The number of patients with knee arthroplasty in spring is increasing...Treatment for each symptom at Himchan Hospital is important
Mar 06, 2025
|
Muscles reduce the amount of force applied to the joints, and if the amount of activity such as outdoor activities increases as the weather warms up, the still stiff muscles lack the strength to hold the knee joints, which can lead to pain.
In fact, according to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients visiting hospitals for knee arthroplasty increases significantly in March. The number of patients with knee arthroplasty increased by about 22% from 574,391 in February 2021 to 702,725 in March. It increased to about 11% in 2022 (596,011 in February and 662,778 in March) and 14% in 2023 (680,000 in February and 776,388 in March).
Kim Tae-seop, head of the orthopedic surgery department at Bupyeong Himchan Hospital, said, `In early spring, the daily temperature range is severe, and the joint ligaments and muscles of the body that are adapted to the low temperature are contracted and the flexibility is poor.' `Weakened muscles have less power to support the joints, and if they are suddenly active, the joints can feel more pain even in minor movements.'
◇ Large daily temperature difference, dry weather, and knee pain can be aggravated
Knee cartilage acts as a buffer between the bones above and below the knee joint as a kind of cushion, and is prone to wear or rupture due to severe shock or constant stimulation. Bones have nerve cells that cause pain, but cartilage has no nerves, so it wears out to a certain extent, causing pain only when joint bones come into contact with each other and cause friction. Knee arthritis occurs when cartilage is slowly worn out, and the knee is the part that is used a lot among body parts and the degenerative changes due to aging come the fastest because it has to endure weight.
There are various factors that worsen knee arthritis symptoms, but changes in the weather and environment in spring are also the main causes of pain. If the daily temperature range is large and the weather changes are frequent, the flexibility of muscles and ligaments around the joint may decrease, worsening pain. In addition, in dry weather, the lubrication function of the joint fluid decreases, increasing friction, which can cause pain. Especially in spring, physical activity increases due to exercise or outdoor activities, which can put a strain on the knee joint and worsen symptoms.
If the cartilage in the knee is damaged, you should take the stairs or sit for a long time in the beginning Intermittent symptoms of slight discomfort or pain appear when waking up, but often go too far because it gets better when you take a break. If you leave it like this and go into the middle of the year, the pain gets worse, and if you walk for a long time, your knees may swell for no specific reason. At the end of the year, severe pain and leg deformation are so severe that it is difficult to walk, so you may have to undergo artificial joint surgery as a last resort beyond the stage of treatment.
◇ Weight management is important for low-intensity exercise...2nd to 3rd stage patient 'BMAC injection' Attention
Knee arthritis can relieve symptoms to some extent with sufficient rest and stretching in the early stages. In addition, drug therapy, physical therapy, and injection therapy can reduce joint pain and increase the range of motion, strengthening the surrounding muscles, and improving joint function. However, when it reaches the mid-term stage, it is important to slow the progression of the disease as much as possible and improve pain and function so that it does not undergo artificial joint surgery.
In the case of mid-term knee arthritis, injection treatments that relieve pain and improve function through injection therapy have recently been widely used. Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection treatment is a method of injecting autologous platelet-rich plasma collected from one's peripheral blood into the knee joint cavity. In addition, an injection of bone marrow aspiration concentrate (BMAC), which extracts bone marrow from the iliac crest of the upper pelvis and injects bone marrow aspiration concentrate containing a large amount of cells, is drawing attention. These are approved treatments as nephrotic techniques and are attracting attention as a new treatment option for patients with mid-term (2nd to 3rd stage) arthritis.
In order to protect knee health in spring, it is important to avoid excessive activities first. Exercise is safe and helps strengthen knee strength by doing low-intensity exercises such as walking, swimming, and indoor cycling that are less burdensome to the knee according to one's physical strength. In addition, overweight or obese increases the burden on the knee, so it is necessary to maintain an appropriate weight. When the weight increases by 1kg, the weight of the knee increases by 4kg, and when movement is added, the burden of more than 7kg is felt. It is important to lose weight because the more weight you weigh, the more damage to your cartilage accelerates.
Kim Tae-seop, head of orthopedic surgery at Bupyeong Himchan Hospital, said, `Instead of the elevator, exercise to strengthen thigh muscles, such as climbing stairs or sitting with books on your thighs, is helpful for joints"If swelling, pain, and creaking sensation in the knee persist for more than 3 days after external shock, it is recommended to seek orthopedic treatment" he advised.
|
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
