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Help with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis in Women

According to the staff at Mayoclinic.com, osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition where the cartilage between bones wear down over time. This can produce severe pain in joints like the knee as a woman ages. Women who have severe osteoarthritis in the knee usually start with conventional treatments such as ice, heat, anti-inflammatory medications and exercise. But they may need stronger pain medication, physical therapy and additional medication treatment as well.

  1. Rest, Ice and Heat

    • If you have severe osteoarthritis in your knee, you need to stay off your feet awhile and minimize the stress you place on the knee. Use crutches or a cane to get around if you need to be mobile. There are also knee braces that can better support your knee as well. Additionally, you should use ice at 20-minute intervals every three or four hours. Make sure you compress the ice directly on your knee with an ice pack or comparable apparatus. Ice causes vasoconstriction which reduces inflammation and pain by limiting the flow of blood and lymph to your knee. Once the swelling goes down, heat can promote blood flow (with its healing properties) to the knee.

    Medications

    • Start with traditional anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). If these do not provide relief, your doctor may put you on muscle relaxants or a strong pain pill such as codeine and propoxyphene (Darvon). Celecoxib (Celebrex) and Capsaicin (red chili pepper extract) creams can also be affective treatment for a woman's severe osteoarthritis knee pain. Moreover, a cortisone shot can provide relief for several weeks, but too many cortisone shots may cause joint damage.

    Exercise and Massage

    • Women with severe knee osteoarthritis should exercise when the intial swelling has subsided after ice treatments. Exercise increases blood flow to the knee which brings oxygen and nutrients which are necessary for healing. Simple stretching exercises can help increase flexibility. Walking, using the treadmill or bicycling can also help heal knee osteoarthrtis. Strong muscles can better support the knee joint. However, if pain is worse when exercising, stop for awhile and try to get back to it at a later date. Instead, massage your knee to loosen up the joint and promote blood flow.

    Other Options and Surgery

    • Viscosupplementation can be effective in treating severe osteoarthritis pain in women. The process entails an injection of hyaluronic acid derivatives such as Hyalgan and Synvisc which increases fluid levels in the knee joint. Prolotherapy is another type of injection which induces inflammation to create extra collagen in the knee. Collagen, in turn, shrinks as it ages which can tighten knee ligaments and reduce osteoarthritis knee pain. Fusing the knee joint, realigning bones and joint replacement are some surgical options you may want to consider if other therapies are ineffectual.

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