Can osteoarthritis cause pain in knee?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have pain in the right knee for two months. While using a staircase, it used to pain initially whenever I starting walking or running. The pain is exactly on the front side of the knee and just below the left side of the kneecap. I started jogging a year back and continued for six months, during jogging or walking I was feeling a cracking sound but I thought it was normal. Recently, my weight started increasing so again I started jogging and gym workouts. In the gym, I was doing leg workouts like squats, leg extension, leg press, and deadlift. Knee pain started and I realized I was doing squats and deadlift in the wrong form. Later, I corrected and started doing workouts in proper form and pain is slightly reduced. I have consulted a doctor regarding this and he gave me some medicine and said it as early osteoarthritis. Kindly advise me whether I can continue my workouts, is this issue curable, how to manage this. Medicines which I am taking now is Fixit 300 (Nizatidine 300 mg), Loflam (Aceclofenac 100 mg), Joint free triple action (Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM).

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Your X-rays are normal for age (attachment removed to protect patient identity). What you describe is patellofemoral compression syndrome and weight gain, wrong exercises, jogging on an incline, poor shoe wear, open chain exercise like squats, knee rolls have a role to play. Physiotherapy to do like closed chain exercises, leg presses with knee not bending more than 30 degrees, patellar taping, core strengthening exercises, gluteal clam shells, hamstring stretches, VMO (vastus medialis) exercise, etc. Take NSAID like Aceclofenac but I see no role of Glucosamine combination tablets. The process of relief takes a long time so do not get frustrated and believe me this is a curable condition but effort has to be yours.