Does Heat Therapy Work for Knee Arthritis ?

Arthritis is a common musculoskeletal condition characterized by weakening, inflammation, and tenderness of one or more joints. Stiffness, discomfort, and pain are common symptoms of arthritis. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are common types of this condition that worsens with age.

A recent research study published on the Lancet Discovery Science analyzed more than 88 systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis studies to find the prevalence of knee arthritis worldwide. The study shows 16% of knee arthritis prevalence in people aged 15 or older and 22.9% in individuals above 40.

More than 654 million people aged 40 and older suffer from knee osteoarthritis. Researchers highlighted various factors contributing to knee arthritis, including aging, gender, genetics, obesity, joint injuries, bone deformities, and metabolic disorders.

In addition, healthy weight management, blood glucose control, quitting tobacco smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, eating a balanced diet, and regular exercise are proactive and preventative approaches to reduce the risk of knee arthritis. However, if you have already developed the condition and looking for ways to relieve discomfort and pain, you can consider heat therapy. Read on!

Knee Arthritis: The Causes, Signs & Symptoms

Knee arthritis is an inflammatory condition that takes a massive toll on the knee joint cartilage, resulting in deterioration, weakening, stiffness, and pain. Cartilage is a soft tissue that plays a critical role in the smooth bending and straightening of joints between two bones.

In simple words, cartilage serves as a cushion between the knee joints, thanks to its lubricating nature. Cartilage in your knees coats or lubricates the femur, tibia, and patella. These three are crucial components of the knee’s structure, allowing the joints to maintain mobility, bending, and other functions.

However, the space between the joints or bones narrows due to the wearing of the cartilage. The condition worsens when two bones in the knee rub against each other and form bone spurs. Bear in mind that significant damage to the cartilage structure in your knee can result in deformities, such as knock knees and bowleg.

Causes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), aging is the most common cause of arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis, a condition that affects more than 32 million people in the United States.

Although osteoarthritis is the natural result of aging, some factors, such as weight gain, genetic mutations, gender, repetitive stress injury, strenuous activities, and heavy exercises, can also damage the soft structures/cartilages in your knee.

Symptoms

Knee arthritis can hinder your day-to-day life and take a toll on your body functions, such as sitting, walking, bending, climbing stairs, etc. Stiffness and pain in the knee joint are common symptoms of knee arthritis.

For instance, when you exercise or perform specific movements that put strain or pressure on your knees, the painful sensations indicate that you might have knee arthritis. Crepitus is another symptom of knee arthritis, a condition characterized by clicking, cracking, crunching, and snapping sounds due to a damaged joint.

How to Treat Knee Arthritis?

There are numerous homemade remedies and medical options to treat knee arthritis. Health professionals recommend losing weight is directly proportional to reducing stress on knee joints.

Consuming a balanced diet with food rich in vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants can streamline your metabolism and trigger tissue-level mechanisms to burn fatty cells.

Likewise, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, such as NSAIDs can help relieve pain caused by knee arthritis. Naproxen sodium and ibuprofen are commonly used NSAIDs for inflammation reduction and pain relief.

According to NCBI, OTC drugs can cause various side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, and gastric mucosa. Similarly, taking NSAIDs for a prolonged period may also affect your cardiovascular and renal systems.

If your pain persists for more than 2-3 months, your doctor will prescribe your steroidal injects to reduce inflammation. Sometimes, physicians also administer hyaluronic acids into the knee to maintain the cartilage’s lubrication.

Surgery is the last option to treat knee arthritis that may or may not work. So, what’s the safest option to relieve discomfort and pain associated with arthritis while promoting optimal cartilage movement. The answer is Heat Therapy.

What is Heat Therapy

Heat therapy is an alternative, reliable, efficient, safe, and cost-effective option for reliving knee arthritis. Not only does heat therapy increase blood flow to your knees’ joints, but they also improve mobility by providing the cartilage with nutrient-rich fluids via the body’s natural mechanisms.

So, if you want to reduce stiffness, inflammation, and pain without any adverse effects, nothing is better than applying heat to your knees. Unlike cold therapy, heat therapy can reduce stiffness, stress, and pressure on the cartilage by triggering cellular mechanisms.

All this translates to the efficient and quick restoration of the cartilage’s normal function. Thus, heat therapy is an excellent way to repair or heal damaged soft tissues. There are numerous ways to apply heat to the damaged or painful joint.

These include mud baths, steam baths, hot/wet saunas, warm baths, hot showers, hot springs, and balneotherapy. The primary purpose is to stimulate your knee’s joint fluid, increase lubrication, and block sensory receptors/nerves to distract your brain from feeling discomfort/pain.

While traditional methods are reliable, health professionals, including neurologists and orthopedic surgeons, recommend the following cutting-edge products to speed up the process, relieve pain, and resume your day-to-day activities. Here is why you should prefer these products over traditional heat therapy applications.

Compression Knee Massager with Heat FT-032K

Compression Knee Massager is a breakthrough, thanks to advanced technological advancements in the orthopedic sector. It is a multi-function knee massager with state-of-the-art heating and air compression features for massaging your knee.

FIT King’s compression knee massager covers your entire knee and massages the joints, calf, and thighs areas surrounding the knee. The product uses advanced technology to increase blood flow to your knee soft tissues, reduce joint swelling, relieve inflammation, and accelerate healing.

In addition, Compression Knee Massager comes with two heating areas that ensure efficient warming up of your knee’s cartilage and quickly relieve soreness. The product comes with compression airbags that helps you massage your upper calves and lower thighs to support your knee’s joint and soft tissues.

Similarly, it has three massage modes and intensities, allowing you to adjust the settings based on your specific needs and feel comfortable. So, if you want to get back to your daily life in a more streamlined way, using this product is worth it.

Leg & Foot Massager with Knee Heat FT-011A

Leg & Foot Massager is a highly recommended air compression product for people with joint problems, including knee arthritis. The product comes with 2x2 large and cozy airbags that massage your calves and feet as part of the compression therapy. It improves blood circulation to the damaged area and provides essential nutrients to expedite and promote healing.

Besides, it has two knee heating massage levels and three massage modes, with ten techniques, providing exceptionally efficient and personalized experiences for people to relieve discomfort, stiffness, and inflammation in the knee joint.

Final Words

Knee arthritis affects millions of people worldwide, preventing them from carrying out their day-to-day activities and lowering their quality of life. Although medications, steroidal injections, and surgeries are a few options to treat knee arthritis, these come with side effects that can sometimes become long-lasting.

On the other hand, heat therapy products, such as Compression Knee Massager and Leg & Foot Massager by FIT King, are efficient, fast, and safe for people of all ages with knee arthritis. Until Next Time!