How is your knee?

The weather is cold, and for many elderly people, their knee joints are their own accurate "weather forecast" at this time. Leg pain, joint stiffness or limited mobility will follow, and in severe cases, it may even affect walking...

Cold stimulation: The knee joint is more sensitive to cold. When the weather gets cold, the blood vessels around the knee joint contract, blood circulation slows down, leading to a decrease in synovial fluid secretion and reduced joint mobility, which can cause pain. The cold may also cause the muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues around the knee joint to contract, increasing friction and pressure on the joint and aggravating pain.

Influence of existing diseases: If you suffer from arthritis (such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.), synovitis or other knee joint diseases, low temperatures may aggravate the inflammatory response and make the pain worse. For example, for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the pain and swelling of the joints are often more obvious when the temperature drops than in a warm environment.

Soft tissue injury: Soft tissues around the knee joint, such as muscles, ligaments, and joint capsules, are more susceptible to damage in cold weather, such as strains and sprains, leading to pain.

Improper clothing: Improper clothing in winter, such as wearing clothes that are too thin or tight, may expose the knee joints to the cold environment and increase the risk of pain.

What are the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis?

01****Pain

This is the most common symptom of knee osteoarthritis, which manifests as knee pain, which is usually aggravated during activities (such as going up and down stairs, walking, standing, etc.) and relieved during rest. The pain may gradually change from mild to persistent, and in severe cases may affect sleep and daily life.

02 **** Swelling

The knee joint may swell due to inflammation and fluid accumulation, especially during periods of activity or weather changes. The swelling may cause stiffness and discomfort.

03****Restricted activities

Knee osteoarthritis may result in a limited range of motion in the knee joint, which is manifested by limited extension and flexion. Patients may find it difficult to stand up after squatting or be unable to fully flex and straighten the knee when walking.

04**** Bone friction or bone friction sound

When the knee moves, you may feel or hear a grinding or creaking sensation inside the joint, which is usually caused by the cartilage wearing away.

05****Joint deformity

As the disease progresses, knee osteoarthritis may cause deformities of the knee joint, such as varus deformity (genu varum, commonly known as "bow legs"), valgus deformity (X-shaped legs), etc. Deformities may cause abnormal gait and difficulty walking.

06****Muscle atrophy

Due to pain and limited range of motion, the muscles surrounding the knee may gradually atrophy, leading to decreased joint stability and further dysfunction.

Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment

01. Drug treatment:

You can take calcium supplements and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics to relieve pain and inflammation. In addition, depending on the condition, the doctor may prescribe some prescription drugs, such as glucosamine, to improve joint function.

02. Physical therapy

Including hot and cold compresses, electrotherapy, ultrasonic therapy, etc., to promote blood circulation and relieve pain. Appropriate use of protective gear and muscle tape can also improve local circulation function and avoid further injury.

03. Minimally invasive treatment

Intra-articular injection: Injection of drugs such as sodium hyaluronate, chitosan, anti-inflammatory analgesic solution and ozone can reduce inflammation and pain and improve joint mobility.

Platelet-rich plasma injection: PRP (platelet-rich plasma) technology is to extract a small amount of the patient's own blood, separate and concentrate the useful components in the blood, such as platelets, growth factors, plasma proteins, etc., through in vitro centrifugation, and then inject it into the patient's affected area. PRP technology has the advantages of high safety and no obvious side effects. In clinical practice, PRP technology has obvious effects in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis in terms of pain relief, anti-inflammatory, tissue regeneration and repair. Most well-known athletes at home and abroad prefer PRP technology treatment after joint tendon injuries.

Radiofrequency regulation: Radiofrequency energy is used to ablate nerve endings in the joints, reduce the conduction of pain signals, and relieve pain. Such as radiofrequency thermocoagulation regulation (destruction) of the saphenous nerve, plasma radiofrequency destruction of the peripheral branches of the knee joint, etc.

How to take better care of your knee joints when it’s cold?

01****Keep warm

No matter how good the greeting is, it is not as good as the protection of a pair of long johns. Only by maintaining a normal temperature can we ensure that our knee joints are adequately supplied with blood, the cartilage meniscus is adequately nourished, the joint fluid is normally secreted, and the joint movement is fully lubricated. Only in this way can we effectively reduce the wear of our cartilage, metabolize inflammatory substances in time, and reduce the incidence of knee arthritis symptoms.

02****Reasonable hot compress

When you feel joint discomfort, proper heat can promote blood circulation and relieve local cold pain. There are two main ways to apply heat to joints: dry heat and wet heat.

03****Proper exercise

In winter, when it is cold, people tend to stay at home to keep warm. However, the less active they are, the colder they will be. Therefore, you may want to go out on a sunny day or do some indoor exercise. During exercise, muscles can generate a lot of heat to warm the body. On the one hand, it can increase the body's muscle content, and on the other hand, it can increase the body's ability to produce and retain heat, thus improving the body's susceptibility to cold.

Many young people may think that they have a good physique and are resistant to cold, so they expose their knees in winter. This behavior may not show up temporarily when they are young, but arthritis will quietly come to them after middle age. If you have symptoms such as repeated knee pain, soreness, or joint discomfort when the weather changes, these are early signs of joint disease. You should pay attention to it immediately and go to a regular hospital for treatment in time. Protecting joint health needs to start from daily life. I hope that in the cold season, you will not only be warm in your body, but also have full vitality in your joints.

Author: Yue Jianning

Source: Department of Pain, Xuanwu Hospital