Rehabilitation for Osteoarthritis of Knee

One of the most common causes of joint pain in old age "Osteoarthritis" is a result of general wear and tear of joints.Though it is mostly considered as an age related ailment,it may be seen in younger people due to various causes.Knee joint is one of the most commonly involved areas.Excessive body weight may further aggravate the problem.In early stages this may lead to intermittent pain after long walks or stair climbing,later pain may increase in intensity and frequency.Manual assessment,X rays and other radiology techniques are helpful in diagnosing the arthritic knee.One may feel a mild creaky sound while bending the knee,this is due to friction between the constituting parts of the knee(mainly bones).Pain can be controlled with use of Electrotherapy modalities including heat therapies but the rehabilitation remains incomplete without a proper exercise follow up.Most of the exercises are simple enough to be done at home after a few days of practice in presence of a physio.One should not try self exercise without proper medical advice.While doing self administered exercise generally you may not be able to judge -'how much is too much'.If the pain is ignored for a long time the joint continues to deteriorate further and may end up in a stage where conservative treatment remains no longer effective.