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| Knee Problems: Causes And Treatments |
Knee problems are not a strange thing to many especially the elderly. However, now, than any other time in history, even those young in age are experiencing knee pain. You may ask, what went wrong? Why are so many people suffering from knee problems? What can be done? In order to get answers to the above questions, let us discuss the answers in bits. First, knee problems: causes and treatments, then, before the conclusion of the article, you would have known whether you are at risk of knee pain or not.
Knee Pain Facts
Your knee can suffer pain due to an acute physical injury or from a medical condition. It may localize to a certain area around the knee or diffuse in a large area throughout your knee. Whichever the case, you will experience knee pain.
Causes Of Knee Pain
A number of reasons may lead to knee pain. Some of those conditions may be physical while others can be medical. The following are some of the causes of knee pain:
•Dislocation- trauma may cause your kneecap to dislocate thus causing a lot of pain.• Gout- this may cause knee pain if uric acid has built up around the knee.•:Bone tumors- bone tumors may build around the knee causing a lot of pain. In fact, osteosarcoma or bone cancer, which is common in the knee, may cause knee pain.•Meniscus tear- this is likely to happen if an individual has had a rupture of the cartilage that is inside the knee.•Torn ligament- if one or more ligaments are torn, there would be a lot of pain in the knee. Studies indicate that usually, the most affected ligament in the knee is ACL.•Rheumatoid arthritis- this is usually a very chronic inflammatory disorder prevalent among the elderly. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by knee .With the different causes of knee problems, you can expect different ways to deal with each cause. However,common knee pain treatments include high-pain reliever injections, physical therapy, medication, and surgery.bone erosion, painful swelling, and joint deformity. •Baker's cyst- if synovial fluid builds up behind the knee, it is most likely that you will feel a lot of pain around your knee.•Tendinitis- with this medical condition you are likely to experience pain when you climb stairs, taking an incline, or walking up a steep place.CChondromalacia patella- a condition in which the cartilage that is under the kneecap is damaged, you will feel the pain. •EBursitis- you are likely to suffer pain if your knee is repeatedly injured.•IOsteoarthritis- if your joint has deteriorated or degenerated, you will have a swollen knee which will in turn cause pain in your knee joint.
There could be other causes of knee pain, but the aforementioned are the common causes. Other factors that might accelerate knee pain include a bad posture when engaging in a physical activity, strain or sprain, infection, overuse, improper muscle stretch, not cooling or warming up after engaging in physical activity, and injuries around the knee.
Symptoms of Knee Pain
There are not many signs of knee pain. In the case of physical injury, one may bleed around the knee. On the other hand, if the pain is caused by a medical condition, you might experience pain and swell around the knee. At this time, walking becomes extremely difficult.
Treating Knee Pain
Surgery: using a fiberoptic camera, a doctor may look into your knee to ascertain the degree of the knee problem. If found that the damage is extensive, the doctor may recommend partial or total knee replacement. This can be done even in the OPD.
Physical therapy: this involves a routine exercise by a qualified orthopedist.
Medication and injections: this is the most common form of knee problem treatment. Many patients who suffer knee pain from either a physical injury or a medical condition receive medication in form of either injections or drugs. This method works better for minor knee problems that are as a result of injuries or medical conditions that are diagnosed early.
However, if the knee problem has been with the patient for a long time or caused the whole knee to swell, a number of treatments may be employed to help the patient overcome the knee problem.
You should also try home remedies in order to alleviate knee pain. Resting the joint is a good way to reduce knee problems. Besides, for minor injuries, many have found RICE mnemonic to be helpful.
