Autumn is deepening, and the temperature difference between morning and evening is growing. A few days ago we were still using the air conditioner, and now, after two days, we are rummaging through our closets looking for jackets. As autumn deepens, patients coming to the clinic for knee pain are also on the rise.

"When the seasons change and the temperature fluctuates, it is a peak time for knee pain…" As a senior pain specialist, Director Wang Haixia reveals that most of the patients she has seen recently came because of knee pain. Among these patients are not only middle-aged and elderly people, but also young and middle-aged adults.

Pain treatment expert Director Wang Haixia says: "Temperature changes are linked to knee pain to a certain extent." Director Wang explains that cold weather can cause blood vessels to constrict and blood circulation to slow down, thereby limiting the blood supply around the knee joint, leading to an accumulation of local inflammatory factors and resulting in resting pain. Insufficient blood supply can also cause hypoxia in the tissues around the joint, which in turn triggers joint pain and discomfort.

1. Middle-aged and elderly people:"Knee osteoarthritis is relatively common among middle-aged and elderly people. Age-related knee osteoarthritis is also known as 'old cold legs.' As the name suggests, its symptoms are closely related to weather changes. As the weather turns colder, the number of middle-aged and elderly patients seeking treatment for knee pain, stiffness, and difficulty in bending and stretching has increased significantly compared with before."
2. Women around the age of 50:"The demand for treatment among female patients around the age of 50 has also increased significantly. Because these patients are in the perimenopausal period, the disorder or even decline of estrogen levels will aggravate bone loss, muscle atrophy, and cartilage degeneration, and, combined with a decline in immunity and sleep quality, excessive exercise…"
3. Young and middle-aged adults:"In addition to middle-aged and elderly people and patients with perimenopausal syndrome, young and middle-aged adults may also experience knee pain because they are overly caught up in 'involution.' Unregulated lifestyles, irregular diets, and staying up late are the main causes of hyperuricemia. Patients with high uric acid are more likely to experience recurrent knee swelling due to local trauma, inducing acute synovitis or gouty synovitis symptoms."

Pain in both knee joints
After treatment
The effect is good
……
……

How should knee pain be treated?
The treatment of knee pain
needs to be stepwise and individualized
according to the cause of the pain,
the degree of severity, and the patient's individual circumstances.
The overall treatment principle is
"conservative first, surgery later."
Treatment methods include:

• Conservative treatment, suitable for mild to moderate pain and early-stage lesions: including rest and immobilization, physical therapy, lifestyle intervention, rehabilitation exercises, etc.;
• Medication, suitable for cases where conservative treatment fails or for moderate to severe pain: including topical medication, oral medication, intra-articular injection, etc.;
• For cases where conservative treatment fails, there is severe damage, or there is end-stage disease, surgical treatment is needed.

What should be done about knee pain during seasonal changes?
Daily care + targeted treatment
When the seasons change, older friends
or those with poor knee joints
need to pay even more attention to knee care.

1. Pay attention to keeping the knee joint warm, try to wear long pants, and avoid chilling the knee joint.
2. Maintain a reasonable diet and appropriately increase the intake of high-quality protein such as fish, eggs, and milk: according to individual needs, you can also supplement glucosamine and calcium tablets to nourish joint cartilage and bone. For patients already diagnosed with hyperuricemia or who have metabolic diseases such as diabetes themselves, on the basis of a reasonable diet, they must also actively control the underlying disease.
3. Maintaining appropriate exercise is very necessary. Exercise can promote the secretion of joint synovial fluid, increase the nutrition of joint cartilage, and maintain the degree of flexion and extension as well as the flexibility of the joint. It is recommended to choose low-impact exercises, such as swimming, cycling, etc. It should be noted that before exercising, you should do sufficient warm-up and choose proper exercise support equipment (such as knee pads, running shoes, etc.).

Director Wang Haixia reminds:
Knee pain is only a symptom.
The reasons and diseases behind it
need to be differentiated and diagnosed by specialist doctors according to their categories.
If the judgment is wrong, then the treatment will also be completely off track.
When symptoms of knee pain appear,
the correct approach is: seek medical attention in a timely manner,
identify the specific cause, and carry out targeted treatment.