Osteoarthritis of the knee joint

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hello Doctor I am 45 year old female recently I have been having paiin my left knee, I can walk without pain but when i sit or lie down and proceed to get up my left foot pains a lot when I lie down and streches it out my knee makes a loud crack what is the cause of this pain and what can i doe to ease it?

Dear Cheryl: The pain could be due to osteoarthritis changes of the knee joint. Most important to prevent symptoms of inflammation, is to reduce stress on the affected joint. Reducing weight if you are overweight would be an initial step in the management of your symptoms. Avoid stressful physical activities that overload your knee joint. Anti inflammatory medications like ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminofen are usually recommended. Steroids may be used in severe cases for relief. You may visit a physiotherapist for exercise therapy to strengthen the muscles and improve the range of motion of the affected joint.