What to Know about Osteoarthritis of the Knees

What to Know about Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Leveraging nearly 20 years of experience, Dr. Sepideh Moayed treats patients suffering from chronic illnesses at her company, Preventative Medicine, Inc. near Los Gatos and Saratoga, CA. Dr. Sepideh Moayed is an expert in musculoskeletal radiology which includes her diagnostic and interventional procedures when it comes to joints, soft tissues and osseous structures of the body. Both inflammatory and osteo arthritis have been on the rise significantly these past few years and it is believed to be due to increased incidence of our SAD (Standard American Diet) diet, increased environmental toxins and worsening sedentary lives. For many years, osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthropathies were believed to be caused by different pathways. Although the underlying etiologies and involved joints differ, there are many areas of cross over when it comes to joint tissue damage. As someone who utilizes functional medicine, Dr. Sepideh Moayed says that we used to believe osteoarthritis, is caused by old age, the wear and tear or weight load on a specific joint that caused the damage. Today however, evidence based studies show that increased visceral fat cells in the abdominal cavity (not just the subcutaneous fat) or inflammation inducing diets release inflammatory markers known as adipokines. These inflammatory agents (often triggered in the gut or areas away from the joint), cause systemic inflammation. They cause joint specific cartilage destruction from remote areas of the body. These cascades of events cause joint destruction and are often exacerbated by diets that lead to a high load of inflammasomes.


Estimates vary, but it is believed that as many as 32 million Americans have osteoarthritis-previously believed to be due to old age or previous traumatic events. Symptoms include swelling, a creaking sound when the knees flex, and activity-related pain that eases up during rest. Knee osteoarthritis may also show up as stiffness in the morning or after prolonged sitting. Women are more prone than men to osteoarthritis, especially if they are over 50. Also known as wear-and-tear arthritis, osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that protects joints erodes, causing the bones to rub together, often producing spurs. It is common to get osteoarthritis as one ages, but that doesn’t have to be. What is very concerning is seeing osteoarthritis in young adults. Recent research has identified lifestyle behaviors such as sedentary lives behind our devices, poor inflammatory diets full of processed foods / sugar and leaky gut (due to gluten, grain or other food sensitivities) that lead to overall systemic inflammation and are now the culprit for osteoarthritis in young people. Lifestyle modifications including healthier diets high in phytonutrients, increased physical activity, better sleep, decreased overall stress and correcting conditions such as leaky gut / dysbiosis, can significantly help when it comes to reversing osteoarthritis or slowing it down.