Knee arthritis can severely affect your mobility. This condition causes pain, inflammation, and stiffness, making day-to-day life difficult. The unfortunate thing about this condition is that it can’t be cured. However, it can be managed with the proper medication and support you can receive here at Global Clinic.
Here at our Niles, Illinois office, we employ future-focused approaches, traditional medicine, and natural healing approaches to address conditions comprehensively. Tackling knee arthritis is no exception. If you struggle with this issue and seek a supportive network to improve your quality of life, you’ve come to the right place. Below is some information on this debilitation condition and our options to help get you better.
What Causes Knee Arthritis?
The exact cause of knee arthritis is currently unknown. However, one of the most common contributing factors to this condition is wear and tear. This can occur over time as we age and also happen due to injuries during sports, on the job, or even in everyday life.
Genetic factors can also play a role and exacerbate wear and tear damage. Several other factors can also be involved, including:
- Bone Anomalies – Crooked bones put you at a higher risk of developing this condition.
- Gout – Gout, also a type of inflammatory arthritis, might lead to osteoarthritis.
- Injuries – Getting injured can damage your knee, making arthritis more likely.
- Age – Older adults, especially those over 50, are more likely to develop this condition.
- Stress – Stress on your knees from jogging, playing sports, or working a physical job can increase your risk.
- Weight – Extra weight puts more pressure on your knees.
What Are the Symptoms and Stages?
Addressing arthritis early can help slow its progression and improve your quality of life. That said, the signs of this condition are often difficult to identify. Pain and inflammation are the most common symptoms that arise, but it’s important to be mindful of warning signs even before these issues occur. Common symptoms of knee arthritis include:
- Creaking, clicking, grinding, or snapping noises (crepitus).
- Having stiff knees, especially during cold weather.
- Skin redness, warmness, and swelling around the knee.
- Your knee locks or sticks when it’s trying to move.
How Global Clinic Can Help
Arthritis is one of the main conditions that we treat here at our office. Over the past 20 years, our multidisciplinary team has tackled this issue collectively to provide our patients with comprehensive treatment courses made specifically for them. Through extensive research, we have found gel injections to be one of the most beneficial options for addressing wear and tear damage.
These injections are administered into the knee and contain a naturally-occurring substance found in the human body (hyaluronic acid). This substance acts as a lubricant for the joints and prevents further deterioration.
The best part of this treatment is that it can make surgery ultimately unnecessary, saving you the pain and cost of having to undergo that procedure. These injections can also be combined with physical therapy, which we offer here at our Niles, IL, office.
The Prognosis for Knee Arthritis
Knee arthritis is a progressive disease that, unfortunately, cannot be cured. However, thanks to hyaluronic acid injections, this disease can be stalled and can make surgery unnecessary. Being proactive early on by contacting us regarding these injections can stall the progression of this illness and help you live a relatively comfortable life.
At Global Clinic, we will work with you to develop a plan to help stall this disease. If your condition is particularly severe, we will work with you to discuss further treatment options.
Find Help for Knee Arthritis Here in Niles, IL
If you are struggling with knee pain and/or inflammation, we urge you to get in touch with our office today. At Global Clinic, we provide testing and comprehensive care for those struggling with arthritis. If you think you may be at risk, connect with our team today via the contact form below or call us at (847) 299-7000.