Arthritis Knee Pain,What Can Do?

Arthritis Knee Pain - What Can You Do About It?

There are three basic types of arthritis that may affect the knee joint.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of knee arthritis. OA is usually a slowly progressive degenerative disease in which the joint cartilage gradually wears away. It most often affects middle-aged and older people.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory type of arthritis that can destroy the joint cartilage. RA can occur at any age. RA generally affects both knees.

Post-traumatic Arthritis

Post-traumatic arthritis can develop after an injury to the knee. This type of arthritis is similar to osteoarthritis and may develop years after a fracture, ligament injury, or meniscus tear.

A healthy knee

An osteoarthritic knee

Arthritis knee pain affects so many Americans over the age of 50. The things you use to enjoy in life all of a sudden have become a chore. Simple things like going up the stairs and squatting are being done gingerly and with careful consideration. You can't remember the last time you danced, golfed, biked, jogged or walked with ease. So lets take a look at arthritis knee pain and in particular arthritis itself and find out what are the possible causes and can something be done to help you enjoy life again.

Arthritis is a degenerative joint disease that causes swelling and pain in the joints. It mostly affects the knee joints because the knee is the joint that we used most often. We stand, sit, walk, squat with the knees so the degeneration of the joint start here most often causing arthritis knee pain. There are several classifications of arthritis but the one that is most familiar is Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis affects millions of Americans each and every day causing arthritis knee pain . Not only are we talking about arthritis in the knees but also arthritis can affect the hips, hands, spine and legs as well. As osteoarthritis starts its course, degeneration of the cartilage that protects the bones begin to wear down causing the rubbing of the bones against each other. This causes swelling and pain in the joints that are affected. Over time, the pain and swelling become worse causing limited mobility and range of motion. For arthritis knee pain sufferer, flare ups occur with the change in whether, falling barometric pressure, and first thing in the morning upon rising. There is no true consensus as to what causes osteoarthritis but food allergies, poor diet, and mineral deposits have been linked.

So how can we alleviate arthritis knee pain? Let us focus on diet. Diet is an effective way to alleviate arthritis pain if you know which foods to avoid and which foods to consume in adequate quantities. One food that has been found to be essential is cold-water fish such as salmon and mackerel. Cold water fish is loaded with essential fatty acids and have anti-inflammatory properties that decreases swelling in arthritis knees. Increasing the amount of fiber intake such as raw fruits and vegetables is another way to decrease arthritis knee pain. Fiber acts as a sweeper that sweeps away excess mineral and acid in the body. To get a double benefit, eat vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli because these vegetables are not only provide fiber for sweeping but also have anti-inflammatory properties as well. Also eat foods high in sulfur such as garlic, asparagus, and onion because sulfur helps repair cartilage and bone which we know is essential for fluid joint mobility. Finally, drink plenty of water especially when you first get up in the morning to help lubricate the knee joints and thus decreasing the arthritis knee pain.

Now that you know what causes arthritis pain start looking at your diet and other risk factors. Start consuming foods loaded with essential fatty acids, fiber and sulfur. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day and get plenty of rest. You can take control of arthritis knee pain and start enjoying life once again.