What is The Cause of Knee Pain?
The knee is a rounded part of our body that connects thigh and leg. It provides us an easy movement to walk, kneel and move forward, etc. Knee pain or discomfort may be associated with any of the below-mentioned conditions:-
1)Joint Pain:
Joints are made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. Injuries occur when tissue damage occurs due to excessive use or trauma, causing an inflammatory response from the immune system resulting in swelling and pain.
Other causes for inflammation include bacteria or viruses, which lead to swelling together with friction between two bony surfaces or against a ligament or tendon, which can cause pain.
2)Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome:
In this type of knee pain, the bottom of your kneecap feels as if it is rubbing against the front part of your thighbone. It affects young women more than older women and men. This situation mainly occurs due to overuse, malalignment, or muscle imbalances because of the wear and tear process in a joint where the tendon glides across bone surfaces.
3)Osteoarthritis:
Bone worn away causes a small fragment(spur) that presses on nerves or other tissues, causing pain & inflammation around them. OA affects joints gradually, resulting in pain, stiffness, and discomfort while walking/going up/down the stairs, knee-buckling and catching feeling, etc.
4)Tendonitis:
Tendons are the tissues that attach muscles to bones. They provide support to joints while allowing movement of bone & muscle relative to each other. Any injury to these strings can cause inflammation, resulting in pain for between 1-6 weeks. This condition is most common among sportspersons, runners/joggers, weight lifters, where overuse leads to micro-tears in the tissue resulting in inflammation around it…
5)Bursitis:
Bursa is a fluid-filled sac just below tendons that help decrease friction between the tendon and bone surfaces to prevent the wear and tear process from taking place… Injuries occur when the bursa gets inflamed due to overuse, trauma, or infection.
6)Fractures:
A break in bone occurs when it encounters an excessive force… this situation usually results in displacement/misalignment of joint, resulting in pain and inflammation around the injured area… fractures may also lead to nerve damage, resulting in numbness. Tingling sensation, etc… if not treated immediately/adequately will result in permanent disability.
7)Tumours:
Tumors can develop around any part of the body, including joints … if tumor growth occurs within a joint, it causes stiffness/pain while moving that particular joint due to abnormal pressure on surrounding tissues. Still, the tumor growth will cause inflammation in surrounding tissues if it happens outside the joint, resulting in pain and discomfort.
8)Rheumatoid Arthritis:
This condition mainly occurs among women, causes inflammation of body joints associated with fever, fatigue, rashes on the skin, etc.… It damages cartilage covering bony surfaces, which results in pain while moving joints affected by this process…
9)Gout:
Mainly caused due to overproduction of uric acid or consuming a high protein diet and alcohol… Gout leads to sudden attacks of pain around the big toe/foot, causing stiffness in the joint followed by redness & swelling. If it is not treated immediately, it can turn chronic, leading to permanent disability.
10)Ligament Injury:
Ligaments are the tissues that connect one bone to another bone to provide… stability to joints. Injuries occur if excessive stress is placed on ligaments from high-impact activity or wear and tear process due to training over the years and hormonal imbalance, which causes growth spurts during adolescence.
causes of knee pain:
The knee comprises four bones connected by ligaments and covered with two synovial joints.
Under the knee cap (patella), there is a triangular space between the femur (thigh bone), tibia (shin bone), and patella, called the popliteal space, that holds fat and blood vessels.
During the activity, it compresses enough to allow us to bend our knees. However, when we’re sedentary for long periods, this compression stops happening properly, causing inflammation within the joint. This leads to swelling under your kneecap or pain in parts of your knees like your calves or thighs, which will become tight too.
knee pain treatment:
1. Take at least one complete rest day per week;
2. Never sit for longer than 30 minutes without getting up and walking around;
3. Perform exercises like squats, lunges, or Hindu squats to strengthen your lower body muscles;
4. Avoid wearing high heels that shorten the calf muscle making them weak and therefore unable to perform their function correctly, which is shock absorption;
5. Try ice therapy (ice pack) if you feel pain in the morning after an intense training session or a night’s sleep: place a bag of ice on your knee for 15 minutes and remove it for 15 minutes and do this 2-3 times a day;
6. Try using anti-inflammatory creams such as Voltaren® 1-2 times a day, if the pain is severe;
7. Try acupuncture once or twice a week to help reduce inflammation and elevate your spirits.
Causes of leg pain:
The most common causes for lower limb pain are minor strains to the muscles, tendons, or ligaments surrounding the knee joint.
Another common cause for this type of pain is people with flat feet who have overpronated feet that suffer from constant strain on their knees due to improper foot alignment. Other reasons can include wear and tear of joints, osteoarthritis, and meniscus tears (a cartilaginous tissue that acts as a cushion between two bones), leading to sharp pains within the knee area.
Types of knee pain:
· Pain at the sides of the knees (lateral knee pain ) is usually due to overuse and activity, such as running or jogging.
· Knee joint pain in the front (anterior knee pain) is usually caused by playing sports like soccer, tennis, and football.
· Pain behind your kneecap (posterior knee pain) might be a sign of inflammation or injury to either your meniscus or cartilage. An X-ray will be used to diagnose this type of problem.
· People with arthritis usually have problems with the meniscus and the articular cartilage of their knee, which can cause a lot of pain behind the kneecap.
Pain on the outer side of the knee:
Pain will be felt on the outside of your knees if you have a meniscus tear. You might also notice swelling and stiffness in your joints, as well as chronic aches and restricted movement with walking. If these symptoms last too long, you need to seek medical advice.
Pain on the inner side of your knee:
Pain will be felt on the inside of your knees if you have a torn ligament or tendons. This pain might come with swelling, bruising and restricted movement. There may also be fluid buildup around the knee if soreness is severe.
Treatment Options…
1. Take at least one complete rest day per week;
2. Never sit for longer than 30 minutes without getting up and walking around;
3. Perform exercises like squats, lunges, or Hindu squats to strengthen your lower body muscles;
4. Avoid wearing high heels that shorten the calf muscle making them weak and therefore unable to perform their function correctly, which is shock absorption;
5. Try ice therapy (ice pack) if you feel pain in the morning after an intense training session or a night’s sleep: place a group of ice on your knee for 15 minutes and remove it for 15 minutes and do this 2-3 times a day ;
6. Try using anti-inflammatory creams such as Voltaren® 1-2 times a day, if the pain is severe;
7. Try acupuncture once or twice a week to help reduce inflammation and elevate your spirits.
What is the cause of knee pain and swelling:
The most common cause for lower limb pain is minor strains to the muscles, tendons, or ligaments surrounding the knee joint. Another common reason for this type of pain is people with flat feet who have overpronated feet that suffer from constant strain on their knees due to improper foot alignment.
Other reasons can include wear and tear of joints, osteoarthritis, and meniscus tears (a cartilaginous tissue that acts as a cushion between two bones), leading to sharp pains within the knee area.