Pain and swelling after exercise

anne49

Hi

I have OA of the left knee and after doing any form of exercise, whether it be walking, doing the shopping, going to tai chi etc, my knee becomes painful and swollen. My question is, is it normal for my knee joint to swell or should I ask my gp/ortho consultant about doing further tests to make sure it is just OA and not inflammatory arthritis? I expect it to be painful that goes without saying, it is the swelling that concerns me.

helpline_team

Hi Anne,

Swelling/inflammation is common symptom of arthritis, it is therefore important that you are doing the right exercises which are right for you and your knee. The best exercises for the knee are low impact exercise such swimming/ cycling or as you mentioned tai chi, however it is also important to pace yourself and not over do it. You may like to try getting a referral to a physiotherapist to advise you on this.

If you are worried that something more is going on, it may be worth asking your doctor for a blood test to rule out inflammatory types of Arthritis.

Best Wishes
Adele

anne49

Thank you for the advice adele, I will see if I can get a referal