40% of adults with arthritis are inactive. Inactivity exacerbates obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
23.77 million adults have difficulty with their usual activities due to arthritis.
$80 billion in lost work earnings annually are attributed to osteoarthritis.
$2,017 average per person, per year in medical costs are attributed to osteoarthritis.
12% of TKR recipients need a 2nd surgery after 10 years.
*Sources: Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, The Bone & Joint Journal, Centeres for Disease Control and Prevention (2017), National Center for Biotechnology Information (NIH, 2016), Integrated Benefits Institute (2019)
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most commonly diagnosed type of arthritis disease. Knee OA is one of the most prevalent types. Often called “wear and tear” arthritis, it can happen at any age, but it commonly starts in the 50s. There is no cure for OA. The disease starts gradually and worsens over time.
In healthy knee joints, a firm, rubbery material called cartilage covers the end of each bone. Cartilage provides a smooth, gliding surface for joint motion and acts as a cushion between the bones. In OA, the cartilage breaks down, causing pain, swelling, and problems moving the joint.
Currently, there is no known cure for osteoarthritis, but there are effective treatments that can help slow its progress and prevent further damage and pain.
As OA runs its course over time, it unforgivingly causes the bones to break down, resulting in small but significant growths known as spurs. These seemingly unharmful bits of bone or cartilage can detach and float within the joint space, making pain worse.
The final phases of OA can be extremely painful as the cartilage diminishes, leading to an unavoidable reality—bone grating against bone. This pivotal point sums up OA’s progression, inflicting pronounced joint damage and instigating heightened levels of discomfort and pain.
It’s important to remember that OA is a progressive disease that gets worse over time. You may start out with subtle symptoms or pain, but as time goes on, it’s almost guaranteed that things will get worse and pain will become more intense.
We aren’t trying to sound all “doom and gloom” here, but OA is no joke. Thankfully, there are treatments to help with the pain and discomfort.
At Arthritis Knee Pain Centers, we understand that the intensity and interplay of these symptoms can differ among individuals. That’s why seeking guidance from a healthcare professional is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective management. Your journey towards improved well-being starts with a proper assessment.
OA patients develop very minor “wear & tear” and bone spur growths at the end of the knee joints. Minimum disruption. There is already 10% cartilage lost.
In stage 2, diagnostic images or X-rays of knee joints will show more bone spur growth. People being experiencing joint pain. Typically, the area around the knee joint feels stiff and uncomfortable, particularly when sitting for an extended period, after rising in the morning, or after a workout. Joint-spacing is narrowing. The cartilage begins breaking down.
In stage 3, there is obvious erosion to the cartilage surface between bones and fibrillation narrows the gap between the bones. There are proteins and collagen fragments released into the synovial fluid as the disease progresses, wherein the bones develop spurs at the joints as it becomes rougher.
With the progression, there is obvious joint inflammation which cause frequent pain when walking, running, squatting, extending or kneeling. Along with joint stiffness after sitting for long or when waking up in the morning, there may be popping or snapping sounds when walking.
In stage 4, the joint space between the bones is considerably reduced, causing the cartilage to wear off, leaving the joint stiff. The breakdown of cartilage leads to a chronic inflammatory response, with decreased synovial fluid that causes friction, greater pain and discomfort when walking or moving the joint. The advanced stage of the disease shows development of more spurs causing excruciating pain, which makes even everyday activities, including walking and descending stairs a challenge.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and affects over 32 million people in the U.S. alone. Over time the cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones in your joints begins to deteriorate. Cartilage is a firm tissue that is naturally lubricated with synovial fluid and enables nearly frictionless motion in your knee joint.
Eventually, the cartilage can wear completely down and bones can rub on each other. The slowly developing condition is called osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease and gets worse over time. Many people who develop the disease develop chronic pain.
Osteoarthritis is often called the wear and tear disease. In addition to the breakdown of cartilage, osteoarthritis usually affects the entire joint. As a result, inflammation and pain occur.
Osteoarthritis can be very debilitating as the pain and inflammation restrict people from the normal daily activities they enjoy. Joint pain and stiffness can become so severe that daily tasks become difficult.
While there is no cure for Osteoarthritis, our treatments can help you return to the daily activities you enjoy.
Here are the good, better, and best ways to treat Osteoarthritis. We’ll start with the best!
BEST
Lubricating and Cushioning injections – This FDA-approved therapy consists of a series of precision-guided knee joint injections of a viscosupplement. The “visco” cushioning gel is an all-natural replacement (Hyaluronic Acid) for the depleted synovial fluid in your knee joint and acts as a “lubricant” and “shock absorber.”
Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE) – (GAE) is a safe and effective supplemental knee pain treatment for patients suffering from secondary knee pain due to prolonged knee inflammation. It is considered a treatment option for patients with residual knee pain after receiving knee injections.
BETTER
Medications
Medications can help relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, primarily pain, but prolonged use can cause other health issues:
Therapy
GOOD
Knee Injections
Surgery
For many, our treatment is a scientifically proven alternative to painful, risky, expensive surgery.
If you qualify, our treatment may alleviate your knee pain as it has for others.
Detailed information is available in our downloadable brochure.