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Are you in pain with cartilage damage?
What is it? Cartilage covers the bony surfaces of joints and is a tough, flexible tissue that acts as a shock absorber and allows bones to slide over one another. It can become damaged by injury or gradual wear and tear, with the knees typically worst affected, although the hips, ankles and elbows can also suffer. What are the symptoms? Joint pain, swelling, stiffness, a clicking or grinding sensation and the joint locking, catching, or giving way under stress.
Visit your GP or a minor injuries unit if: ● You can’t move the joint properly ● You can’t control the pain with painkillers ● You can’t put any weight on injured limb or it gives way ● The injured area looks crooked or has unusual lumps ● Tou have numbness, discolouration, or coldness in any part of the injured area ● Your symptoms haven’t improved within a few days of self-treatment. Your GP will refer you for tests such as an X-ray, MRI scan, or arthroscopy to find out if your cartilage is damaged. What’s the treatment? For the first few days: ● Protect the affected joint with a support ● Rest the affected joint ● Elevate the affected limb and apply an ice pack to the joint regularly to cool it down ● Take painkillers, such as paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Get medical advice if your symptoms are severe or don’t improve after a few days.
You may need treatment, such as physio, or possibly surgery to encourage the growth of new cartilage by drilling small holes in the nearby bone, replacing the damaged cartilage with healthy cartilage, or replacing the entire joint with an artificial one.