Why does my wife with diabetes have knee pain?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have noticed that my wife, who is 54 years old and has been diabetic for the past 10 years, has been experiencing severe pain and swelling in her knees and elbows for the past three to four months.

She has been on Metformin medication for diabetes. I am concerned about her well-being and would like to understand more about these symptoms. Could you help me understand why she might be experiencing these symptoms?

Additionally, I want to know about the available treatments or strategies to alleviate her symptoms and improve her overall quality of life.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

We value the high level of confidence that you have in us.

Considering her age and your description, she seems to be having osteoarthritis of the knee. This is a wear-and-tear process of the joint and is often age-determined. Other factors like weight, diabetes, and so on play an additional role in prevalent symptoms. Pain occurs due to the loss of smooth cartilage support of the joint, with resultant debris causing inflammation, swelling, and warmth, all leading to pain, often while walking, especially after rest, and sometimes, pain can occur even at rest as the disease progresses.

Initial management strategies include weight loss, regular exercise to help strengthen the muscles, analgesic tablets, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), injections, and so on. She will need X-rays at some stage to assess the grade of osteoarthritis. Based on the X-ray and response to the initial treatment, a future treatment plan can be made.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reach out in case of further queries.

Thank you.