Knee Pain, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment Options And Natural Ways to Get Relief!

relief

Arthritis Knee Pain, Causes, And Treatment Options:

Knee Pain is a common complaint that affects people of all ages. Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. Medical conditions including arthritis, gout, and infections, also can cause knee pain. relief relief

Many types of minor knee pain respond well to self-care measures. Physical therapy and knee braces also can help relieve knee pain. In some cases, however, your knee may require surgical repair.

It is hard dealing with any type of pain. Knee pain can have adverse effects since it can limit your ability to bend or move around like you used to. It causes a lot of discomforts. You will not be even in a position to do what seemed to look like small chores because they will seem like heavy-duty tasks as a result of the discomfort. Research shows that approximately 30 percent of people who visit doctors every year usually have knee pain.

Signs And Symptoms:

The location and severity of knee pain may vary, depending on the cause of the problem. Signs and symptoms that sometimes accompany knee pain include: 

• Swelling and stiffness.
• Redness and warmth to the touch.
• Weakness or instability.
• Popping or crunching noises.
• Inability to fully straighten the knee.

B. Call Your Doctor if You:

• Can’t bear weight on your knee.
• Have marked knee swelling.
• Are unable to fully extend or flex your knee.
• See an obvious deformity in your leg or knee.
• Have a fever, in addition to redness, pain, and swelling in your knee.
• Feel as if your knee is unstable or your knee “gives out”.

Causes:

Knee pain can be caused by injuries, mechanical problems, types of arthritis and other problems.

1. Injuries:

A knee injury can affect any of the ligaments, tendons or fluid-filled sacs (bursae) that surround your knee joint as well as the bones, cartilage, and ligaments that form the joint itself. Some of the more common knee injuries include:

A. ACL Injury:

• An ACL injury is the tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), one of four ligaments that connect your shinbone to your thighbone.
• An ACL injury is particularly common in people who play basketball, soccer or other sports that require sudden changes in direction.

 

B. Fractures:

 

The bones of the knee, including the kneecap (patella), can be broken during motor vehicle collisions or falls. People whose bones have been weakened by osteoporosis can sometimes sustain a knee fracture simply by stepping wrong.

C. Torn Meniscus:

The meniscus is formed of tough, rubbery cartilage and acts as a shock absorber between your shinbone and thighbone. It can be torn if you suddenly twist your knee while bearing weight on it.

D. Knee Bursitis:

Some knee injuries cause inflammation in the bursae, the small sacs of fluid that cushion the outside of your knee joint so that tendons and ligaments glide smoothly over the joint.

E. Patellar Tendinitis:

Tendinitis is irritation and inflammation of one or more tendons, the thick, fibrous tissues that attach muscles to bones. Runners, skiers, cyclists, and those involved in jumping sports and activities are prone to develop inflammation in the patellar tendon, which connects the quadriceps muscle on the front of the thigh to the shinbone.

2. Mechanical Problems:

Some examples of mechanical problems that can cause knee pain include:

1. Loose Body:

Sometimes injury or degeneration of bone or cartilage can cause a piece of bone or cartilage to break off and float in the joint space. This may not create any problems unless the loose body interferes with knee joint movement, in which case the effect is something like a pencil caught in a door hinge.

2. Iliotibial Band Syndrome:

This occurs when the tough band of tissue that extends from the outside of your hip to the outside of your knee (iliotibial band) becomes so tight that it rubs against the outer portion of your femur. Distance runners are especially susceptible to iliotibial band syndrome.

3. Dislocated kneecap:

This occurs when the triangular bone (patella) that covers the front of your knee slips out of place, usually to the outside of your knee. In some cases, the kneecap may stay displaced and you’ll be able to see the dislocation.

4. Hip or Foot Pain:

If you have hip or foot pain, you may change the way you walk to spare these painful joints. But this altered gait can place more stress on your knee joint. In some cases, problems in the hip or foot can refer pain to the knee.

4. Risk Factors:

A number of factors can increase your risk of having knee problems, including:

I. Excess Weight:

Being overweight or obese increases stress on your knee joints, even during ordinary activities such as walking or going up and downstairs. It also puts you at an increased risk of osteoarthritis by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.

II. Lack of Muscle Flexibility or Strength:

A lack of strength and flexibility are among the leading causes of knee injuries. Tight or weak muscles offer less support for your knee because they don’t absorb enough of the stress exerted on the joint.

III. Certain Sports:

Some sports put greater stress on your knees than do others. Alpine skiing with its rigid ski boots and potential for falls, basketball’s jump, and pivots, and the repeated pounding your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of a knee injury.

IV. Previous Injury:  

Having a previous knee injury makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again.

Knee Pain Therapy Medications:

Knee pain therapy medications include:

A. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs):

• NSAIDs are painkillers, such as Advil and Motrin.
• These medications can help alleviate some of the pain and inflammation caused by injury and osteoarthritis in the knee.
• Most NSAIDs can be bought over the counter, without a prescription.
• DO NOT use aspirin.

B. Opioids:

• If the pain is unbearable, some doctors may prescribe opioids as part of a patient’s knee pain therapy.
• Otherwise, Opioids known as narcotics, are usually offered for a brief period of time due to dependency issues and negative side effects.
• They are superior at masking the pain but do not help reduce inflammation.
• Great care must be taken if opioids are prescribed for your knee pain therapy.

 

C. Corticosteroids:

When corticosteroids are used as part of your knee pain therapy, they help minimize inflammation, therefore relieving much of the pain.

• Corticosteroids can be ingested orally, or injected into the site of inflammation.
• Corticosteroids can offer immediate pain relief; however serious side effects have been confirmed, such as thinning of the cartilage and ligament weakening.
• Corticosteroids must be used with care.

 

The usual medical explanations for knee pain include arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, ligament injury, and join cartilage deterioration. MRIs and other tests often seem to substantiate such diagnoses and while good indicators they are not the holy grail and too often lead to mistaken diagnoses.

Even in,

The absence of objective evidence, knee pain alone many times is assumed to be proof that the joint itself is in trouble. This has to lead to needless surgery when in fact the surgery was more than likely unnecessary in a large number of cases. Always get a 2nd and 3rd opinion where your knee is involved to have sufficient information to make the “right” decision. After all, it is your knee…and your pain.

Here’re Effective Steps To Get Relief From Knee Pain:

Knee Pain Relief For:

1. Severe Knee Injuries:

There are many types of injuries that cause severe knee pain. If you are an athlete, you are most likely familiar with knee pain resulting from torn ligaments, cartilage, or muscles. The more active you are, the more likely you are to experience knee pain from a sports-related injury. For a torn ligament, meniscal injury, or a completely ruptured tendon, doctors will usually recommend surgery in order to receive permanent knee pain relief.

2. Knee Osteoarthritis:

• To receive knee pain relief from knee osteoarthritis (degeneration of the cartilage), exercise is necessary.
• Doctors will prescribe certain exercises and stretches that can greatly increase the flexibility of the muscles that support the knee.
• These exercises will reduce stress on the sensitive knee joint.
• For instant knee pain relief, some people may take over-the-counter medication, such as Advil or Tylenol, to help with osteoarthritis soreness.

 

3. Overuse Knee Injuries:

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can cause damage. Something as simple as overuse of the knees can cause people to seek knee pain relief. Muscle strains and tendonitis can develop as people grow older.

Inflammation occurs, therefore leading to pain. Stains and tears must be treated with care and allowed to heal over time. Some people use ice or heating pads for knee pain relief. Others take over-the-counter medications.

4. Pain and Inflammation:

In treating many types of knee pain, inflammation is the first thing you must bring under control. When you have an injury, substances that cause inflammation invade your knee, causing further injury, which leads to further inflammation, and etc.leading to the continuation of your knee pain. So, the substances that cause inflammation must be brought under control to limit further injury to the tissue.

5. Some Common Care Techniques To Control Inflammation:

• Knee padding.
• Rest the knee.
• Ice on the knee 3X a day for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Knee brace or wrap when you are on your feet.
• Prop the knee up higher than your waist whenever you can.
• Use Ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory agent.
• NO aspirin.
• Do all the above. If still pain after three days…see your doctor.

6. Alternative Treatments:

You should also consider alternative treatments as your knee pain therapy. In 1997, a National Institutes of Health consensus panel determined that acupuncture can actually help treat many types of knee pain, including the pain caused by knee osteoarthritis.

In the meantime, search for Knee Pain Info on the Web to find the answers to more of your knee pain therapy questions, and always make sure you read more than one opinion or rely on no less than two opinions, including that of your doctor. A 2nd opinion is always useful in helping you make the right treatment choice to eliminate your pain.

7. Prevention:

You, Will, Need Also,

• To stop engaging in activities that aggravate pain whether it is immediately or after some time.
• If the pain is as a result of an injury you got recently, using an elastic bandage may help reduce that pain.
• Using a cane to support you when you are walking may also help reduce the pain.
• You can either use the cane on the opposite side of the knee or in the hand that is on the side of the painful knee.

8. Exercises:

Exercises will also help you reduce knee pain:

Research shows that regular exercise can improve a knee’s function and actually reduce pain. In fact, a sedentary lifestyle can be bad for your joints and result in increased pain over time. Whether you’re dealing with ligament tears or degeneration, arthritis, or age-related aches and pains, exercise can benefit your knees.

Exercises:

• Reduced Bodyweight.
• Increased Flexibility and Range of Motion.
• The Release of Synovial Fluid.

You should, however,

• Start the exercises slowly and perform them a number of times a day if you can manage to do that.
• One of the best exercises that you can do if you are experiencing pain at the top of the knee is swimming.
• It is an exercise that does not involve weight-bearing and therefore it will not cause strain in the knee area.
• When you go swimming, you will need to pay close attention to straightening as well as the flexing of the leg.

9. Foods Should Be Avoided:

The following six food products should be avoided because they promote inflammation in the body and as a result make knee pain more severe.

I. Starches-Sugar: 

If you’re suffering from chronic knee pain then you should treat foods like pasta, white bread, white rice, and foods that contain white flour and sugar like poison and you should avoid them.

• Not only do starches provide no nutritional value but they are filled with tons of empty calories.
• In addition, white sugar is the leading cause of obesity.
• Added weight on the knee joint adds more pressure to the joint which eventually leads to knee osteoarthritis.

II. Vegetable Oils:

• Vegetable oil has high amounts of omega-6 and low amounts of omega-3.
• Omega-6 increases the amount of inflammation in the body and therefore increases knee pain.
• Omega-3 which is found in foods like salmon helps reduce inflammation in the body and may help relieve knee pain and swelling.

III. Trans Fat:

Foods cooked in partially hydrogenated oil, vegetable shortening, and margarine all contain Tran’s fat. If you want to help relieve chronic knee pain avoid eating fast foods, deep-fried foods, and commercially baked products.

IV. Artificial Food Additives-Preservatives:

• Avoid foods containing MSG, dyes, and aspartame.
• Not only are these additives bad for your overall health, but they promote knee pain by causing an inflammatory reaction in the body.

V. Dairy Products:

• Unfortunately, more people are allergic to dairy than any other food product.
• As a matter of fact, 60% of the world’s population is allergic to dairy.
• Dairy is found in cheese, milk, and yogurt.

VI. Red Meat:

Red meat causes inflammation in the body because it has high amounts of arachidonic acid or omega-6. A healthier alternative is eating organic red meat or red meat from grass-fed cows which has higher amounts of omega-3 and has less saturated fat.

8. Recommendations:

When you have knee pain, the way you sit can cause problems:

• So you will need to sit in a favorable way.
• Be wary of sitting in a position that may put your knees in a much-flexed position.
• If you sit for quite long, make sure that the affected leg is straightened in order to disengage the kneecap from its grove and relieve the pressure.

The Bottom Line:

Well, it all depends on what is causing your pain. If you feel a small amount of knee pain resulting from a minor injury, you may be able to use self-help methods to find knee pain relief. However, if you experience a large amount of unbearable pain, or a nagging discomfort exists for a few days, talk with your doctor to determine the correct knee pain relief plan for you.

If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks.

Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”

References

Eat Healthy. Live Healthy!

Liked the article? Share the love!