Newly Diagnosed Knee Arthritis

Hi - I am 43 years old and was diagnosed just today with arthritis in my right knee. My doctor is suggesting I come in immediately for "shots" to help ease the swelling and pain. Can somebody out there give me an idea of what to expect? Are the shots painful, and do they really help? If I have it in my right knee will I get it in my left knee, also? No offense, but I thought arthritis developed in people over 60 - am I too young for this? Both x-rays and an MRI were used to make this diagnosis Your help is greatly appreciated!

[dr_simran]

Hello Dear,

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of knee arthritis. Also called wear-and-tear arthritis or degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive wearing away of the cartilage of the joint. As the protective cartilage is worn away by knee arthritis, bare bone is exposed within the joint .It is not necessary that if one knee is affected the other will also be affected.
Mild to moderate knee arthritis can be treated with several different medications, including a few medications that can be injected into the knee joint. The two most common types of injections are Synvisc (also sold under the name Hyalgan) and cortisone.
Both medications have shown some effectiveness in studies. While neither will reverse the effects of arthritis, they can help to alleviate symptoms and provide long periods of pain relief

Refer http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/generalinfo1/a/kneearthritis.htm
http://orthopedics.about.com/b/2005/04/29/synvisc-or-cortisone-for-knee-arthritis.htm
Best