02 Oct Causes of Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis is a common condition that affects many peoples’ quality of life. In fact, knee osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder in the United States. It continues to increase in prevalence and can be greatly debilitating for many people. Once diagnosed, many people suffer from chronic pain, and may even avoid walking or doing normal daily functions due to this pain. As a result, there has been a huge push in understanding knee osteoarthritis, learning about what causes to try to prevent it, and using stem cell therapy to help those who have already developed knee osteoarthritis. Stem cells from the knee pain treatment Beverly Hills have been shown to help repair and regenerate cartilage that has been damaged for a wide variety of reasons. Below are some of the common causes of knee osteoarthritis.
Age
Age is arguably the largest cause of osteoarthritis. As a result, almost everyone will develop osteoarthritis to some degree as they age. When people age, the ability for cartilage to heal decreases. Therefore, as cartilage becomes damaged and goes through normal wear and tear, it is unable to heal as quickly and completely in old age. This means the sustained damage can lead to pain and inflammation from a breakdown of cartilage in the knee joint.
Weight
Weight is another important factor in developing knee osteoarthritis. As people gain weight, it increases the pressure on all the joints in the body. This increased pressure can lead to an unusually high amount of wear and tear on the knee joint. Each pound of weight that a person gain is equivalent to an extra 3-4 pounds of weight on the knee joint. If you want to postpone the development of osteoarthritis, keeping a healthy weight is a key factor.
Genetics
Genetics play a large role in who develops osteoarthritis and how bad the osteoarthritis gets. Females who are over the age of 55 are at the highest risk for developing knee osteoarthritis. Women’s bones tend to be weaker than men’s which leads to an increased chance of developing knee osteoarthritis.
Repetitive Injuries
Repetitive stress injuries can increase the likelihood of developing knee osteoarthritis. Excessive kneeling, squatting, or lifting heavy weights can cause repetitive stress injuries over time. This constant pressure on the knee joint leads to a breakdown of the knee cartilage over time.
Illness
Illness is another common cause of knee osteoarthritis. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and various metabolic disorders can lead to knee osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to unnecessary swelling of the joints. This occurs because the immune system wrongly attacks the joints. Over time, the sustained swelling leads to damaged cartilage, which in turn leads to osteoarthritis.
Metabolic disorders can also cause osteoarthritis to occur. Conditions that cause excess iron or excess growth hormone can cause people to develop osteoarthritis. It is not exactly understood why excess in iron causes joint problems. However, it has been shown in multiple cases that patients suffering from conditions such as hemochromatosis also develop osteoarthritis.
Stem cell therapy for knee arthritis can restore worn away cartilage with a series of sessions. Contact a stem cell doctor in Los Angeles to achieve optimal health with the use of stem cell procedures.
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