What is knee osteoarthritis?
　　Osteoarthritis is a disease making many people uncomfortable in working or retired life. The occurrence of knee osteoarthritis increases over 50 years old. 
　　The symptoms of knee osteoarthritis are joint pain, joint deformity and functional problems, like walking, weakness and squatting and these symptoms makes many patients difficult to travel or exercise. According to evidence-baesd medicine, The best index for evaluating the prognosis of old life is the walking ability.

1. Prevention: avoiding the injury of works.
   The job which needs a long time to squatting or standing will make micro trauma and hurt the cartilage or synovium. We can adjust the abnormal posture by acupuncture, manual techniques and health education. 
2. Treatment: avoiding the excessive inflammation.
   The inflamed knee joint needs decreasing the inflammation quickly and acupuncture, herbal patches and Chinese medicine have the effects to improve the problem. The early intervention of traditional Chinese medicine is another choice apart from modern medicine.
3. Health care: home exercise
   The home exercise, like Tai-Chi, Ba-Duan-Jin or quadriceps setting, is important for maintain the muscle power of lower extremities. The adequate muscle power can help the stability of our knee joint and decrease the possibility of re-inflammation.

Dr. Pu-Wei Hou, Division of Traumatology,

Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, CMUH.