What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that results in the breakdown of the cartilage in your joints. The symptoms of osteoarthritis can be mild or severe and may vary from person to person.

Joints are where two bones meet, such as the elbow or knee, and they allow movement and support your body weight. Cartilage is a smooth, slippery substance that covers bone ends at the joints, allowing them to move smoothly over each other. Cartilage damage leads to pain and discomfort when you move a joint.

Osteoarthritis usually affects only one joint at a time but can affect multiple joints simultaneously. You may also have osteoarthritis in one joint and rheumatoid arthritis in another joint — or both conditions at the same time.

Causes of Osteoarthritis

The causes of osteoarthritis are not well understood. Some factors that may increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis include:

• Age. Osteoarthritis is more common in people over age 45, but it can occur at any age.
• Family history. If you have a family member with osteoarthritis, you may be more likely to develop the disease yourself.
• Gender. Women are more likely than men to develop osteoarthritis, especially after menopause.
• Obesity. Being overweight puts extra stress on the knees and hips, which can cause wear and tear on the joints and lead to osteoarthritis.
• Previous joint injury or surgery. A previous injury or surgery can lead to early wear and tear on your joints, increasing your risk for developing osteoarthritis later in life.

Osteoarthritis Diagnosis

Diagnosing osteoarthritis (OA) is based on medical history, physical examination, and imaging studies. X-rays are the most common method used to diagnose OA. They can show bone changes that occur with OA and help doctors look for other problems that may be causing the symptoms.

Blood tests may be done to rule out other causes of joint pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout. Your doctor may also order blood tests to check for conditions that increase your risk of getting OA, such as diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension).

What are the Knee Braces for Osteoarthritis?

Knee braces are used to support and stabilize the knee joint. They provide compression to the kneecap, which helps to reduce pain and swelling, and support to the ligaments of the knee. Knee braces for osteoarthritis are designed to prevent further damage to soft tissue around your knee.

Types of Knee Braces for Osteoarthritis

There are many different types of knee braces available, including:

Knee sleeves – these are worn on top of the sleeve and provide compression over a larger area than most other types of brace. They’re usually made from neoprene or nylon, but can also be made from cotton or other materials that allow breathability during exercise.

Treatment Knee Braces – these are designed specifically for treating OA and provide targeted compression to areas that need extra support, such as around the patella (kneecap). Treatment knee braces may also have supportive straps or padding inside them to help ease pain and reduce irritation in sensitive areas like the front of your knee, above or below your kneecap.

Support Knee Braces – these have a higher level of support than treatment knee braces and often have additional features such as hinges or hinges with a pivot point.

Benefits of Braces

There are many different types of arthritis, but osteoarthritis is the most common type. This article discusses how braces can help treat osteoarthritis.

Braces for osteoarthritis are used to improve range of motion in your joints. They also provide support to injured or weak muscles. Some braces have built-in heat packs that can help relax your muscles when you wear them.

Braces may also be helpful if you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which causes inflammation in your joints. RA affects about one percent of Americans each year, most often affecting women between 20 and 50 years old.

Types of Knee Braces for Osteoarthritis?

There are a variety of knee braces available. Knee braces can be used to support the knee and protect it from injury. The type of brace that is best for you depends on the severity of your condition, your activity level and whether you have had surgery on your knee.

The following are some types of knee braces:

Patellar Tendon Strap: This strap goes around the top of your patella (kneecap) and attaches to the front of your shin. It helps keep the kneecap in place during movements such as walking or running.

Patellar Tendon Support: This strap goes around the top of your patella (kneecap) and attaches to the front of your shin. It helps keep the kneecap in place during movements such as walking or running.

Knee Brace with Patellar Tendon Strap: This brace provides support for both sides of the knee joint by attaching around both sides of the patella (kneecap) and attaching to a brace that runs down along the outside of each leg below the knee joint.

Treatment for Osteoarthritis?

Treatment for osteoarthritis is aimed at relieving symptoms, preventing progression of the disease and avoiding joint replacement surgery.

Non-Surgical Treatments

Exercise, physical therapy and weight loss may help relieve pain and improve mobility for those with mild to moderate osteoarthritis.

Medications may be prescribed if patients do not respond to non-surgical treatments. Medications include:

Over-the-counter NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), naproxen (Aleve) or aspirin; these may cause stomach bleeding.

Prescription NSAIDs with fewer side effects, such as Celecoxib (Celebrex), Etodolac (Lodine), Meloxicam (Mobic), Nabumetone (Relafen) or Oxaprozin (Daypro); these can cause ulcers in the stomach or intestine.

Hydrocortisone cream applied directly to the skin; this can cause side effects such as thinning of the skin or stretch marks on the body from increased growth of skin tissue.