Strengthening of the muscles around the knee joint may help decrease the burden on the knee. Preventing atrophy of the muscles is an important part of maintaining functional use of the knee and reducing further damage to the joint., Prescription and nonprescription anti-inflammatory pain medications (such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs) are drugs that help treat the pain as well as the inflammation in the knee.Always consult your doctor before attempting to treat arthritis with over-the-counter medications, especially if you are taking other medications to treat arthritis.
Never exceed the recommended dosage of any medication, including over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. Overdose of NSAIDs can be life-threatening., Hyaluronic acid helps lubricate the joint and is naturally found in the fluid of your knee. If you suffer from arthritis, the natural hyaluronic acid in your knee becomes thinner and less effective.Your doctor may recommend a hyaluronic acid (also called artificial joint fluid or visco supplementation) injection into your knee joint.
Although these injections are not helpful to everyone, they can relieve the symptoms for three to six months.
 There are some prescription medications available to treat arthritis. Consult your doctor whether you are a candidate for some of these treatment options.Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (such as methotrexate or hydroxychloroquine) slow or stop your immune system from attacking your joints.
Biologics (such as etanercept and infliximab) target various protein molecules involved in the immune response that leads to arthritis.
Corticosteroids (such as prednisone and cortisone) reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system. They can be administered orally or injected directly into the painful joint.
 If conservative treatments are not limiting arthritis pain or are not enough to prevent further damage, you may need a surgery, such as joint fusion or joint replacement.During a joint fusion surgery, your doctor will remove the ends of the two bones in the joint and then locks those ends together until they heal into one rigid unit.
During a joint replacement surgery, your doctor will remove the damaged joint and replaces it with an artificial one.
Go to physical therapy.
Take anti-inflammatory medications.
Get hyaluronic acid injections in your knee.
Ask your doctor if you should take corticosteroids or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
Consult your doctor whether you need a surgery.
{"src": "wikihow-all_validation", "title": "How to Know if You Have Arthritis in the Knee3"}