Knee & Hip Arthritis Pain

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. Millions of adults in the United States have it, and it becomes more common with age.

• Knee osteoarthritis: pain in or around the knee, often worse with stairs, squatting or long walks.
• Hip osteoarthritis: pain often felt in the groin, thigh or buttock, sometimes the knee.
• Primary OA: develops with age and use, without a single cause.
• Secondary OA: follows an injury, a joint shape problem, or another joint disease.
• Other causes of knee and hip pain, such as bursitis, tendon problems or inflammatory arthritis, can look similar.

• Getting older
• Extra body weight, which adds stress to knees and hips
• A past joint injury, such as a torn ligament or meniscus
• Jobs or sports with repeated kneeling, squatting or heavy lifting
• Family history
• Joint shape or alignment problems
• Being female (especially for knee OA)

• Pain that's worse with activity and better with rest
• Stiffness in the morning or after sitting that eases within about 30 minutes
• Swelling
• A grinding or crackling feeling
• Less range of motion, or trouble with stairs, getting up from a chair or putting on socks
• The knee giving way, or a limp
• At your visit, your provider watches how you walk, checks the joint for swelling, warmth and tenderness, moves it to test range of motion, listens or feels for grinding, checks strength and alignment, and looks at nearby joints like the back and other hip or knee.

OA is usually diagnosed from your symptoms and exam.

X-rays can show joint space narrowing and bone spurs. We don't do X-rays or any other imaging at our office; if you need X-rays or an MRI, we refer you to a trusted outside center and review the results with you.

Lab tests aren't needed to diagnose OA, but your provider may order some to rule out other kinds of arthritis or before starting medicine, such as a complete blood count (CBC), ESR and CRP (inflammation), uric acid, rheumatoid factor or anti-CCP, and a comprehensive metabolic panel (kidney and liver function). Fluid may be drawn from a swollen joint and tested.

Most people start with steps they can do at home and add more if needed:

• Exercise: strengthening the muscles around the joint, stretching and low-impact activity like walking, cycling or swimming. Physical therapy can help.
• Weight loss if needed. Every pound lost takes several pounds of pressure off the knees.
• Pain relief: start with a topical anti-inflammatory gel such as Voltaren gel (diclofenac) before pills. Other options include Tylenol (acetaminophen) or anti-inflammatory pills (NSAIDs) such as Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen) if they are safe for you. Ask before taking NSAIDs if you have kidney disease, ulcers, heart disease or take blood thinners.
• Heat or ice, a cane in the opposite hand, knee braces or supportive shoes.
• Joint injections, such as steroid or hyaluronic acid (gel) injections, done in our office for some people.
• Joint replacement surgery for severe pain that limits daily life, through an orthopedic specialist.

Osteoarthritis is long-term and may slowly get worse, but many people keep pain under control and stay active for years.

Treatment can ease pain and improve function, but it doesn't reverse joint damage. Results vary from person to person.

Your primary care team at Moaddel Medical examines your joints, orders labs or imaging referrals, and builds a pain and activity plan that's safe with your other conditions and medicines.

We refer you to physical therapy, imaging and orthopedic partners for injections or joint replacement when needed.

We're at 7230 Medical Center Dr, Suite 100, West Hills, CA 91307.