Knee Osteoarthritis and Joint Conditions: A Complete Guide

Osteoarthritis is the most common reason for long-term knee pain after 40, but it is not the only one. Gout, bursitis and rheumatoid arthritis can feel similar, and the right everyday choices depend on what is really going on in the joint.

Here you will find our guides on cartilage wear, the stages of osteoarthritis, the most common joint conditions and the factors you can influence yourself, from body weight to what you eat and drink.

Osteoarthritis and cartilage wear

• Knee Osteoarthritis: 9 Ways to Ease the Pain at Home
  Osteoarthritis does not go away, but you can strongly influence pain and stiffness. Here are 9 approaches that make sense.
• Knee Cartilage Wear: What It Means and What Helps
  Cartilage is the smooth layer that lets the knee glide. Learn what it means when it wears down, which symptoms are typical and what you can do every day.
• Types of Knee Osteoarthritis and What Bone on Bone Means
  Knee osteoarthritis does not look the same in everyone. Learn which part of the knee can be affected, how doctors describe the stages and what bone on bone really means.
• Knee Osteoarthritis Treatments: An Overview of Your Options
  There is no single treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Here is an overview of the main options, from everyday measures to injections and surgery, and how they usually fit together.
• 7 Risk Factors for Knee Osteoarthritis (and Which Ones You Can Change)
  Knee osteoarthritis rarely has a single cause. Here are seven factors that raise the risk, and which of them you can influence yourself.
• 7 Everyday Habits That Can Make Knee Osteoarthritis Worse
  Small daily habits can make a big difference for knees with osteoarthritis. Here are seven common ones that add strain, and simple changes that help.
• "Wear and Tear": What It Really Means for Your Knees
  Many people hear that their knee is simply "worn out". Here is why that picture is only half true and what it means for everyday movement.
• 3 Mistakes That Can Wear Your Knees Out Faster
  Many knee problems are not caused by movement itself, but by the way we move. Here are three common mistakes that put extra strain on the knees and how to avoid them.

Other knee conditions

• Rheumatoid Arthritis or Osteoarthritis in the Knee? How to Tell the Difference
  Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis can both make the knee hurt and feel stiff, but they are very different conditions. Here are the typical signs of each and why the difference matters.
• Gout in the Knee: Symptoms, Triggers and What Helps
  Gout is best known in the big toe, but it can also affect the knee. Here is how an attack usually feels, what can trigger it and what helps during and between attacks.
• Knee Bursitis: Symptoms, Causes and Gentle Relief
  Knee bursitis is irritation of a small fluid-filled cushion near the knee. Learn the typical symptoms, the most common triggers and how to ease it at home.
• Knee Arthritis and Calf Pain: Why They Often Go Together
  Calf pain is common in people with knee osteoarthritis. Here is how the knee and calf affect each other, when calf pain needs a quick check-up and what helps.
• Knee, Hip and Back: How Pain Can Travel Through the Body
  The knee, hip and lower back work as a team. When one of them hurts, the others often have to work harder. Here is how pain can travel between them and what helps.

Diet, weight and risk factors

• Anti-Inflammatory Foods for Your Joints: What to Eat More Often
  Food does not cure knee pain, but a varied, colorful diet can support your joints and help you keep a healthy weight. Here is what to eat more often and what to limit.
• Joint-Friendly Drinks and Smoothies: What to Drink and What to Limit
  What you drink matters as much as what you eat. Here are the best everyday drinks for people with sore knees, the ones to limit and three simple smoothie ideas.
• Body Weight and Knee Load: Why Every Kilogram Counts
  Your knees carry your body weight with every step. Here is why extra weight makes knee pain more likely, why small changes matter and how to start without straining your joints.
• Why Knee Pain Is More Common in Women, and What Helps
  Women are more often affected by knee pain and knee osteoarthritis than men. Here are the most common reasons, the role of menopause and practical steps that help.
• Knee Pain in Older Age: What Is Normal and What Is Not
  Knees change with age, but not every ache is "just age". Here is what is often normal in later life, which signs need a check-up and how to stay active.

More knee guides

• Knee Pain Guide: Causes by Where and When It Hurts
• Knee Exercises and Home Relief: A Complete Guide
• Knee Injuries and Sport: A Guide to Recovery
• Knee Sleeve Guide: Does It Help, How to Choose and Wear It

These guides are for information only and do not replace an examination by a doctor or physiotherapist.