| How painful are your knees right now? | | | | wear a knee brace to support the knee and will |
| Osteoarthritis of the knee or degenerative knee | | | | possibly advise you to take anti-inflammatory |
| arthritis is a debilitating condition that affects millions | | | | medication or over the counter pain medication to |
| of people throughout the world in different ways. | | | | manage the swelling and pain (speak with your |
| While some people find it necessary to get knee | | | | physician before taking any medication). Most doctors |
| replacement surgery, for some others this is simply | | | | will treat this condition in a conservative fashion such |
| not a viable option for several reasons. It could be | | | | as the use of a knee brace and pain killers and only |
| the high cost factor or the high risk factor brought | | | | recommend surgery, such as full knee replacement |
| on by an underlying medical condition. Moreover, | | | | surgery, as the last option. |
| there is no guarantee that your knees will be fully | | | | 3.) Exploring Your Treatment Options |
| restored even after surgery. | | | | Anti-inflammatory medication, over the counter pain |
| If you are suffering from degenerative arthritis, you | | | | medication and a well designed, low profile brace are |
| should know that there are several non-surgery | | | | usually very helpful treatment options for |
| options that are available and which are very | | | | degenerative arthritis. These measures will help |
| effective at treating the symptoms of the condition. | | | | control the pain and swelling and do not entail any |
| 1.) Recognizing the Symptoms | | | | invasive procedure. |
| Before you deal with the condition, you have to first | | | | If you have degenerative knee arthritis, it is |
| be familiar with the symptoms. One thing that sets | | | | important that you maintain flexibility in your knee. |
| degenerative knee arthritis symptoms apart from | | | | Osteoarthritis is essentially progressive and incurable |
| other disease symptoms is that the swelling, pain and | | | | and resting the knee will not help "cure" your knee. |
| stiffness in the knee joint will be intermittent. The | | | | Instead, it will cause your knee to become stiffer |
| knee will not bother you every day but you will | | | | and even more painful. Swimming and a select few |
| suddenly have a flare up for no apparent reason. You | | | | low-impact exercises are the best way to keep the |
| will start to notice an increase in the pain from time | | | | knee joint flexible and stave off stiffness. |
| to time but it can subside just as suddenly. Walking, | | | | While over-frequent use of pain medication is not |
| running and damp weather can often exacerbate the | | | | recommended, it is an effective measure when the |
| problem. | | | | pain is too much to bear. At other times, the knee |
| 2.) Getting the Diagnosis & Treatment | | | | brace will keep the swelling down and allow you to |
| Recommendations | | | | maintain physical movement. Wearing the knee brace |
| You should never self-diagnose or self-medicate your | | | | can help provide you with meaningful support and |
| condition as your knee pain could be brought on by | | | | they do not have to be heavy or odd looking. They |
| some other condition. If you feel that you have | | | | will help allow you to participate in activities by helping |
| degenerative knee arthritis, you should speak to your | | | | to maintain proper alignment and if you have |
| physician who will first take an X-Ray to help confirm | | | | osteoarthritis you will want to consider what is called |
| the diagnosis. | | | | an OA (osteoarthritis) knee brace.. |
| Your doctor will most likely recommend that you | | | | |