Knee anatomy

The knee is created of

• Skin.
• Muscles.
• Bones.

Cartilage – protecting lining and muffler for the bones.

Meniscus – a sort of gristle to cushion deep within the joint.

Tendons- fibers that connect muscles to bones.

Ligaments- tissues that attach bones to different bones.

Bursa- skinny protecting pads underneath the skin.

What are the causes of knee pain?

Many conditions and injuries will build your knees hurt. Some common knee pain causes will embrace overuse, injuries and inflammatory disease.

Overuse

Repetitive activities will result in pain Some examples are:

Patellofemoral pain (runner’s knee): pain underneath or round the kneecap, typically associated with mechanics, form of the knee cap, or

Osgood-Schlatter disease: In youngsters, swelling within the shin below the kneecap because of overuse.

Tendonitis, involving the musculus quadriceps femoris or patella tendon: repetitive jumping sports like volleyball or basketball.

Injury

Sudden trauma will harm elements of your ginglymoid joint. Common knee injuries will include:

Anterior symmetrical  ligament (ACL) injury or medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury: harm to the most helpful ligaments of the knee.

Bursitis: Inflammation (swelling) of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the ginglymoid joint.

Kneecap dislocation: Movement out of place by your kneecap (the bone that covers your knee).

Meniscus tear: Tear within the knee’s gristle (slippery tissue that helps bones move along smoothly).

Arthritis

Arthritis could be a condition which will impact many alternative joints in your body. after you have inflammatory disease in your knee, it causes the joint to swell. this may be a painful condition. inflammatory disease in your knee is additional doubtless to develop over time as you age. There ar many differing types of inflammatory disease which will have an effect on the knees, including:

Rheumatoid inflammatory disease: this kind of arthritis is associate degree disease, which implies that it attacks the joints of the body, inflicting inflammation (swelling) and breaking them down.

Osteoarthritis: this kind of inflammatory disease is characterised by a breakdown of gristle in your joint over a amount of your time. weight will play an enormous role in your joint health. Being overweight will place additional stress on the knee. this may cause pain. Maintaining a healthy weight by often elbow grease and consumption a alimentary diet will cut back your risk of joint pain.

Treatment

If your pain doesn’t flee, your doctor might recommend treatments to tackle the underlying reason for your knee pain. this might involve attempting to form your hip muscles stronger, or facilitate with foot issues, every of which may have an effect on knee pain.

A doctor can recommend treatment supported the condition that’s inflicting your pain.

Stronger painkillers

If your pain is severe, you’ll be prescribed stronger painkillers like painkiller. as a result of this has additional aspect effects than commonplace painkillers, it’s going to solely be prescribed for a brief time and your doctor can in all probability recommend different treatments to tackle the causes of your pain.

These would possibly embrace therapy, talking therapies and pain management programmes, surgery or injections.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy might facilitate your knee pain, looking on what has caused it and what a part of your knee hurts. A physical therapist will provide recommendation tailored to your individual state of affairs.

Treatments your physical therapist might recommend include:

a programme of exercises tailored to your explicit desires – looking on what’s inflicting your knee pain, this might got to last for a jiffy

taping of the kneecap – this involves applying tape over the kneecap to alter the manner your kneecap sits or moves

knee braces – you’ll purchase these from sports retailers, chemists and on-line retailers, however they’re not appropriate for everybody or for all knee issues. Speak to your doctor or physical therapist, if you wish to grasp whether or not a brace is appropriate for you.

Why should I see a pain management specialist?
Pain management is an important part of any treatment plan, both for lessening discomfort and aiding in recovery. Pain management specialists understand the full range of pain relief options and how to use these options in combination. Treatments done as part of a comprehensive, multimodal plan may help even if each treatment does not seem to make a difference when used in isolation.

How is the cause of knee pain diagnosed?
A thorough examination is necessary for an accurate determination. The examination should include an assessment of whether the pain actually stems from the knee.

Patient characteristics. Some conditions are more likely to occur in individuals with certain characteristics.

Patient history. The physician asks questions to determine potential sources of trauma, such as car accidents or sports injuries. The physician will also ask where and when you feel the pain.

Results of a physical examination. The physician moves and probes your knee for signs of damage to the muscle, tendon, or cartilage.

Results of imaging and other tests. Sometimes X-rays, MRIs, or other diagnostic tests are needed to identify structural damage or abnormalities.

What treatments can provide pain relief?
The nature of your injury will guide the treatment. So will your preferences. It is best to consider the full menu of options available. These include:

RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). This can work for acute pain, but treatment is different for chronic pain. For chronic pain, rest may weaken muscles that need strengthening to reduce or eliminate the pain.
Exercise and physical therapy. Some exercises help build or stretch muscles and ease pain. You also need to know which exercises should be avoided because they could cause further damage to your knee.