Like with all forms of osteoarthritis, there are five stages of deterioration:

The first is what is classed as the ‘normal’ stage. If you fall in this category, your knees are healthy and you don’t have arthritis of the knee. If you’re diagnosed in the second stage, it means that you’ve got some wear and tear in your knee joint but you probably won’t experience any pain.

The third stage is where you’ll start to notice pain and stiffness, but there’s still enough cartilage to keep the bones from actually touching. At stage four, the pain will intensify, especially when running, walking, squatting, and kneeling. You’ll likely notice after long periods of rest that the pain is stronger. Finally, once you reach the fifth stage you are classed as having severe osteoarthritis which means the cartilage is almost gone. Your knee will be stiff, painful and possibly immobile, and you might believe surgery is your only option.

If you’re suffering with any stage of knee arthritis, you’ve probably already tried things like knee braces or ibuprofen, and have attempted to limit the weight you put onto that joint. But, as you likely know, this rarely gives you any sort of long-term relief. Knee arthritis can be a big problem and can affect your ability to climb up and down the stairs, to walk for longer distances, or to really stand for any length of time, such as when cooking in the kitchen.

Swelling is another common symptom of arthritis. Inflammation in the joint can lead to a noticeable swelling around the knee area. The affected knee may appear visibly swollen, and it might feel warm to the touch due to the inflammatory process. Swelling is often accompanied by skin redness and creaking, clicking, grinding or snapping noises.

Moreover, arthritis in the knee commonly results in a decreased range of motion. This limitation makes it difficult for people to perform activities that require full extension or flexion of the knee joint.

Ellora knows what it’s like to be limited because of arthritis and believes that you should take heart that there are things you can do with natural pain relief to minimize your knee arthritis and get back to a higher quality of life. She recommends low impact activity, with exercises such as swimming or cycling, and to aim for about 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week to strengthen the joints.

Physical therapy is also recommended to improve flexibility, strength and motion, and Ellora has already helped thousands of people overcome the worst effects of knee arthritis so they can return to the activities they love safely.