Facts About Knee Pain

Be it sitting, walking or running, our knees go through various motions. It straightens, bends, rotates, twists and turns. Constant use of the knees increases the wear and tear of the ligaments and cartilages present in the knee. Further deterioration leads to an onset of knee pain in many cases.

Symptoms of knee pain:

The knee is not a single unit but consists of a lot of small bones and tissues, known as ligament and cartilages in medical parlance. Medical practitioners make use of the symptoms displayed by the patient to identify the damaged part.

Some of the common symptoms experienced by knee pain sufferers include:

• Ripping: Many patients experiencing knee pain often complain of experiencing a ripping sensation. Doctors state that ripping sensation alludes to the tearing of the collateral ligament present inside the knee.
• Swelling and a feeling of ‘Giving away’: If a person has torn his anterior cruciate ligament [ACL], he will experience severe pain and swelling in his knee. In such cases, patients also feel that their knee will give away or buckle down.
• Grinding Sensation: Many a times, knee pain sufferers also get a feeling of grinding. This feeling is caused when there is a complete tear of the cartilage and the bones start brushing against each other.

Causes of knee pain:

Medical practitioners opine that the active and hectic lifestyle led by people in the 21st century puts additional pressure on the knees. The ligaments, tendons, bones and cartilages present in a knee are subjected to various motions and movements. This increases the incidence of wear and tear and finally many fall victims to knee pain.

Some of the common causes of knee pain include:

• Injury to the ligaments: Ligaments are flexible, fibrous tissues, which are responsible for connecting two bones, cartilages or holding together a joint. Injury to ligaments usually results in knee pain. Ligaments can be injured when there are sudden twists or turns or when one suddenly stops after fast running. Hence, ligament injury is more common in sports like football, skiing, basketball, which usually witness lots of turn and twists.
• Tendon injuries: Injuries to the tendon can cause knee pain. Activities like running, skiing and cycling involve a heavy use of quadriceps tendon, which often results in their inflammation. Similarly, tendonitis can trigger off knee pain in certain situations. Tendonitis refers to the inflammation of the tendons and is often accompanied by pain and swelling.
• Improper approach to exercise: Many times people start with complicated or high level of exercise without following a proper warm-up regime. This can harm the delicate structure of the knees and can lead to knee pain.
• Bursitis: Some professions like gardening and carpet laying requires workers to kneel down for a long period. This puts tremendous stress on the bursa- fluid –filled sac usually located above the knee-, which triggers off knee pain.
• Meniscus injury: Injury to the meniscus can cause knee pain in several situations. Meniscus is a C-shaped cartilage that provides cushion to the knee joints. Getting involved in a sporting activity that requires a lot of sudden twists and turns or rotation, exposes the meniscus to injuries. This in turn sets off knee pain. Studies have also revealed that lifting heavy things can lead to the tearing of meniscus. Similarly, repetitive kneeling or squatting can increase the wear and tear of meniscus.

Treatment for knee pain:

There is a range of treatment available for knee pain and most of them are simple to follow.

• Use of padding: Most doctors recommend the use of pads round the knees to provide a cushion and ensure that there is no further damage.
• Use of crutches and braces: Knee pain sufferers are often advised to make use of crutches and braces, especially if examinations reveal a torn ACL or a sprain of collateral ligament.
• Rest: In case of knee pain, patients are often advised to take rest and avoid indulging in movements that can worsen the pain. Resting also allows the knee a time to heal itself.
• Ice application: Doctors often recommend applying ice to the affected knee. This relieves the knee from pain as well as inflammation.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): These drugs are often given to knee pain sufferers to lessen the pain and inflammation. Ibuprofen and aspirin are over the counter drugs often administered to those who experience knee pain.

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