Knee pain, specifically chronic knee pain, can happen anytime to anyone regardless of gender and age. The reasons for such pain may vary too. It can be due to an accident, existing knee problems, the result of some strengthening exercises or rheumatoid arthritis. Knee joint pain may also be due to old age.
Chronic or lingering knee pain is among the typical problems occurring in aging people. A long-term condition, this is at times, associated with pain swelling and sensitivity. Any activity that’s weight-bearing can be tremendously painful. Some of these activities included climbing stairs, buying groceries, or carrying a lightweight.
Any of these activities can bring risk to the knee. That’s what the treatment options are here for–to help ease the pain. However, an individual won’t know the proper treatment if he doesn’t know the cause of pain. It is essential to know, too, a person’s potential to likely experience some knee pain.
Who is likely to experience knee pain?
Individuals who are obese or overweight have a higher risk of knee injury or pain. For each excess pound to one’s weight, his knee needs to absorb an extra 4 pounds of pressure or physical activities such as walking, running, and climbing the stairs.
Other factors that are likely to increase that risk for pain on the knee include the following:
- Age
- Past traumatic experiences or injury
- Physical exercise or sports activities
Types of a knee injury
Knee pain may also be considered a knee injury. There are different types of injury that cause pain. Some are curable through physical therapy, while the other kinds are through home remedies. Three of the most common knee injury types include:
- Acute Injuries
Also called sudden injuries, acute injuries are the most common causes that affect the knee. They usually take place through a range of motion of the knee such as bending, twisting, or falling on the knee itself. Symptoms can be from bruising and pain to weakness, tingling numbness, and all other symptoms.
- Overuse Injuries
These take place after pressure on the knee or repeated activities. These activities may include riding a bike, climbing the stairs, jumping, riding a bike, or jogging. They can all result in injuries like tendinitis or Bursitis, to name two.
- Knee Conditions
In certain circumstances, chronic knee pain can happen even without relation to any injury or particular overuse. Such a pain can be due to some knee conditions such as osteoarthritis, infections, outside issues, and popliteal cyst, among others.
5 Common Causes of Chronic Knee Pain
Chronic knee pain is not the temporary pain one usually feels. It can happen because of many underlying diseases or issues and won’t disappear without appropriate proper treatment. Below are 5 of the most common causes of this pain:
- Rheumatoid arthritis – This occurs when a person’s immune system starts to attack the membranes’ lining, which surrounds the joints. As a result, the lining thickens, and can eventually destroy the bone and cartilage within the joint. Also, it can impact different joints in the body, which include both the upper and lower limbs.
- Osteoarthritis or OA – This is the most common arthritis form affecting millions of people globally. It happens when the protective joint cartilage located at the end of the bones breaks and wears away over time. Symptoms of OA are effectively managed. However, the underlying procedure is irreversible.
- Knee bursitis – This common cause can bring pain above or below the kneecap or patella. The knee joint comprises of up to 11 bursae. A myriad of factors are available, and they can add to the knee bursitis. Among the common elements are trauma to knees or a direct blow, frequent falls on the knee, and prolonged or repeated pressure on the knee.
- Tendinitis – This takes place as a result of the tendon’s inflammation. This is a tissue attaching the muscle to the bone. In this cause of chronic pain, the patient starts to feel severe pain in front of his knee joint: this particular pain taking stairs, climbing, or any other physical activity.
- Runner’s knee – This is another common knee ailment. It occurs in an athlete who engages in activities requiring too much bending on the knee – like walking, jumping, and biking. It typically causes lingering pain around the knee cap.
Recommended treatments to ease the pain
Each fundamental cause of chronic knee pain entails a specific treatment type. Seeking medical advice is the first step to know the right treatment. The other forms of cure are as follows:
- Medication
- Physical therapy
- Injections
- Surgery
For someone suffering from Bursitis, he can treat this kind of chronic knee pain by:
- Putting ice on the knee for 15 minutes, once every hour for 4 consecutive hours. Don’t apply the ice directly to the knee. Instead, cover it with a soft towel or cotton. Place the cold object in plastic or zip-locked bag and place it on the towel.
- Wear flat, cushioned shoes to support the feet and prevent it from exacerbating the pain.
- Sleep on the opposite side. Use a pillow positioned on any side of the body to avoid rolling on the side.
- A person lying on his side should position a pillow between his knees.
- Remain seated whenever possible. If there is a need to stand, stay away from the hard surface.
- Make sure to keep the weight evenly divided between the two legs.
- For someone who is obese or overweight, be sure to lose weight.
How to Prevent the Recurrence of this Pain
One can prevent the recurrence of knee pain but he cannot avoid it from occurring. Here are some ways to at least alleviate the pain. There are things you can do to ease the pain. If the pain worsens due to overuse or becomes severely painful after an activity, lifestyle changes can help with knee pain treatment with these approaches:
- By warming up before every exercise
- By trying the low-impact workouts
- Secure support or assistance
- Lose weight
- Replace the running shoes often to guarantee constantly proper cushioning and support
- Walk down the hills
