Knee Pain Overview

Your knees bear the weight of the entire body, absorbing impact of running, walking, sitting, kicking, bending, and general movement. Knee pain is the most common musculoskeletal problems experienced by most people, which primarily emanates from knee joints.A combination of cartilage, bones, ligaments, synovial membrane, and tendons, knee joints are intricate structures that are responsible for connecting bones, protecting joints, facilitating movement, stabilizing joints, and secretion of synovial fluid, required for lubrication and cushioning the knee.However, the knee joint bears stress from regular as well as high-impact activities. Any injury to any of these crucial knee joint structures can cause an injury to the knee.

Knee Pain Causes

Knee pain may be the result if injury to the knee joints, ligaments, bones, or tendons. It may also be caused by infection, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and gout. The knee joints comprise the knee cap, femur, and tibia.

• Ligaments are bands of connective tissue connect the bones, facilitate mobility, and prevent abnormal movement.
• The cartilage cushions bones and absorbs impact.

Bursitis is another common cause of knee pain. The condition causes inflammation of fluid-filled sacs in knee joint. As a result, the friction between joints is reduced, causing pain.

Common Types of Knee Injuries

• Fractured knee cap [patella], lower femur, upper tibia
• Torn ligaments or cartilage
• Dislocated knee cap
• Knee sprains or strains
• Softening of cartilage
• Medical conditions, such as bursitis, arthritis, baker's cyst
• Gout
• Inflammation and detachment of fragments of cartilage and knee bone
• Reiter's syndrome that causes inflammation and stiffness
• Synovitis
• Tendonitis

Knee Pain Risk Factors

With age, there is wear and tear of joints and other components of the knee, which can result in pain, stiffness, and swelling.Overuse or injury of the knee is one of the most common causes of knee pain in athletes. Work-related factors include climbing stairs, heavy lifting, kneeling, or standing for a long duration.

Knee Pain Treatments

Stretching, ice or heat therapy, light exercise, rest, massage, compression therapy, or anti-inflammatory medications are some of the common ways of treating knee pain. If your knee pain persists for more than three days, it is critical to see your doctor.Physical therapy and prescription drugs may be recommended to people suffering from knee injuries. Joint inspection by the doctor may be done to look for causes of knee pain.One of the most important ways of treating knee pain is to break the inflammatory cycle. Protect, rest, ice, compress, and elevate the knee to reduce repetitive strain, inflammation, and pain and facilitate circulation of the synovial fluid. Additionally, some over-the-counter medications are prescribed as pain relievers for knee pain. These drugs work as anti-inflammatories and reduce inflammation and pain.Knee replacement surgery may be recommended for some people with severe knee joint problems, depending on the cause of their knee pain.