TUESDAY, March 19, 2024
nationthailand

Oh my aching knees!

Oh my aching knees!

The older we get, the more likely we are to experience symptoms of osteoarthritis in at least one joint, most often the knee.

 One recent survey revealed that people over the age of 75 are 85-per-cent more likely to develop osteoarthritis than the elderly in general, and among women, the rate of osteoarthritis is two times higher than among men. 
Yet, despite the pain, most elderly people who develop osteoarthritis think they can cope with it or resist it. In reality, this is rarely the case.
Our bones start to weaken when we reach the age of 40. In women, however, the bones and articular cartilage will begin to weaken earlier than in men, due to differences in anatomy and hormones. Men tend to have thicker and stronger bones and cartilage than women, and for this reason, the muscles around a man’s knees will usually be naturally stronger. Another factor that plays a significant part is body weight. Women gain weight more easily than men and are, therefore, more susceptible to developing joint problems. 
The following are symptoms of osteoarthritis of which everyone should be aware:
l Feeling pain in the knees
l Starting to feel fatigue, tight calves or foldable knee joints
l The skin around your knee joints feels warmer or hotter than usual
l Symptoms of abrasion and friction around the knees
l Inability to stretch or bend your knees fully
l Swollen knees, legs bowed inwards or legs bowed outwards
l Bones that seem to grow outwards along the edges of the knees
All of these symptoms are signs that you may have osteoarthritis. If you experience these symptoms, it is recommended that you see a doctor immediately so that an x-ray can be taken and the symptoms treated. If osteoarthritis is allowed to develop, the condition will become chronic, and will significantly impact the quality of your daily life. Surgery is not always necessary for treatment: treatment will depend on the severity of the symptoms and on the doctor’s diagnosis. If your symptoms are not as severe, then the doctor may recommend that you change certain behaviours and pay more attention to your diet in order to control your body weight and help ease the stress on your knees. Another lifestyle recommendation might be to exercise regularly in order to build muscle around the legs and knees, which in turn will strengthen and reduce the shock on the knees. 
Additionally, the doctor may also recommend that you avoid sitting with folded legs or bent knees for long periods of time. Lastly, if you are experiencing severe symptoms, the doctor may prescribe a course of medication to reduce pain, swelling and inflammation, as well as another course of medication to maintain joint cartilage. Changes in patient behaviour and routines may be necessary. 
Thereafter, if your symptoms are still severe, the doctor may recommend a surgical treatment called Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery, which can be a partial replacement or the entire knee. The type of surgery required will be at the discretion of the attending physician.
In cases in which knee replacement surgery is required, many patients worry about the pain associated with the operation, including the recovery period. However, medical technology has come a long way, and this type of surgery is now simple, convenient, relatively pain free, and also very safe. 
These days many hospitals use a method known as Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) with Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA), which is a type of knee replacement surgery that uses only small incisions that cut through as little muscle tissue as possible. Afterwards, the doctor will introduce a High Flexion TKA as the replacement knee. Patients will lose very little blood and feel very little pain during the operation. They also spend less time in recovery, and need just a short stay in the hospital to physically rejuvenate and return to normal life.
Previously, knee replacement surgery was a heavy burden, but with recent advances in medical technology, it has become much simpler.
That said, if we look after our health earlier on in life, and also watch our diet, eat food that nourish our bodies, and avoid overeating, we will naturally nourish and extend the lifespan of our bones and joints so that we can use them well into our older years. Exercise and being physically proactive, as well as maintaining good posture, are some of the ways in which we can prevent our bones from weakening. We cannot simply wait for further advances in medical technology.
 
DR WERAYUT CHAYAPINUN is an orthopaedic surgeon attached to the Sports and Orthopaedic Centre of Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital.|Call (02) 222 2494-6. 
 
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