What causes arthritis in the knee?

When I visited my rheumatologist, she explained that knee arthritis can be osteoarthritis, which is wear and tear, or inflammatory like rheumatoid arthritis. Factors like genetics, repetitive stress from squatting, and bone density play a massive role. She emphasized getting an MRI or X-ray to determine the exact type before starting any treatment.

In our old age, the natural fluid in the knees dries up, which causes the bones to rub against each other and hurt. I gently massage warm sesame oil on my knees every morning and it helps with the stiffness. But my child, you must also consult a doctor to keep an eye on the joint condition.

My health app tracking showed that my knee stiffness was worse on days with high steps, which turned out to be early-stage wear. Tracking your daily activity, weight, and pain levels can help you understand the triggers. It is usually just cartilage wear, but monitoring it on an app helps you share accurate data with your doctor.

Let us be direct: knee arthritis is mostly a mix of aging, genetics, and carrying extra weight. If you live in a city and climb stairs constantly or run on hard concrete, the wear happens faster. Skip the local bone-setters and go straight to a reputed orthopedist for a scan.

There are multiple reasons for knee arthritis, ranging from mechanical wear and tear to autoimmune responses where the body attacks its own joints. Because the causes vary so much, self-diagnosing can lead to wrong treatments. Consulting an experienced orthopedic doctor is absolutely the best way to manage this safely.