Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Knees

Doctors have found that RA of the hands is not the only cause of worry for patients. Walking can be really painful to many of them if they are affected by RA of the knees. Researches have not been able to detect the exact causes of the disease. Nonetheless, there are certain factors which are responsible for RA in the knee.

One of the main causes for RA in the knees is if you have any precious injury. If you have hurt yourself badly in the knees previously, chances are that you will develop RA in no mean time. These wounds are obviously the ones which are grave and deep. The joints can be badly infected and you can develop this disease.

Heredity can also be responsible for this disease. If you have a defective gene, there are chances that you can have this disease since these genes can be responsible for cartilage production in your body. In these instances, you can be highly susceptible to RA.

Weight loss is a must for you if you want to get rid of this disease. If you develop too much weight in your hips, then there are chances of extra pressure on the knees, which can in turn lead to rheumatoid arthritis.

Too much crystal deposits like uric acids in the gout can lead to this disease. Excess of crystal degenerates joints and they can cause RA. Also if you overstress yourself and put constant pressure on knees, even then you might develop rheumatoid arthritis in your knee joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis of the knee is mostly seen in people who are over 50 years of age, especially, women. It can affect either one or both sides of the knee joint. Nevertheless, it mostly occurs on the inner (medial) aspect of the knee.

People who are into rigorous sports training and activities, especially those playing football, tend to develop rheumatoid arthritis in the knee. You will not be able to detect the disease since the symptoms start developing over a number of years.

Knee Anatomy

The knee joint itself is made up of the shin bone (tibia) and the thigh bone (femur). The articular cartilage is located on the surface of each of these bones. This cartilage allows flexibility to the joint. Additionally, the knee has two separate layers of cartilage which is known as menisci. This adds to the stability of our knee. Rheumatoid arthritis leads to deterioration of the knee cartilage. This causes swelling, pain and it stiffens the functionality of the knee. If the cartilage breaks, it leads to meniscal or ligament trauma.

For all you rheumatoid arthritis patients out there, it is to inform you that there is a want of a complete cure for rheumatoid arthritis. However, there are various treatments for this disease which can prevent the progress of rheumatoid arthritis. Valgus unloader braces have been found to reduce pain in few cases of medial compartment rheumatoid arthritis. It diminishes the load on that compartment. NSAID's- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs such as ibuprofen is also found to provide some temporary pain relief to your pains.

Muscle relaxants are normally detected in low doses. This can relieve you of pains which arise in your muscles. However, the most advanced process of curing the knee pain of rheumatoid arthritis is knee replacement.