Do you sometimes feel as if your knee is hurting? And that constant pain tends to affect your day-to-day activities which is really annoying at times, isn't it?
Being active in your life is a great thing for your health, but if it degrades, it starts showing alarming signs and indicates that some solution is required.
Knee pain can happen in any age group and at any point in time. Someone who is an athlete may get knee pain because of vigorous activity, while a teacher may get knee pain because of his or her standing job.
Thus, it’s important we understand the knee pain causes, symptoms, the best knee pain treatments and ways of preventing it for leading a healthy and active life. So, in this blog, we’ll focus on all these aspects…
The knee is made up of bone, cartilage, and ligaments (which are connective tissues and fluids). The muscles and tendons help the knee joint to move. When the structure of the knee is damaged the knee problem starts and we start looking out for knee pain treatments.
A most common question asked is, “how do we generally get to know our knee is damaged? Is it only from the pain or are there other symptoms that we need to be aware of?” So, let us have a look below…
Symptoms of knee pain
The symptoms of knee pain can range from moderate to severe such as:
- Swelling and stiffness
- Redness and pain when touched
- Instability and weakness
- Crunching noises
- Inability to straighten the knee
Based on the various symptoms, the doctors decide the type of knee pain treatment that needs to be provided. But another important factor to consider before providing treatment is the root cause of knee pain. Now, let’s jump on different knee pain causes…
Knee pain causes
The knee is made up of bone, cartilage, and ligaments (which are connective tissues and fluids). The muscles and tendons help the knee joint to move. When the structure of the knee is damaged the knee problem starts and we start looking out for knee pain treatments.
Some of the common knee pain causes are:
1. Osteoporosis
It is a condition wherein the cartilage of the knee wears out causing knee pain. This further reduces bone strength or density.
If you are looking out for the best guidance for your osteoporosis and knee pain, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and get personalised counselling on food and exercises.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis
Because of arthritis, the knee gets swollen and the cartilage gets destroyed leading to pain. To know more about ageing and bone disease, have a look at the blog for a better understanding.
3. Ligament injuries
The ligament present in the knee may get damaged because of sudden twists due to some sports activity or a sudden accident.
4. Tendon injuries
A tendon (flexible tissue) injury can range from inflammation to tear. This happens mostly because of overuse of sports or due to a fall.
5. Cartilage injuries and disorder
Injury, overuse, muscle weakness, or misalignment of the knee can soften the cartilage of the kneecap, or a blow to the knee may tear off a piece of cartilage.
6. Broken knee cap
The small, round bone (patella) that sits over the front of your knee joint breaks, usually due to a fall or a direct blow to the knee.
7. Gout
When uric acid crystals (a waste product) get built up in the knee it causes knee pain. If you are looking out for home remedies for uric acid, watch the video till the end.
Similar to uric acid crystals, when calcium crystals deposit in the knee it gives knee pain.
If you are looking out getting the best treatment for your knee pain, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and get personalised guidance.
For further information related to knee pain causes, you must definitely read-”Top knee pain causes while walking, sitting and bending”.
You might have now understood that analyzing the cause of knee pain plays a major role in providing the right kind of knee pain treatment!
However, there are a few high-risk categories that need to be considered where the chances of knee pain are higher. Who all falls into these categories?…
Who is at risk?
1. Excess weight
Being overweight or obese can increase stress on the joints of the knee. It also becomes difficult to carry out normal day-to-day activities also and may lead to major knee injuries.
Watch this interesting video, which will help understand-”How to know your ideal body weight” so that you can work on your weight loss goals…
2. Lack of flexibility and strength
Strong muscles provide stability and protect your joints. The flexibility of muscles helps you achieve a full range of motion. Lack of flexibility and strength may lead to knee injuries.
3. Occupations
In certain occupations like construction or farming where the majority of the time, stress is given on the knees can cause a knee injury.
4. Sports
Sports that involve the knee majorly such as skiing, basketballs, high jumps and jogs lead to knee injury because of repetitive stress.
5. Previous injury
Any sort of previous injury to the knee may result in pain again, in the case of negligence. Hence, be careful and avoid exerting your knees in such cases.
If you are looking out to get your knee pain treated, then the team at Zyla will provide customised doctor’s guidance as per your needs. You can download the app Zyla app for more details.
Along with causes and symptoms, it is equally important that the right diagnosis is made so that the best knee pain treatment can be given. Let us see a few commonly used tests that are used to diagnose knee pain.
Tests to diagnose knee pain
These different radiological tests help to diagnose knee pain:
1. X-ray
Initially, doctors ask to do an x-ray. It helps to detect fractures and declining changes in bones in your body.
2. Computerized tomography (CT scan)
CT scan includes multiple angle x-rays that create cross-sectional images of the body. These help diagnose bone fractures and bone problems.
3. Ultrasonography (USG)
This method takes real-time images of soft muscle around the knee. Ultrasound can be done from multiple angles to check specific problems.
4. Magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI)
MRI captures a 3D image of soft tissues and knee matter by using waves and a powerful magnet. It helps diagnose injuries of ligament, tendon, cartilage etc.
What might be the next step post diagnosis? You guessed it absolutely right! We now jump into the various knee pain treatment and preventive options available…
As we say “prevention is better than cure”, here are a few knee pain prevention methods that you can follow:
- Strengthen your leg muscles to help maintain stability in your knees by walking, stair climbing or doing a supervised workout with weights.
- Avoid sudden changes in exercise intensity.
- Wear shoes that fit properly and are in good enough condition to help maintain balance and leg alignment when you walk or run.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- If you ride a bicycle, make sure that the seat is high enough so that pedalling won’t put too much pressure on your knees.
Knee pain treatment
Based on the grade and severity, the knee pain treatment options are provided accordingly.
1. Physical therapy or physiotherapy
Physiotherapy provides flexibility and mobility to the knee joints. It also gives strength to knee muscles and joints.
2. Medicine
If the pain gets a bit worse your doctor may prescribe an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen to get instant relief from knee pain.
3. Surgery
In adverse cases, when the pain gets worse, knee replacement is the only option for relief.
4. Injections
Certain steroids, gel shots, PRP (Platelet rich plasma) injections, and stem cell injections are given by doctors for temporary and instant relief of pain.
5. Weight management
Many times, knee pain happens because of excess weight that creates pressure on both knees. Hence, by reducing weight, further damage to the knees can be prevented.
Read our blog- “The top 5 weight loss mistakes we all make” and get the right guidance. If you’re seeking help to improve body weight, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website-Zyla.in and get the best help from the experienced team.
Last but not the least, we often try looking out for age-old home remedies to see if they will help reduce the pain. Let us look at certain scientifically proven remedies which you can try at home.
Home remedies for knee pain
Home remedies are one of the many methods of knee pain treatments. Though they cannot reverse pain completely, they can give relief to a certain extent.
1. Ice
Cover ice with a cloth and apply it to your knee 2–3 times a day for 15 minutes. Ice helps narrow the blood vessels of the knee and reduces inflammation.
2. Comfortable footwear
Wear comfortable cushion footwear as it supports your knee and prevents knee pain.
3. Pillow
Avoid sleeping on one side. However, if you are comfortable sleeping only on one side, you can keep a pillow between both your legs.
4. Stay seated
Stay seated more as sometimes standing may worsen the pain. Even if you are standing, make sure to divide your weight equally between both your legs.
5. Massage
Massaging your knee with some warm herbal oil may give relief. However, this remedy is subjective and make sure to consult your doctor before starting it.
For more such interesting home remedies for knee pain, do watch the video and learn.
I am sure, by now you have a clear understanding of what is knee pain, its symptoms, causes, diagnosis and the best knee pain treatment methods. At any point in time, if you face any kind of discomfort in the knee, please reach out to your doctor and get it checked to prevent further complications.
Whenever a knee is damaged it is very important to be careful and to avoid adding extra pressure on the knees. Do take proper rest till the pain comes down and restart your day-to-day activities gradually.
If you are suffering from any condition leading to knee pain, then you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and get a holistic treatment that is best for your health. Do not delay any further and download the app right away!
Stay healthy! Stay strong!
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