For many people, living a fulfilling lifestyle comes with being able to go where you want, when you want and without limitation. As time progresses and our body begins to slow down, one problem begins to rear its ugly face — knee pain.
Pain located in the knee can impair our ability to move from point A to point B in a fluid motion and prevent us from leading an active lifestyle. If you suffer from pain in your knees or know someone that wants to move freely again, keep reading and see what’s in store for you!
Causes of Knee Pain
The most common cause of pain located in the knee comes as a result of inflammation located within the joint. Although this can comes as a side effect of getting older, most patients notice an improvement in their pain whenever they start eating calcium-rich foods and stretching regularly. Like almost everything in life, the sooner you start these practices, the better off you’ll be in the long run.
Diagnosis and Testing for Knee Pain
The first step to treat chronic knee pain is for a physician to look for swelling and tenderness surrounding the joint. A good pain relief physician will know the correct questions to ask: Are you unable to perform a full range of movement without agony? Has the size of your knee doubled or even tripled that- of your opposite knee? Similarly, rubbing and grinding contained within the joint can indicate arthritis and joint degeneration. Before your appointment, it may be helpful to keep a diary of times or activities that especially irritate the knee, and this will help narrow the diagnostic process.
Treatment and Prevention of Knee Injuries
Fortunately for us, knee pain treatment can usually be achieved by increasing the amount of activity we perform. Contrary to popular belief, remaining immobile causes the symptoms to become worse and limits our ability to move freely. Instead of spending all day in bed, try performing a light exercise to facilitate the healing process. Like mentioned above, the sooner you begin to get active, or at least start stretching, the better off your body will be. Moreover, your body will be less supseptible to breaks and tears if it is used to stretching on a regular basis!
A Runner’s Knee
The symptoms of runner’s knee usually manifest themselves in the frontal portion (knee cap) of the leg during instances of movement. These symptoms commonly arise as patients begin to run excessively and cause their knee cap to become misaligned. In this specific case, resting your legs for an extended period of time will prove beneficial and reduce the amount of pain located in the cap.
Common Knee Injuries
According to statistics released by Classic Rehabilitation, knee pain is the second leading cause of chronic ailments on a global scale. The most common culprit of this issue is too much force and weight is placed on the joint itself. Whenever this occurs, patients experience a plethora of unwanted side effects as a result.
Knee Ligament Injuries and Meniscus Tears
There are four connective ligaments that allow the knee to move in a fluid motion: The Anterior Cruciate Ligament(ACL), the Posterior Cruciate Ligament(PCL), the Medial Collateral Ligament(MCL) and the Lateral Collateral Ligament(LCL). These ligaments are attached to the femur and assist us through daily activities and athletic endeavors. At any given point during our lives, we may experience a slight tear and seek knee pain treatment.
The Meniscus acts as a soft cushion between the bones and the ligaments and allows us to move without any discomfort or immobility. However when the Meniscus tears, extreme pain and loss of movement will come as a result. Patients often are unable to bend their knee, twist or put weight on the limb.
Knee Replacement
The last solution comes when all other previous treatments have failed. A knee replacement typically comes as a result of too much damage in the connective joint which leaves your doctor with no other options. For most patients, a knee replacement comes as a lifelong battle with Rheumatoid Arthritis located in the knee itself.
For More information on Knee Pain Treatments, check out our list of Treatment Options or feel free to Contact Us!
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