© 2018 OA Knee Pain. All Rights Reserved.
About Us
Our focus is knee osteoarthritis
Due to an increasing number of people suffering with knee pain and being diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a network of expert organisations has teamed up to establish OA Knee Pain. Our aim is to provide help and guidance along with all the information you may need about the condition to help you understand diagnosis, treatment options and management.
Associations include:
- Arthritis Solutions
- Osteotomy Expert Group
- Welsh Bone (Orthopaedic Surgeons in Wales)
- KNEEguru
- TALKhealth
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease causing joints to wear down
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease also commonly referred to as arthrosis, osteoarthrosis or OA. The condition is caused by the protective fluid in the joint losing its shock absorbing abilities resulting in the bones rubbing against each other and the cartilage that protects the ends of the bones wearing down. Sufferers often experience pain, swelling and problems with mobility.
- Stage 1: (Doubtful) Minimum disruption but sufferers experience a 10% loss of cartilage.
- Stage 2 (Mild): Narrowing of the joint space with the cartilage beginning to breakdown and the occurrence of osteophytes (a bony projection associated with the degeneration of cartilage at joints).
- Stage 3 (Moderate): Moderate joint-space reduction where the gaps in the cartilage can expand until they reach the bone.
- Stage 4 (Severe): The joint-space is greatly reduced with around 60% loss of cartilage and large osteophytes.
Any joint in the body can be affected by OA but the most common damage is found in the knees, hips, lower back, neck, fingers and toes.
What can be done?
Treatment will be determined by the joint affected and its severity
Supporting Charities
There are a range of organisations offering easy access to information about your condition
Arthritis Care is a UK registered charity that offers a range of support and services to help
people manage arthritis and connect with other people who share a similar
experience. The charity can offer support in person, online or on the phone and can put those living with arthritis in contact with other sufferers.
Arthritis Research UK invests in breakthrough treatments, provides information and vital support for everyone affected by arthritis. Its work has already uncovered breakthrough treatments, and it is dedicated to uncovering new ideas to help people push back the ways arthritis limits their lives.
OA Knee Pain Social Board
Bringing you the latest news, research and treatment breakthroughs from the world of osteoarthritis
Visit our blog
AXA PPP in partnership with Össur, creator of the Unloader One
This year AXA PPP has announced that it will now be funding conservative treatment for unicompartmental osteoarthritis under its private healthcare cover in the form of offloading knee brace, the Unloader One. The Unloader One knee brace is the only knee brace funded by AXA PPP for the treatment of osteoarthritis as an alternative to surgical intervention, where appropriate. This means that the knee brace, which usually costs £599 out of pocket for a patient looking to pursue alternative, non invasive treatment, is now available for free under the healthcare cover provided by AXA PPP.
5 Things to ask your employer to improve your workplace
A healthy workplace environment is not just a right, but also a need. We spend a significant portion of our lives in offices, factories, service stations and more and when employers fail to deliver a healthy environment, employees and ex-employees can pay with their health for years to come.
Don't suffer in silence – Encouraging people to seek help
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a very common long-term condition. Data collected in the UK and in the USA indicate that at least one-in-five people over the age of 45 have the condition to some degree. And, as you get older, the likelihood of the condition developing increases.
Joint pain – do’s & don’ts
Many people experience joint pain at some time during their life. There are various possible causes of pain in the joints, but most frequently it occurs as the result of an injury or arthritis.
3 steps to explaining your OA to your family
A diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA) will likely have an impact on your daily life. However, it will also impact those around you. You may have mobility issues or require additional support in certain areas. In order for those around you to provide the support you need and to put their minds at rest about your diagnosis, it is important that they fully understand the condition. If you have recently been diagnosed with OA, but have yet to discuss it with those closest to you, here are three steps to explaining the disease to your family.
Five Lifestyle & Nutrition Tips for Healthy Bones
Written for OA Knee Pain by Registered Dietician Nichola Ludlam-Raine. Nichola works as an NHS, freelance and private dietician and has appeared on BBC breakfast a number of times to provide her expert opinion. Here she tells us about the top 10 lifestyle and healthy eating tips for before and after surgery.
How a knee injury can increase your risk of Osteoarthritis
According to the NHS, osteoarthritis affects about 8 million people in the UK. While in many cases, the condition develops as a result of the slow degeneration of joints brought on by ageing, your susceptibility for developing osteoarthritis in the knee may increase if you have previously suffered an injury to the joint.
Knee OA: Linking activity and pain (KOALAP)
The link between physical activity and knee pain is something that we are all aware of and make assumptions about but there hasn’t been any concrete research, until now. The same group of researchers from the University of Manchester responsible for the Cloudy with a chance of Pain study have created the Koalap.
Occupational risk OA
There is a strong link between our work and our health. We all spend a lot of time in our jobs and so it is important to analyse the risks involved and understand how our job can affect our health. With osteoarthritis, there can be many risk factors to consider at work. It is vital to assess what factors increase the risk of developing OA and how OA can be managed at work.
Cloudy With A Chance Of Pain
Many people experiencing knee pain express concerns or complaints about certain weather condition causing painful episodes or an increase in usual chronic pain. As this is quite common, it was a surprise to find that there doesn’t currently exist any scientific data or research on the existence of a relationship between the weather and pain; that is until now.