Knee Pain, Its Causes and Treatment
What is Knee Pain?
The knee joint being largest joint of our body, is meant to support our whole weight, enabling us to walk, dance or to run. Damage to any structure within the knee can impact normal movement.
Knee pain may be a common complaint affecting people of all ages, young and old but if ignored can lead to some serious complications.
Knee pain are often a results of injury, like a ligament tear or damage to the menisci, or are often age-related like ortho-arthritis. It can also be caused by various other reasons such as auto-immune disorders (rheumatoid arthritis), or as a result of accumulation of metabolic products in the joint spaces (gout).
Symptoms of Knee Pain
The location and severity of knee pain may vary.
Signs and symptoms that sometimes accompany knee pain include:
• Swelling and stiffness
• Redness and warmth to the touch
• Weakness or instability
• Popping or crunching noises
• Inability to fully straighten the knee
What are the causes of Knee Pain?
Physical conditions or diseases can cause knee pain. These include:
osteoarthritis: pain, inflammation, and joint destruction caused by degeneration and deterioration of the joint
tendinitis: pain within the front of the knee that’s made worse when climbing, taking stairs, or walking up an incline
bursitis: inflammation caused by repeated overuse or injury of the knee
chondromalacia patella: damaged cartilage under the kneecap
gout: arthritis caused by the buildup of acid
Baker’s cyst: a buildup of fluid that lubricates the joint behind the knee
rheumatoid arthritis (RA): a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder that causes painful swelling and may eventually cause joint deformity and bone erosion
dislocation: dislocation of the kneecap most frequently the results of trauma
meniscus tear: a rupture in one or more of the cartilage within the knee
torn ligament: tear in one among the four ligaments within the knee — the foremost commonly injured ligament is that the anterior cruciate ligament.
bone tumors: osteosarcoma (second most prevalent bone cancer), most ordinarily occurs within the knee
Factors that may make chronic knee pain worse:
Injuries to the structure of the knee can cause bleeding and swelling and may create a chronic problem over time if not treated properly
1- sprains and strains
2- overuse
3- infection
4- bad posture and form when doing physical activity
5- not warming up or cooling down before or after physical activity
6- improperly stretching the muscles
Treatment options for Knee pain:
Each underlying explanation for chronic knee pain features a specific sort of treatment. These treatments may include:
• physical therapy
• medication
• surgery
• injections
Some knee pain can be treated by taking some precautionary measures:
1. Ice the knee for 15 minutes once an hour for three or four hours. Do not apply the ice on to the knee; instead, cover your knee with a cotton towel. Place ice in a plastic zip-close bag, and then place the bag on the towel.
2. Wear cushioned, flat shoes that support your feet and don’t exacerbate your pain.
3. Avoid sleeping on your side. Use pillows positioned on either side of your body to stop you from rolling onto your side. When lying on your side, keep a pillow between your knees.
4. Stay seated when possible. If you’ve got to face, avoid hard surfaces and keep your weight equally divided on both legs.
5. Lose weight if you are overweight or obese.
If the knee pain persists even after taking all the precautionary measures visit the nearest knee pain specialist in Delhi, as ignoring the pain can lead to some serious damage and chronic pain.
