6 Symptoms of Knee Arthritis

Arthritis is a common disorder that affects millions of Americans. When you suffer from arthritis, you likely feel pain and discomfort associated with inflammation of your joints. Sometimes, this may affect your knee, which can make it difficult to stay on your feet, get around without pain, and just live a normal life. As an orthopedic surgeon in Debary, we treat many people for their knee-related pain and arthritic symptoms. These are a few symptoms that indicate you may have knee arthritis.

Gradual Knee Pain

The pain related to arthritis in your knee is typically gradual. You may not even notice it in the beginning, or you may just mistake it for a few aches. Often times, you will feel aches after moving. This may occur when you are climbing the stairs, taking a walk, or just doing household tasks. Although uncommon at first, you may also feel some pain when you are just sitting there.

Pain at Night

As time passes, you may start to feel knee pain at night. When you rest your body at the end of the day, you may start to feel numbness or shooting pain in your knee. When your arthritis progresses, this symptom becomes a common part of your daily life.

Joint Stiffness

You may also feel a tightness in your joints that causes a decreased range of motion. This may cause you to not be able to fully move your knee in certain directions, which can affect your ability to move around your home. Typically, this joint stiffness will happen after periods of inactivity. You can often expect this stiffness to go away after roughly thirty minutes.

Decreased Quality of Life

If you are constantly feeling aches and pain in your knee, you will likely be discouraged from performing your daily tasks. Intense knee pain and decreased range of motion will make it difficult to tackle household responsibilities, get your usual workout done, or visit with your family members. When you feel like your knee pain is taking over your life, you should seek treatment.

Limited Range of Motion

You may struggle to bend or straighten your knee like you used to when you suffer from arthritis. This can occur because of pain, discomfort, stiffness, muscle weakness, or fatigue. Although you feel a limited range of motion, you may not feel any pain when you try to move your knee. Many people may try to ignore this, because it is not often something that nags them, but you should still seek the treatment you need.

Knee Inflammation

Sometimes, you will notice inflammation in your knee joint. This swelling can be quickly noticed in the mornings or evenings, and you can take certain steps to reduce inflammation and redness. Take over-the-counter medications to reduce swelling, treat with ice, and compress the knee joint so you can prevent this swelling from building.

These are a few symptoms that may indicate you have arthritis in your knee. If you suffer from arthritis, or suspect that you may have arthritis, you should talk with a professional orthopedic surgeon in Deland. Contact Florida Bone and Joint to hear about our joint specialists and make an appointment with us today.