Knee pain is one of the most common problems affecting millions of people. It is safe to say that most individuals have experienced knee pain at some point or the other, by the time they reach adulthood. The severity of the ache depends on aspects such as the cause of the pain as well as the affected person’s age and overall health status. Specifically, the knee is where the thigh bone comes together with the tibia. The tibia bone is the largest bone in the lower portion of the leg. At the joint between the thigh bone and the tibia rests the patella or knee cap. The entire joint is covered by the synovial sac which produces a lubricant like fluid for the functioning of the joint. Of course, other body parts are involved in making up the entire knee joint: muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons.
Knee Pain Symptoms & Natural Cures
The knee joint allows for rolling movements, rotating movements, and gliding actions. Because of the joint’s extreme versatility and complete range of motion and despite that the knee is able to support a person’s body weight two to three times over, the knee is highly susceptible to injury.
Since knee pain is so common, most of us tend to ignore it, at least in the initial stages or until such a time that it gets unbearable and interferes with our ability to walk properly. While some causes of knee pain are relatively mild and get resolved on their own, others could be fairly complicated and may require medical intervention. In some, the knee pain is short-lived and goes away after a few days or perhaps weeks. However, it is also possible for the knee pain to get worse, if left unchecked and untreated. This also applies to an injury; even a minor knee injury increases your chances of incurring other similar injuries in the future.
In order to know if the knee pain can be treated or not, it is important to consult a doctor and identify the exact cause.
Symptoms for Knee Pain - Knee pain on its own can be referred to as a symptom for other underlying health conditions. Based on the causes of the pain, the location and the severity of the knee pain are likely to change. At times, you may also notice accompanying symptoms along with the knee pain, which include:
- Inability to straighten the knee completely, which is usually referred to as “locking” of the knee
- Instability or weakness in the legs, especially the knee area
- Stiffness and swelling around the knees
- Crunching or popping noises that accompany knee movement
- Redness around the knees, especially if the area feels warm to the touch
These symptoms are fairly common in case of knee pain and while they should be treated appropriately, they are hardly a cause for concern. However, at times there may be more severe symptoms that accompany knee pain, which require immediate medical attention, as they are a sign of serious knee trouble. You need to visit your doctor right away, in case:
- You suffer from high or moderate fever that is accompanied by severe pain, redness and tenderness in the knee
- You cannot extend your knee completely or even flex it properly or as normal
- You can’t bear to apply any pressure to the affected knee, which makes it difficult for you to walk
- You fall while walking or even standing, because your knee just “gives out”
- You notice an obvious structural deformity in your leg or your knee
- You see a significant amount of swelling in one or both knees.
Causes for Knee Pain
There are many different factors that could lead to mild, moderate or even severe knee pain. Given below are some of the most common causes for knee pain:
• Injuries: In case you incur a knee injury while playing sports or engaging in any other form of physical activity, your tendons, ligaments, bursae (fluid filled sacs), bones, muscles and cartilage could all get affected. Some of the most common types of injuries that are known to affect the knee include Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), knee bursitis, torn meniscus and patellar tendinitis.
• Arthritis: Arthritis is probably the most common association with knee pain. There are three types of arthritis: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, and septic. Osteoarthritis is joint degeneration. Rheumatoid is joint inflammation. Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection.
• Mechanical Problems: This mainly refers to any type of dislocation in either the bones or cartilage, which could lead to a lot of pain and could interfere with your day to day activities. Some of the common mechanical knee problems include dislocated kneecaps, knee locking and pain in the hips. At times, a bone or cartilage may get degenerated, break off and float about in the joint space, causing excruciating pain in the knees.
• Obesity: You are at a much higher risk of suffering from knee problems, in case you are overweight. Excess weight increases the amount of pressure applied on to knee joints, even if you only engage in normal day to day activities such as walking, climbing a flight of stairs, descending and so on.
• Other Health Conditions: There are many other health problems because of which you may be prone to severe knee pain. Some of the most common conditions include Osteochondritis dissecans, chondromalacia patellae and Osgood-Schlatter disease, to name a few.
Related Links
- Remedies for Knee Pain
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