Many people are surprised to learn just how many different types of arthritis there actually are. There are well over 100 different types. Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are the two most common types that affect the knee.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with either OA or RA, you may find yourself wondering — do knee braces help with arthritis? Here’s the good news — the answer is yes, they absolutely do!
A properly fitted knee brace can do a world of good for knee pain caused by arthritis. They’re also great for improving stability and encouraging mobility.
The Most Common Symptoms of Arthritis in the Knee
As anyone who lives with the chronic pain that arthritis can cause will tell you, it can be an incredibly debilitating condition.
Arthritis can cause painful symptoms all over the body, with some of the most common sites it affects including your jaw, neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, knees, and ankles.
Individuals who suffer from arthritis of the knee typically tend to experience a gradual onset of pain felt throughout the joints.
In the initial stages of the disease, you may first notice pain felt in your knees either first thing in the morning, when you’re going up or down stairs, or after periods of inactivity.
Depending on whether you suffer from OA or RA, the development of symptoms from here can either be quite rapid or may take several years to fully develop.
Another common symptom of arthritis in the knee is swelling and tenderness in the joints. This is due to the disease causing inflammation within the body, especially in the case of individuals with RA.
If left unchecked, arthritis in the knees can eventually progress enough to where it causes joint damage in the knee. If this occurs, it can actually cause your knee joints to buckle out. RA is also capable of causing damage to the tendons in your knees, which will also affect the stability of your knee in the long term.
Usually when joint damage has taken place, you’ll also notice a handful of other common symptoms such as cracking or popping sounds coming from your knees when either bending or straightening them.
This sound is caused by the loss of cartilage that occurs with the development of arthritis; bone spurs and rough surfaces developing are also common symptoms. Speaking of cartilage loss, it can also cause a total loss of joint space as the cartilage wears away.
In addition to the cracking noises, many arthritis patients report having a much poorer range of motion in their knees as the disease progresses.
Over the long run, actual deformation may also occur within the knee. This is especially common with RA, as the disease commonly causes swelling and redness in the affected areas.
When Should You Seek Medical Advice?
If you’ve recently begun to experience any type of unexplained pain in your knees, it’s far better to play it safe than sorry by seeking out prompt medical advice as early as you reasonably can.
This is especially true if the pain or inflammation are not responding to any kind of at home treatment like OTC pain medications.
You should also definitely plan a visit with your doctor if you notice that the pain is getting worse instead of better, or if you develop any additional symptoms like a fever.
Your health care practitioner will most likely perform an in-depth examination of your knee, which may or may not include diagnostic imaging.
They may also order some blood work tests to be performed in order to check for RA (or other possible causes like lupus).
So Do Knee Braces Help with Knee Pain Caused by Arthritis?
The good news is that yes, a properly fitted knee brace can help you manage the day-to-day pain that comes with living with either RA or (especially) OA.
They can assist with stability in the knee and can help to greatly improve your range of motion. Knee braces are also great for helping to shift the weight load from your body more evenly, meaning there is less pressure placed on the knee joints.
In addition to getting a knee brace, there are several other safe, at-home options that you can do as well in order to help manage the pain caused by both RA and OA:
- Take OTC NSAID medications like ibuprofen or Advil
- Moderate amounts of light exercise (walking, cycling, etc.)
- Apply heat and cold pads to help relieve pain and swelling
- Topical pain relief creams (especially creams that contain capsaicin as an active ingredient)
- Using a cane or walker to help with balance in more severe cases
While an unpleasant disease to live with, the symptoms of both RA and OA can indeed be managed. If you’re ever in doubt, speak with your doctor about whether or not a knee brace could be a good option for you to help manage your symptoms.