Far Infrared Heating Pads for Osteoarthritis of the Knee Joint

The most common form of joint disease (arthritis) is osteoarthritis and although the elderly are at highest risk it can also occur in middle age or even in the young. Primary osteoarthritis usually occurs at an older age and is the major cause of disability in seniors. Secondary osteoarthritis is usually caused by a ligament injury which can happen at a much earlier age and is not a result of age related wear and tear. Osteoarthritis is usually associated with joint swelling, loss of flexibility and range of motion, bone spurs and usually a great deal of pain.

The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the human body and is responsible for the transfer of energy from the thigh muscles to the lower leg. This energy transfer allows for walking, running, etc.

Humans are one of a very few mammals that walk upright on straight legs with all of the body weight supported by the knees. Depending on the body position and the motion of the knee involved in the body movement, the load on the knees can be up to seven times the body weight. For this reason, knee joints are very susceptible to wear and tear and to injuries. Knee injuries can result in osteoarthritis of the knee, a very painful and debilitating condition.

When osteoarthritis is present the knee joint can no longer efficiently transfer energy through the joint due to the uneven wear on the cartilage between the bones. Limitations in walking, stair climbing and daily activities can occur as a result.

Obesity has become a serious issue in our society today. A significant increase in body weight puts additional stress on the knee joints. It has been found that halving your body weight has a minimum of a three times load reduction on your knees. The bowing of the legs that is caused by obesity and the increase in body weight speeds up the wear of the articular cartilage between the bones of the knee, especially on the inside, leading to osteoarthritis.

Highly repetitive occupations that require a lot of crouching, kneeling, squatting, climbing stairs and lifting heavy loads can cause abnormal wear of the cartilage in the knee joint from overuse. These workers are at an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis.

High performance and professional athletes are very susceptible to knee injuries and therefore osteoarthritis, due to a lot of sudden starts and stops and a lot of sideward motion. It has not been proven that normal to light exercising or physical activity increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis.

Prevention is always the best medicine with the use of knee pads, supports and proper warm up before an activity. If this is too late, the standard treatment for a knee injury is to rest or elevate the knee, apply ice and compression and see a professional for an accurate diagnosis. In the most serious knee injuries surgery may be required.

In recent years the use of far infrared radiant heat has been an alternative method of treatment for osteoarthritis and knee injuries from ligament damage.

As most osteoarthritis and knee injuries are soft tissue problems, deep heating far infrared rays are ideal for these injuries and conditions. The infrared rays penetrate deep into the soft tissue and are converted to heat energy by conversion. The tissue is heated from the inside out and this allows for a longer application of the heat due to a much lower temperature. The deep heat causes blood vessels to expand allowing more oxygen rich blood to flow to the damaged area. A natural healing can occur from this new blood flow. At the same time some relief from the pain which normally accompanies a knee injury or osteoarthritis can also happen.

Regular use of a far infrared heating pad can be very beneficial to osteoarthritis suffers. Far infrared heat therapy can help improve the health of their knees and allow them to enjoy a more pain free lifestyle.