Knee Pain – Reasons and Remedies
Knee joint, one of the biggest joints in the human body is always susceptible to wear and tear as it is one of the most used joints of the body too. So, what can one do to limit its use? “Nothing” is the answer. It is practically impossible to rest your knee joint and even if you try then over resting can also be damaging. All you can do to keep the knee joint healthy and pain free is increase the level of exercise, opt for muscle strengthening moves, and go for right diet.
Knee problems earlier resulted out of ageing but the changing lifestyle and diet habits have accelerated the ageing process and have also made knee pain common in young individuals. There are many reasons for knee pain other than the ageing and these causes are mainly related to wrong lifestyle and injury. One study suggested that about one third of the doctor visits in United States are resulted out of knee problems. Check out the probable causes of knee pain below and see the doctor if you are experiencing chronic pain without any apparent cause as such pains are not common and would require expert medication and treatment to recover.
Common causes of Knee Pain
Common causes that trigger knee pain are listed here. You can evaluate your knee pain for following trigger points first and then get it diagnosed from the doctor.
Knee Injury: Knee injury can occur at just any age. Small children can also face issues related to knee injury. Even a small knee injury can sometimes cause strain or sprain to the tendons and ligaments which support the kneecap. Certain injuries will also lead to ligament tears that mostly affect the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) and Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). Kneecap can also get fractured when some direct blow is experienced on it. This blow can be because of falling on knee or abnormal twisting of knee.
Dislocation of kneecap: This condition is not that common as it requires greater force which may result only from serious injury. Girls in the age group of 13 to 18 years are prone to such dislocations.
Osteoarthritis: This is the condition that usually results from previous injury, certain deficiencies, or ageing of ligaments. The patient suffering from osteoarthritis will experience acute pain in knees during morning hours. This pain will be reduced in due course of day.
Other Arthritis: Apart from osteoarthritis, knee pain can also result from lupus, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis. In all these conditions, you will find stiffness, swelling, and pain in knees.
There are many other causes of knee pain which are related to suppressed nerve, low blood supply, excess weight, and wrong knee movements.
First aid for knee pain
The complete solution to your knee pain can be availed only from the medical practitioner but you can use the first aid for knee pain to avoid further damage to the knee joint. This first aid consists of certain regular care tips that can be applied at home and is the combination of protection and rest. Some care tips given here would work as the sure shot first aid for your knees. Have a look;
- Use knee pads or knee belts while engaging in vigorous physical activity.
- Don’t indulge into straining activities that exert pressure on your knees as it will damage the ligaments further.
- Applying ice packs on the knee will ease the pain due to injury. You can repeat this twice or thrice a day. Apply it for about 20 to 30 minutes to get good results.
Say goodbye to knee pain and lead an active life by caring well for this vital joint.