You do not really know how much you need your knees until something goes wrong. Unfortunate, but you can not deny this to be true. Your knees are a crucial part of the human body, and preserving them is extremely important.

Knee arthritis can strike anyone at any age, but it is most common in people who are over 50 years of age. Other contributing factors, would include being overweight, and suffering through trauma to the knee and its ligaments or bone damage.

Symptoms of knee arthritis are often painful and debilitating, especially if the problem is left untreated. However, unlike most diseases, symptoms can fade or disappear altogether some days, and strike fiercely and unexpectedly other days.

There are three main types of knee arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form, and generally strikes people who are middle-aged. This type of knee arthritis usually gets worse as time goes on. Gradually, the cartilage that surrounds the knee is worn away, causing your bones to rub together.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammation of the knee that can destroy the cartilage surrounding the knee. This type of knee arthritis can strike at any age, and it generally strikes both knees and not just one.

Post-traumatic arthritis is the final, main type of knee arthritis discussed in this article. As mentioned earlier in this article, this type of knee arthritis occurs subsequent to a knee injury. It may not show up for years after you have sustained an injury to the knee, but once it does, it can be painful.

Symptoms of knee arthritis are different from patient to patient. You may experience "good days", or "bad days". In some cases, knee arthritis sufferers complain that the weather affects their symptoms. If it is damp or cold outside, your symptoms may increase in severity compared to when it is dry and more warm outside.

Knee arthritis symptoms can include:

A weakness in the knee

Joint swelling

Knee area feels stiff Range of motion is reduced

Knee can become deformed

The knee and surrounding area becomes sore to the touch.

Do not allow knee arthritis to ruin your mobility. If you notice any of the symptoms of knee arthritis listed above, see your doctor. The longer you leave it, the worse the symptoms can become.

While visiting with your physician is important there are a number of things you can do to alleviate the pain in your knees, if you are suffering from knee arthritis.

First and foremost, if you are overweight, you should strongly consider losing weight in order to take some of the pressure off your knees. Staying away from any exercise that may exert extra, unneeded pressure on your knee is also recommended. In extreme cases of knee arthritis, you may be required to undergo knee replacement surgery.

A knee support can be used to provide meaningful support to your knee. If you tend to have more pain when certain knee movements occur you should highly consider the support a knee brace can provide. A low profile knee brace can prevent excessive movements and as a result reduce your pain. This is extremely important when you forget about your arthritic symptoms and make a movement without thinking. This is the moment when a knee brace can be of value to you.

If you have osteoarthritis a knee brace can also be helpful. If you have malalignment due to arthritic anatomy changes at your knee joint. An "OA" (osteoarthritis) knee brace can help maintain proper alignment, thus reducing your pain.