Knee Joint Pain – Major Causes
One of the most common, chronic pains people experience as they get older is knee joint pain. Because the knee is such a complex and important joint, it is important for you to make a correct diagnosis of your knee injury. There are several major contributing causes for knee joint pain and they fall into four, inter-related categories: pain due to injury, obesity, and aging, or over-activity/extension of the knee joints during sports and work activities. Arthritis is the most common cause of knee pain observed in older folks due to the degeneration of the cartilage which forms the support of the knee and is inflammatory. Following are a few more likely culprits of knee inflammation and joint pain.
- Rheumatoid arthritis and Gout, and Bursitis, or infection also cause pains in the knee causing inflammation.
- In younger women knee pain could be caused by Chondromalacia – a softening of the cartilage in the knee.
- Oftentimes women will suffer from knee pains as a result of low estrogen levels – usually after menopause.
- Another cause of knee join pain could occur when ligaments inside the knee calcify.
Knee Joint Pain – Symptoms
The symptoms of the knee joint pain will change depending on the cause of the pain, performing certain functions, or maybe just the time of day. So, as you can see, the various symptoms stem from various causes, and each one may require a specific treatment. Major symptoms include a popping sound or sensation in the knee joint accompanied by pain, having a grinding or crunching sensation, experiencing a fever with your knee pain, trouble with bending or straightening the knee, redness of the knee – perhaps accompanied with swelling and/or inflammation.
Treatment Of Knee Joint Pain
Treatment for knee joint pain varies, depending on the underlying cause. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin DiseasesNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, ketoprofen or naproxen, often help relieve minor to moderate knee joint pain. An anti-inflammatory medication injected near the affected knee joint structure may prove useful for tendinitis or bursitis.
If the pain is due to osteoarthritis it is not curable, but it can be managed with pain killers, physical therapy, steroid injections such as cortisone, or other injections to help lubricate the joint. As a last resort, surgery to realign or completely replace a joint may be an option. Complete joint replacement is now available for the knee, shoulder, hip and ankle. Although you can’t prevent osteoarthritis, you can do things to help lessen its onset and its painful effects – such as losing weight and exercising regularly. In fact, arthritis specialists have a saying…”when it comes to joints, motion is the lotion.” And as always, if you are over weight, losing five or ten pounds will help immensely. While it may not seem like much, five pounds per step adds up quickly in terms of the long term impact on your on your joints.”
There is hope for successfully dealing with your knee joint pain, but you have to commit to work the plan.
