The 7 most frequently asked questions about knee osteoarthritis

Some 1.2 million people in the Netherlands live with osteoarthritis, almost half of them with knee osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis of the knee is therefore the most common joint disorder in the Netherlands. Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disorder in which the cartilage in the knee is affected. It often causes a lot of pain and restricts people's mobility. What causes it, how do you recognise it, how do you stay mobile and what can you do about the pain?

In this article, we answer the 7 most frequently asked questions about knee osteoarthritis.

1.   What is knee osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a common rheumatic condition. In knee osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the knee becomes thinner. This causes the bones to more or less rub against each other. In response, the tissue around the knee often becomes inflamed. This causes pain and stiffness. Because of this reaction and rubbing, extra bone often grows at the edges of the knee. This can cause the knee to look a little different; the joint then widens.

2.   What symptoms indicate knee osteoarthritis?

Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that usually gets worse slowly. The cartilage that is gone in the knee does not return. Often, the process has been going on for a long time before the symptoms manifest. Symptoms are pain and stiffness in the knee. You feel the stiffness especially when you start moving again after sitting or lying down for a long time. Sometimes the pain is worse than other periods. Furthermore, there is often a decrease in mobility or fluid in the knee. The knee may also produce a creaking sound, for example when climbing stairs. Fatigue and thickening at the joint edges of the knee may also occur.

3.   What causes knee osteoarthritis?

The causes of osteoarthritis are still largely unknown. It is notable, however, that most people with knee osteoarthritis are over 50 years old and female. It is now known that it is often a combination of factors. We have listed them below:

• Hereditary predisposition may play a role. If so, it often occurs at a younger age and in more joints
• A previously sustained injury or damage in or around the knee joint. This makes the joint less stable and more sensitive
• Obesity: being overweight puts extra stress on the knee joint and can damage it
• Prolonged heavy loading of the knee joint.
• Heavy physical work
• Exercising too much and too intensely
• Other joint disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and pseudo gout.

4.   What are the treatments for knee osteoarthritis?

Treatment of knee osteoarthritis depends on your age, the degree of osteoarthritis and the severity of symptoms. Conservative treatment will always be started first. This means you will embark on a course to suppress the symptoms as much as possible through non-operative aids, such as exercises and medication.

Unfortunately, osteoarthritis does not go away and eventually surgical intervention is often required. This can be by means of a knee replacement, position correction (in case of a deviated leg axis) or a knee traction.

A knee replacement is usually applied later in life. This is because a knee replacement has a limited lifespan. Replacing a knee replacement is a major operation and the risk of complications is high.

Knee traction

To keep knee osteoarthritis bearable for as long as possible, you can undergo knee traction. This involves pulling the osteoarthritic knee apart for a certain period of time to give the joint surfaces time to recover and thus reduce knee pain for a long time. Reuma Netherlands has invested for years in this research conducted by UMC Utrecht. Scientific research has shown that people who have received the treatment have less pain and can move better for years.

5.   What can you do about knee osteoarthritis pain?

Since excess weight plays a major factor in osteoarthritis, it is advisable to lose excess kilos. It has been proven that losing a few kilos reduces joint pain in knee osteoarthritis. This is not surprising when you consider that while walking, the knees take blows from 6 times your body weight. So if you lose three kilos, that saves 18 kilos for your knee when walking. Together with the physiotherapist, you can make a plan of action to lose weight through responsible exercise that takes into account the load on the osteoarthritic knee. Treatment is often complemented by nutritional advice from a dietician. 

6.   Can you play sports with knee osteoarthritis?

The answer to this question is a resounding yes. You may even run with knee osteoarthritis. It is a misconception to think that exercising makes osteoarthritis worse. Sport is actually good for your joints. Scientific research shows that an unhealthy lifestyle is indeed associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis in the joints. So: keep moving and exercising!

7.   Which sports are suitable for knee osteoarthritis?

Most sports are suitable, provided you perform them well and they fit your exercise limit. With knee osteoarthritis, a sport like basketball is probably less convenient to do. Choose a sport that will benefit you the most. There are plenty of sports that are less stressful for your knee joint, such as swimming, aqua aerobics, hiking, Nordic walking, golf, cycling, yoga, tai chi or belly dancing. If you still want to run and have knee osteoarthritis, consult your rheumatologist or physiotherapist first. Based on your situation, you can determine whether running is a suitable sport. Then do this as a recreational runner and don't overdo it by wanting to run long distances. Just make sure you put on good running shoes and run on forest ground rather than concrete. If you are not sure which sport you can do with your specific knee pain, consult your treating physiotherapist. 

What can physiotherapy do for knee osteoarthritis?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for osteoarthritis. You have to learn to live with it. Physiotherapy can be of great help. Various exercises can help you learn to cope with the pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis. You will learn to use your knee joints as normally as possible and thus regain confidence in moving. 

From FriskFysio, we help you with exercise therapy and movement advice for osteoarthritis. Want to know what the possibilities are? Please contact us via the contact form, 085-5000333 or info@friskfysio.nl and we will help you further.