Knee: How to tell if your osteoarthritis is in a flare-up episode?

It is very important to recognize a flare-up of osteoarthritis as early as possible because it is often accompanied by phenomena of joint destruction.

Thus, to monitor your osteoarthritis, you must be very attentive to signs of a flare-up. You should see your doctor to assess your condition.

The following symptoms often announce a flare-up of osteoarthritis:

•  a sudden increase in pain within a few days without an apparent cause,
•  the onset of night pain,
•  a feeling of stiffness in the morning for more than fifteen minutes,
•  the appearance of redness and sensation of warmth at the joint,
•  the appearance of joint effusion (the joint increases in size).

It is therefore important to be able to distinguish between the symptoms of an osteoarthritic flare-up and your usual pain. If you experience these symptoms, you should go and see your doctor so that he or she can prescribe the necessary treatment to relieve your pain as soon as possible.