Did you know there are different stages of Osteoarthritis? You can read about each stage here: Stages of Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Whether you're a gym rat or you simply have a rigorous walking routine, your knees take a pounding day to day. Add a few of these key exercises to your next workout routine to help keep your knees ready for action.

Surgical options to manage osteoarthritis of the knee Surgery is often used in the most severe cases of osteoarthritis, though there are a number of surgical options available depending on the severity of the condition and the level of invasiveness a patient may wish to consider. Total Knee Replacement: The ends of the shin bone and the femur are 'capped' with either metal or plastic prostheses, which allows them to move against each other smoothly, to restore function to the knee. In the UK, there are over 70,000 knee replacement surgeries every year, a figure which is increasing steadily. Around four-fifths of the numbers are women, with the majority of patients over the age of 70. Partial Knee Replacement: Only replaces a section of the damaged joint, either the medial compartment (inner knee), the lateral compartment (outer knee) or the patellofemoral compartment at the front of the knee, where it joins the thigh bone. Knee Osteotomy: Introducing a small 'wedge' of bone, or artificial bone, to encourage weight to be forced onto the less damaged side of the joint. Done appropriately, the procedure is thought to postpone total knee replacement surgery for as long as another ten years. Knee Arthroscopy: Least invasive form of surgery to the knee. Also known as keyhole surgery, tiny incisions allow access to a flexible camera and surgical tools, with which the surgeon removes small, loose pieces of bone and cartilage that have been irritating the joint. Risks of knee surgery All surgery carries a degree of risk, and knee surgery is no exception. The best thing you can do is to read up on all options before making a decision to help find the best solution for you.

Which swimming stroke burns most calories? Since more calories are burnt when swimming fast and covering a greater distance, it seems obvious that the fastest stroke will burn most calories. It is generally agreed that the freestyle stroke, also known as front crawl, is the most efficient and fastest swimming stroke, but this does not mean you should choose freestyle every time. In addition to speed, the number of calories burned whilst swimming depends on frequency and duration. This means that if you prefer breaststroke to freestyle, you may swim longer when you do breaststroke than you would doing front crawl, so more calories would be burned in total. The stroke that actually burns the most is the butterfly stroke, and this can use 404 calories in thirty minutes, but this cannot normally be maintained for a long period of time. Five minutes of butterfly would burn about 67 calories. Thirty minutes of backstroke could burn 257 calories, compared to 367 calories burned for thirty minutes of breaststroke. Slow front crawl will use up 220 calories in thirty minutes, whilst half an hour of front crawl at a fast pace can burn 404 calories. General leisure swimming will burn 220 calories in thirty minutes. If you combine all the above strokes, doing five minutes of each, you will burn around 318 calories in half an hour. The best strategy for burning most calories is to choose the stroke or strokes that you are most likely to be able to do consistently. Mixing strokes helps to work more of the muscles and adds interest to your swimming workout.

Discover the effects of knee osteoarthritis around the world Osteoarthritis is generally believed to be the biggest cause of disability in older adults. As such, it affects millions of people and costs governments billions of pounds in treatments. Worldwide, an estimated 10%-15% of all adults aged 60 and over have some degree of osteoarthritis (often abbreviated to OA). In Britain, more than 8 million people - 33% of people aged over 45 years, plus 49% of women and 42% of men aged 75 and over - have been treated for OA. An estimated 4.7 million of those affected have arthritis of the knee. Let’s take a look at the facts Osteoarthritis is a very common condition which causes joints to become stiff and painful. It can affect all the joints in the body but is most likely to develop in the knees, hips and in the hands. Symptoms include swelling, redness, pain and stiffness in the affected joint, which usually lead to reduced movement and, in the worst cases, the inability to carry out everyday tasks. In the case of OA of the knee and hip, for instance, it can lead to difficulty in walking. It is not known what causes OA, but certain factors, such as being overweight, overuse and injury and just plain old getting older, are known to increase your likelihood of developing it. Genetic factors also play a part - a family history of OA increases your chance of getting it yourself. Diagnosis of OA usually includes an examination of the affected joints, plus questioning about symptoms and other factors. Your doctor will probably be able to diagnose the condition without any invasive tests, depending on your answers to certain questions. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for OA, but it can be treated and may improve over time. Most treatments concentrate on easing the symptoms.

Joint pain – do’s & don’ts If the knee, the hip or other joints are troubling you then here are a few “Do’s and don’ts” you should consider which can influence the progression of your osteoarthritis. Do: Visit the doctor if you have joint pain. Don’t: Keep suffering silently. Do: Work out on a regular basis. Don’t: Slacken off and avoid activity. Do: Lead a health-conscious lifestyle Don’t: Smoke and excessively consume alcohol Do: Calorie conscious and joint-friendly nutrition (little meat and animal fat, a lot of fruit, vegetables, vegetable oil and salt-water fish), reduce overweight Don’t: Overeat on sweats and animal fat, gain weight Do: Wear well-fitting shoes with low heels, cushioning soles and insoles if needed Don’t: High heels, too tight or pointed shoes with thin soles or slanting heels Do: Use ergonomic tools and household aids, trolleys and a walking aid Don’t: Be too proud to use medical devices