Among the degenerative diseases of the knee joint, osteoarthritis occurs due to regular wear and tear and losing articular cartilage consistently. The condition is more likely to occur in the elderly people but young people can also get it. Among the major risk factors of knee osteoarthritis, age is primary, although in some people, the problem may be hereditary. People with this degenerative condition may lose the cushioning between the cartilage and joints as they tend to wear away. When the cushioning between the joints disappears, the bones rub against each other vigorously causing pain, stiffness, swelling, and loss of mobility. Knee is one of the most commonly areas where osteoarthritis may occur and women are more likely to suffer from it than men.
Causes of knee osteoarthritis
While age is one of the reasons to get knee osteoarthritis [เข่าเสื่อม, which is the term in Thai], the other main reason is overweight conditions. People with excessive weight and pressure on the knee area and may develop osteoarthritis with age. Besides, if your knee sustains injury more often, you are more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee and staying engaged in various occupations that may cause the knee joint to stress, such as through kneeling and squatting or lifting heavy weight may also exert more pressure on the joint. Illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, metabolic disorders like overload of iron or growth hormone also have the risk of osteoarthritis.
Playing sports
If you are a professional athlete playing soccer, tennis or practicing running, you may be at a higher risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, if you are engaged in sports activities, it is necessary to take precautions to avoid an injury. The doctor may recommend regular exercises to strengthen the joints and reduce the risk of osteoarthritis. If the muscles around the knee are weak, you are twice as likely to develop osteoarthritis. For the correct diagnosis, you need to discuss the problems with a doctor and get the right treatment plan.
