Knee Pain Injuries In A Nutshell: Types, Causes, Treatment And Prevention

Introduction

The knee is one of the most complicated and fascinating joints created by biology. As such, it is extremely liable to get injured or strained which is why knee pain relief is such an extremely common request for which people have to seek medical attention. There can be many reasons for knee pain; sore knees due to excessive strain, swelling or dislocation due to injuries or even diseases such as arthritis. Similarly knee pain treatment in Singapore can also take different forms. Some knee pain treatments are simple and convenient such as rehabilitation exercises rest while other more problematic injuries may require steroidal medications or invasive surgeries. Risk of developing persistent knee pain problems increases if you are overweight, have a history of knee injuries, or if you are at an old age (due to wear and tear of the knee joint). Prevention may be the best way to gain knee pain relief and it might be best to consider and implement lifestyle choices if you’re facing chronic knee pain or developing one.

What Does a Knee Joint Consist of?

A knee joint is one of the most complicated mechanical and evolutionary marvels ever created. It’s a massively complicated construct which is made up of three separate articulating surfaces which are fused together. There’s a whole wealth of research about the exact nature and evolution of the knee joint but the summary of it is as follows:

• The knee is the largest joint in the human body
• The knee consists of cartilages, bones, ligaments, and tendons. and different bones which are fused together to give a wide range of motion and flexibility
• Ligaments connect these bones to other bones which facilitates leg movement

All these parts combine together to form the knee joint and they give it its unique properties of flexibility and tensile strength. However, the complicated nature and the massive strain we put upon the knee joint are also the main reasons for its vulnerability.

Common Knee Injuries

Due to its complicated and interconnected nature, the knee joint is unfortunately one of the easiest joints to injure. Some of the most common knee injuries include:

• Muscular and/or ligament sprains: the knee houses a massive number of muscles and ligaments which are connected with the rest of the leg and are necessary to facilitate the movement of the leg. These ligaments and muscles are under a massive amount of strain and can easily get injured which can cause chronic knee pain or swelling.
• Fractures or dislocation: there are a number of bones in the knee joint. An extremely sedentary or excessive lifestyle can weaken these bones which can cause any of them to develop fractures due to trauma from falls or accidents. Another problem that can develop is dislocation on the knee bones when knee bones are pushed out of alignment due to trauma or falls.
• Arthritis: arthritis is another leading cause for chronic knee pain and becomes especially prevalent in old age. There are more than a hundred different kinds of arthritis, the most common of which is Osteoarthritis which causes deterioration of the cartilages of your knee joint. Other forms of arthritis which can affect the knee are Rheumatoid arthritis and septic arthritis.

Treatment of Knee Pain and Knee Injuries

There are a number of knee pain treatments to deal with the growing problem of knee pain. These treatments range from simple, easy to implement, home treatments to complicated invasive surgeries depending on the intensity of the knee pain. Some of the treatment for knee pain include:

• RICE method: one simple home remedy is the RICE method, which stands for Rest, Ice, Heat, Compression, and Elevation. The rice method is a time-tested home remedy which basically states that as soon as you start to develop knee pain limit all strenuous activity and apply ice and/or heat while massaging your knee through compression and to try to keep your knee elevated. This is a simple method that helps quickly respond to developing knee injuries and provides knee pain relief.
• Physical therapy: physical therapy goes a long way in preventing and treating knee pain. A balanced lifestyle with a sufficient amount of exercise can prevent knee pain from ever developing. In cases where knee pain has already developed, physical therapy is necessary to strengthen and soothe the muscles and provide knee pain relief.
• Medication: medication is another simple way to gain knee pain relief. Over the counter non-steroidal pain killers such as ibuprofen and aspirin can help to treat knee pain and reduce swelling.
• Injections: in some more extreme cases injections may be necessary. Injections help in providing pain relief, strengthening the knee joint and reducing the symptoms of arthritis.
• Surgery: sometimes in extreme cases surgery may be necessary.