Can Knee Osteoarthritis Be Reversed?

Osteoarthritis is just 1 of 100 types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is known as the wear-and-tear (or degenerative) type of the disease, and it’s characterized by the breakdown of cartilage in your joint. 

In the case of knee osteoarthritis, the cartilage in your knee breaks down, which then leads to knee pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. 

In the spirit of Arthritis Awareness Month — which we observe every May — the team here at LA Pain Doctor wants to take a few minutes to answer a question we hear often: Can knee osteoarthritis be reversed? 

Simply put, you can’t reverse osteoarthritis in any of your joints. You can, however, implement proactive strategies to slow the disease’s progression, lessen your symptoms, and improve your knee function. 

Adopting lifestyle modifications to promote healthy knee joints

Here are our top joint-friendly lifestyle modifications: 

Maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining a healthy weight through regular exercise and a balanced diet can reduce the strain on your knees and alleviate pain. Losing even 10 pounds can take off about 40 pounds of pressure from your knees.

This not only benefits your knee joints, but it also lessens pain in other weight-bearing joints in your feet.

Exercise

Low-impact activities like swimming, cycling, or walking can strengthen the muscles surrounding your knee joint and improve joint function.

Aim for at least 150 minutes per week. You don’t need to log all of your exercise in long workout sessions. Even shorter workouts (or walks around the block) can add up and help you reach your goals.

Not sure where to start? Many local recreational centers offer aquatic therapy and other low-impact classes that are suitable for people who are dealing with arthritis. 

Eat anti-inflammatory foods

Food isn’t a magic cure for arthritis, but including anti-inflammatory foods into your diet can tame knee arthritis symptoms by reducing inflammation in your knee joints. 

The Arthritis Foundation recommends following the Mediterranean diet and eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, beans, and 100% whole grains.

As a bonus, adopting nutrient-dense foods can benefit your knees in another way: It can help keep you at a healthy weight.

Use hot and cold therapy

Hot and cold therapy can also help you manage knee pain. Cold therapy helps fight inflammation after physical therapy, while hot therapy can ease stiffness.

Explore your arthritis pain management options in Louisiana

In addition to the strategies listed above, you may benefit from pain management services. The LA Pain Doctor team may recommend:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce pain and inflammation
• Prescription pain medication
• Physical therapy to improve your joint flexibility 
• Joint injections such as corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid 

These treatments aren’t a replacement for lifestyle modifications, but they’re strong complements to the at-home treatments you already follow. 

Prioritize your knee health this May 

We proudly serve the New Orleans and Luling, Louisiana, areas. During an arthritis consultation, you can expect your LA Pain Doctor provider to conduct a thorough medical history review and physical examination to assess your symptoms and joint function. 

They may also order diagnostic tests such as X-rays or blood tests to aid in diagnosing the type and severity of your arthritis. Blood tests, for example, can help rule out other types of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis.

Call the location of your choice — including our new office at 12371 Hwy. 90, Luling, Louisiana, 70070 — or request your appointment here on our website.