) medications as the first treatment for mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis.

These may include:

- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)

- Acetaminophen (Tylenol), if you can’t use NSAIDs

- Creams or gels that contain NSAIDs or capsaicin

Injectable steroids

A doctor may recommend corticosteroid injections for severe joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. These are injected into the affected knee to rapidly reduce swelling and alleviate symptoms. However, it is essential to note that corticosteroids are only a short-term solution for knee osteoarthritis.

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service, or NHS, advises the use of no more than 4 injections in one year in the same joint, separated by at least 3 months. This is to prevent side effects from occurring, ranging from mild to severe.

Conclusion

Maintaining a healthy weight, regular low-impact exercise, and the use of medications or injections are all ways to manage knee osteoarthritis. Though there is no cure for the disease, these treatments can be used to reduce symptoms, improve mobility, and enhance quality of life with proper guidance from healthcare professionals.